Keel-Laying of Fourth Borei Sub Postponed

21.03.2012 Defense ministry and United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC) have not agreed upon contractual commitments and financing of the project so far. Initially, it was planned to lay down the fourth Borei-class submarine on the eve of the Submariners' Day traditionally celebrated on March 19. Russian Navy Commander-in-Chief ADM Vladimir Vysotsky also told about that earlier.

According to Life News referred to a source in Russian defense industry, USC and defense ministry are still working on contractual liabilities.

Third sub of the project – SSBN Vladimir Monomakh – is being actively constructed, and everything is ready to lay a keel for the fourth sub, reported press service of Sevmash shipyard which has built the first two Boreis.

"The yard is ready to start construction, but it is customer who sets the date for keel-laying ceremony. Even the sub's name – Svyatitel Nikolai – is not final. It will be approved at the ceremony", press secretary of Sevmash Anastasiya Nikitinskaya told Life News.

Representatives of USC assured that the delay had no connection with any serious contradictions between defense ministry and the corporation.

According to USC, it became easier to execute defense orders when the ministry decided to advance financing of knowledge-intensive productions in full.

"Now we can see sufficient money and defense ministry's desire to receive new ships and subs as soon as possible. Times when construction of one submarine lasted decades due to poor financing have passed", said Alexei Kravchenko, the head of USC Press Service.

The new submarine will have some distinctions comparing to her predecessors. Changes will be associated with life support system and interior communications. Also, the fourth Borei will carry larger amount of submarine-launched ballistic missiles Bulava which number will be increased from 16 to 20.

It is not the first time when modifying of the contract and approval of project documentation moved the keel-laying date of the fourth Borei-class submarine. The date has been permanently changed since Dec 2010.