USC is one of the world's largest submarine builders – Trotsenko

30.09.2010 Over RUR 100 bln of United Shipbuilding Corporation's (USC) total receipts in 2009 were obtained for defense orders, primarily for submarine shipbuilding, said Roman Trotsenko, the USC president in today's interview to Kommersant.

Export came to 27% of the corporation's income. Competitiveness of USC at the world market is in many ways resulted from preservation of the national designing school, added Trotsenko.

According to him, today surface fleet has lost substantial part of its advantages, and the USSR did right by placing the stake on submarines but not carrier groups. By virtue of numerous reasons including the latest trends in development of reconnaissance hardware and electronics, submarines are more preferable for Russia than aircraft carriers. So, USC intends to maintain and develop submarine building as one of its major competitive advantages, underlined the USC president.

Despite the high prices of lead submarines built by USC shipyards in St. Petersburg (Lada class Project 667 diesel electric submarine St. Petersburg) and Severodvinsk (Yasen class Project 885 SSGN Severodvinsk), cost of further subs will be 30% less in case of serial production and stable financing, assured Trotsenko.