08.02.2010
Construction of SSBN Svyatitel Nikolai, fourth one in Project 955/955A Borei started in Dec 2009, reports RIA Novosti referring to the source in administration of Severodvinsk, where located Sevmash shipyard building Borei-class subs.
According to the source, shipbuilders perform staple works on first sections of the future sub. Probably, official keel laying ceremony may be held behind closed doors. "Most likely, the ceremony will be occasional to Submariner's Day which is annually celebrated on March 19", said the interviewee.
In Dec 2009 Russian Ministry of Defense decided to postpone laying down of fourth
Borei-class SSBN from Dec 22 to first quarter of 2010 due to technical and organizational reasons; precise reasons were not specified.
It is not improbable that time displacement was related with faulty launch of SLBM
Bulava which is supposed to become basic weapon of
Borei-class subs. Failure happened to
Bulava on Dec 9, 2009.
Three
Borei-class SSBNs are presently at
Sevmash shipyard in different level of completeness –
Yury Dolgoruky,
Alexander Nevsky and
Vladimir Monomakh. In total, it is planned to build eight submarines of this project. Max speed of
Borei-class sub is 26 knots and displacement is 17,000 tons.
Source: , photo: SSBN Yury Dolgoruky in the dock (strizhi.info)
