The program of sea trials and state tests of at least three nuclear submarines planned for transfer to the Navy in 2021 is being carried out in accordance with the schedule. This conclusion follows from the statements of SEVMASH CEO Mikhail Budichenko.
Let me remind you, we are talking about three submarines of three different projects. This is a strategic purpose submarine "Prince Oleg" with a missile system "BULAVA", built as a serial "Borey-A" according to the upgraded project 955A of the Central Design Bureau "Rubin". This is a multipurpose nuclear submarine "Novosibirsk" - the second, and also serial under the project 885M "Ash-M" of the St. Petersburg MBM "Malachite". And also - a special-purpose submarine "Belgorod", which is called in the open press the carrier of unmanned underwater vehicles "Poseidon".
What else might appear in the delivery program of SEVMASH in 2021, its head did not detail, but he definitely spoke about the three mentioned orders. "These ships have to make several more trips to sea for factory and state tests before the end of the year. For today, all work on delivery submarines fit into schedules," Mikhail Budnichenko is quoted by TASS.
According to the general director of the shipyard, "the ships show themselves well at sea, confirming their characteristics." Official comments on this matter from the design bureaus "Rubin" and "Malachite", their partners from other design bureaus, as well as from the military and state acceptance "Rossiyskaya Gazeta" and our colleagues in TASS do not have.
But something else is known: in October-November of this year, simultaneously with the tests of three new submarines in the same place, in the ranges of the White Sea, the first test launches of the hypersonic missile "Zircon" from a submarine are scheduled. Tests of the 3M22 from a surface ship, as recently reported, were successfully completed by the frigate Admiral Gorshkov. Now the underwater Severodvinsk is taking the baton - the lead ship in the ASH series, the older brother of Kazan and Novosibirsk.
As expected, first the crew of the K-560 Severodvinsk will work out the launch of the ZIRCON from a submarine in a surface position. And only then they will launch a hypersonic missile from a standard carrier from under water. If everything goes well, a third launch is possible before the end of the year - already within the framework of state tests for the acceptance of the missile into service.
Alexander Emelianenkov