MOSCOW, July 16 (Reuters) - A test launch of Russia's new submarine-based missile Bulava has failed, Russian agencies reported on Thursday, citing the Defence Ministry, calling into question official plans to commission it by the end of the year. "A malfunction during the first stage of the launch resulted in self-destruction," Itar-Tass said, citing the ministry's press office. The intercontinental ballistic missile, which is capable of carrying up to 10 warheads to the distances of up to 8,000 km (5,000 miles), launched off the White Sea in the northwest of the country on July 15, Interfax said. The failed launch means there have now been more unsuccessful tests than successful. Russia's war with neighbouring Georgia last August exposed a Soviet-style army with obsolete equipment and a lack of spy drones and high-precision bombs, analysts said. Russia has since embarked on an ambitious investment in modernising its military and nuclear arsenal and equipping the army with high-precision tactical missiles.(Reporting by Amie Ferris-Rotman; Editing by Angus MacSwan)
People walk on the banks of the salt water Tus lake in Russia's Khakassia region, about 370 km (230 miles) southwest of the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, July 12, 2009. Picture ...
