This Week in Contracts: November 24-30, 2014

33rd Shipyard/33 Sudoremontnyy Zavod (Baltiysk)

• Number: 31401733040
• Contractor: not specified
• Description: Survey of underwater sections of PD-8 and PD-33 floating dry docks
• Time frame: by March 10, 2015
• Contract value: not specified

Admiralty Shipyards/Admiralteyskiye Verfi (St. Petersburg)

• Number: 31401741024
• Contractor: Nord Vest (St. Petersburg)
• Description: Delivery of GVK-450 diver system components for Belousov submarine rescue ship "Igor Belousov"
• Time frame: 4Q2014
• Contract value: not specified

Almaz Central Naval Design Bureau (St. Petersburg)

• Number: 31401734145
• Contractor: Meridian Scientific Production Firm (St. Petersburg)
• Description: Correction of design documentation for "Blokirovka" device on Steregushchiy III frigates
• Time frame: November 2014
• Contract value: RUB 5,357,691

Astrakhan Shipyard/Astrakhanskiy Sudoremontnyy Zavod (Astrakhan)

• Number: 31401733119
• Contractor: not specified
• Description: Preparation of additional building way for construction of Project 22870 salvage and rescue tug (Factory #009)
• Time frame: within 30 days of contract signing
• Contract value: not specified

• Number: 31401733285
• Contractor: Vineta (Nikolskoye)
• Description: Delivery of firefighting equipment for Project 22870 salvage and rescue tug (Factory #008)
• Time frame: not specified
• Contract value: RUB 4,185,023

• Number: 31401742158
• Contractor: Lotos Shipyard (Narimanov)
• Description: Repairs of Sonya minesweeper "Magomed Gadzhiyev"
• Time frame: December 12, 2014
• Contract value: RUB 1,969,005

• Number: 31401743298
• Contractor: ASO (St. Petersburg)
• Description: Installation and testing of OSA-22870 fire and security system on Project 22870 salvage and rescue tug (Factory #006)
• Time frame: November 25, 2014
• Contract value: RUB 1,210,000

• Number: 31401748731
• Contractor: Automatic Firefighting Equipment Service Scientific Production Association (Moscow)
• Description: Delivery of control device for CO2 fire suppression system on Project 22870 salvage and rescue tug (Factory #007)
• Time frame: within 120 days of contract signing
• Contract value: RUB 1,363,183

• Number: 31401749389
• Contractor: Automatic Firefighting Equipment Service Scientific Production Association (Moscow)
• Description: Delivery of control device for CO2 fire suppression system on Project 22870 salvage and rescue tug (Factory #008)
• Time frame: within 120 days of contract signing
• Contract value: RUB 1,363,183

• Number: 31401749794
• Contractor: Automatic Firefighting Equipment Service Scientific Production Association (Moscow)
• Description: Delivery of equipment for CO2 fire suppression system on Project 22870 salvage and rescue tug (Factory #007)
• Time frame: within 120 days of contract signing
• Contract value: RUB 4,906,903

• Number: 31401750506
• Contractor: Automatic Firefighting Equipment Service Scientific Production Association (Moscow)
• Description: Delivery of equipment for CO2 fire suppression system on Project 22870 salvage and rescue tug (Factory #008)
• Time frame: within 120 days of contract signing
• Contract value: RUB 4,906,903

Nerpa Shipyard/Sudoremontnyy Zavod Nerpa (Snezhnogorsk)

• Number: 31401730577
• Contractor: Armalit-1 (St. Petersburg)
• Description: Delivery of KAS-12Kh anti-vibration mounts for Akula II nuclear-powered submarine "Vepr"
• Time frame: February 15, 2015
• Contract value: RUB 6,358,902

• Number: 31401732283
• Contractor: Rokem-Servis (St. Petersburg)
• Description: Delivery of RORO-510DT-020.ABS.3 desalination plant for Sierra II nuclear-powered submarine "Pskov"
• Time frame: November 2014
• Contract value: RUB 650,000

Northeast Repair Center/Severo-Vostochnyy Remontnyy Tsentr (Vilyuchinsk)

• Number: 31401729220
• Contractor: Varyag-TekhServis (Vladivostok)
• Description: Adjusting output values of a secondary converter of the Uran-1R liquid flow meter on Oscar II nuclear-powered cruise missile submarine [7FBTK: either "Omsk" or "Tver"]
• Time frame: November 30, 2014
• Contract value: RUB 124,011

Northern Machine-Building Enterprise/Severnoye Mashinostroitelnoye Predpriyatiye [SevMash] (Severodvinsk)

• Number: 31401744818
• Contractor: Artsok (St. Petersburg)
• Description: Delivery of chemical fire suppression system on Gorshkov frigate "Admiral Flota Kasatonov"
• Time frame: not specified
• Contract value: RUB 25,995,400

State Nuclear Energy Corporation/Gosudarstvennaya Korporatsiya po Atomnoy Energii [RosAtom] (Moscow)

• Number: 0773100000314000104
• Contractor: Northeast Repair Center (Vilyuchinsk)
• Description: Scrapping of Oscar II SSGN "Krasnoyarsk"
• Time frame: by November 30, 2017
• Contract value: RUB 747,900,000
• Remarks: To correct contractual time frame, 0773100000314000104 replaces 0773100000314000103 (mentioned last week)

Yantar Baltic Shipyard/Pribaltiyskiy Sudostroitelnyy Zavod Yantar (Kaliningrad)

• Number: 31401735788
• Contractor: not specified
• Description: Delivery of KA-29 (KA-27PL, KA-27PS, KA-31R, KA-32A11VS (KA-32)) full-size mock-up for Grigorovich frigates "Admiral Butakov" and "Admiral Istomin"
• Time frame: no later than July 2015
• Contract value: not specified

• Number: 31401743793
• Contractor: VneshEkonomBank
• Description: RUB 2,500,000,000 bank line of credit
• Time frame: through April 2018
• Contract value: RUB 2,500,000,000

• Number: 31401744532
• Contractor: TeploKontrol (Kazan)
• Description: Delivery of 2RT temperature regulators for Gren landing ship (Factory #01302)
• Time frame: 2Q2016
• Contract value: RUB 2,752,177

• Number: 31401742672
• Contractor: Krylov State Scientific Center (St. Petersburg)
• Description: Seakeeping tests of Yantar special-purpose oceanological vessel "Yantar"
• Time frame: 1Q2015
• Contract value: RUB 3,149,630

• Number: 31401744934
• Contractor: Marine Navigation Systems (St. Petersburg)
• Description: Delivery of RT-11711 system for Gren landing ship (Factory #01302)
• Time frame: August 2015
• Contract value: RUB 5,102,217

• Number: 31401742555
• Contractor: Center for Shipbuilding and Ship Repair Technology (St. Petersburg)
• Description: Measuring air noise and vibrations impacting personnel during testing of Grigorovich frigate "Admiral Grigorovich"
• Time frame: March 2015
• Contract value: RUB 1,662,910

