MURMANSK, December 29. /TASS/. Russia’s new Borei class strategic nuclear-powered submarine Vladimir Monomakh (of Project 955) completed the first voyage on Monday from Severodvinsk to the main base of the Northern Fleet’s submarine forces at Gadzhiyevo in Northwest Russia in the Murmansk region. Spokesman for the Northern Fleet Vadim Serga told TASS that the voyage passed normally.

“At Gadzhiyevo the vessel was berthed at a newly built quay for the Borei class nuclear-powered submarines,” Serga said.

The Vladimir Monomakh strategic ballistic missile submarine left the Sevmash shipyard in Severodvinsk on December 26. It is the third Project 955 submarine commissioned with Russia’s Northern Fleet and second series sub of the project. During the sea trials in the White Sea the Vladimir Monomakh submarine confirmed the designed performance and modern stealth vibroacoustic characteristics. Within the framework of contractors’ trials the submarine crew successfully test-fired on September 10, 2014 the Bulava intercontinental ballistic missile.

The Vladimir Monomakh fourth generation ballistic missile submarine is named after Vladimir Monomakh (1053-1125), the Grand Duke of Kievan Rus'. The project was developed by the Rubin Design Bureau, and the chief designer was Sergei Kovalev. The keel was laid down on 19 March 2006 at the Sevmash shipyard in Severodvinsk. The hull of the Akula-class submarine K-480 Ak Bars was used in the construction of Monomakh. The submarine is armed with 16 of the newest submarine-launched ballistic missile Bulava (NATO designation SS-N-32). Vladimir Monomakh and its sister ships will replace the Delta III and IV classes in the Russian Navy. The submarine was launched on 30 December 2012 and had begun moored tests in January 2013. The submarine finished its first sea trials on 8 October 2013 when returning from a 25-day trial at sea.

The Project 955 head submarine - Yuri Dolgoruky and the first series strategic nuclear ballistic missile submarine of the fourth generation Aleksandr Nevsky have earlier been delivered to the Northern Fleet. They successfully passed all the sea trials under the combat training program and test-fired the Bulava sub-launched intercontinental ballistic missiles that with high precision hit targets at the Kura range on the Kamchatka Peninsula in the Russian Far East.