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| 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.
