#17 - RW 273
BBC Monitoring
Russian submarine service starts to emerge from years in the doldrums
Source: Channel One TV, Moscow, in Russian 0800 gmt 9 Sep 03

[Presenter] Russia is building up its naval personnel. After several years of stagnation our submarines have started to embark on voyages again. The training of sailors has become more intense. Vyacheslav Guz reports from the training centre at Gadzhiyevo [Murmansk Region].

[Correspondent] A fire has broken out on a submarine. The situation is critical. With this sort of scenario in mind, the crew has to rehearse its firefighting procedures until they become automatic. Everybody in the submarine fleet - conscript seamen, contract personnel, NCOs and officers - has to undergo this training. Everyone is equal in the struggle to save a ship.

The training centre at Gadzhiyevo, where the submarine squadron is based, is the biggest of the ones in operation at the moment. A wide variety of emergencies which might arise aboard a submarine when in autonomous mode - i.e. during a voyage - are simulated here. Submariners tell the legendary tale of the submarine which suddenly started to resist when it was sent for scrapping.

[Andrey Bochka, deputy commander in charge of training work aboard the nuclear submarine Ryazan] For completely inexplicable reasons, when nothing of the kind should have been possible, the vessel started veering from side to side. It was like a steer being sent for slaughter.

[Correspondent] Training exercises have been held increasingly often at the centre of late. After a period of stagnation, submarines have at long last started to go out on voyages. Furthermore, after a long break, the Northern Fleet is hoping to be reinforced with several new submarines.

[Sergey Simonenko, chief of staff of the Northern Fleet] For the first time in 10 years we are starting to recruit crews for new vessels which are being built.

[Correspondent] Preserve the existing vessels and specialists - that was the main task given to the submarine fleet over the last decade. Without exaggeration it can be said that the entire country helped it meet this objective.

Many Russian submarines bear the names of towns. The strategic missile submarine K-44 was named Ryazan on 10 February 1998. Since then, this town and its surrounding region have been sponsoring the submarine. It is this kind of sponsorship which has enabled the Russian fleet to survive over the last 10 years.

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