NF SSBN Karelia sailed off to its base after modernization

18.01.2010
Northern Fleet's nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine K-18 Karelia sailed off to its basing site in Polar region after modernization at Zvezdochka Ship Repair Center (Severodvinsk), said Nadezhda Scherbinina, director of the shipyard's press service.

"Official delivery ceremony is scheduled on Jan 22, when acceptance certificate will be signed simultaneously at Zvezdochka and the sub's permanent basing site in the north", specified the shipyard's representative.

Shipyard's handover team accompanies the sub's crew in the cruise. The submarine had successfully completed post-upgrade sea trials program in December. Project 667BDRM Delfin (Delta-IV on NATO classification) SSBN Karelia was laid up at Zvezdochka in Nov, 2006. The sub was launched in Nov, 2008. After overhaul and modernization, operating life of the submarine has been prolonged on 10 years.

According to the shipyard's press service, over 100 innovations improving sub's performance characteristics were applied. Noisiness of the submarine was reduced; its detection capability of enemy subs has been significantly increased; casualty control and nuclear safety were also improved. The sub is armed with a new RSM-54 Sineva ballistic missiles designed by Makeev State Missile Center and commissioned in July 2007.

Four subs of the project have been upgraded by Zvezdochka: K-51 Verkhoturye (1999), K-84 Yekaterinburg (2003), K-114 Tula (2006), and K-117 Bryansk (2008). The sixth and the youngest sup of the project – Novomoskovsk – was laid up at Zvezdochka right after Karelia.

SSBN Karelia was built at Sevmash shipyard in Severodvinsk and delivered to the Navy in 1989. In 1994 the sub performed a cruise to North Pole where Russian and St. Andrew's flags were planted for the first time in Russian Navy's history.

Since 1984 till 1992 seven submarines of this type were commissioned into the Navy. According to public sources, a sub's length is 167 meters, beam is 12 meters, displacement is about 12,000 tonnes, max diving depth is 400 meters, cruising submerged speed is up to 24 knots (44.5 kph), and crew is 140. Submarine of the project is armed with 16 sea-launched ballistic missiles.

Source: ITAR-TASS, photo: Project 667BDRM sub (submarine.id.ru)