The Russian Navy received additional funding from the government what enabled it to complete repair of one Delta-IV and count on putting back into operation one Typhoon. The latter questions whether the Co-operative Threat Reduction program (CTR) objectives to dismantle five Typhoon class submarines will ever be fulfilled.

Delta-IV back in operation
The funding reportedly arrived after Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin attended a ceremony of launching new Akula class submarine in Severodvinsk in late September this year. The four-year repair works on Delta-IV class submarine were finished in November at Zvezdochka shipyard in Severodvinsk. The submarine is now under exams in the White Sea. This submarine was the first in Delta-IV class (K-51) commissioned in December 1985. The submarine is expected to operate from its home base in Gadzhievo at the Kola Peninsula for 5-7 more years, Russian Daily Nezavisimaya Gazeta reported.

Typhoon to enter service in 2001
The Typhoon class submarine – the first within its class (TK-208) – put in operation in 1981 has been under repairs at Sevmash yard in Severodvinsk for long nine years, but now it seems the submarine has a chance to leave the workshop in 2000. The submarine may be entering active service again in early 2001. TK-208 suffered a series of incidents in 1986 and 1987. Whether these were the reason for the submarine being out of order for almost a decade, is not known.

CTR’s plans questioned?
The second submarine within the Typhoon class – K-202 – arrive the first week of July this year to Severodvinsk to get scrapped at Sevmash yard. The decommissioning was to be funded by the American CTR. The submarine was commissioned in December 1983.

The CTR officials said earlier that their objective was to decommission five out of six available Russian Typhoon class submarines. Considering the fact that the oldest Typhoon class submarine will enter again active service in 2001, it would be unreasonable to believe that Russians will let cut in pieces the remaining newest Typhoon submarines commissioned in late 80-s.