Russia will conduct the next test of the Bulava submarine-launched ballistic early next month, according to a Russian Defence Ministry spokesman.

The spokesman said that a salvo launch of Bulava will be carried out by the end of 2011.

“Two or more missiles will be fired in a salvo, which is a part of the plan of state tests,” Xinhua news agency quotes a spokesman as saying.

Designed by Moscow Institute of Thermal Technology, the Bulava missile is capable of carrying ten warheads with a range of 8,000km and has been successfully tested eight times during the previous 15 launches.

The Russian Navy is planning to put the missile into service by the end of 2011 or early 2012.