The effort of the Ukrainian Navy and the resources they spend to put their only submarine Foxtrot class (Project 641) U-01 Zaporizya back to full operational status is amazing.
I have tried to follow and report of these efforts since I have heard about it, in February 2010. After being left unused and unmaintained for a very long periods, the submarine was painstakingly and gradually restored to operational status with the help of Russian Navy.
On 18th July 2012 U-01 Zaporizya made her first succesful dive and her underwater performance was tested. I think that the dive may have been limited to the periscope depth but nevertheless it was an important step in the restoration of the submarine back to the service.
“The trial dive of the vessel has been successful. According to a special commission, the submarine is completely controllable, which is the most important thing,” the acting commander of the Ukrainian Navy, Vice Admiral Yuriy Ilyin said after the test dive in Sevastopol on Wednesday.
“We do not doubt that the sea trials of the Zaporizhia submarine will be successful and the submarine will enter the fleet,” Ilyin said.
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