• Number: 31401744820
• Contractor: Marine Navigation Systems (St. Petersburg)
• Description: Delivery of AMT-11711 emergency engine telegraph for Gren landing ship (Factory #01302)
• Time frame: August 2015
• Contract value: RUB 7,606,690

• Number: 31401744668
• Contractor: N. D. Zelinskiy Elektrostal Chemical-Mechanical Factory (Elektrostal)
• Description: Delivery of PMK-3 gas masks (x1,194)
• Time frame: 4Q2014
• Contract value: RUB 3,789,883

Zvezdochka Ship Repair Center (Severodvinsk)

• Number: 31401724332
• Contractor: Avrora Scientific Production Association Concern (St. Petersburg)
• Description: Delivery of Stal-949AM system for Oscar II nuclear-powered missile submarine "Irkutsk"
• Time frame: June 2017
• Contract value: RUB 2,271,273,871

Zvezda Far East Shipyard/Dalnyevostochnyy Zavod Zvezda (Bolshoy Kamen)

• Number: 31401734811
• Contractor: Pelorus (Nakhodka)
• Description: Repairs of Pallada floating dry dock
• Time frame: October 13, 2014 - November 28, 2014
• Contract value: RUB 5,177,275

• Number: 31401734823
• Contractor: EkoServis-DV (Vladivostok)
• Description: Cleaning of ballast compartments and fuel tanks on Pallada floating dry dock
• Time frame: within 25 days of contract signing
• Contract value: RUB 8,474,793

“Aleksandr Nevskiy” to Launch Bulava SLBM This Week

Flight bans (red) and flight route restrictions (green) - November 28-29, 2014

Several flight bans and flight restrictions have been announced for Barents Sea missile activity scheduled for November 28-29, 2014:

Flight bans
G2530/14 - TEMPO DANGER AREA ACT WI COORD:
  1. 693800N 0341000E-694700N 0341000E-702200N 0350000E-700400N 0362600E-692700N 0353500E-692700N 0351800E-693800N 0341000E-693800N 0341000E.
  2. 770300N 0530200E-755800N 0563300E-750500N 0521300E-760400N 0485300E-770300N 0530200E-770300N 0530200E.
SFC - UNL, DAILY 0900-2030, 28 NOV 09:00 2014 UNTIL 29 NOV 20:30 2014.

G2540/14 - FLT PROHIBITED WI AREA BOUNDED BY COORD:
693800N 0341000E-692700N 0351800E-692700N 0341000E-693800N 0341000E.
SFC - 1500M AMSL, DAILY 0900-2030, 28 NOV 09:00 2014 UNTIL 29 NOV 20:30 2014.

Flight route closure
G2525/14 - FLW ATS RTE SEGMENTS CLSD: B483 PIBOL - ANODI, B488 TILGA - ANODI. SFC - UNL, DAILY 0900-2030, 28 NOV 09:00 2014 UNTIL 29 NOV 20:30 2014.

Additionally, a flight route closure over the Kamchatka Peninsula near the Kura Test Range also goes into effect on the same dates:

P8284/14 - ATS RTE SEGMENT CLSD: B240 TILICHIKI NDB (TK) - OKLED. SFC - UNL, DAILY 0900-2030, 28 NOV 09:00 2014 UNTIL 29 NOV 20:30 2014.

"Aleksandr Nevskiy" arrived in Severodvinsk on November 7 to onload at least one SS-N-32 Bulava SLBM. The submarine departed Severodvinsk on November 15 for a two-day return transit to Sayda Guba. A week later, it transferred to the Severomorsk area.

Despite some confusion created by Interfax on November 10, military officials confirmed the next day that "Aleksandr Nevskiy", indeed, would launch a Bulava SLBM sometime during the last 10 days of November.

Submarine Turbines Being Shipped from Kaluga to Severodvinsk

Track of "Letniy Bereg" - November 9-23, 2014

It's late in the year, and most of Russia's inland waterway system has been shut down until next spring. But the transfer of important submarine equipment must continue.

On September 25, SevMash announced it was accepting bids for a contract to transfer cargo (dimensions: 17.7m x 8.0m x 9.25m; weight: 400 metric tons) from a pier at the DzerzhinskKhimMash port facility to Severodvinsk. The contract, valued at RUB 11,500,000, is effective through December 31. On October 7, the SevMash contract bid review committee declared the bidding process invalid without explaining why. Such bidding processes are often canceled when none of the companies that have tendered bids meet all of the requirements set forth in the contract (such as price, dates, etc.); however, the committee can recommend the company sign a contract with the best candidate. One of the companies competing for the bid was White Sea Freight Company (BelFreight).

On November 11, SevMash announced it had earlier signed a separate contract (RUB 89,962,968) with Kaluga Turbine Factory for delivery of an OK-17M turbine (dimensions: 17.7m x 7.88m x 9.39m; weight: 360 metric tons) from Kaluga to Severodvinsk by November 30. The umbrella contract (N/1/2/0614/GK-11-DGOZ; signed November 9, 2011) covering the OK-17M delivery contract is the same contract that covers construction of Severodvinsk-class nuclear-powered cruise missile submarine "Kazan".

On November 18, the Federal Agency for Maritime and River Transportation announced that the cargo vessel "Letniy Bereg" (IMO 8870839) had arrived in St. Petersburg from Dzerzhinsk on November 15 with cargo originating from the Kaluga Turbine Factory. The cargo was delivered from Kaluga to Dzerzhinsk on a barge - only after portions of the Oka River were dredged to accommodate the barge and its cargo. "Letniy Bereg" departed St. Petersburg on November 21 and is currently heading southwest in the southern Baltic Sea.

The same November 18 announcement mentioned that the cargo vessel "Pur-Navolok" (IMO 8869397) was scheduled to arrive in St. Petersburg on November 20 (it actually arrived the next day). The announcement did not specify the origin or nature of the cargo. After offloading of its cargo, "Pur-Navolok" headed back to the Neva River and is currently proceeding in an easterly direction towards Lake Ladoga.

"Letniy Bereg" and "Pur-Navolok" are owned and operated by BelFreight. And while there is some uncertainty as to which vessel ferried which cargo, it is possible that one or both of them ferried turbines or turbine-related components to St. Petersburg.

It is worth noting that while the dimensions and weights in the two contracts are very similar (suggesting they both may be turbines), the contracts are dramatically different in terms of cost. And that can be explained by the fact that the RUB 11,500,000 contract only covers the shipment, while the RUB 89,962,968 contract covers the OK-17M itself.

