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Repair of nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) Yekaterinburg suffered fire in Dec 2011 will start on June 21 at JSC Zvezdochka Ship Repair Center and last up to the middle of 2014, reports RIA Novosti referring to a source in the shipyard. According to the source, SSBN Yekaterinburg (Project 667BDRM Delfin) will arrive at the yard on June 21. "Through the next two years, the sub's technical availability will be recovered; it is also planned to carry out emergency repairs of sonar system damaged by fire", reports the news agency. The source of RIA Novosti said that "recovery works on...

Project 955 Borei nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) Yury Dolgoruky will be commissioned till the Russian Navy Day, i.e. by July 29, reports news agency Rosbalt referring to RIA Novosti. Reportedly, that was announced by a high-ranking officer of United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC). "The sub's acceptance certificate will be signed in the end of July, namely by the Russian Navy Day. Signing of that document means commissioning into Russian Navy", said the USC representative. According to him, after that it is planned to prepare documents for putting the sub in service along with her standard weapon – SLBM Bulava.

Submarines: The Quiet Bulwark of the Russian Navy The Russian submarine fleet is marking its 106th anniversary perhaps not in the best of shapes. Nevertheless, its role today is more important than ever. Today it appears to be fulfilling what might even be called a crucial role. Russia has not even managed to hold onto the position held by the Soviet Union in terms of the number of surface ships and their combat potential (add to that the fact that back then the Soviet Navy was objectively weaker than the American Navy already). The submarine fleet was handed a dubious...

In the 1970s, the Air Force launched a Minuteman ICBM launched from a C-5 Galaxy. Hold on, what!?!? That was my reaction upon learning that the above sentence is true. In 1974, the Air Force decided that it could turn C-5 Galaxy airlifters into flying SSBNs. Yup, Air Force planners thought the missile would be tougher for the Soviets to take out with a preemptive strike if it was already aboard a moving target like a C-5 versus sitting in a stationary missile silo. So, they loaded a Minuteman into a C-5 that parachute-dropped the 60-foot tall missile out of...

Russia scraps Typhoon nuclear submarines: timeline of a Cold War Symbol The Russian navy is planning to scrap its legendary Typhoon-class nuclear submarine by 2014, at least five years early. By Andrew Osborn, Moscow 6:18PM BST 29 Sep 2011 Here are the main dates in its history: 1974: Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev gives a speech talking about a new type of ballistic nuclear missile submarine and mentions the word 'typhoon,' prompting Nato to christen the new vessel the Typhoon class. 1976: Construction work on the first submarine begins at the Sevmash shipyard in northern Russia. 1980: The first submarine of...

Why China Wants South China Sea East Asia | Security | China July 18, 2011By Tetsuo Kotani Beijing is interested in more than just energy and fishery resources. The area is also integral to its nuclear submarine strategy. In an effort to underscore its importance to Asia, geostrategist Nicholas Spykman once described it as the ‘Asiatic Mediterranean.’ More recently, it has been dubbed the ‘Chinese Caribbean.’ And, just as Rome and the United States have sought control over the Mediterranean and Caribbean, China now seeks dominance over the South China Sea. It’s clear that China’s claims and recent assertiveness have...

A Rare Glimpse Aboard One Of France’s Silent But Deadly Nuclear Submarines For France, nuclear deterrence is very much an underwater affair. At all times, one of the country’s four ballistic missile submarines quietly patrols the ocean depths. Armed to the teeth, each vessel is equipped to carry more than a dozen nuclear missiles. A view from inside France's retired "Le Redoutable" sub By Nathalie Guibert LE MONDE/Worldcrunch It’s an abrupt shock to the ears, and it causes the eyes to widen, like a newborn who is hearing for the first time. The sound of shrimp resonates within the helmet,...

Baby Boomers Will Upgrade U.S. Sub Fleet Mar 2, 2011 By Michael Fabey With its ballistic-missile submarine replacement program anchored by milestone authority and a fiscal 2012 request for about $1.1 billion in R&D funding, the U.S. Navy is set to develop and build SSBN(X) boats without sinking the rest of its shipbuilding plan. While it is apparent the Navy plans to use the Virginia-class attack submarine program as a template for the SSBN(X), there is uncertainty about whether the new boomers will resemble a modified Virginia, improved version of the current SSBN model or a hybrid of both. What...

Thanks to the recent announcement that the Pentagon is officially on board — for now — with the general strategy to buy replacement submarines for the Ohio-class strategic boats, it is time to hunt for the next fleet of boomers. This is no small Pentagon program by any measure. For fiscal 2012, the Navy estimates it will spend about $1 billion for research and development alone for the replacement program, according to sub-builder General Dynamics Electric Boat Division. It will likely cost up to $40 billion just to buy the subs, and overall program costs could reach $100 billion or...

Well, it’s happening. About a month before Defense Secretary Robert Gates unveiled his budget plans that emphasizes strategic weapons, the Pentagon gave the Navy the green light to start developing technology for a 21st century fleet of ballistic missile subs. The service received the go ahead, called Milestone A approval, after the Pentagon’s top weapons buyer Ashton Carter and the Defense Acquisition Board approved the project on Dec. 9. Now, the Navy can figure out exactly what it wants the new class to do in terms of operational requirements and determine what technology will be needed to meet those requirements....

