Article Posted on : - Sep 09, 2010

A file photo of Bulava missile test.

MOSCOW (BNS): Russia plans to resume test launches of troubled Bulava missile by late September, an agency report said.

"Preparations are currently underway. We have tried to control the entire process of the missiles' assembly,” RIA Novosti quoted Russian Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov as saying.

"There will be three [more test] missiles, and during their launch we will find out the cause of failed launches if the same mistakes happen again," he added.

The missile has undergone a total of 12 test-launches so far, out of which seven have resulted in failure.

The Bulava (SS-NX-30) is a three-stage liquid and solid-propellant submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM). It carries up to 10 MIRV warheads and has a range of over 8,000 kilometers (5,000 miles).