Full Speed Ahead ! Russia’s submarine building
The Sevmash shipyard launched the first modified Borei-class (Project 955A) nuclear ballistic missile submarine in November. Meanwhile, construction of improved Lada-class conventional submarines continues apace at Admiralty Shipyards in Saint Petersburg.
The fourth Borei- class SSBN, and the first of the series to be built to an updated new standard, was launched at the Sevmash shipyard in Severodvinsk on 17 November 2017. The boat, named Knyaz Vladimir (Prince Vladimir, named for Vladimir the Great), is a Project 955A design, as opposed to the earlier vessels of the class that were designated Project 955. The Russian MoD has ordered a total of eight Borei- class vessels, with three already in service and the remainder all under various stages of construction.
Project 955, developed by the Rubin design bureau, dates to the mid-1980s. The first vessel, Yuri Dolgorukyi (Yuri the longarmed, named for the founder of Moscow) was laid down in 1996, but Russia’s welldocumented financial difficulties in that
decade delayed the construction process to 2000. The second and third boats were laid down in 2004 and 2006, respectively.
These first three Borei- class submarines were designed some thirty years ago, and their construction commenced using parts from unfinished Akula – and Oscar– class submarines at Sevmash. The design of the first ‘new build’ submarine of the class, Knyaz Vladimir, was therefore modified to reflect the fact that it would be built from scratch and updated to more modern standards. This design evolved into the Project 955A classification, with broadly similar specifications to the first three ships, but improved noise characteristics, newer on-board systems and sensors, and some minor physical changes. For instance, the distinctive forward swept sail of the first three submarines will be replaced with a more conventional implementation on the 955A.
Russian President Vladimir Putin had attended the keel-laying ceremony for Knyaz Vladimir in 2012, where he said, “We plan our actions based on the notion that our country should remain among the leading maritime nations. First of all, this is about further development of the naval component of the Nuclear Triad, and about the navy’s contribution to maintaining global parity. By 2020 [the naval component of the Triad] will be upgraded substantially, through commissioning of eight new nuclear submarines of the Borei class”. As he spoke, Yuri Dolgorukyi was completing acceptance trials, Aleksander Nevski was commencing harbour trials, and Vladimir Monomakh was under construction. Since then, the programme has proceeded broadly to plan, with three submarines operational: Yuri Dolgorukyi in service with the Northern Fleet, and Aleksander Nevski and Vladimir Monomakh with the Pacific Fleet.
With the remaining four vessels of the Borei- class already under construction to the Project 955A standard, a further more comprehensively modified variant is already under consideration. At a Russian MoD meeting in early November, General Valery Gerasimov, Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Russia, noted that a “nuclear-powered underwater cruiser Borei-B with upgraded characteristics is being developed.” Meanwhile, an all-new future class of Russian nuclear submarines, tentatively named ‘ Husky,’ is also under development, with preliminary concepts likely to be finalised in 2018.
Lada- class revival
The Lada- class diesel-electric submarines Kronshtadt and Velikiye Luki, second and third boats of the class, are at advanced stages of construction at Admiralty Shipyards in Saint Petersburg.
In October, the last hull butt on Kronshtadt was welded, completing the submarine’s principal structural work. Pipelines and various auxiliary systems are now being installed in the hull, along with electrical equipment, a shaft line and various optronics masts. On Velikiye Luki, the forward and aft pressure hull sections are complete and hydraulic tests of both sections have been carried out.
These two new boats feature a raft of improvements identified during trials and operation of the lead Lada- class vessel, Sankt Peterburg. At the Army 2017 defence show held near Moscow in August, Russian Deputy Defence Minister Yury Borisov confirmed that the Russian government would order a further two Lada- class boats, taking the class to at least five vessels