Experts doubt Russian military has moved Bulava production

Russia cannot assign production of Bulava ballistic missiles to another manufacturer because there is only one plant in the country that makes solid-fuel ballistic missiles, Russian experts have said.

Chief of the Russian General Staff, Gen. Nikolai Makarov, said on Wednesday that production of the troubled Bulava missile had been moved to an alternative factory due to problems in the production cycle. He did not specify its name.

According to the Russian Nezavisimaya Gazeta newspaper, Makarov's announcement took the Russian military and defense industry experts by surprise because only one plant in Russia - the Votkinsky Zavod in the Urals - makes solid-fuel ballistic missiles for Russia's Armed Forces, including the Topol-M, the Iskander-M, and the Bulava-30.

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