PETROPAVLOVSK-KAMCHATSKY, September 30. /TASS/. The third nuclear-powered submarine of the Borei project — the Vladimir Monomakh ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) — will arrive to the Pacific Fleet in 2016, in accordance with the plan, Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy Admiral Viktor Chirkov said on Wednesday.

The second Borei class submarine — the Alexander Nevsky, that has entered service with the Pacific Fleet, was put on combat duty in the city of Vilyuchinsk on Wednesday.

"We hope that the whole shipbuilding program, laid down and approved by the president, will be implemented and next year another boat — the Vladimir Monomakh — will arrive here in accordance with the plan," Chirkov said.

Two Borei class submarines were originally planned to enter service with the Pacific Fleet this year, however, the transfer of the Vladimir Monomakh boat has been postponed.

Borei class is a Russian fourth-generation nuclear-powered missile submarine. It is intended to eventually replace the ageing Delta III and Typhoon class submarines and become an important deterrent of the Russian Navy. It is the first class of submarines developed by Russia since the Soviet era. Designated Project 935, it began in 1996 to manufacture the first unit of the Borei class submarine. The project name was changed to Project 955 and the submarine was redesigned to accommodate the new submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) Bulava (SS-NX-30), in place of the abandoned R-39UTTH Bark missile.

Yury Dolgoruky, Alexander Nevsky, Vladimir Monomakh and Knyaz Vladimir are the four submarines ordered under this project. These vessels were designed by Rubin Marine Equipment Design Bureau and built by Northern Machine Building Enterprise (Sevmash shipyard). Russia has plans to build eight Borei class submarines for its naval fleet.

The Alexander Nevsky is the first production Project 955 Borei class ballistic missile submarine and the second one in the series. It embodies the latest noise reduction solutions. The submarine carries the advanced Bulava solid-propellant intercontinental ballistic missile (NATO reporting name SS-NX-30). The Russian Navy commissioned the lead ship of the Borei family, the Yuri Dolgoruky, in 2012.

"The second production submarine, the Vladimir Monomakh, is in its sea trials with the Northern Fleet and is gearing up for the deployment to Kamchatka. The Borei-class Knyaz Vladimir, Knyaz Oleg and Generalissimo Suvorov SSBNs are sitting on the slipways of the Sevmash shipyard in various stages of completion.

The Russian Navy operates three Borei-class submarines, the flag ship Yury Dolgoruky, Alexander Nevsky and Vladimir Monomakh. The first two were commissioned in 2013, while the latest one is in active service since December 2014. The first submarine of the Project 955-A Borei-II class, dubbed Knyaz Vladimir, is expected to enter service in 2017. By 2020, the Russian Navy plans to operate a total of eight Borei class ballistic missile submarines, three Project 955 subs and five Project 955-A vessels. The Borei class submarines are expected to remain in service for decades to come, at least until 2040.