This Week in Contracts: November 17-23, 2014

33rd Shipyard/33 Sudoremontnyy Zavod (Baltiysk)

• Number: 31401706643
• Contractor: not specified
• Description: Survey of DP71L gas turbine engine on Pomornik landing craft "Yevgeniy Kocheshkov"
• Time frame: December 2014
• Contract value: not specified

Admiralty Shipyards/Admiralteyskiye Verfi (St. Petersburg)

• Number: 31401706060
• Contractor: not specified
• Description: Delivery of 300kW/400V DC/50Hz emergency diesel generator for Project 21180 icebreaker (Factory #02470)
• Time frame: January 2016
• Contract value: RUB 3,846,500

• Number: 31401718680
• Contractor: not specified
• Description: Delivery of Zenit navigation data transfer system for Belousov submarine rescue ship "Igor Belousov"
• Time frame: 4Q2014
• Contract value: not specified

Amur Shipyard/Amurskiy Sudostroitelnyy Zavod (Komsomolsk-na-Amure)

• Number: 31401713027
• Contractor: Arktika Northern Production Association (Severodvinsk)
• Description: Installation and testing of P-469 on Kilo diesel submarine "B-187"
• Time frame: January 2015 - December 2015
• Contract value: RUB 12,531,788

Astrakhan Shipyard/Astrakhanskiy Sudoremontnyy Zavod (Astrakhan)

• Number: 31401722730
• Contractor: Neptun Scientific Research Institute (St. Petersburg)
• Description: Delivery of R-782-6-3.1 (Buran-6) automated communications system for Project 22870 salvage and rescue tug (Factory #008)
• Time frame: not specified
• Contract value: RUB 31,466,454

• Number: 31401722622
• Contractor: not specified
• Description: Engineering assistance and repairs of Astrakhan Shipyard infrastructure to support construction of Project 22870 salvage and rescue tug (Factory #009)
• Time frame: not specified
• Contract value: not specified

Kronshtadt Marine Shipyard/Kronshtadtskiy Morskoy Zavod (Kronshtadt)

• Number: 31401719875
• Contractor: not specified
• Description: Delivery of P11-M72 and P21-M72 electric engines for Kilo diesel submarine "Dmitrov"
• Time frame: within 90 days of contract signing
• Contract value: not specified

• Number: 31401721669
• Contractor: not specified
• Description: Delivery of PSM 7M M4 electric engine for Kilo diesel submarine "Dmitrov"
• Time frame: within 60 days of contract signing
• Contract value: not specified

Middle Neva Shipyard/Sredne-Nevskiy Sudostroitelnyy Zavod (St. Petersburg)

• Number: 31401722771
• Contractor: MetMash (Nizhniy Novgorod)
• Description: Delivery of shaft free wheels for Obukhov minesweeper(s)
• Time frame: not specified
• Contract value: RUB 7,788,000

Northern Machine-Building Enterprise/Severnoye Mashinostroitelnoye Predpriyatiye [SevMash] (Severodvinsk)

• Number: 31401706060
• Contractor: M. V. Frunze Arsenal Design Bureau (St. Petersburg)
• Description: Pre-repair survey of AK-130 gun mount [7FBTK: probably on Kirov nuclear-powered cruiser "Admiral Nakhimov"]
• Time frame: February 10, 2014 - November 30, 2014
• Contract value: RUB 6,194,925

Northern Shipyard/Severnaya Verf (St. Petersburg)

• Number: 31401708172
• Contractor: Shtil Hydro-Communications Scientific Research Institute (Volgograd)
• Description: Delivery of Struktura-35 underwater communications system for Ivanov intelligence collection ship "Ivan Khurs"
• Time frame: not specified
• Contract value: RUB 36,912,967

• Number: 31401708572
• Contractor: Marine Navigation Systems (St. Petersburg)
• Description: Installation and testing of emergency engine telegraph and shaft tachometer system on Ivanov intelligence collection ship "Yuriy Ivanov"
• Time frame: not specified
• Contract value: RUB 1,292,011

• Number: 31401713432
• Contractor: not specified
• Description: Assembly-welding work (10,000 man-hours) on Gorshkov frigate "Admiral Flota Kasatonov"/"Admiral Golovko"/"Admiral Flota Sovetskogo Soyuza Isakov", Ivanov intelligence collection ship "Ivan Khurs", Project 23120 oceangoing tug "Elbrus"/"MB-75"/"Kapitan Shevchenko", and Steregushchiy II frigate "Gremyashchiy"/"Provornyy"
• Time frame: December 2014 - December 2015
• Contract value: RUB 4,000,000

• Number: 31401715461
• Contractor: Integral Test Factory (St. Petersburg)
• Description: Installation and testing of 5P-42 optical jammer systems on Gorshkov frigate "Admiral Flota Sovetskogo Soyuza Gorshkov" during sea trials
• Time frame: not specified
• Contract value: RUB 1,554,801

• Number: 31401716473
• Contractor: Main Line (Moscow)
• Description: Food supplies for Gorshkov frigate "Admiral Flota Sovetskogo Soyuza Gorshkov" and Ivanov intelligence collection ship "Yuriy Ivanov" during sea trials
• Time frame: November 2014 - December 2014
• Contract value: RUB 9,030,080

• Number: 31401716994
• Contractor: LenTrans (St. Petersburg)
• Description: Kronshtadt port agent servicing for Ivanov intelligence collection ship "Yuriy Ivanov" during sea trials
• Time frame: November 2014 - December 2014
• Contract value: RUB 15,000,000

• Number: 31401717154
• Contractor: LenTrans (St. Petersburg)
• Description: Kronshtadt port agent servicing for Gorshkov frigate "Admiral Flota Sovetskogo Soyuza Gorshkov" during sea trials
• Time frame: November 2014 - December 2014
• Contract value: RUB 25,000,000

• Number: 31401719814
• Contractor: Automated Firefighting Equipment Service Scientific Production Association (Moscow)
• Description: Set-up and testing of Gamma-01F-18280 automated security and firefighting system on Ivanov intelligence collection ship "Yuriy Ivanov"
• Time frame: December 2014
• Contract value: RUB 1,103,969

• Number: 31401722338
• Contractor: not specified
• Description: Assembly-welding work (10,000 man-hours) on Gorshkov frigate "Admiral Flota Kasatonov"/"Admiral Golovko"/"Admiral Flota Sovetskogo Soyuza Isakov", Ivanov intelligence collection ship "Ivan Khurs", Project 23120 oceangoing tug "Elbrus"/"MB-75", and Steregushchiy II frigate "Gremyashchiy"/"Provornyy"
• Time frame: January 2015 - December 2015
• Contract value: RUB 4,000,000

State Nuclear Energy Corporation/Gosudarstvennaya Korporatsiya po Atomnoy Energii [RosAtom] (Moscow)

• Number: 0773100000314000103
• Contractor: Northeast Repair Center (Vilyuchinsk)
• Description: Scrapping of Oscar II nuclear-powered cruise missile submarine "Krasnoyarsk"
• Time frame: by December 31, 2017
• Contract value: RUB 747,900,000 [7FBTK: replaces/extends similar contract signed with Northeast Repair Center on May 6, 2014; however, new contract has later date (December 31, 2017) than did the earlier contract (October 5, 2016)]

Vympel Shipyard/Sudostroitelnyy Zavod Vympel (Rybinsk)

• Number: 31401701205
• Contractor: not specified
• Description: Additional manpower for Vympel Shipyard construction projects
• Time frame: not specified
• Contract value: RUB 2,000,000

