No More Large Submarines to be Built in Russia

What is the fate of Russia's nuclear fleet?
Russia won't build large submarines of 25-50 thousand tons displacement, Russia's Navy Commander-in-Chief Vladimir Kuroyedov says. He told journalists in Vladivostok: "We won't build any great submarines." He added that Russia planned to build multi-purpose nuclear submarines with the maximal displacement of 12,000 tons.

Vladimir Kuroyedov said that in the future Russia's Navy would adopt multi-purpose surface ships, as it makes no sense to build separate artillery, missile and anti-submarine vessels. The Navy commander-in-chief added that new multi-purpose vessels would be supplied with elements of the Stealth technology. It is important at that, the fleet "remaining after the former USSR may serve for 15-20 years more."

Let's leave alone the legacy of the former Soviet Union; it is not ruled out that vessels that are not yet plundered may still serve for some time. It's now more important to focus upon people and enterprises that will build new submarines and equip them with modern technique if such construction works are to take place at all.

Last Tuesday, the Moscow Arbitration Court considered a case of the Delfin Central Research Institute; businessmen demand that the institute must settle its million debts, Russia's Novaya Gazeta reports.

The state-run research institute some time ago developed equipment for nuclear submarines. For instance, it developed the Tobol navigation complex guaranteeing sure navigation in Arctic waters and allows launching missiles in latitudes of up to 85 degrees. Then it worked on a more precise navigation complex, Tobol-M-1 (M-2) that allowed improving the secrecy of submarine cruisers. The institute also developed the Shlyuz (Sluice) navigation complex guaranteeing required precision for usage of nuclear weapons. There are more developments produced by the research institute.

This equipment is installed in the submarines 667 BDRM (Delfin) carrying the complex of 16 intercontinental missiles. As is seen from Russia's military doctrine, such submarines are expected to make up the basis of the naval strategic forces. How is it possible?

As it has been already reported, bankers from the Russian Trusteeship Bank demand that the Delfin research institute must pay $15 million. It is strange that former director of the research institute suddenly dies. At that, the editorial office of Novaya Gazeta has documents proving that no debts of several millions dollars actually existed in fact.

Two months ago the newspaper handed the documents over to the investigation for an expertise that was to find out the truth of the situation. Head of the Moscow Central Internal Affairs Department Vladimir Pronin says that the documents have been submitted to the Interior Ministry's Committee of Inquiry; at that, it is requested that the case must be sent for additional investigation. This will allow holding a valuable expertise.

Finally, the RF Prosecutor's Office ended its investigation of the case and handed it over to the circuit prosecutor's office. Other government officials cannot help with investigation of the case; they say the law is such that it doesn't let them act.

So, the situation is rather paradoxical. There are important documents that need expert appraisal. There is a court that must examine the documents as they are actually very important and change the fact of the matter. There is also the Delfin Research Institute that is demanded to pay money. And finally, there is the government that is absolutely helpless with solution of the problem.

Unfortunately, everything is already predetermined in the court system: the state-run research institute developing secret equipment for nuclear submarines is doomed. What does under such conditions the Navy commander-in-chief promise to the Russian Northern Fleet?

Roman Shleinov