Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has announced the successful testing of a new ballistic nuclear missile that is expected to become a cornerstone of the country's military arsenal.

At a meeting with senior military officers Tuesday, Mr. Medvedev said the Bulava strategic ICBM is ready to enter service and will be deployed on a new generation of Russia's nuclear submarines.

Testing of the Bulava missile has been going on for years with mixed results and growing concern over the future of the program. The RIA Novosti news agency says the missile has experienced seven failures in its 19 test flights.

But several recent launches of the Bulava have been successful, including a simultaneous firing of two missiles on December 23.