• Number: 31401701309
• Contractor: not specified
• Description: Additional manpower for Vympel Shipyard construction projects
• Time frame: not specified
• Contract value: RUB 2,000,000

Yantar Baltic Shipyard/Pribaltiyskiy Sudostroitelnyy Zavod Yantar (Kaliningrad)

• Number: 31401628437
• Contractor: Uralskiy Diesel-Motor Factory (Yekaterinburg)
• Description: Delivery of ADG-1000NK diesel generator for Gren landing ship (Factory #01302)
• Time frame: August 2016
• Contract value: RUB 278,246,892

• Number: 31401636802
• Contractor: not specified
• Description: Delivery of various shafts for Gren landing ship (Factory #01302)
• Time frame: July 2015
• Contract value: RUB 25,942,000

• Number: 31401707485
• Contractor: not specified
• Description: Delivery of DRRA.3700 reverse reduction gear unit for Gren landing ship (Factory #01302)
• Time frame: April 2016
• Contract value: RUB 358,247,126

• Number: 31401715086
• Contractor: MSK
• Description: Delivery of self-leveling coating for Grigorovich frigate "Admiral Grigorovich"
• Time frame: 4Q2014
• Contract value: RUB 930,804

• Number: 31401716018
• Contractor: MSK
• Description: Delivery of self-leveling coating for Gren landing ship "Ivan Gren"
• Time frame: 4Q2014 - 2Q2015
• Contract value: RUB 3,040,432

• Number: 31401722132
• Contractor: not specified
• Description: Installation of SCU 18 and SCU 28 conditioners on Gren landing ship "Ivan Gren"
• Time frame: November 2014 - November 2015
• Contract value: RUB 1,644,384

• Number: 31401722733
• Contractor: not specified
• Description: Delivery of screw shafts and spare parts for Grigorovich frigate "Admiral Grigorovich"/"Admiral Essen"/"Admiral Makarov"/"Admiral Butakov"/"Admiral Istomin"
• Time frame: June 2015 - December 2015
• Contract value: RUB 46,338,549

Zvezda Far East Shipyard/Dalnyevostochnyy Zavod Zvezda (Bolshoy Kamen)

• Number: 31401708098
• Contractor: ENA (Shchelkovo)
• Description: Delivery of TsN-10-20 pumps for Delta III nuclear-powered ballistic missiles submarine "Ryazan"
• Time frame: within 150 days of contract signing
• Contract value: RUB 4,893,059

XLT+: New DSRV Completes Next Stage of Sea Trials

Project 18271/Bester-1 deep-submergence rescue vehicle "AS-40" - August 22, 2014

                                                 [Translation of RF MOD press release]

INDEPENDENT FACTORY SEA TRIALS OF BESTER-1 DEEP-SUBMERGENCE VEHICLE COMPLETED
November 21, 2014
http://function.mil.ru/news_page/country/more.htm?id=12000949@egNews

The crew of the Bester-1 deep-submergence rescue vehicle has successfully completed a phase of independent factory sea trials and will participate in sea trials of the new "Igor Belousov" rescue ship in late November of this year.

Following joint testing of the "Igor Belousov" rescue ship, which is scheduled for the first half of 2015, the Bester-1 rescue vehicle will become a fully functional component of the ship's suite of search and rescue equipment.

With the vehicle's acceptance into the Russian Navy's search and rescue forces inventory, the Navy's ability to render assistance to submariners involved in an accident will significantly expand.

The crew of this unique and modern submersible consists of six men. The crew has completed all required preparations and on-the-job training aboard a similar Northern Fleet submersible.

The Bester-1 deep-submergence rescue vehicle is unique in terms of its characteristics.

Distinguishing features include: vehicle control systems; level of accuracy in navigating and maintaining position while at a given depth; integrated automated control system; more powerful and practically new propulsion and steering systems; new system for guiding, landing and attaching the vehicle to a disabled submarine; and new chamber for mating to a submarine escape hatch, through which the crew can evacuate, when the submarine is listing at up to 45 degrees.

All previous rescue vehicles built in our country and abroad could only render assistance to the crew of a distressed submarine that was listing at up to 15 degrees.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Project 18271/Bester-1 "AS-40" was towed from Admiralty Shipyards to Kronshtadt on October 30 and then back to Admiralty Shipyards on November 10. This 12-day period may be the "independent factory sea trials" referenced in the above press release.

Update: Yantar Baltic Shipyard Orders Equipment for Second Gren Landing Ship

This is a follow-up to my October 14 blog entry regarding the decision to restart construction of a second Gren-class landing ship for the Russian Navy.

According to contract documents, the Russian Federation Ministry of Defense and Yantar Baltic Shipyard (Kaliningrad) both signed state contract #Z/1/1/0488/GK-14-DGOZ on September 1 of this year for the construction of a second Gren unit (Factory #01302). Since then, at least four Requests for Proposals were released by Yantar Baltic Shipyard. In addition to the October 9 RFP I mentioned in my earlier blog entry, the following RFPs have been published:

• Delivery of ADG-1000NK diesel generator | Delivery: August 2016 | Cost: RUB 278,246,892

• Delivery of various shafts | Delivery: July 2015 | Cost: RUB 25,942,000

• Installation of sea water desalination plant | Delivery: July 2015 | Cost: RUB 16,623,075

• Delivery of DRRA.3700 reverse reduction gear unit | Delivery: April 2016 | Cost: RUB 358,247,126

Additionally, on November 14, Prime Minister Dmitriy Medvedev signed Decree #2263-r that provides state credit guarantees for defense industry companies, including Yantar Baltic Shipyard. According to the decree, Yantar Baltic Shipyard will receive a RUB 2,000,000,000 state-backed credit line from SberBank for the period of September 1, 2014 - December 31, 2018.

The lead unit of the class, "Ivan Gren", was laid down in December 2004 and launched in May 2012. After two and a half years in the water, the landing ship has yet to begin sea trials. Sea trials are where the builders and designers learn what does and doesn't work, so that corrections to the ship's design can be made (preferably) before the next unit is launched. So, why now? Has the France-Russia Mistral drama forced the Russian military to restart construction a second ship of an unproven design?

