New Russian sub ready for sea trials

SEVERODVINSK, Russia, Nov. 22 (UPI) -- The Russian navy is expected to start sea trials by the end of the year on the first of a new class of nuclear-powered submarines.

The nuclear reactor of the Yury Dolgoruky is to be turned on by the end of November, Nikolai Kalistratov, director of the Sevmash shipyard in northern Russia, said. The submarine was built at the Sevmash facility.

The Borey class submarine is 580 feet long with a hull diameter of 42 feet. It can go 1,500 feet below the surface and travel underwater at 29 knots.

The submarine carries a crew of 107 and up to 16 ballistic missiles.

Two more Borey class submarines, the Alexander Nevsky and Vladimir Monomakh, are already under construction. Under the current armament program, Russia plans to have five Borey submarines by 2015 equipped with a new class of missiles.