MOSCOW, July 26 (Itar-Tass) - Russia’s Sevmash shipyard will hold a groundbreaking ceremony for the fourth generation nuclear submarine Novosibirsk on Friday, July 26.
This will be the third Yasen-class submarine to be built by Sevmash.
“The project employs many technical solutions that were not previously used in Russian submarines. Craft of this series will combine unique Russian developments in the field of arms, technical and electronic systems, and power plants,” the shipyard said.
Sevmash is building seven new Yasen-class multirole nuclear submarines.
The first of them, Severodvinsk, is scheduled to be handed over to the Navy on December 25, 2013, Sevmash Director-General Mikhail Budnichenko said earlier.
“We should hand over seven submarines of this project to the Navy by 2020,” he said.
The first craft named Severodvinsk has been undergoing sea trials for three years. It will stay at sea for 119 more days. The previous voyage lasted 25 days. All work is proceeding in strict compliance with the schedule.
Speaking of the other Yasen-class submarines, Budnichenko said “the Novosibirsk will be laid down on July 26. Under contract, it is to be commissioned in 2015.”
“There are no financial problems now even though we use extensive borrowing programmes,” he added.
The Severodvinsk resumed sea trials in the White Sea in June. This is the first time sea trials in the White Sea start so early. Usually, they begin in July. It underwent a big portion of sea trials in 2012 and the remaining tests are to be completed this year.
Last year, the Severodvinsk fired the newest supersonic cruise missile five times.
The submerged multirole nuclear submarine Severodvinsk, Project 885 (Yasen class), fired the newest supersonic cruise missile at a surface target from the White Sea in five successive successful launches of a new cruise supersonic missile conducted as part of the Kalibr rocket system tests.
The fourth generation nuclear-powered submarine Severodvinsk of the Yasen class started mooring trials at the Sevmash shipyard in 2010.
The Project 885 submarine was designed by the Malakhit design bureau in St. Petersburg. The Sevmash shipyard launched the project in 1993. The protracted period of construction was caused by economic difficulties, and also by the need to design a new architecture of the hull and armaments.
Russia intends to produce six more vessels of this type. In July 2009, Sevmash started building a second Project 885 submarine named Kazan.
The Severodvinsk is the first in the Graney class (Yasen in Russian classification) of nuclear powered attack submarines. A source in the Russian Defence Ministry told Itar-Tass earlier that at least six submarines of the Graney class would be built within the next eight years. Construction of the second submarine in the series, the Kazan, started in July 2009.
Vessels of the Graney class will be the most silent submarines in the world. They will have a maximum speed of 16 knots surfaced and 31 knots submerged. They will be 119 metres long, 13.5 metres wide and 9.4 metres high.
According to Russia’s Naval Doctrine, submarines of this class will become the main multirole nuclear vehicles in the Navy.