The ship "Akademik Aleksandrov" is closely linked with testing of Russia's disruptive nuclear-powered underwater drone and the top-secret Harmony system of underwater sensors.
“The crew has conducted scientific and practical research in the waters of the Arctic Ocean,” is all what the press service of the Northern Fleet has to say when posting a series of photos from the ship’s return to port at Belomorsk naval base in Severodvinsk this week.....MORE
Greeted by high ranking officers and the navy orchestra highlight the importance of this first voyage by “Akademik Aleksandrov”.
The ship, though, is sailing missions for the Main Directorate of Deep-Sea Research, often referred to as GUGI, a structure reporting to the Ministry of Defense.
GUGI is one of the most secret units of the Russian Armed Forces and operates deep-diving, nuclear-powered, mini-submarines like the Losharik that caught fire last year, killing the crew of 14.
The 96 meter long ship was handed over from the shipyard in Severodvinsk in March this year. A source in the Russian shipbuilding industry confirmed to news agency TASS that the scarce information about the handover was connected with the fact that the vessel is built on an order from the Main Directorate for Deep-Sea Research.
“Akademik Aleksandrov” is equipped with three cranes, the largest is capable of lifting up to 100 tons. It was the object attached behind this crane that draw attention when the regional TV news Vesti Pomoriya last year had a story about the vessel’s test sailing in the White Sea. The video was soon posted on YouTube, from where it later was removed....
Previously:
Russia Prepares To Test Nuclear Powered Doomsday Drone Torpedo
A Deep-Diving Sub. A Deadly Fire. And Russia's Secret Undersea Agenda"
Just What Was That Stricken Russian Submarine Carrying?
...So what was the submarine or its submersible—capable of 20,000 foot dives—carrying?Coming up on the anniversary of the Tsar Bomba later this month.
The best guess I've seen is a high-yield, 100 - 200 megaton, cobalt thermonuclear bomb.
A bomb that size, two to four times more powerful than the biggest ever exploded, the Soviet Tsar Bomba (limited to 50 MT to allow the delivery plane a chance to escape) a bomb that size is awful enough but if it is encased in cobalt it becomes the most lethal munition ever built....
