Zvezdochka wins contract for armament support vessel
JSC Zvezdochka Ship Repair Center signed a contract for construction of a second vessel similar to salvage tug Zvezdochka on September 13, a regional official said Monday.
The newbuild contract was officially announced by Arkhangelsk Governor Ilya Mikhalchuk in Severodvinsk at solemn meeting related to 60th jubilee of the yard's General Director Vladimir Nikitin, Rusnavy reported.
There are still some unresolved issues related to state defense order, but the contract is encouraging news for the shipyard.
Keel-laying of Project 20180 armament support ship will reportedly be held this October at Zvezdochka Shipyard. The new vessel will be longer, more load-carrying capable, and have more advanced equipment comparing to her prototype.
Being previously also classified as armament support ship, salvage tug Zvezdochka is the biggest surface ship (displacement over 5,500 tons) ever built by JSC Zvezdochka which primarily specializes in nuclear submarine repairs. Laid down in Sept 2004 and launched in Dec 2007, the high-quality ship had successfully passed trials program and joined Northern Fleet in July 2010. The shipyard's General Director Vladimir Nikitin offered to name the ship "Sergei Kovalev" after a principal designer of Soviet nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines.