Third Borey class Nuclear Submarine To Join Russian Pacific Fleet By Year End

The third Borey class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine, Vladimir Monomakh, will join the Russian Navy Pacific Fleet by this year-end.

The Vladimir Monomakh Borey class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (Project 955) will complete the voyage to the Pacific Fleet before the yearend, Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy Admiral Vladimir Korolev told TASS on Saturday.

"This year, Borey will be there, like we have promised," he said.

The Russian Navy has started receiving fourth-generation Project 955 Borei-class (Dolgorukiy-class) submarines recently. It has three of them now - the Yuri Dolgoruky, Alexander Nevsky and Vladimir Monomakh. The Prince Vladimir is due for delivery to the Pacific Fleet next year. Four more ships in the class are due before 2020. Thus, the Russian SSBN fleet will comprise 15 submarines, if the Project 667BDR family is decommissioned.

The Project 955 nuclear-powered submarine can carry 16 R-30 Bulava solid-propellant intercontinental ballistic missiles with a range of more than 8,000 kilometers (4,971 miles). The Bulava intercontinental ballistic missile features multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles.

The Project 955 nuclear-powered submarine is equipped with an escape chamber designed to accommodate the entire crew.