RSM-56 Bulava

Russia's solid-propellant submarine-launched intercontinental ballistic missile, carried exclusively by Borei-class strategic submarines as the principal weapon of its modern sea-based nuclear deterrent.

Overview

The RSM-56 Bulava, designated SS-N-32 by NATO, is a Russian intercontinental-range submarine-launched ballistic missile developed for the Project 955 and 955A Borei classes. The missile combines solid-propellant boost stages with a post-boost system carrying multiple independently targetable nuclear re-entry vehicles. Its cited range is 8,300 km, although longer figures appear in open sources and an August 2011 test reportedly covered more than 9,000 km. Each Borei-class submarine has 16 launch tubes, making the missile and its carrier a single, closely coupled strategic-weapon system.

Bulava is the successor to the unsuccessful R-39UTTH Bark project and, together with the Borei construction programme, is replacing Russia's remaining Delta-class submarines and liquid-propellant R-29RM-family missiles. The Federation of American Scientists assesses Russia's sea-based nuclear modernization as more advanced than the corresponding replacement of its land-based missiles and strategic bombers.

The Russian Navy is the system's sole operator. Eight Borei and Borei-A submarines provided 128 launch tubes by early 2026, according to an external estimate by Russian Strategic Nuclear Forces; the number of missiles actually deployed, their current warhead loading and the production inventory are not publicly established. Bulava has not been used in combat. Its operational purpose is to provide a survivable second-strike capability through submarine deterrent patrols.

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