According to the Commander in Chief of
the Russian Navy, Russia will receive two nuclear submarines - Alexander
Nevsky and Vladimir Monomakh - and one multi-purpose submarine -
Severodvinsk - before the end of 2013. If it happens, it will mark the
first time since the collapse of the Soviet Union, when Russia passes
new nuclear submarines into service.
Officials specified, however, that
strategic submarines would be passed into service only after control
launches of the Bulava missile that are scheduled to take place during
the second half of this year.
The control test launches of Russia's
Bulava missile are expected to end successfully. During the latest
launches of the missile, there were no system failures observed.
Many of the previous test launches of
the missile were unsuccessful, which led to the appearance of skepticism
among the military administration of the country. Some officials even
suggested not to finance the works on the development of the new
missile. Yet, engineers overcame all obstacles, and the missile was
passed into service.
All of the above-mentioned submarines
are going through last stages of tests. Strategic missile submarines
Alexander Nevsky and Vladimir Monomakh, as well as the multipurpose
Severodvinsk cruiser, show very good results of their operation. All
disadvantages and flaws revealed during the tests will be easily fixed.
According to the plans of the Navy
command, strategic submarines of Project 955 should become the basis of
naval strategic nuclear forces of Russia after 2018. Before that,
submarine maker Sevmash Enterprise had not produced one single nuclear
submarine for nearly ten years. The last multipurpose nuclear submarine
Gepard of Project 971 was transferred to the Northern Fleet in December
2001.
It is worth mentioning that strategic
Borei subs were designed at the St. Petersburg-based Design Bureau of
Marine Engineering - Rubin. Specialists used state-of-the-art
technologies in the electronic equipment of new submarines. Each
nuclear-powered vessel will carry 12 Bulava intercontinental ballistic
missiles.
Submarines of this project are outfitted
with a quick rescue chamber designed for the whole crew. The submarines
are 170 meters long and 13.5 meters wide. They can submerge at the
depth of 450 meters; the crew consists of 107 people (including 55
officers).
According to the plans of the Ministry
of Defense, at least eight Borei class submarines are expected to be
built. According to some reports, the defense ministry has decided to
limit the order to six, although the information has not been officially
confirmed.
Fourth-generation multi-purpose
submarine of Project 885 Yasen, Severodvinsk, was designed in St.
Petersburg. The construction was started at Sevmash in 1993. The
construction period took so much time due to economic difficulties and
the introduction of fundamentally new design of the body and equipment
of the submarine. The Severodvinsk was launched on June 15, 2010.
On the Severodvinsk, for the first time
in Russian shipbuilding practice, torpedo tubes were located in the
central, rather than in the nose part of the sub.
Eight vertical launchers were used for
missile weapons. The complex of weapon includes supersonic cruise
missiles, universal deep-homing torpedoes and mines. The sub was
equipped with advanced communication and navigation systems and a
fundamentally new nuclear power plant. The total displacement of the
vessel makes up 11,800 tons. A Yasen project submarine can develop the
speed of more than 30 knots; the crew counts 85 people.
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