Severodvinsk (Inditop), April 9 (RIA Novosti) A Russian shipyard has been told to begin construction of a nuclear-powered strategic submarine this year, an official said.
“Russia’s Defence Ministry has ordered the shipyard to start construction of the fourth Borey class submarine this year,” a Sevmash shipyard official told RIA Novosti Wednesday, adding that work could begin either in July or December.
The first Borey class submarine, the Yury Dolgoruky, will start sea trials in June.
The vessel is 170 metres long, has a hull diameter of 13 metres, a crew of 107, including 55 officers, a maximum depth of 450 metres and a submerged speed of about 29 knots. It can carry up to 16 ballistic missiles and torpedoes.
Two other Borey-class nuclear submarines, the Alexander Nevsky and the Vladimir Monomakh, are currently under construction at the Sevmash shipyard and are expected to be completed in 2009 and 2011. Russia is planning to build eight of these submarines by 2015.
All Borey class submarines will be equipped with new Bulava-M (SS-NX-30) intercontinental ballistic missiles, which carry up to 10 nuclear warheads and have a range of 8,000 km.
