Russian nuclear sub damaged by fire floated out after repairs

ARKHANGELSK, October 3. /TASS/. The Oryol nuclear submarine damaged by fire in the spring of 2015 was floated out in Severodvinsk in northwest Russia after planned repairs and will re-enter service by the yearend, the press office of the Zvyozdochka repair center said on Monday.

"The Oryol has been floated out and, as stipulated by the contract, will be delivered to the Russian Navy by the end of the year," the press office said.

The Russian Northern Fleet’s Project 949A Antey-class nuclear-powered attack submarine Oryol was docked at Zvyozdochka for repairs in April 2014.

The submarine caught fire on April 7, 2015. Insulation rubber coverings in the interhull space in the stern section of the nuclear sub flamed up during welding work.

All people on board - employees of the enterprise and submarine personnel - left the submarine quickly, no one was injured. The Zvyozdochka shipyard estimated the damage as insignificant, saying the fire had been caused by the violation of safety rules.

The Oryol will be the third Project 949A nuclear sub repaired at the Zvyozdochka shipyard. The shipyard earlier repaired the same-class Voronezh and Smolensk nuclear submarines.

After the shipyard repairs, the Oryol’s service life is expected to be extended by 3.5 years.

The submarine Oryol was built at the Sevmash shipyard in northwest Russia and joined the Russian Navy on February 5, 1993. The Oryol is the third-generation multi-purpose nuclear-powered submarine.

The Project 949A Antey-class submarines displace 24,000 tons, have an underwater speed of 32 knots and a crew of 107.

These submarines are armed with 24 launchers of Granit cruise missiles with a range of about 500m km and six torpedo tubes.