New Russian SSBN Yuriy Dolgorukiy finally started it's sea trials on Friday.:



Laid down in 1996 but with virtually not money to build it until 2004, it has taken 13 years to complete. The other ships of this class seems to be progressing much faster (at least they did until the crisis, now who knows).

Vladimir

Nice, but still not as cute as a Typhoon.

Why the angled conning tower?
Is it some sort of anti active-sonar countermeasure?
A bit strange when we're used to seeing the beautifully sculptured hydrodynamic conn's like the alfas and akulas...

You put Typhoon and cute in the same sentence

True, Typhoon isn't cute, it is powerful... Alfas are cute.

EDIT: and this new one is outright weird with that front tower shape...

At least the Russians have not completely sold out to the craven, decadent Western style. It still has the classic heavy, powerful "We Will Bury You" look that we have come to expect and love from their wessels. I remember back in the '70s when US warships were derided as "cute cruise ships" compared to their Soviet counterparts (guns and rockets and missiles, oh my! )

It is, in the same way that Summer Glau as Cameron the Terminator is cute.

Alfas are the nautical equivalent of the Triumph Stag. Yeah, you like to pose in one, but God help you if it breaks down.

Having nightmares featuring Summer Glau as an SSBN in 3...2...1...


Shot

It's unthinkable of Summer Glau to approach the displacement of a SSBN!

More to the point, God help you if you approach a bend in the road at speed. Like driving a TVR, great for the open road, pure screaming death on the winding country lanes.

BTT.

Nice looking sub non-the-less.

Vlad, have you any stats on this beastie?.

Charles

Just what Wikipedia says:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RFS_Yury_Dolgoruky

plus the photos of the rollout:
http://pilot.strizhi.info/2007/05/04/3373

Vladimir

Yak_v,

Will Russia ever lease IN a second sub or that one sub is all they can give after taking enough flak from US?

According to the latest official statements it will be only one sub, but then again last year they were denying that even that one was being leased, so in Russia offical statements are usually taken with a grain of salt.

Vladimir

New photos of Yuri Dolgorukij:



More here:
http://pilot.strizhi.info/2009/10/26/6880

Vladimir

Interesting to see the size difference with the Typhoon...

What is the ship under construction in the background (left)?

That's Gorshkov.

Indeed. I was under the impression that it was almost as large as the Typhoon, a tad smaller, sort of uber-Delta class SSBN. But of course, that impression was made without referring to the stats of the new sub vs that of the Typhoon. IOW, blissful ignorance on my part.

Interesting about the reverse angled front to the fin.

It contrasts with the Seawolf's/Virginias' small angled fillet at the forward front of its fin and the Astutes' dipped "walkway" at the base of the fin.

I presume it is associated with improving the flow of water, but the Yuri Dolgorukij's casing doesn't seem to tie in with the fin's shape.

.

Judging from the first pics, it seems that the sub's nose is tilted downwards. I can't see the same thing on the last pic.

I guess these are planned to replace the Typhoon class, but why? Shouldn't the Delta III be replaced first?

We don't know anything about their nuclear "fuel" level, or perhaps Typhoons were near their end of their service life, since Deltas were used mainly from waters that are closer to USSR/Russia. Refurbishment of older subs may be a tricky business, pretty expensive and long lasting, so they decided to go for a new subs.

I see these new subs as the more economic replacement for other subs.

I read somewhere that the problem were the missiles themselves. The SS-N-20 was the only ICBM solid fueled missile in the Navy inventory and were reaching the end of their service lives, while Bulava can't seem to be made to work.

The problem with the Typhoon is that the R-39 missiles exceeded their service life years ago, the last ones were disposed of by 2004, while attempts to produce an improved variant met with failure. IIRC the USSR breakup separated many of the contractors and organizations involved in R-39 production, but don't quote me on this point. Regardless of the exact details this has left the Typhoon without missiles making them unable to perform their mission and three units of the class have been scrapped. Still one of them, Dmitriy Donskoy, has been refurbished and refitted to carry the new Bulava missile, while Arkhangelsk and Severstal are being kept in caretaker status and might follow in due time.
While the Typhoon are relatively quiet something better than them (and the Delta) incorporating the latest advancements was badly needed in order to mantain a survivable deterrent.

Not to mention maintians their sub building infrestructure....