SEVERODVINSK. Aug 25 (Interfax-Northwest) - The Dmitry Donskoi strategic nuclear submarine has completed the second phase of its factory performance trials in the White Sea.
The nuclear vessel returned to the dock of the Severodvinsk- located Sevmashpredpriyatiye (SMP) enterprise in the Arkhangelsk region, where it had undergone modernization, the SMP press service told Interfax.
"The planned program of trials has been fully completed. A Navy commission led by Rear Admiral Mikhail Ilyinykh that worked aboard the vessel praised professionalism of the acceptance team and the crew under command of Captain Arkady Romanov," it said.
The first phase of the trials was finished a week ago, the press service said.
The plant has started to prepare for the Dmitry Donskoi's government certification trials and commissioning, after which it should be returned to the Russian navy.
The commissioning of the submarine is envisioned under the government defense order for 2004. The sub is expected to return to its regular Northern Fleet berth in Zapadnaya Litsa in early 2005.
The Dmitry Donskoi, aka TK-208 (Project 941, codename Akula, NATO designation Typhoon) is the first in the series of six vessels of this project. It was laid down at SMP on June 30, 1976 and commissioned by the Northern Fleet on December 12, 1981. The submarine has been at SMP under repairs since 1989.
Typhoon submarines have a catamaran design, they consist of two separate rigid hulls 7.2m in diameter each, which are positioned horizontally in parallel to each other. The missile section is located between the rigid hulls in the front side of the vessel. The submarines are armed with the D-19 missile system that comprises 20 solid-fuel three-stage intercontinental ballistic missiles with splitting warheads (NATO designation SS-N- 20). The entire set of missiles is launched in two bursts. The launch can be performed at a maximum depth of 55m.
The Dmitry Donskoi has a length of 172.7m, width of 23.3m, draught of 11.5m, full displacement of 49,800 cubic meters, maximum submergence depth of 400m, working submergence depth of 320m, underwater speed of 26 knots, surface speed of 13 knots, and crew of 179 people. Its endurance is 120 days.