The first submarine of Russia’s new strategic fourth generation Borey-class “Yury Dolgoruky” will not be arriving its designated base in Gadzhiyego as planned this winter, but will only enter service in 2013, Minister of Defense Sergey Serdyukov says according to RIA Novosti.
The next vessesl in the series, the “Aleksander Nevsky” is also delayed and will enter service in the Pacific Fleet in 2014, one year later than planned.
Serdyukov did not give any reasons for the delay. There have been many problems getting the Bulava missile designed for the Borey-class submarines to function, but it is unknown if the delays are connected to this issue.
“Yury Dolgoruky” was laid down in 1996 and was originally planned to be based in the Pacific Fleet. The plans were altered, probably to restore Russia’s nuclear capacity in the north after the nuclear submarine “Yekaterinburg” was seriously damaged in a fire in December 2011.
