MOSCOW, May 3. /TASS/. The Russian Advanced Research Fund and the Rubin Central Design Bureau for Marine Engineering have developed a project to build a unique nuclear-powered submarine for seismic surveys, Rubin Chief Designer Yevgeny Toporov told Izvestia daily on Wednesday.

The construction of the submarine that has no analogues in the world is planned to start in 2020, the chief designer said.

"This ship will cost 60% less than a combat submarine," Toporov said. "We don’t have any armaments aboard it," he added.

The submarine-scanner is a typical nuclear-powered underwater vessel featuring some changes in its design. As its main feature, it has special seismic sensor wings that are hidden in their inoperative state between the submarine’s outer and internal hulls. They open in their working position to form a scanning surface of hundreds of square meters, the newspaper said.

The submarine’s sensors allow it to "look into" the seabed and develop its three-dimensional model.

As Head of the Fund’s Project Group for Physical and Technical Research Viktor Litvinenko told Izvestia, the submarine will specifically engage in the prospecting of natural resources.

According to the newspaper, the submarine will have a displacement of no less than 14,000 tonnes, a cruising capacity of 90 days and a crew of 40. It will be able to submerge to a depth of 400 meters.