This Week in Contracts: November 10-16, 2014

33rd Shipyard/33 Sudoremontnyy Zavod (Baltiysk)

• Number: 31401686969
• Contractor: not specified
• Description: Dock repairs of Steregushchiy I FF "Steregushchiy" and "Soobrazitelnyy"
• Time frame: through December 5, 2015
• Contract value: not specified

Amur Shipyard/Amurskiy Sudostroitelnyy Zavod (Komsomolsk-na-Amure)

• Number: 31401673932
• Contractor: Kaspiysk Factory of Precision Mechanics (Kaspiysk)
• Description: Installation of Andoga-M navigation system on Kilo SS "B-187"
• Time frame: November 2014
• Contract value: RUB 33,155,700

• Number: 31401673940
• Contractor: Main Systems Design Bureau of the Almaz-Antey Air Defense Concern (Moscow)
• Description: Installation of 3K96-3 surface-to-air missile system on Steregushchiy I FF "Sovershennyy"
• Time frame: November 2014
• Contract value: RUB 42,987,988

• Number: 31401673970
• Contractor: Central Scientific Research Institute of Shipboard Machine-Building (St. Petersburg)
• Description: Restoration of UPV-1-3-02 device on Akula I SSN "INS Chakra"
• Time frame: November 2014
• Contract value: RUB 630,000

• Number: 31401682927
• Contractor: Navigation Devices (St. Petersburg)
• Description: Installation of LI-2 device on Steregushchiy I FF "Sovershennyy"
• Time frame: November 2014
• Contract value: RUB 939,292

• Number: 31401682927
• Contractor: Askold (Murmansk)
• Description: Assistance during installation of high-pressure air systems on Kilo SS "B-187"
• Time frame: November 2014
• Contract value: RUB 2,931,286

• Number: 31401697683
• Contractor: Mera (St. Petersburg)
• Description: Installation of MO52.01 (Model 12) device on Steregushchiy I FF "Sovershennyy"
• Time frame: November 2014
• Contract value: RUB 1,445,231

Astrakhan Shipyard/Astrakhanskiy Sudoremontnyy Zavod (Astrakhan)

• Number: 31401693776
• Contractor: not specified
• Description: Delivery of fresh water plant (RORO-510DT-010-PVKh) for Project 22870 salvage and rescue tug
• Time frame: not specified
• Contract value: RUB 78,000

Middle Neva Shipyard/Sredne-Nevskiy Sudostroitelnyy Zavod (St. Petersburg)

• Number: 31401688380
• Contractor: not specified
• Description: Delivery of anchor chains for Obukhov MHS "Aleksandr Obukhov" and Factory #522-#524
• Time frame: April 2015 ("Aleksandr Obukhov"); September 2015 (Factory #522); March 2016 (Factory #523); September 2016 (Factory #524)
• Contract value: RUB 59,633,482

• Number: 31401696295
• Contractor: Kozitskiy Factory (St. Petersburg)
• Description: Delivery of R-608N receivers for Obukhov MHS Factory #522-#524
• Time frame: October 2015 (Factory #522); October 2016 (Factory #523); October 2017 (Factory #524)
• Contract value: RUB 8,027,816

Northeast Repair Center/Severo-Vostochnyy Remontnyy Tsentr (Vilyuchinsk)

• Number: 31401683296
• Contractor: not specified
• Description: Repairs of holes in Ballast Compartments 6, 9, and 15 of floating dry dock "PD-90"
• Time frame: within 10 days of contract signing
• Contract value: RUB 850,000

Northern Machine-Building Enterprise/Severnoye Mashinostroitelnoye Predpriyatiye [SevMash] (Severodvinsk)

• Number: 31401667427
• Contractor:Kaluga Turbine Factory (Kaluga)
• Description: Transportation of OK-17M Turbine from Kaluga Turbine Factory to SevMash for Severodvinsk SSGN "Kazan"
• Time frame: 4Q2014
• Contract value: RUB 108,839,638

• Number: 31401680945
• Contractor: Salyut Scientific Production Enterprise (Moscow)
• Description: Delivery of 5P-30P radar data processing system [7FBTK: probably for Kirov CGN "Admiral Nakhimov"]
• Time frame: 1Q2017
• Contract value: RUB 100,172,480

• Number: 31401681060
• Contractor: Salyut Scientific Production Enterprise (Moscow)
• Description: Delivery of MR-650 radar system [7FBTK: probably for Kirov CGN "Admiral Nakhimov"]
• Time frame: 1Q2017
• Contract value: RUB 305,127,417

• Number: 31401696490
• Contractor: not specified
• Description: Assembly-welding work on Dolgorukiy SSBN(s)
• Time frame: November 2014 - May 2015
• Contract value: RUB 15,052,532

Northern Shipyard/Severnaya Verf (St. Petersburg)

• Number: 31401693649
• Contractor: Scientific Research Institute of TV Broadcasting (St. Petersburg)
• Description: Installation of Ekran-TsM multifunction shipboard color TV broadcasting system on Ivanov AGI "Admiral Yuriy Ivanov"
• Time frame: by December 2014
• Contract value: RUB 2,555,430

Yantar Baltic Shipyard/Pribaltiyskiy Sudostroitelnyy Zavod Yantar (Kaliningrad)

• Number: 31401689444
• Contractor: not specified
• Description: Installation of sea water desalination plant on Gren LST (Factory #01302)
• Time frame: July 2015
• Contract value: RUB 16,623,075

• Number: 31401690031
• Contractor: not specified
• Description: Sound trials of Grigorovich FFG "Admiral Grigorovich"
• Time frame: July 2015
• Contract value: RUB 12,202,716

Construction Pace for Domestic Kilo Submarines

Kilo SS "Rostov-na-Donu" heading out for factory sea trials - October 21, 2014
(Image credit: A. Akentyev)

The Russian Ministry's public affairs office reported yesterday that the test program for "Rostov-na-Donu" - the second new Project 636.3 Kilo-class diesel submarine built for the Russian Navy - was "nearing completion." That sounded odd given that the submarine didn't commence factory sea trials until October 21 of this year. But a closer review suggests the statement may be closer to truth than fiction.

The tables below depict the major milestones in the construction of the first three hulls of the new series.

"Novorossiysk"
Keel laid	August 20, 2010	-	-
Launched	November 28, 2013	1,216	-
Sea trials start	May 30, 2014	1,399	+183
Delivery	August 22, 2014	1,483	+84
"Rostov-na-Donu"
Keel laid	November 21, 2011	-	-
Launched	June 26, 2014	948	-
Sea trials start	October 21, 2014	1,065	+117
Delivery	December 31, 2014	1,136	+71

"Staryy Oskol"
Keel laid	August 17, 2012	-	-
Launched	August 28, 2014	741	-
Sea trials start	May 2015	-	-
Delivery	August 2015	-	-

There are easily identifiable differences in the day counts between the major milestones in the tables. For example, the time between keel-laying and launch of the three units decreased from 1,216 days ("Novorossiysk") to 948 days ("Rostov-na-Donu") and to 741 days ("Staryy Oskol"). That's a nearly 22% decrease in time between the two milestones when comparing "Novorossiysk" to ""Rostov-na-Donu" and nearly 40% when comparing "Novorossiysk" to "Staryy Oskol". Additionally, the shipyard shaved off 22% between the same period of time for the second and third hulls.

