The national defense program originally envisioned deploying Bulava on nuclear submarines from 2007, but the missile tests failed in late December for a third time in four months despite previous successful launches.
"There have been failed tests [of Bulava] but this is normal," Sergei Ivanov said at a meeting with members of the lower house of parliament.
"If we had put the missile into service and then there had been failures, that would have been a nightmare, but we have not," Ivanov said.
Anatoly Perminov, Russia's top space official, said in late December that Bulava, set to be the core weapon of future submarines, had undergone a total of five test launches in the White Sea since September 2005.
To reassure lawmakers the minister pointed out that in Soviet times ballistic missiles, including sea-based ones, were tested for three to four years before being commissioned.
"In Soviet days, at least 20-25 test launches were conducted," and the tests never proceeded without a hitch, Ivanov said.
The R-30 Bulava (SS-NX-30) is the submarine-launched version of Russia's most advanced missile, the Topol-M (SS-27) solid fuel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). Designed at the Moscow Institute of Thermal Technology, the missile can carry up to 10 nuclear warheads and has a range of 8,000 kilometers (about 5,000 miles).
The defense minister also said ballistic missile tests from submarines posed no safety threat, as the designers have conducted multiple simulation tests, and have taken personal responsibility for the safety of launches.
"So I don't see any threat to nuclear safety," Ivanov said.
