K-159 'pierced the bottom like a dart', she could be lifted –researchers

07.04.2010 Scotch company ADUS by agreement with the Russian Federation conducted a research and made sonar images of Russian NF nuclear submarine K-159 sunken in 2003 in the Barents Sea to find out whether it is possible to lift the sub, writes Wired.

Nuclear-powered submarine K-159 sank in the night of Aug 30, 2003 in conditions of 3-grade sea disturbance while being towed to Snezhnogorsk for spent fuel discharge. Nine out of ten crewmembers died. As a result, then commander of Northern Fleet Gennady Suchkov was dismissed from office and adjudged to 4 years of conditional sentence.

K-159 lays on the bottom at the depth of 248 meters so to inspect the sub it was necessary to use an untethered submersible with sonar equipment, said Martin Dean, director of ADUS. Flocks of North Atlantic cods coming to sonar sounds and camera light seriously hindered the work, so researchers had to switch off equipment for 40 minutes to let the fish get out.

"According to the sonar evidence, we can say that it sank stern first, headed down vertically and stuck 12m into the seabed, like a dart," says Dean. "The hull then snapped at the aft end and crashed to the seabed, leaving about 8m of the outer casing, including the propellers, still buried vertically in the seabed. Surprisingly, the submarine is still in good condition for a salvage".

Project 627A nuclear-powered submarine K-159 was launched in 1962. She covered over 200,000 nautical miles and carried out 6 patrols.

We recall that in Russia April 7 is Memorial Day of Lost Submariners. 21 years ago the tragedy of Komsomolets nuclear submarine in the Norwegian Sea claimed lives of 42 submariners.