Testing of the Bulava intercontinental ballistic missile will resume shortly, with three new launches scheduled for the second half of September, Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov said Wednesday.

Of the 12 Bulava test launches conducted since 2004, seven, including the latest in December, failed for various reasons.

The military has tightened control over the production of the missile, hoping to understand whether the continuing failures are to be blamed on design or manufacturing errors, Serdyukov said, RIA-Novosti reported.

(MT)