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Russian test fire of intercontinental missile failed: reports
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-12-23 17:26

MOSCOW -- A new type of intercontinental ballistic missile failed to pass its test fire on Tuesday, Russian media reported, citing defense industry sources.

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"The missile self-destructed in air after it was launched from the Dmitry Donskoi nuclear powered submarine," the Interfax news agency quoted the anonymous source as saying.

A failure occurred in the third stage of the submarine-based missile, which prompted its self-destruction, he said, noting that no one was injured and there was no damage caused by the failure.

So far, there have been seven test launches of the Bulava, which is expected to be put in service next year, but four of them failed, Interfax said.

Bulava, which can carry ten nuclear warheads to a maximum distance of 8,000 km, is to be the main weapon of Russian Navy's latest Project 955 (Borei-class) submarines.