MOSCOW, April 28. /TASS/. Two strategic nuclear-powered submarines of project 955 Borei, The Alexander Nevsky and The Vladimir Monomakh, will join the Pacific Fleet in 2015 and 2016 respectively, a source at the fleet’s headquarters has told the media.
"In August-September this year only one Borei submarine, The Aleksandr Nevsky will make a voyage from the Northern Fleet to Vilyuchinsk. Just recently it joined the permanent combat readiness naval force. The submarine carries 16 inter-continental ballistic missiles Bulava," the source said. The original intention was two Borei subs would leave for the Pacific 2015," he recalled.
The arrival of The Vladimir Monomakh was postponed because the submarine would have no time to pass all trials and be loaded with missiles, he said.
"Without that the voyage will make no sense," the source explained.
He offered no confirmation The Vladimir Monomakh’s transfer to the Kamchatka Peninsula had been postponed because the industry would fail to deliver the full set of missiles this year.
"I have no such information," the source said.
Both Borei submarines will make the journey from the Northern Fleet to the Pacific Fleet under water, but not along the Northern Sea route.
"They will follow a route under the ice floes of the Arctic north of the Novaya Zemlya Archipelago, the Novosibirsk Islands and the Wrangel Island. According to the rules of navigation the top point of the submarine’s deckhouse must be 100 meters below the ice. The journey will take about two week," the source said.
The crews of The Alexander Nevsky and The Vladimir Monomakh submarines are contract-manned.
Either submarine has a crew of 100 - officers, non-commissioned offers and privates serving on contract.
"There are no conscripts on such ships," he said.