Alexander Nevsky in Vilyuchinsk.
History
Russia
NameAlexander Nevsky
NamesakeAlexander Nevsky
BuilderSevmash
Laid down19 March 2004
Launched6 December 2010
Commissioned23 December 2013
StatusIn active service
General characteristics
Class and typeBorei-class submarine
Displacement
  • 14,720 t (14,488 long tons) surfaced
  • 24,000 t (23,621 long tons) submerged
Length170 m (557 ft 9 in)
Beam13.5 m (44 ft 3 in)
Draught10 m (32 ft 10 in)
Propulsion
Speed28 knots (52 km/h; 32 mph)[2]
Complement130 officers and men
Armament

K-550 Alexander Nevsky (Александр Невский, tr. Aleksandr Nevskij) is a Russian nuclear ballistic missile submarine of the fourth generation Borei class (Project 955A). Named after the Russian saint Alexander Nevsky, the submarine was laid down in March 2004 and was first planned to be launched in 2009.[3] However, budgetary problems and repeated failures of the submarine's main weapon, the Bulava SLBM missile, pushed the launch date backward. Russian officials have however claimed that the submarine has been completed on time and even ahead of schedule.[2]

Design and description

The submarine was to have been rolled out from its construction hall on 30 November 2010. This was postponed to December due to bad weather, according to the shipyard's press service.[4]

On 2 December 2010, the submarine was rolled out from its construction hall to floating dock[5] and would be launched at an unknown future date.[6] The submarine was inspected by the Russian Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin on 13 December 2010.[citation needed] With an estimated cost of 23 billion RUR (~US$900 million), the new submarine has no significant differences from the lead ship, SSBN Yury Dolgorukiy.[6]

On 24 October 2011, the submarine started its sea trials.[7] It was planned to launch the first SLBM from Alexander Nevsky in 2012.[8]

The submarine entered service on 23 December 2013.[9][10]

Commissioning and deployment

K-550 shortly before rolling out to floating dock

Alexander Nevsky, the second Borei-class vessel, has been commissioned into the Russian Navy, a Russia's Defense Ministry source told the TASS news agency on 14 April 2015. The submarine passed all its trials, including the test firing of its Bulava SLBMs.[11][12]

Alexander Nevsky transferred from the Northern Fleet to the Pacific Fleet and arrived in the port of Vilyuchinsk, in the Kamchatka Peninsula on 30 September 2015.[13]

By 10 October 2016, K-550 had reached the Russian region of the Sea of Japan. It surfaced near a tiny Russian fishing craft, almost sinking the boat and its crew of two fishermen. They filmed K-550's surfacing and their video went viral in Russia and made world news.[14] In November 2016, she finished a combat patrol.[15]

In late 2019, she was hit by Omsk in simulation exercises.[16]

In September 2020, she finished a combat patrol.[17]

References

  1. ^ "Marine Nuclear Power:1939 – 2018" (PDF). July 2018. Retrieved 27 December 2022.
  2. ^ a b "Construction of SSBN Alexander Nevsky will cost RUR 23 bln – shipbuilder". Rusnavy.com. 2010-12-13. Archived from the original on 2014-09-01. Retrieved 2012-01-01.
  3. ^ "Alexander Nevsky". Rusnavy.com. 2004-03-19. Archived from the original on 2012-02-04. Retrieved 2012-01-01.
  4. ^ "Withdrawal of SSBN Alexander Nevsky from covered slipway was postponed". Rusnavy.com. 30 November 2010. Archived from the original on 31 January 2012. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  5. ^ "SSBN Alexander Nevsky was moved to floating dock". Rusnavy.com. Archived from the original on 21 March 2015. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  6. ^ a b "Путин посетил АПЛ "Александр Невский"". Flot.com. 14 December 2010. Archived from the original on 7 April 2012. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  7. ^ Podvig, Pavel (24 October 2011). "Aleksandr Nevskiy begins see trials". Russian Strategic Nuclear Forces. Archived from the original on 19 October 2014. Retrieved 19 October 2014.
  8. ^ "SSBN Alexander Nevsky To Launch Bulava No Sooner Than Summer 2012". Rusnavy.com. 2011-10-26. Archived from the original on 2012-05-05. Retrieved 2012-01-01.
  9. ^ "Севмаш передал АПК «Александр Невский» ВМФ России". Пресс-служба ОАО «ПО Севмаш». 2013-12-23. Archived from the original on 2013-12-24.
  10. ^ "Крейсер «Александр Невский» вошел в состав Тихоокеанского флота". РИА Новости. 2013-12-23. Archived from the original on 2014-09-02.
  11. ^ "Second Russian Borei-class nuclear sub with 16 Bulava missiles combat ready — source". TASS. 14 April 2015. Archived from the original on 17 April 2015. Retrieved 17 April 2015.
  12. ^ "Russian Navy commissioned its second Borey-class nuclear missile submarine, Alexander Nevsky". navyrecognition.com. 23 December 2013. Archived from the original on 19 October 2014. Retrieved 19 October 2014.
  13. ^ "Russian nuclear sub carrying Bulava missiles arrives in Kamchatka". TASS. 30 September 2015. Archived from the original on 1 October 2015. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
  14. ^ "Dramatic moment Russian nuclear submarine almost capsizes fishing boat". 10 October 2016. Archived from the original on 11 October 2016. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
  15. ^ "Атомный подводный крейсер «Александр Невский» ТОФ вернулся в базу после выполнения задач боевой службы". Archived from the original on 2016-11-25. Retrieved 2016-11-24.
  16. ^ "Капитан рассказал, почему срочников не берут на подлодку «Омск»". 20 January 2020. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
  17. ^ "Атомный ракетный крейсер «Александр Невский» вернулся на Камчатку". iz.ru. Известия. 2020-09-24. Archived from the original on 2020-09-25. Retrieved 2020-09-25.
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