SEVERODVINSK, December 20 (RIA Novosti) – The second Borey-class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine, the Alexander Nevsky, will join the Russian navy during an official ceremony at the Sevmash shipyard on December 23, a local administration source said Friday.
“The commissioning of the vessel into the fleet, as well as a flag-raising ceremony on the ballistic missile submarine Alexander Nevsky, will be held on December 23,” the source told RIA Novosti.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu will attend the ceremony at the Sevmash shipyard in the northern city of Severodvinsk, the official confirmed.
Earlier media reports said the ceremony was planned for December 21, while the Defense Ministry said last month that delivery of the boat would be delayed until 2014 following the failure of an on-board missile system during sea trials in September.
The Alexander Nevsky, with a length of nearly two football fields, can carry sixteen Bulava missiles, each fitted with up to 10 independently targetable nuclear warheads. The first vessel of the Borey class, the Yury Dolgoruky, entered service in January.
Ballistic missile submarines comprise one leg of Russia’s strategic nuclear triad, along with land-based ICBMs and the bomber force.
The Borey is Russia’s first post-Soviet ballistic missile submarine class and will form the mainstay of the strategic submarine fleet, replacing aging Typhoon, Delta-3 and Delta-4 boats.
Russia ultimately expects eight Borey-class subs to enter service by 2020. The third in the class, the Vladimir Monomakh, is expected to start state-acceptance trials this month.
