Interfax agency reported on November 30 that the tests were successful and soon the installation of the electromechanical equipment will begin. The works are financed according to the schedule and the representative of the Sevmash plant said they were sure to complete the construction in the time frames “settled by the program approved by the Russian President”, Interfax reported. Yury Dolgoruky should be completed by 2006.

Construction the 995 class Yury Dolgoruky , which is an improved model of the 677 class (comparable to NATO’s Delta IV) was started in 1996 at Sevmashpredpriyatie. The submarine has displacement of 14,720/24,000 tons, and its maximum submersion depth is 450 meters. The submarine is armed with D-9RMU ballistic missiles, 533 calibre torpedoes, Waterfall torpedo missiles and Igla-1 anti-aircraft missiles. The submarine can operate for 100 days without docking. Its crew consists of 107 people including 55 officers. Missile launching can be done at a depth of 55 meters in rough sea (a storm with a magnitude of 6-7) and at a speed of up to 6 knots. The submarine is equipped with an escape chamber. The Yury Dolgoruky was developed at the Rubin Design Bureau for Marine Engineering.