On 30 December 2012, the K-51 Verkhoturie submarine of the Project 667BDRM class (Delta IV) was officially handed over by the Zvezdochka plant in Severodvinsk to the Russian Navy after an overhaul that began in 2010. Verkhoturie was the first submarine of its class that underwent the second overhaul - the first one was completed in December 1999. The report says that the lifetime of the submarine was extended by 3.5 years.
UPDATE 02/06/2013: The submarine arrived in Gadzhievo in February 2013.
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Video of Verkhoturie launch
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=r75_Zw37iOI#
1 1/2 year long overhaul that gives it a 3.5 year service life extend. Couldnt they just have put the money on the Borei program insted?
It's wasn't an overhaul, it was a VTG.
Zvezdochka does two types of refits on nuclear submarines. Midlife repair, which is a very expensive program with full refuelling and modernization, and extends service by 10 years. And VTG (Technical Readiness Repair), a cheap simple refit that gets the submarine ship-shape for another 4 years, but without any bells and whistles.
In 4 years, they'll do another VTG, but it will cost a quarter of what a midlife repair would cost. Keeps the submarine in service and that's the important part.
Good point. However, this simple refit did last 18 months and bought 3.5 years of life extension. Doesn't look very efficient. Besides, as I understand, chances are it won't go to another refit in four years.
Length of refit could have had something to do with the need to install Sineva systems. If I remember correctly, Verkhoturye went through the midlife overhaul back in early 2000's, before Sineva went into service. If that is the case, I'll bet that Tula, Bryansk and Karelia will be done quicker.
Any chance that the boat was already equipped with Liners instead of Sineva?