THE crew of Russia’s VLADIMIR MONOMAKH strategic nuclear-powered submarine has completed its planned mission in the Barents Sea and arrived at the main base of the Northern Fleet’s submarine forces – Gadzhiyevo (Murmansk region), the fleet’s press service told TASS this week (March 2016).
“The submariners were out at sea since the beginning of the month, fulfilling a set of tasks and conducting exercises aimed at improving the tactics of new strategic submarine cruisers”, the press service said. The crew drilled, in particular, manoeuvres at different depths and checked the submarine’s systems and units. The submariners will celebrate in Gadzhiyevo their professional holiday – the 110th anniversary of the Russian submarine fleet.
On the same day, on March 19, the crew of the Vladimir Monomakh submarine will mark the first anniversary of their vessel – the 10th anniversary of the missile submarine’s laying down.
Earlier in March a defense source told TASS that the Borei-class strategic nuclear submarine VLADIMIR MONOMAKH will perform a multiple launch of two Bulava intercontinental ballistic missiles towards the Kura practice range in Kamchatka (Russia’s Far East).”It is planned that the VLADIMIR MONOMAKH will fire two Bulava ICBMs at the beginning of summer, approximately in June, from a submerged position in the White Sea towards the Kura practice range in Kamchatka,” the source said.
A source earlier told TASS that Russia’s Northern Fleet planned to perform a multiple launch of Bulava ICBMs in 2016 but didn’t specify the time of the firing exercise or the name of the submarine for the Bulava launch. A multiple launch of two Bulava intercontinental ballistic missiles was last performed by the nuclear-powered submarine VLADIMIR MONOMAKH on November 14, 2015. The Russian Defense Ministry said at the time that “the re-entry vehicles have successfully reached the Kura training range in Kamchatka.”
A source in the defense industry confirmed earlier that the nuclear submarine Vladimir Monomakh armed with 16 Bulava missiles would perform its inter-sea passage to the Pacific Fleet in August-September to join the same-series ALEXANDER NEVSKY underwater cruiser, which had arrived in Kamchatka in 2015.
According to the source, the submarine VLADIMIR MONOMAKH will receive a full weapons suite, only if the Bulava multiple launch is successful.
The VLADIMIR MONOMAKH is the third Project 955 Borei-class submarine. It was laid down in 2006 and transferred to the Navy in late 2014. Borei-class submarines armed with Bulava missiles are expected to make up the mainstay of Russia’s naval strategic nuclear forces in the coming decades. Overall, Russia plans to build eight Borei-class submarines, including five undersea missile cruisers under the improved Project 955A.
source: TASS
Reprinted from issue 078 of DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2016 published by http://www.maasmondmaritime.com/en/ on 2016-03-18
