All news

The Alexander Nevsky transfer to Navy delayed due to tests of systems

These systems are not installed on The Yury Dolgoruky submarine of the same type, which the Navy received earlier

MOSCOW, March 29 (Itar-Tass) – Dates for the transfer to the Russian Navy of the first strategic submarine of project 955 /code "Borey"/ – The Alexander Nevsky – has to be postponed from 2013 to 2014 due to additional test programs for the advanced systems installed onboard. These systems are not installed on The Yury Dolgoruky submarine of the same type, which the Navy received earlier, a source at the Russian defence industry told Itar-Tass on Friday. Initially, The Alexander Nevsky was due to be given to the Navy at the end of the current year.

"In view of the sad experience of many years in construction and extensive testing of The Yury Dolgoruky, where at various stages the customer – the Navy – demanded to an already-built ship "on the go" make constructive changes and even rework identified deficiencies, as well as improve its performance and other characteristics; to the first serial submarine The Alexander Nevsky we installed immediately a number of advanced systems and components that are not found in its predecessor," the official said.

"This, in particular, refers to the advanced sonar system – the “eyes and ears” of the submarine, the main steam turbine, which rotates the propeller, and some other units and systems,” the source said. “As The Yury Dolgoruky does not have these systems, they should be tested again in full, as they are designed for the main submarine. Besides, The Alexander Nevsky will perform launches of Bulava due later in the year under a command of the General Staff, where a new automated control system will be used. This launch should have been made from The Yury Dolgoruky, but he never did so. However, in January the ship along with Bulava was taken to the Navy. The Alexander Nevsky will also perform course fire from another airborne weapons.

"Obviously, it would be not only very complicated, but rather impossible to implement the whole vast range of tasks for the current year. Therefore the Navy will receive it, with great probability, not earlier than 2014," the source said.

Originally The Alexander Nevsky was due to be passed to the Navy back in 2012, but the state tests were not completed on time.

The Alexander Nevsky is the first production series of strategic missile "Borey". Its length is 170 metres, width – 13.5 metres, maximum depth - 450 metres, submerged speed – 29 knots. The Sevmash enterprise has begun working under the same project on project 955 – The Vladimir Monomakh, a phase of its construction is being completed. The plant has been improving design of project 955A – The Prince Vladimir.

Submarines of the fourth generation of Borey class were designed at St. Petersburg’s Rubin Marine Engineering Bureau. The main armament of the ships is the new missile complex Bulava. Each submarine can carry 16 intercontinental solid-fuel ballistic missiles R-30 Bulava with a range of more than 10,000 kilometres, which are equipped with multiple warheads of individual targeting.