Giant-4 Pontoon, Kursk Sub To Dock Within Hour

The Giant-4 lifting barge and the sunken Kursk nuclear submarine would dock within an hour, approximately at 5:30p.m. Moscow time, Lars Walder, spokesman for Smit International Company, said. According to him, the submarine wreck is currently "in the immediate vicinity" of the slot designed in the pontoon. "Gas suction systems with a force of 26,000 tons are to be switched on shortly," Walder added. According to him, the force is adequate to fix the submarine to the Giant-4 pontoon. The weather is fine on site, with a south wind force 3 m/s and the sun shining. The towage of the pontoon/submarine combination is to be carried out by the non-storm scenario, that is, using the shortest route available without entering safe bays. Under the scheme, the route would be 120 miles. A spokesman for the Northern Fleet said the speed of the transportation is set to be some 2-3 knots.