Russia Navy Borei class submarine fires Bulava ballistic missile.

According to information published by Tass on November 6, 2023, the Russian Defense Ministry has announced the successful test firing of a Bulava intercontinental submarine-launched ballistic missile by the nuclear-powered submarine Imperator Alexander III. The submarine executed the launch from the White Sea, with the missile reaching the Kura testing range on the Kamchatka Peninsula.
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Bulava ballistic missile fired from the Borei class submarine Imperator Alexander III.  (Picture source: Tass)

The Bulava (also known by its technical name R-30 Bulava-30, with NATO reporting name SS-N-32) is a Russian submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), developed by the Moscow Institute of Thermal Technology—the same organization responsible for the creation of the land-based Topol-M missile between 1989 and 1997. It is part of the D-30 missile system and is deployed on the Project 955 Borei-class submarines.

Development of the Bulava began in 1998, and since then, it has become a cornerstone of Russia's strategic naval forces. The missile has a maximum range of approximately 9,300 kilometers and a circular error probable (CEP) of between 120 and 350 meters. It weighs 36.8 tons at launch and is capable of carrying 6 to 10 nuclear warheads.

The total payload is around 1,150 kilograms, and it is housed within a launch container measuring 12.1 meters in length and 2.1 meters in diameter. Notably, the first stage of the rocket has a diameter of 2.0 meters, a mass of 18.6 tons, and a length of 3.8 meters. Information about the second stage has not been publicly disclosed. The third stage is reported to be either solid-fueled or liquid-fueled, depending on different sources.

Equipped to deliver 6 to 10 individually targeted warheads, each with a yield of 100 to 150 kilotons, the Bulava boasts advanced maneuvering capabilities to evade enemy missile defense systems.

These improvements suggest a departure from the previous "scatter" deployment of warheads to a more sophisticated "bus" deployment, akin to the U.S. "bus" deployment system.

The Bulava is designed for use aboard two types of strategic missile-carrying submarines: the modernized Project 941UM "Akula" class (of which TK-208 is a part, featuring a single missile silo) and the Project 955 Borei class.