SEVEROMORSK /Murmansk region/, January 10 (Itar-Tass) — Russian President Vladimir Putin who arrived in Severomorsk, Murmansk region, on Thursday, attended the ceremony to hand in the Admiral Nakhimov Order to the heavy missile cruiser Pyotr Veliky, and chaired a video conference with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. The minister is on a visit to Severodvinsk on the occasion of inducting the Yuri Dolgoruky strategic nuclear submarine into the Russian Navy.
Severomorsk accommodates a large naval base on the Kola peninsula beyond Arctic Circle. It is a sea port on the eastern coast of the Kola Bay which does not freeze in the winter, and is the sixth largest town beyond Arctic Circle.
The Pyotr Veliky is the headship of the North Fleet, and the only nuclear-powered heavy missile cruiser of Project 1144 "Orlan" in service. The cruiser was launched in April 1986. It has been repeatedly named the best vessel of the North Fleet.
The cruiser is intended for destroying large surface enemy targets, comprehensive air defense and anti-submarine defense. Its full displacement is 25,000 tons and it has a speed 31 knots and a crew of 700. Its cruise endurance is 60 days. The vessel has missile and artillery systems to engage seaborne targets, defend agaisnt aircraft and anti-ship missiles and enemy submarines. It carries helicopters and maintenance units and its readiotechnical equipment provides for tracking targets at a range of 300 kilometers.
The head 4th generation nuclear submarine Yuri Dolgoruky of Project 955 Borei was designed by Central Design Bureau Rubin in 1996 (general designer S.N. Kovalyov) and was started at Sevmash Shipyards in 1996. The Yuri Dolgoruky was floated for finalizing in April 2007. In 2004, 2006 and 2012, Sevmash launched batch production of three vessels of the project: the Alexander Nevsky, the Vladimir Monomakh, and the Knyaz Vladimir /the last one is upgraded Project 955A - Itar-Tass/.
The Yuri Dolgoruky has passed the program of state trials, the Alexander Nevsky is undergoing state trials and the Vladimir Monomakh was taken out of dock for launching and subsequent tests on December 30, 2012.
The Borei-class submarines utilize the newest achievements in shipborne radio-electronic equipment and noise reduction. The main ordnance is the new Bulava missile system. Each submarine of Project 955 can carry 16 intercontinental solid fuel R-30 missiles with a range over 8,000 kilometers and multiple re-entry vehicles. The rescue chamber can accommodate the whole crew. The submarine is 170 meters long, and 13.5 meters wide, with a diving depth of 450 meters and a crew of 107.
Boreis are to become the backbone of Russia’s naval strategic forces in the next few decades. In all, Russia plans to build eight Boreis by 2020, including three of Project 955 and five of project 955A /an upgraded version, with more powerful armaments and lower noise levels, capable of carrying 20 Bulava intercontinental ballistic missiles each/. The head submarine project cost 23 billion roubles, but the batch-produced subs are expected to be less expensive.
Sevmash, Russia’s largest shipyard, is currently building Yasen attack submarines and Borei strategic submarines.