Financial crisis does not affect sub yards

With huge loads of defense orders, the world’s biggest yards for submarines, Sevmash and Zvezdochka, in Severodvinsk are optimistic about the future. Sevmash mainly builds new submarines, while Zvezdotchka repair the older ones.

At Sevmash, General Director Nikolai Kalistratov says the priority No. 1 in 2009 will be the two newest, 4th. generation, nuclear powered submarines, the SSBN “Jury Dolgoruky” and the SSN “Severodvinsk”.

“Jury Dolgoruky” should been out in the sea long time ago for sea trails, but it’s still moored at the naval yard. The submarine is the first new strategical submarine leaving Severodvinsk since the last Delta-IV sub was put into operation in 1992. It will also be the first 4th. generation nuclear powered submarine in the Russian navy.

The other sub on the priority list is “Severodvinsk.” It is a multi-purpose nuclear powered submarine. At a press-conference in Severodvinsk on Monday this week, it was declared that “Severodvinsk” now is completed, reports Itar-Tass with reference to the press-conference. It was not said anything about when the sub can be expected to leave the naval yards for sea trails.

The repair yard Zvezdotchka will also make priority to nuclear powered submarines in 2009. Several of the Delta-IV class submarines are already at the yard. Repair of “Karelia” will be finished this year, the same goes for the ongoing modernization of “Novomoskovsk,” “Kaluga” and “Voronezh”, reports Itar-Tass.

Starting in 2010, needed repair will be done on several of the Oscar II-class submarines. They are similar to the “Kursk” submarine which sank in the Barents Sea in August 2000 killing all 118 onboard. During 2009 preparation work for the task will be carried out at the shipyard.

Half of the orders at Zvezdotchka are for the navy. The other half is mainly related to civilian vessels and the petroleum industry.