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Arctic training for strategic nuclear submarines

The Russian Navy has ordered eight strategic submarines of the Borey-class.

Three of Russia’s newest strategic nuclear submarines will start combat training in Arctic waters this year.

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The three Borey-class submarines “Yury Dolgoruky”, “Aleksander Nevsky” and “Vladimir Monomakh” will be conducting combat training in Arctic waters in 2015, Commander of the Northern Fleet Admiral Vladimir Korolyov says to TASS.

The Borey class is Russia’s first post-Soviet nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine design and will form the backbone of the Navy’s strategic nuclear deterrent force after older boats are retired by 2018.

The first submarine of the class, “Yury Dolgoruky”, was taken into service in the Northern Fleet in January 2013 after twelve years of construction. Both “Aleksander Nevsky” and “Vladimir Monomakh” are planned to be taken into service in the Pacific Fleet and will be based in Vilyuchinsk, Kamchatka.

According to Korolyov, the Northern Fleet is actively engaged in combat training in the Arctic. “This is a systematic and multifaceted work that affects all components of the fleet”, he said and added that planes from the Northern Fleet’s Aviation is patrolling the airspace above the Arctic Ocean on a regular basis, and that land-based forces are continuously being trained for combat in Arctic conditions.

Bulava launches planned by end of year
By the end of 2015, there will be several test launches of the Bulava ballistic missile, a source within Russia’s Navy told TASS. This will be the first test of the Bulava missile since November 2014, when “Aleksander Nevsky” launched a missile from the Barents Sea.

According to Commander of the Russian Navy Admiral Viktor Chirkov, there are three submarines ready to launch the Bulava missile. Which of them are going to launch a missile this year, will be decided later, he told RIA Novosti.

TASS earlier this year reported that Russia’s program for adoption of the new Borey-class submarines is delayed because of the missile manufacturer Moscow Institute of Thermotechnics’ inability to deliver the requested number of Bulava missiles. Each of the submarines will be equipped with 16 missiles.

Russia has conducted 23 test launches of Bulava since 2004.

Eight and last Borey to be laid down in 2016
Russia plans to build a total of eight Borey-class strategic submarines by 2020.  Sevmash shipyard in Severodvinsk has delivered the three first to the navy, while the next three – “Knyaz Vladimir”, “Knyaz Oleg” and “Generalissimus Suvorov” – are under different stages of completion at the yard.

The seventh submarine in the series – “Feldmarshal Kutuzov”, will be laid down on December 21 2015, while construction of the last ordered vessel – for the present called “Knyaz Pozharsky” – will start on July 31 2016, Interfax reports.