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14Apr15

Second Russian Borei-class nuclear sub with 16 Bulava missiles combat ready -- source

The Alexander Nevsky nuclear submarine, the second Borei-class vessel, has entered service with the Russian Navy combat ready forces, a Defense Ministry source told TASS on Tuesday.

"The submarine has successfully passed all the trials with test firing of all types of weapons. The vessel, armed with 16 Bulava intercontinental ballistic missiles, has been commissioned with the Navy combat forces," the source said.

TASS has received no official confirmation of the report yet.

The Alexander Nevsky submarine was delivered to the Navy in late 2013. The head Borei-class submarine of Project 955 - Yuri Dolgoruky, was delivered to the Navy in January 2013, however, the boat was commissioned with the Navy combat forces only in 2014. The Yuri Dolgoruky submarine is in service with the Northern Fleet.

In December 2014, the Russian Navy received the third Borei-class submarine - Vladimir Monomakh. Three more submarines are currently being built under an upgraded project - 955A (Borei-A), and a total of 8 new strategic nuclear submarines are planned to be built by 2020.

The Borei-class subs are 170 metres long, can dive to 450 metres and travel at speeds of up to 29 knots (54 kilometres per hour) when submerged. In addition to the ballistic missile launchers the subs are equipped with 533-millimetre torpedo tubes and carry RPK-2 Viyuga anti-submarine missile systems. Each vessel has a crew of 107 sailors and officers, and is fitted with a floating rescue chamber to evacuate all personnel in an emergency.

The Borei-class submarines are to form the basis of Russia's strategic nuclear forces until the 2030s. Each boat carries 16 Bulava ICBMs with a range exceeding 10,000 km. Each Bulava missile is equipped with six MIRV warheads and antimissile defence penetration aids.

[Source: Itar Tass, Moscow, 14Apr15]
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