SEVEROMORSK. Feb 7 (Interfax-AVN) - The nuclear-propelled strategic submarine Verkhoturye has joined the effective forces of the Northern Fleet after repairs and upgrading at Zvyozdochka shipyard, Northern Fleet press service chief Capt. Vadim Serga told Interfax-AVN on Wednesday.
"The nuclear-propelled strategic submarine made a voyage to Gajiyevo from Severodvinsk, where it had been repaired at Zvezdochka naval ship-repair facility. During the repairs of the Verkhoturye the shipbuilders of the navy shipyard made about a hundred innovations improving the performance indicators of the vessel," Serga said.
He said there was a welcoming ceremony in Gajiyevo involving chief of staff of the Northern Fleet Rear Adm. Nikolai Yevmenov and representatives of the command of the submarine forces of the Northern Fleet.
"The return of the Verkhoturye to the effective forces will enhance the potential of the Northern Fleet permitting it to tackle the tasks of combat training of the submarine forces of the Northern Fleet more intensively and with better quality," Yevmenov said.
Verkhoturye is the type vessel of Project 667 BDRM Delfin and belongs to the second generation of nuclear submarines. The sub was built at Sevmash shipyard in Severodvinsk in 1984 and was adopted by the Navy on December 30, 1984. It became the type ship of a series of seven submarines built between 1981 and 1992. One of the landmarks in its history was the 1987 voyage to the Arctic. On September 15, 1987 it surfaced at the North Pole.
It is 160 m long and 12 m wide and has displacement of 18,000 tonnes. Its maximum submersion depth is 400 m and cruising speed under the water reaches 24 knots. It carries 16 launchers for R-29RMU2 Sineva SLBMs and four bow torpedo tubes of 533 mm caliber. Submarines of this project constitute the core of the Russian naval nuclear deterrence force.
The Verkhoturye is the second submarine of Project 667 BDRM to return to the Northern Fleet lately. The Novomoskovsk submarine joined the ranks of the Northern Fleet in August 2012 also after repairs and upgrading at Zvezdochka.