Russia’s newest nuclear submarine

Yury Dolgoruky is a new-generation nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine built by Sevmash shipyard for the Russian Navy. Constructed as the lead-submarine of the Project 955 Borei Class, Yury Dolgoruky is the first submarine launched by Russia after the Soviet era. In May 2012, the Russian Ministry of Defence placed a contract for the delivery of five new Project 955A Borei Class nuclear submarines. The Russian Navy plans to acquire ten new Borei Class submarines by 2020.

Once it was in the water, the SSBN Yury Dolgoruky easily passed its sea trials. It entered active duty last July, at 557 feet long, with a 44 foot beam and 32-foot draught. Submerged, it displaces 24,000 tons and keep its 130-member crew underwater for up to 100 days.

The sub costs $890-million which is about ten times less than US submarines. Although the US is trying to halve the costs down to about 5 times as much($4.5 billion). The US Ohio class nuclear submarines cost $2 billion each and the new replacement had been estimated at about $9 billion but the US navy is trying to bring the new sub costs down to $4.5 billion. The US built the Ohio submarines from 1976-1997.

The design incorporates a hydro-dynamically efficient hull. The outer hull is covered with anechoic coating to reduce the acoustic signature. This reduces the sub’s acoustic signature much the same way that the skin of a Stealth Fighter reduces the plane’s radar signature.

The submarine is equipped with pump-jet propulsion for quieter operations. Yury Dolgoruky is the first Russian submarine to use such a propulsion system. The system is more quiet.

The submarine is propelled by pump-jet propulsion powered by a single nuclear reactor. The propulsion system integrates an OK-650 nuclear reactor, AEU steam turbine, a shaft and a propeller. The nuclear powered propulsion provides a submerged speed of 29kt and surfaced speed of 15kt. The submarine has an endurance period of 100 days.

The submarine was finally launched in February 2008 and the on-board reactor was first activated in November 2008. The initial sea trials began in June 2009 and were completed in July 2010. Missile launch tests were completed in 2012.

Wikipedia on the Yury Dolgoruky submarine

SOURCES – naval-technology.com and wikipedia

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