B-871 Alrosa is a diesel-electric submarine of Project 877V (Paltus) in the Russian Black Sea Fleet, the only one built under this subproject. She was laid down on May 17, 1988 at the Krasnoye Sormovo Plant in Nizhny Novgorod, launched on September 10, 1989, and commissioned into the fleet on December 30, 1990.[1] She is based in Sevastopol.[2]

Construction at Krasnoye Sormovo

The submarine was built at the Krasnoye Sormovo plant in Nizhny Novgorod: the keel was laid on May 17, 1988, and she was launched on September 10, 1989.[3] Upon completion of construction, she joined the 153rd Red Banner Submarine Brigade of the 14th Division of the Red Banner Black Sea Fleet.[4] Her NATO classification is Kilo.[1]

Technical specifications

Surface displacement is 2,300 tons and submerged displacement 3,950 tons; length is 76.2 m, hull beam 9.9 m, and draft 6.2 m. Maximum diving depth is 300 m, endurance 45 days, and crew 52 (12 officers).[1] The propulsion plant is diesel-electric: two DL42MKh diesel generators of 1,000 kW each, two battery banks of 120 cells each, a PG-141 propulsion electric motor rated at 4,050–5,500 hp, a PG-166 economy-speed electric motor (190 hp), and an experimental pump-jet instead of a conventional propeller.[1] Armament: six 533-mm torpedo tubes (a load of 18 torpedoes or 24 mines) and four missiles of the Strela-3 surface-to-air missile system.[1]

Service history

From December 1991 to March 1992, the submarine carried out combat patrol tasks. On March 13, 1992, part of the crew swore allegiance to Ukraine and seized the vessel; the further development of events was stopped by the first officer, I. F. Leukhin. From 1992 to 1996 the submarine did not go to sea because of a lack of storage batteries; after they were installed, she joined the permanent readiness forces on May 22, 1996.[1]

In August–September 1996, it carried out a combat tour with a rating of "excellent." In 1997, under the Treaty on the Partition of the Black Sea Fleet, it passed to the Russian side, and on June 12, 1997, the St. Andrew's flag was raised on it.[1] On September 19, 1997, the joint-stock company ALROSA took the submarine under its patronage, and on January 5, 2004, the submarine was officially named "Alrosa" after its patron company.[3] In 1997–2007, the crew won the Navy Commander-in-Chief's prize for a torpedo attack by a group of warships five times.[1]

In 1998–1999, the submarine underwent repairs at Ship Repair Plant No. 13 in Sevastopol. In May–June 2011, it took part in the international rescue exercise "Bold Monarch" off the coast of Spain. From August 21 to September 21, 2012, it made a transit from Kronstadt to Sevastopol, escorted by the Baltic Fleet rescue tug SB-921.[1]

In 2014, the submarine went in for repair and modernization at the Black Sea Fleet's 13th Ship Repair Plant in Sevastopol. The work dragged on: according to data from late 2019 and early 2022, the repairs had still not been completed.[1] As a result of the modernization, the submarine became a carrier of the Kalibr-PL missile system and joined the 4th Separate Submarine Brigade of the Black Sea Fleet. The planned transfer to the Baltic Fleet as a training platform for preparing the crews of Project 636.3 submarines was canceled.[5]

External links

  • Wikidata (Q855953 — entry in the free knowledge base)

Sources

  1. flot.com — B-871 "Alrosa"
  2. blackseavisits.ru — submarine B-871 Alrosa
  3. valka.cz — Alrosa (B-871) : Útočné ponorky s konvenčním pohonem (SSK)
  4. rus.team — Submarine "Alrosa"
  5. TASS
  6. russianships.info — Russian Navy 2026 — Current Ship Roster