ST. PETERSBURG. March 19 (Interfax-AVN) - The strategic missile carrying nuclear submarine Yury Dolgoruky should be prepared to enter service within Russia's standby forces in 2014, a Navy Main Staff source told Interfax-AVN on Tuesday.
"The staff of the 31st submarine division assessed the K-535's performance of their first task to prepare for service along the pier at the beginning of March. All mistakes have already been corrected, which allows the crews of the missile carrying submarine to start preparations for the second task, which will include a mission at sea," the source said. By the second half of May, the Yury Dolgoruky should be prepared to submerge to a depth of 600 meters and conduct torpedo exercises there, he said.
"In summer, the submarine will hold live fire exercises together with the nuclear submarine Alexander Nevsky," the source said, refusing to give details on whether the upcoming drills would involve Bulava missiles or just torpedoes.
"We have until the end of the year to train two crews who will operate the K-535 within the standby forces starting from 2014," he said.