MOSCOW. March 19 (Interfax-AVN) - The development of fifth-generation nuclear submarines, as well as the serial production of fourth-generation nuclear submarines, will assist the development of Russia's strategic nuclear forces through 2020, Russian Navy Commander Viktor Chirkov said.
"We are now involved in designing new nuclear submarines of the fifth-generation," Chirkov said.
"Tough laws and rules of shipbuilding require us not to take a pause in creating new generations of submarines," he added.
"This is explained both by terms and periodicity of using ships and submarines and by a fast pace of scientific and technological progress. That is why we demand that the industry start without delays in designing submarines for the next generation, as soon as the designing of the previous generation ends. Note that this is the stage of designing, not construction. This is very important," he said.
"If we raise this question this way, we will avoid a technological gap and will have on duty submarines that meet the latest requirements," Chirkov said.
"The main effort in designing strategic nuclear-powered submarines will be centered at ensuring their stealth, a considerable reduction in noisiness, the improvement of communication and control, as well as their equipping with intelligence and warning systems that exclude their collision with the enemy's vessels. Their armament will improve accordingly," he said.