The significant decreases in time between keel-laying and launch can be explained by a combination of factors, to include:

• delivery of design documentation --- the later it arrives, the later the first unit will launch
• first of the series --- as with any new program, the first unit (even one that is only a slightly modified version of an existing submarine class) is bound to have a few construction/design issues that impact production
• sub-contractor deliveries --- major components are often ordered in batches, meaning successive unit construction should not be delayed
• improvements in shipbuilding processes when building multiple orders of the same submarine class
• workforce availability --- the shipyard has had to seek additional temporary manpower after "Novorossiysk" in order to fulfill both domestic and export submarine construction project timelines

When comparing the differences in the day counts between launches and commencement of sea trials for the first two units, there is another notable difference: 183 days versus 117 days. Admiralty Shipyards could have decreased the time period by 36% for most, if not all, of the same reasons listed above. But one factor that probably only impacted the first unit was the time of year. "Novorossiysk" was launched in November. The Gulf of Finland becomes treacherous and impassable without icebreaker support roughly between late November and mid-April. The initial phase of factory sea trials have to be performed close to the shipyard or in the Gulf of Finland, whereas later testing phases can be performed in the ice-free regions of the central and southern Baltic Sea. This same issue may impact "Staryy Oskol" as it prepares for factory sea trials in the near future.

Finally, if the above MOD report is correct and "Rostov-na-Donu" will be delivered by the shipyard no later than December 31, the projected time period between commencement of sea trials and delivery will be at most 71 days, which is 13 days (15%) shorter than for "Novorossiysk". Using the timeline day counts for "Rostov-na-Donu" and factoring in the time of year, projected timeline dates for "Staryy Oskol" would be late May for commencement of sea trials and early August for delivery.

Projecting timeline dates for the next three Kilos, however, is tricky. In order for Admiralty Shipyards to meet the delivery deadline of 2016, as stated multiple times by various high-level military officials, the shipyard's construction timelines will have to be more aggressive. The last two units, "Kolpino" and "Velikiy Novgorod", were laid down last month. If it takes two years between keel-laying and launch (using "Staryy Oskol" as the model), then both units will be facing the same Gulf of Finland seasonal weather issues that impacted "Novorossiysk". Therefore, unless things change, they will not be delivered to the MOD until spring or summer 2017.

XLT: Black Sea Fleet Helicopters Get New Sonobuoys

Black Sea Fleet KA-27PL Helix A antisubmarine warfare helicopter - July 27, 2014

                                             [Translation of RIA Novosti news article]

BSF NAVAL AVIATION RECEIVES NEW SUBMARINE TRACKING EQUIPMENT

November 14, 2014

http://ria.ru/defense_safety/20141114/1033305789.html

Black Sea Fleet antisubmarine warfare aircraft have received new sonar equipment for tracking submarines, according to Captain 1^st Rank Vyacheslav Trukhachev, head of the Black Sea Fleet’s public affairs office.

“A new modification of sonar equipment for submarine searches has entered service with Black Sea Fleet’s antisubmarine warfare aircraft. One helicopter has been re-equipped with the new submarine search equipment and will be ready to perform at-sea combat duty in the near future,” Trukhachev said.

Crews of Kacha-based KA-27PL helicopters have already begun testing the new modification of the most modern sonobuoys (RGB-16K) and are learning how to ensure reliable and continuous operation of the sonobuoy after it is launched from the helicopter and it enters the water.

The RGB-16K is designed to convert acoustic noises and signals of the marine environment into electrical signals and then to pass them over radio channels to an aircraft’s sonar device [processor]. The sonobuoy also can be interrogated by the aircraft’s radar to provide distance-measuring. It is equipped with new electronics that allow it to function effectively in the marine environment. Compared to its predecessors, it is smaller in size and has increased sensitivity which allows for increased target detection.

This Week in Contracts: November 3-9, 2014

Admiralty Shipyards/Admiralteyskiye Verfi (St. Petersburg)

• Number: 31401665541
• Contractor: not specified
• Description: Delivery of 26-ton lift-capacity crane for Project 21180 icebreaker (Factory #02470)
• Time frame: May 2016
• Contract value: RUB 110,275,940

Almaz Central Naval Design Bureau (St. Petersburg)

• Number: 31401664453
• Contractor: OkeanPribor Concern
• Description: Corrections to design documentation of Minotavr-ISPN-M sonar system with MGK-335EM-03 hull-mounted sonar for Steregushchiy III frigate
• Time frame: upon contract signing - July 2015
• Contract value: RUB 32,121,354

• Number: 31401664535
• Contractor: Gorizont (Rostov-na-Donu)
• Description: Corrections to design documentation of MR-231-3 radar system for Steregushchiy III frigate
• Time frame: upon contract signing - March 2015
• Contract value: RUB 700,000

• Number: 31401664550
• Contractor: Karat Scientific Production Association (St. Petersburg)
• Description: Corrections to design documentation of Sfera-05 electro-optical device for Steregushchiy III frigate
• Time frame: November 15, 2015
• Contract value: RUB 22,014,374

Amur Shipyard/Amurskiy Sudostroitelnyy Zavod (Komsomolsk-na-Amure)

• Number: 31401660996
• Contractor: Varyag (Vladivostok)
• Description: Delivery of 76P4A8 module for Akula I SSN "INS Chakra"
• Time frame: October 2014
• Contract value: RUB 777,091

Middle Neva Shipyard/Sredne-Nevskiy Sudostroitelnyy Zavod (St. Petersburg)

• Number: 31401671188
• Contractor: SberBank of Russia - Northwest Bank (St. Petersburg)
• Description: Bank credit line for construction of Obukhov-class minesweepers at Sredne-Nevskiy Shipyard
• Time frame: Now through December 31, 2018
• Contract value: RUB 2,180,062,700

Nerpa Shipyard/Sudoremontnyy Zavod Nerpa (Snezhnogorsk)

• Number: 31401662122
• Contractor: not specified
• Description: Towing of "PD-42" floating dry dock from Nerpa Shipyard to Sayda Guba long-term nuclear waste storage facility. "PD-42" will be used to ferry sealed reactor compartments from the following scrapped submarines: Echo II SSN K-131, Oscar II SSGN K-148 (ex "Orenburg"), Victor I SSN K-53, Victor III SSN K-254, Yankee I SSBN K-385, Yankee Notch SSN K-253, Yankee Sidecar SSGN K-420
• Time frame: November 5-11, 2014
• Contract value: RUB 13,507,063

• Number: 31401662153
• Contractor: not specified
• Description: Towing of Amguema transport vessel "Yauza" from Zvezdochka Shipyard to Nerpa Shipyard
• Time frame: November 6-30, 2014
• Contract value: not specified

• Number: 31401662931
• Contractor: RIO Draft Design Bureau (St. Petersburg)
• Description: Set-up of K-676-2 antennas on Amguema transport vessel "Yauza"
• Time frame: not specified
• Contract value: RUB 259,412

• Number: 31401663235
• Contractor: LGM (Moscow)
• Description: Delivery of ETsN-25VA II electric pump for Victor III SSN "Tambov"
• Time frame: not specified
• Contract value: RUB 1,496,004

• Number: 31401663449
• Contractor: LGM (Moscow)
• Description: Delivery of NTsKG-4/25R pump for Akula II SSN "Vepr"
• Time frame: not specified
• Contract value: RUB 575,014

Northern Shipyard/Severnaya Verf (St. Petersburg)

