Russian Black Sea Fleet oldest sub B871 Alrosa to start sea trials soon.

SEVASTOPOL, May 17. /TASS-DEFENSE/. The Black Sea Fleet’s oldest submarine Alrosa (NATO reporting class name: Kilo) has left the 13th Ship Repair Plant to start its shipbuilder's sea trials, the shipyard’s press office told TASS.
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B-871 Alrosa in 2006 (Picture source: Wikipedia/Andrew Butko)

It was reported in early May that the repair of the submarine Alrosa had been completed. The submarine has acquired new combat and technical capabilities that put it on a par with six subs made operational with the Black Sea Fleet in recent years, the press office added.

Earlier, a source in Sevastopol uniformed services told TASS that the submarine had become a carrier of the Kalibr-PL (SS-N-27 Sizzler) cruise missile system after its repairs and upgrade. “The submarine has left the Bay of Kilen and its shipbuilder's sea trials will start soon,” the press office said. The shipbuilder's sea trials will be held by the Ship Repair Plant’s staff and the crew.

“Then, a repair completion act will be signed and the submarine will pass tests to confirm its combat readiness and be included in the today's combat-ready force,” the press office said.

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The B-871 Alrosa is a diesel-electric Kilo-class submarine that belonged to experimental Project 877. It was driven by a waterjet engine instead of propeller propulsion, which ensured its maximum stealth. Owing to this, the submarine with waterjet engines is dubbed as 'black hole' abroad. It was laid down on 17 May 1988 at the Krasnoye Sormovo Shipyard, in the city of Gorky (currently known as Nizhny Novgorod). It was launched on 10 September 1989 and commissioned on 1 December 1990. She joined the Soviet Navy in 1990 and was active with the Russian Navy's Black Sea Fleet. In 1991, after the break-up of the Soviet Union, the crew of the boat swore allegiance to Ukraine. Though in Ukrainian service, the submarine saw limited duty due to a lack of parts: from December 1991 to March 1992, the boat fulfilled its tasks of combat service. On 13 March 1992, the boat's crew swore allegiance to Ukraine and captured the boat. Beginning in 1992, B-871 was limited to dockside duty due to the lack of batteries. In 1995 the submarine joined the 155th brigade of submarines. On 22 May 1996 after installing batteries, the boat joined the forces of permanent readiness. In August and September 1996, B-871 fulfilled the tasks of combat service with a rating of "excellent". Returning from deployment, she arrived in Novorossiysk, where she participated in the celebration of Navy Day. The vessel returned to Russian service in 1997 as part of an agreement between the two nations. The Alrosa remained Russia’s sole combat-capable submarine in the Black Sea.

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