Russia to test-launch at least 5 Bulava ICBMs in 2009

The number of test launches for Russia's Bulava ICBM will be increased from three or four to at least five next year, a senior Navy official said on Tuesday.

The intercontinental ballistic missile, capable of breaching anti-missile defense systems, failed a test launch from a submarine earlier on Tuesday.

"In connection with today's less than successful test launch, the overall number of Bulava test-launches in 2009 will be increased from three to four to a minimum of five," the official said adding that telemetry and trajectory measurements of the latest launch would be analyzed before the end of this year.

Read more