News

Fourth Alfa class sub scrapped

Publish date: November 18, 1997

Written by: Igor Kudrik

The fourth Alfa class nuclear powered submarine was decommissioned at Severodvinsk in early November.

By the beginning of November, Sevmash shipyard in Severodvinsk completed decommissioning of nuclear-powered submarine K-493 (Alfa class), equipped with liquid metal cooled reactor. K-493 was defuelled sometime before 1995, and was stationed at Zapadnaya Litsa (Bolshaya Lopatka) naval base on the Kola Peninsula till 1996. It was then towed to Severodvinsk for scrapping.

The K-493 is the fourth submarine of this class decommissioned so far. Two of those still remaining are stationed at Zapadnaya Litsa with spent fuel inside; while the cut-out reactor section of the last one is stored at the open site on Yagry island in Severodvinsk.