Those kind of stories are pretty much true but that didn't/doesn't make the threat any less real...
We in the west have our fair share of failures and mistakes during ops. That is what ops are about. Training and testing and training and testing.
Back during the cold war, we monitored the Soviet ops very closely and they monitored ours very closely. There were a fair share of minor collisions between ours and theirs subs, etc. In fact, an XO at a base I was stationed on had a very high military decoration merely for being able to recognize the sound of a missile hatch opening. Thing is that their sub was directly above a Soviet Yankee class sub, a couple of yards above it. We were monitoring what they were doing (and at that close of a distance you can listen to conversation, etc) when he heard the missile hatch on the yankee open. He managed to get our sub away from there just in time for the Yankee to launch without putting their missile right through the middle of our sub.
It doesn't matter whether their missile tests went good or bad. That they are testing new generation missiles is what is important. During the Soviet era, they already had missiles that could exceed the 4800 mile mark with accuracy which made them a threat to both our east and west coasts from virtually everywhere in the Atlantic or Pacific. I assume that they still have that capability.
I don't think we are in danger of getting into a missile exchange anytime soon, but I agree completely with Serge that this is probably going to be a good time to invest in U.S. defense industry stocks, etc. Because, just like during the cold war we will always try to keep at least an even par with anything they do. Just for example, look at what has happened since China enetered the Space race for real this year. We have announced more space initiatives since they did their launches then we have for many years. It is all a game of stay even at least and if you can, get ahead and stay ahead.
Just imho of course.
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