Russian Submarine Alrosa, Is Returning Home

It was important news when the sole Russian submarine of the Black Sea Fleet Alrosa participated in the NATO exercise Bold Monarch last year.

However she did not returned to her homeport Sevastopol after the exercise has ended and proceeded  to Kronshtadt for an overhaul. Alrosa suffered a serious engine trouble in 2009. An extensive overhaul was need for the Alrosa (originally Varshavyanka), a Kilo-class Project 877 diesel submarine, entered service in December 1990. She was renamed Alrosa in 2004 after it was “adopted” by Russia’s largest diamond company of the same name.

Black Sea Fleet (BSF) diesel-electric submarine Alrosa commanded by Capt 2 Rank Anton Zaitsev started an interfleet cruise from Kronshtadt to homeport Sevastopol. 

In May-June 2011, the submarine along with BSF rescue ships visited Spanish port Cartagena and took part in the Bold Monarch 2011 joint submarine-salvage exercise for the first time in her record. After that, Alrosa headed for Kronshtadt and was laid up for scheduled overhaul. 

The submarine is being escorted by Baltic Fleet (BF) rescue tug SB-921. However, early in Sept the escort will be taken over by BSF rescue tug Shakhter in Spanish port Ceuta. 

Alrosa is expected to arrive in Sevastopol late Sept 2012. 

Diesel-electric submarine Alrosa was laid down on May 7, 1988 at the Krasnoye Sormovo shipyard. The sub was built under experimental project 877V. 

In Nov 1989, the submarine moved to the Black Sea via inland waterways; Soviet naval ensign was hoisted on the sub then. In Jan 2004, she obtained the name of Alrosa by Russian Navy Commander’s decree. Since 1997, the sub’s crew five times won the Navy Commander’s Prize in torpedo firing. 

The last sentence is very ironic as there is no other Russian submarine in the Black Sea Fleet, thus she has no local competitors.