Forecast International Projects $106+ Billion Submarine Market British, U.S. navies are evaluating successors to their existing SSBNs. 111 submarines expected to be produced from 2011 to 2020 10:05 GMT, January 11, 2011 NEWTOWN, Conn. | Forecast International’s “The Market for Submarines” analysis projects that 111 submarines worth $106.7 billion will be produced from 2011-2020. The average value of these submarines will be $960 million, an indicator of the growing complexity of the modern submarine and the increasing use of air-independent propulsion, both of which add substantially to the cost of diesel-electric boats. “Over the long term, constant shifts in the...

Nevsky and Novomoskovsk: Two submarines for Putin Vladimir Putin visited Sevmash © RIA Novosti. Алексей Никольский Ilya Kramnik, RIA Novosti military commentator Ilya Kramnik, RIA Novosti military commentator On December 13, 2010, Vladimir Putin visited Sevmash, a major shipbuilding company in Russia. His visit was timed to coincide with a significant addition to Russia's strategic nuclear naval forces. In the last few days, the company has released two strategic ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs) - the overhauled K-407 Novomoskovsk and the newly built K-550 Alexander Nevsky. The Novomoskovsk is part of Project 667BDRM and the Alexander Nevsky is part of Project...

This article addresses three major analytical questions: first, what are four alternative force structures for China’s nuclear ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) fleet in 2020? Second, what are the costs and benefits for each alternative future? Third, which force structure is Beijing mostly likely to adopt and why? This article hypothesizes that the future of China’s sea-based nuclear deterrent lies not with the much-heralded Type 094 Jin-class boats but with its follow-on, the nascent Type 096 SSBN. Once fully operational, China’s SSBN fleet will enhance China’s strategic strike portfolio and strengthen Beijing’s overall deterrence posture by providing enhanced range, mobility, stealth,...

Leaks in India's submarine strategy By Peter J Brown India's emphasis on undersea warfare is growing, but too slowly for many experts. Today, the Indian navy's submarine fleet - India's "silent service" - is beset with numerous problems and delays. In China, the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) shows no sign of backing off its plans to gradually increase its presence in the Indian Ocean. This influx of Chinese naval vessels does not pose an immediate threat to India's national security, but the situation could change. Russia, however, may wield considerable influence over the flow of events. While Russia continues...

The Soviet Fleet's white elephant: The Dmitry Donskoy turns thirty On September 23 1980, a cutting edge Soviet nuclear ballistic missile submarine set out from the Severodvinsk shipyards. The lead vessel of the Soviet third generation Project 941 Akula class (NATO reporting name Typhoon) of ballistic missile submarines, better known to readers by its nickname, the Dmitry Donskoy, was unique in many ways. It was designed as the world's largest submarine, and its displacement of nearly 50,000 metric tons put it in the same class as battleships and aircraft carriers, the largest warships ever. This Dmitry Donskoy and her five...

Today marks the 50th anniversary of the U.S. Navy Strategic Systems Programs' first underwater launch of a Fleet Ballistic Missile, which was designed and built by Lockheed Martin The Polaris A1 missile successfully launched from the submerged USS George Washington (SSBN-598), the first ballistic missile submarine, July 20, 1960, off the coast of Cape Canaveral, Fla. This successful Navy test proved the capability of launching missiles from the natural protection of the deep sea, securing a strategic advantage to the nation. In 1956, as part of a Navy-industry research and development effort, the first Fleet Ballistic Missile, Polaris A1, became...

BRITAIN'S fleet of nuclear submarines could be reduced to save money, but the renewal of the Trident system represented good value for money, said Defence Secretary Liam Fox. Dr Fox said the number of submarines may be cut from four to three if it could be done while maintaining the UK's "continuous at-sea" deterrence, but any decisions on reducing the fleet would not be taken until 2014/15. Nearly three-quarters of opinion formers in Britain think the government should either scrap the country's nuclear weapons or look for a cheaper alternative, according to a poll published yesterday

The Defense Department is seeking "alternative concepts" to cut the huge cost of acquiring new submarines armed with nuclear ballistic missiles that would patrol the world's oceans for decades to come, according to DOD's No. 2 policy official. Defense Secretary Robert Gates questioned the program's affordability last month, days before launching a broad push to find savings across the department. The new SSBN(X) subs would replace the existing Ohio-class boomers that DOD considers the most survivable leg of the nuclear triad. The Navy estimates the lead SSBN(X), slated for purchase in 2019, would cost $9 billion, and a dozen would...

Cruise missiles are highly accurate but they have to be fired from a distance and they take a fair amount of time to get where they are going. So they are great for fixed targets, but their limitations have left the Pentagon scratching its head for half a decade trying to find something that can be launched and hit its target anywhere in the world within an hour or so. One of the key drivers behind this effort has been to develop a weapon that could kill a terrorist like Osama bin Laden anywhere in the world without having to...