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Russia finds alternative to sunken floating dock for naval ships

The PD-50 is one of the world’s largest floating docks and the biggest in Russia
A view of the Kola Bay where the PD-50 floating dock sank  Lev Fedoseyev/TASS
A view of the Kola Bay where the PD-50 floating dock sank
© Lev Fedoseyev/TASS

ASTRAKHAN, November 7. /TASS/. Docking versions serving as an alternative to the sunken floating dock in Murmansk in northwest Russia have been found for all the Russian Navy’s ships, Head of the United Ship-Building Corporation Alexei Rakhmanov said on Wednesday.

"We have alternatives actually for all the ships except for [the aircraft carrier] Admiral Kuznetsov. Our enterprises are in operation, [including] the Nerpa [Ship Repair Factory]. After all, we can perform certain docking works in Severodvinsk, not far from Murmansk. We don’t feel any special problems in this regard," the chief executive said.

The head of the United Ship-Building Corporation did not specify, however, how many warships were waiting in line for repairs at the time of the incident with the floating dock in Murmansk.

"As for the ships of the first rank, in the first place, this is the Admiral Kuznetsov, this [the loss of the PD-50 floating dock] creates certain inconveniences. In actual fact, this was one of the largest docks in the world. We hope that the issue of the docking of first-rank ships will be resolved in the near future. We are also preparing several alternatives, about which we will report to the Industry and Trade Ministry," he said.

Floating dock incident

The PD-50 floating dock sank overnight to October 30 in Murmansk during the planned exit of the heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser Admiral Kuznetsov from it. According to preliminary information, the warship itself had its take-off deck damaged by the fallen crane and is now at the 35th Ship Repair Plant.

The PD-50 is one of the world’s largest floating docks and the biggest in Russia. It was built in Sweden in 1980 on order from the Soviet Navy. It is 330 meters long and 67 meters wide and has a lifting capacity of 80,000 tonnes. The floating dock has an area of 22.1 sq. km, which is slightly less than Red Square in Moscow.