• Number: 31401671586
• Contractor: not specified
• Description: Assembly-welding work (10,000 man-hours) on Gorshkov FFG "Admiral Flota Kasatonov"/"Admiral Golovko"/"Admiral Flota Sovetskogo Soyuza Isakov", Ivanov AGI "Ivan Khurs", Project 23120 ATA "Elbrus"/"MB-75", and Steregushchiy II FFG "Gremyashchiy"/"Provornyy"
• Time frame: December 2014 - December 2015
• Contract value: RUB 4,000,000

Yantar Baltic Shipyard/Pribaltiyskiy Sudostroitelnyy Zavod Yantar (Kaliningrad)

• Number: 31401648904
• Contractor: MorSpetsFlot (Moscow)
• Description: Time charter of "Heather Sea" for use in deep-dive (1,000m) testing of Deep Worker and Dual Deep Worker submersibles in the Black Sea
• Time frame: November 2014
• Contract value: RUB 1,232,500 (per day of operation) + RUB 1,062,500 (per day of transit to/from operations area)

Zvezda Far East Shipyard/Dalnyevostochnyy Zavod Zvezda (Bolshoy Kamen)

• Number: 31300713556
• Contractor: LenTeploPribor (St. Petersburg)
• Description: Delivery of ITsK-BS-01 device for Akula I SSN "Magadan"
• Time frame: November 25, 2013 (original); new date not specified
• Contract value: RUB 1,103,990 (original); RUB 4,296,479 (new amount established April 30, 2014)

• Number: 31401523957
• Contractor: Obukhov Factory (St. Petersburg)
• Description: Delivery of 24 SM-878 launch tubes for Oscar II SSGN "Irkutsk"
• Time frame: 1Q2016 - 1Q2017
• Contract value: RUB 5,604,855,351

• Number: 31401668936
• Contractor: Rubin Central Design Bureau of Naval Technology (St. Petersburg)
• Description: Technical assistance in repairs and modernization of Oscar II SSGN "Irkutsk"
• Time frame: 2013 - 2017
• Contract value: RUB 1,020,769,502

• Number: 31401668962
• Contractor: DalZavod (Vladivostok)
• Description: Repairs of "Pallada" floating dry dock
• Time frame: October 15, 2014 - November 30, 2014
• Contract value: RUB 5,805,259

Zvezdochka Ship Repair Center (Severodvinsk)

• Number: 31401666733
• Contractor: Prometey Central Scientific Research Institute of Design Materials (St. Petersburg)
• Description: Technical oversight and assistance during machining of GVSK screw shafts for Severodvinsk SSGNs ("Novosibirsk", "Krasnoyarsk", and Factory #164-166)
• Time frame: March 2019
• Contract value: RUB 3,339,921

XLT+: "Severodvinsk" Emergency Escape Chamber Tested

Severodvinsk SSGN "Severodvinsk" with emergency escape chamber removed (November 2014)
(Image credit: TASS)

        [Translations of RF MOD press release and Russian TV21 news clip + RT video clip + more photos]

NORTHERN FLEET TESTS EMERGENCY ESCAPE CHAMBER FOR NEW "SEVERODVINSK" SUBMARINE
November 10, 2014
http://function.mil.ru/news_page/country/more.htm?id=11999475@egNews

The Northern Fleet held training of the emergency escape chamber on the lead Yasen-class nuclear-powered submarine "Severodvinsk", which joined the Russian Navy in June of this year.

According to Commander of the Northern Fleet Admiral Vladimir Korolev, "for the first time in the Russian period of our Navy's history, we have tested the direct applicability of the emergency escape chamber of a new nuclear-powered submarine with a test team on board."

Admiral Vladimir Korolev emphasized that "test results of the emergency escape chamber once again have confirmed that ships joining the fleet are reliable and well thought out. The careful preparation of the Northern Fleet Submarine Forces Command and the "Severodvinsk" crew for this event ensured safety execution of this highly complex combat training event."

A distinctive feature of this event was that, in the relatively shallow waters of Guba Zapadnaya Litsa, the nuclear-powered submarine, which displaces more than 13,000 tons and is nearly 140 meters long, had to submerge to a depth of 40 meters and become stable at that depth, thus replicating the motionless condition of a simulated distressed submarine on the seabed.

At the same time, the test team consisting of five men practiced steps for evacuating the simulated distressed submarine using the emergency escape chamber. In addition to the test team, inside the escape chamber was ballast that was equal to the total weight of the submarine's crew.

A second technical feature of this event was that after the emergency escape chamber with its positive buoyancy separated and freely floated to the surface, the submarine "became heavy" due to the mass of the escape chamber - and this was several tons. The crew had just a few seconds to stabilize the submarine at the assigned depth and later to safely surface.

After surfacing, the emergency escape chamber was towed to the side of a rescue vessel, and the test crew then climbed on board.

In addition to the "Severodvinsk" submarine crew, joining the training were units of the Northern Fleet's search and rescue service - the rescue vessel "Mikhail Rudnitskiy" and diver specialists.

Russian Navy Commander-in-Chief Admiral Viktor Chirkov thanked the Northern Fleet personnel who participated in testing the emergency escape chamber for the courage and professionalism demonstrated during the training event.

All modern Russian Navy nuclear-powered submarines and those currently being built are equipped with emergency escape chambers.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

SUBMARINERS TEST EMERGENCY ESCAPE CHAMBER
November 10, 2014
http://tv21.ru/news/2014/11/10/?chid=13&newsid=74641

The Northern Fleet tested the emergency escape chamber on the lead Yasen-class nuclear-powered submarine "Severodvinsk", which joined the Russian Navy in June of this year. Elvira Serga and Konstantin Kabanets went to sea to see how this went.

The operation that the submariners had to perform, which was unique in terms of its complexity: rescuing the crew of a simulated distressed submarine using the emergency escape chamber. This evacuation method was invented 53 years ago. During Soviet times, however, only two such training events were held. And this operation is being held for the first time in the history of the Russian Navy. The "Severodvinsk" nuclear-powered submarine is already heading to the operations area.

In the shallow waters of Guba Zapadnaya Litsa, the nuclear-powered submarine, which displaces 13,000 tons and is nearly 140 meters long, has to submerge to a depth of 40 meters and become stable and motionless at that depth, thus replicating a motionless condition on the seabed.

[Sergey Grishko - Northern Fleet Submarine Forces Deputy Commander for the Electro-Mechanical Service] "For a crew with rather consistent training, this is a complex maneuver. But it's absolutely safe. Considering the support units that have been assembled for this maneuver, I believe everything will be fine."

On "Severodvinsk", the emergency escape chamber is built into the sail. One can only enter and exit the submarine through it. The chamber has the same factory of safety as that of the submarine itself. In essence, it's one more compartment. Inside of it at the moment it separates free will be five men - the test team, and ballast that is equal to the total weight of the crew. The goal is to test the reliability of the rescue system.

Air is removed from the ballast tanks, and the submarine begins to submerge. The first smoke flare indicates that the submarine has reached its position at the designated depth. The second flare is a signal that the chamber has separated.

The completely watertight compartment, a "group parachute" with people inside, freely floats to the surface. At that moment, the submarine, which became heavier due to the mass of the emergency escape chamber, goes deeper due to inertia. The crew's task is to stabilize the submarine at the assigned depth and ensure a safe surfacing maneuver.

