First Borei-Class Sub to Serve in Northern Fleet

03.09.2012 Lead nuclear submarine of Project 955 Borei SSBN Yury Dolgoruky will serve in Northern Fleet (NF); the second submarine, SSBN Alexander Nevsky will be based in Pacific Fleet (PF), said Anatoly Shlemov, head of state defense order department at United Shipbuilding Corporation.

"Pacific Fleet will receive the second sub, the lead one Yury Dolgoruky is meant for Northern Fleet", reports RIA Novosti citing Shlemov.

As for him, it was decided to station Borei-class nuclear-powered strategic submarines at two fleets, Northern and Pacific ones. At first, crews of the both subs will serve at NF, and then crew of SSBN Alexander Nevsky will start preparing for a transfer to PF via the Northern Sea Route.

"Normally, it takes a year", specified Shlemov.

SSBN Yury Dolgoruky (Project 955 Borei) displaces 14,700/24,000 tons. Dimensions are 170 x 13.5 x 9 meters; test depth is 450 meters; speed is 15/29 knots; complement is 107 men including 55 officers. All Borei-class subs will be armed by the new Bulava missile system. Each submarine will carry sixteen solid-propellant ballistic missiles Bulava-M with 10 independently targetable reentry vehicles.

SLBM Bulava was designed by Moscow Thermotechnics Institute. Fully made by Russian defense companies, the Bulava missile system is standardized with the Topol-M ground-based ICBM system.

Except for ballistic missiles, Borei-class subs will be armed with torpedo tubes. Nuclear powerplant driving one propeller will make submarine move at the speed up to 15 knots on surface and up to 29 knots under water. Subs of this project are equipped with surfacing rescue chamber capable to accommodate the whole crew. Latest innovations in shipborne radioelectronics and noise reduction technology were applied when designing of Borei-class subs.

Shlemov added that decision on modernization of nuclear-powered missile cruiser Admiral Nakhimov (Project 11442 Orlan) would be made in Sept; RUR 5 bln was appropriated for that purpose in this year.

"State defense order provides 5 billion rubles for that purpose. But to open this project, we have to sign appropriate documents", Shlemov said.

As for him, so far it has not been decided whether to upgrade the cruiser. "This project was put into Defense Order 2012, the decision is to be made in September", said the official.

He pointed out that defense ministry, Russian Navy command, and United Shipbuilding Corporation had agreed to resume construction of Lada-class non-nuclear submarines since 2013.

"Hopefully, this item will be put in Defense Order 2013. If so, building of those subs would be resumed in the next year", concluded Shlemov.