ST.PETERSBURG. Dec 6 (Interfax-Northwest) - Specialists from the Sevmash shipyard (Severodvinsk, Arkhangelsk region) are ready to put the finishing touches to a nuclear powered submarine of the Severodvinsk class, and prepare it for launching and tests, the shipyard's management has told Interfax.
The Severodvinsk sub is the first fourth generation nuclear cruiser, and stands out in its universality. Specialists note that it combines the functions of subs of Project 949A (Kursk) and of Project 971 (Gepard). These subs can carry both ballistic and cruise missiles, and the noise level on the Severodvinsk will be lower than on 971 design subs, the most advanced in Russia's Navy.
According to some evidence, a total of seven Severodvinsk class submarines are to be built.
Project 885 (code name Yasen) had been developed at St. Petersburg's Malakhit design laboratory. A ceremony marking the beginning of construction of a nuclear cruiser took place at Sevmash on December 21, 1993.
The submarine is 120 meters long and 15 meters wide. Its draft is 10 meters, while its water displacement is 9,500-11,800 tonnes. The body is made of low-magnetic steel.
One peculiar feature of such submarines is that they are propelled by a fourth generation nuclear reactor. The nuclear installation of this generation represents a mono-block of the KPM type with one water-cooled reactor with a shaft capacity of 43,000 horsepower and a heat capacity of 200 megawatt.
What makes such a design advantageous is that its primary coolant is located in the mono-block's body, significantly minimizing the chance of breakdowns and the coolant's leaking. Specialists stress that this nuclear device was designed taking all advanced nuclear safety requirements into account.