Russia’s nuclear-powered submarine Podmoskovye was launched after undergoing modernization at the Zvezdochka shipyard in Severodvinsk on August 11.
The Russian Navy submarine, NATO reporting name Delta-IV, entered the shipyard for repairs in 1999 when the Project 667BDRM BS-64 “in-depth modernization” of the submarine was started.
After the completion of all repair and modernization works, the vessel was taken out of its slipway for initial tests.
The submersible vessel will be used as carrier for deep-diving special-purpose submarines.
Image: star.ru
In its first sea trials, the BS-64 Podmoskovye will cooperate with other Russian nuclear submarines such as the Kashalot ("Cachalot"), Paltus ("Halibut") and the infamous Losharik.
Podmoskovye was originally laid down in 1982 and was in service in the period 1986-1999. Since then, the submarine previously known as the K-64, spent nearly 16 years in the dock for repairs and modernization.
Part of the modernisation was the cutting out of the missile compartment for Sineva intercontinental missiles and their replacement with compartments for living and scientific work, as well as equipment for docking of nuclear deep-diving submarines.
After the equipment changes and the construction remodeling, the nuclear submarine is longer than it used to be, which makes the sub-vessel possible to dock smaller, deep-diving submarines and conduct operations of long duration.
One of the submarines for which Podmoskovye most probably will be used as carrier is the Losharik deep diving titanium submarine. Losharik was deployed for deep diving along the Mendeleyev ridge at the seabed of the North Pole in 2012, as a part of Russia’s research before submitting its claims of the continental shelf in the Arctic for the United Nation.
The submarine is capable to stay much longer and much deeper in compare with other subs, because of its titanium hull and nuclear reactor.
During a mission for collecting of a geologic material in areas from the North Pole, the Russian submarine dived to a depth of nearly 3 kilometers and stayed submerged for 20 days.
Besides the additional equipment for docking to other submarines, the modernized submarine will also be capable to carry the Klavesin-1R ("Harpsichord") autonomous unmanned submarine vessel. The Klavesin-1R is an unmanned submarine vehicle is used for surveillance and acoustic studies at depths of up to 6,000 meters.