07.12.2011
Text:
Illustration: Project 955
Borei nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine.
At present,
Sevmash builds three Project 955
Borei submarines designed by the
Rubin bureau, i.e. SSBN
Yury Dolgoruky, SSBN
Alexander Nevsky, and SSBN
Vladimir Monomakh. In total, it is planned to build eight subs of projects
Borei and
Borei-A. "No new subs will be laid down in this year. We plan in the next year to lay a keel for the
Borei-A project lead submarine, i.e. improved
Borei. That will be the fourth sub of the project. State Arms Program 2011-2020 provides keel-laying of fifth and sixth hulls in 2012", Diachkov said.
He specified that the contract for construction of the
Borei-A lead submarine (unofficially named
Svyatitel Nikolai) was tied with defense ministry in Nov 2011. The contracts for fifth and sixth hulls will be signed in the first quarter of 2012. Currently, the prices are being calculated for further defense ministry's approval. Pre-contract preparations are in progress since early Sept. "We expect to sign contracts for new subs and obtain financing in the first quarter of the next year", said the
Sevmash's director.
Project 955
Borei was developed by
Rubin design bureau (St. Petersburg). The first sub SSBN
Yury Dolgoruky was laid down at
Sevmash on Nov 2, 1996. Having the length of about 170 meters, beam of 13.5 meters, and full displacement of 24,000 tons, the submarine will be armed with 12
Bulava-30 missiles designed by Moscow Thermotechnics Institute. Missiles of this type carry up to 10 independently-targetable nuclear warheads with improved missile defense overcoming capabilities. Flight range of SLBM
Bulava is 8,000 km. Except for ballistic missiles, the submarine is armed with 533-mm torpedo tubes. Nuclear powerplant propels one screw and makes possible to accelerate up to 15 knots on surface and up to 29 knots under water.
