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New strategic sub one year delayed

The "Vladimir Monomakh" is one year behind schedule.

Borey-class submarine “Vladimir Monomakh” will be included in Russia’s Pacific Fleet one year after schedule.

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The reason for the delay is insufficient capacity to undertake necessary testing and course training, a source says to Tass.ru. “Without this, we can simply not include the vessel in the fleet”, he adds.

Unofficial information however says that the reason for the delay is missile manufactorer Moscow Institute of Thermotechnics’ inability to deliver the requested number of Bulava missiles to the vessel. All the Borey subs are to be equipped with a total of 16 Bulavas, the newest and most lethal Russian missile.

The submarine in September 2014 successfully conducted its first test launch of a Bulava missile.

The “Vladimir Monomakh” is the third Russian Borey-class sub under construction. From before, the “Yuri Dolgorukii” has been included in the Navy and the “Aleksandr Nevsky” is due to be taken over in early fall this year.

Another three vessels of the kind are under construction at the Sevmash yard outside Arkhangelsk, the “Knyaz Vladimir”, “Knyaz Oleg” and the “Knyaz Suvorov”.

As previously reported, a total of four nuclear subs are currently under construction at Sevmash, the highest number since the 1980s.

According to Navy officials, the new strategic subs will, when ready for takeover by the Pacific Fleet, not sail along the Northern Sea Route, but instead across the Arctic under the polar ice. 

The vessel will sail under the ice north of the Novaya Zemlya, New Siberian Islands and the Wrangle Island, Tass informs.