The first phase of the operation was a success. Now this gigantic "cork" needs to be pushed to a tug and then moored to the hull for later transport to port. SevMash representatives on board the tug breathed a sign of relief.

[Viktor Pavlov - senior master from SevMash in Severodvinsk] "Of course, it was an unforgettable scene. Everything happened exactly as it was supposed to. Very cool, everything turned out very well, and I'm very pleased!" The next phase - decompressing the escape chamber and evacuating the personnel.

The entire team consisted of five testers: Sergey Balazhigitov, Sergey Melnikov, Aleksandr Dorofeyev, Igor Osaulenko, and Vladimir Serebryakov were transferred to the surface unharmed. Their names have already become part of the history of the Russian Navy.

[Sergey Balazhigitov - communicator] "I feel excellent, exhilarated, and we completed the task. We're ready for the next tasks."

[Sergey Melnikov - chemist] "Oxygen was within maximum allowable concentration limits. At the moment we surfaced, it was 21%, which means that the oxygen reserves in this emergency escape chamber ensure that the assigned tasks can be performed."

[Igor Osaulenko - test group leader] "There were no abnormal sensations - it was like being in an elevator. We rocked a little, and there was a 20 degree list to one side, and we jumped out of the water. That was it. Everything happened literally within 10 seconds, so no one had any time to really think about it."

[Vladimir Serebryakov - damage control commander] "Well, I can now say with confidence that it works, because I tested it myself. The emergency escape chamber is reliable, and it performed its function completely and thoroughly."

The "Severodvinsk" crew also successfully managed its task. Without the escape chamber, the submarine was stabilized, it surfaced unharmed, and it returned to port. Here, too, moored the tug with the escape chamber - the most non-combatant component on the submarine.

[Aleksandr Moiseyev - Northern Fleet Submarine Forces Commander] "This was rather serious training and maneuvers for the submarine. That is, credit goes without doubt to the commanding officer and the personnel who prepared to test this armament. This equipment was tested under factory conditions, but we tested it under conditions at its permanent home port in order to confirm our confidence in the equipment."

[Sergey Mityayev - "Severodvinsk" commanding officer] "We remembered, we read what they wrote about this, we figured it out and then we did it. A crane is now placing it on a special platform that was brought from SevMash, where both the submarine and emergency escape chamber were built. Later, after this, they'll perform specific steps to remove the ballast that was placed in it, and then use a crane to place it in its normal seated position."

After the successful operation, the crew will have a short break, and then the "Severodvinsk" crew will again go back on combat watch.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

RT also released a video of the event. Below are more TASS photos of "Severodvinsk" and its emergency escape chamber.

XLT: "Sviyaga" Transport Dock Launched For GUGI

Project 22570 transport dock "Sviyaga" - November 6, 2014
(Image credit: Russian Public Television)

          [Translation of news clips by Kazan Radio & TV Company and Russian Public Television]

THE LONG VOYAGE: UNIVERSAL VESSEL BUILT IN TATARSTAN
Kazan Radio & TV Company
November 6, 2014
http://kzn.tv/kzntube/v-bolshoe-plavanie-sudno-mirovogo-masshtaba-postroili-v-rt/ 

A new floating transport dock was launched today. It was built in Zelenodolsk, at the Gorkiy Shipyard. The new vessel was named "Sviyaga" in accordance with a long-standing tradition of bestowing ships with names of the locations where they were built. The shipyard is perfectly located on the Volga River, the right-bank tributary of which is the Sviyaga. The dock has strategic importance to the Navy. Diana Makhmutova learns what makes this vessel so remarkable.

It is the first vessel of its type to be built in Russia in the 21st century. And it was built in Tatarstan. "Sviyaga" will be used to repair and service Russian Navy Northern Fleet vessels. And today at midnight the dock will enter the water. The view of it and its size are amazing, aren't they?

It is 14 meters wide and 134 meters long. By comparison, the Kazan-Arena stadium soccer field is 30 meters shorter. This dock will transport ships and vessels along the internal waterway system from the north to the south.

[Aleksey Burilichev - Vice Admiral, Commander of Military Unit № 40056, Hero of Russia] "It was designed to transport Varshavyanka- and Lada-class [7FBTK: KILO SS and Petersburg SS] submarines. It will allow us to freely fulfill tasking and transport ships wherever they are needed."

Freely – that is, in spite of sanctions. Now submarines, without heading into the open ocean, can travel within the country from the White Sea to the Baltic Sea, from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea, and from there on to the Caspian Sea. This naturally increases the Russian Navy's mobility.

[Ildar Khalikov - Prime Minister of the Republic of Tatarstan] "The Gorkiy Shipyard here in Zelenodolsk in the Republic of Tatarstan is ready for any task. This year you have produced 50% more than was recorded last year. And over a short period, over the past five years, we're talking about a greater than four-fold increase."

When in use, the vessel will submerge up to 10 meters. The entire process is simple: the dock takes on ballast, the submarine enters the dock, then the repair vessel surfaces, and the submarine remains inside. The dock was designed so that it can sail under every bridge in the European portion of Russia. Those who distinguished themselves during the vessel's construction were presented awards by the leading dignitaries of the Republic.

[Anatoliy Yefimov - First Class design engineer, A.M. Gorkiy Zelenodolsk Shipyard] "During the construction of a single unit, there are 5,000 issues that need to be resolved, generally speaking. And sometimes as many as 12,000. It's a universal design into which you pour all of your soul, energy, effort and knowledge... and in the end, you're proud of what you accomplish."

The last distantly comparable vessel, named "Zeya", was built back in 1991, and it's located in the Pacific. The 21st century dock was built using the latest technology.

[Renat Mistakhov – A.M. Gorkiy Zelenodolsk Shipyard general director] "Today, Factory Serial #571, the unit that we are building, is ahead of schedule. According to the schedule, it's supposed to be ready in April 2015, but it's only November 2014. This is all due to your efforts. Our industry achieves such results when there is a secure tomorrow, when there are orders."

"Sviyaga" will depart on its first long voyage in August 2015.

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MODERN FLOATING DOCK LAUNCHED IN TATARSTAN
Russian Public Television
November 6, 2014
http://www.otr-online.ru/news/v-tatarstane-spustili-36633.html

Today shipbuilders in Tatarstan launched the "Sviyaga" floating transport dock.

This is first such vessel built in Russia in the past 12 years. It is intended for use in the Northern Fleet. "Sviyaga" will transport military ships from the north to the south, and they can be repaired in it, as well. Every piece of modern hardware needed is on board.

[Aleksandr Shlyakhtenko – Almaz Central Naval Design Bureau general director] "This is a special dock – for the Directorate of Deep-Sea Research. It will transport special-purpose vehicles. But the most important thing is that this dock can operate with robotic hardware."

The dock is nearly 135 meters long. That is longer than a soccer field. It is 14 meters wide. It will be capable of transporting cargo weighing more than 3,000 tons.