Today, in Severodvinsk, at the Sevmash shipbuilding company pier, the Russian Federation Navy accepted transfer of the new K-329 Belgorod which is a modified design of the Oscar II class (NATO designation) Russian nuclear submarine.
At the pier side ceremony, Commander-in-Chief of the Navy Nikolai Evmenov emphasized: “Today is a significant day for us – the signing of the acceptance certificate for the Belgorod research submarine and its transfer to the fleet. When creating the ship, advanced achievements of science and the latest construction technologies were applied using the existing technical reserve. The submarine “Belgorod” opens up new opportunities for Russia in conducting various studies, allows conducting diverse scientific expeditions and rescue operations in the most remote areas of the World Ocean. This is the result of the selfless labor of the shipbuilders of JSC “PO” Sevmash “, engineers and designers of JSC” Central Design Bureau MT “Rubin”, specialists of the Navy, workers of allied enterprises from all over Russia. The overall task of building the Belgorod submarine has been completed. I wish the crew a successful voyage and seven feet under the keel!”
It was originally laid down in July 1992 as a Project 949A cruise missile submarine, but later was redesigned and partly built hull was used to be reconfigured as a special operations vessel, able to operate unmanned underwater vehicles. The vessel was relaid in December 2012. Due to chronic underfunding, its construction was suspended then resumed at a low rate of progress before the ship was redesigned to become a unique vessel — the first Russian fifth-generation submarine, according to the Ministry of Defense. (wiki)
The K-329 Belgorod, along with the Status-6 Oceanic Multipurpose System, was one of the last weapons systems presented by Russian President Vladimir Putin during his annual speech on March 1, 2018. The Status-6 is a nuclear powered torpedo that is capable of carrying nuclear warheads. This weapons systems is said to have infinite range meaning these torpedoes can be launched anywhere in the world and directed to loiter near an adversary city, fleet, etc.
The Belgorod will be sent to the Pacific Fleet where it will be charged with patrolling Russian and international waters in the High North in order to further contend in the thawing Arctic Circle.
