Scrapping of Nuclear Submarines is On Agenda
Krasnaya Zvezda by Andrei Gavrilenko (translated by Pavel Pushkin, Defence and Security, 2/19/07)
February 15, 2007
(For personal use only)

The program of scrapping Russian nuclear submarines is being financed with the assistance of other countries. Of all scrapped submarines, 39 submarines were scrapped at the expense of foreign countries. For instance, Canada is prepared to start financing the scrapping of Russian nuclear submarines in the Far East.

By the end of 2006, Russia scrapped 75% of the nuclear submarines discarded from the Navy or 148 of the 197 submarines. At present, Russia scraps approximately 18 nuclear submarines a year. By now, 120 nuclear submarines were discarded from the Northern Fleet and 77 nuclear submarines were discarded from the Pacific Fleet, 97 submarines were scrapped in the North and 51 submarines were scrapped in the Far East. Along with this, there are 23 nuclear submarines at the stage of scrapping (10 in the North and 13 submarines in the Far East) and 23 submarines are awaiting scrapping (12 in the North and 11 in the Far East).

The scrapping of all nuclear submarines is expected to be completed in 2010. The scrapping of one submarine costs approximately $7 million on average.

The program of scrapping Russian nuclear submarines is partially financed with other countries' assistance. Of all scrapped submarines, 39 submarines were scrapped at the expense of foreign countries. For instance, Canada is prepared to start financing the scrapping of Russian nuclear submarines in the Far East.

Dmitry Trofimov, advisor of the Russian Embassy in Ottawa, explains that the matter is about broadening the geography of Canadian activeness in the framework of the international Program of Global Partnership (PGP).

According to the Russian diplomat, in its practical aspect, PGP is a mechanism of international cooperation in liquidation of heritage of the "cold war" on the territory of the former USSR, where after 1991, there were 40,000 tons of chemical weapons subject to destruction, about 200 discarded and badly guarded nuclear submarines and significant reserves of highly enriched uranium and weapon-grade plutonium. For this purpose, G8 member states undertook the allocation of up to $20 billion in the period between 2002 and 2012. The contribution of Canada amounts to 1 billion Canadian dollars.

Trofimov stresses, "Canada actively develops programs in all priority fields of the PGP. This includes the construction of plants for the destruction of chemical weapons in Shchuchye and Kizner, the scrapping of 12 of the 120 nuclear submarines, the construction of protective perimeters in the places of storage of hazardous radioactive substances and other programs."

Speaking about the scrapping of nuclear submarines, Admiral Vyacheslav Popov, former commander of the Northern Fleet and incumbent chair of the maritime policy commission of the Federation Council, said that the most difficult aspect of this process was scrapping of "contaminated submarines."

Popov explains that submarines with nuclear reactor failures are considered to be "contaminated." He adds, "In the Far East and in the Northern Sea there are several submarines where failures of the nuclear reactor have occurred between the 1960s and 1970s."

Popov emphasizes that "the problem is not in financing but in the search for a technology that considers environment protection and safety requirements."

According to the Federal Nuclear Energy Agency, three submarines are registered as contaminated. These submarines will be scrapped according to a special technology because of the potential for radioactive hazardous accidents.