July 1, 2020
Spotted! Satellites Spot Russia’s Newest Submarine Heading Out for 'Combat Training'
The Knyaz Vladimir was seen leaving the harbor where it was built.
by Caleb Larson
Russia’s newest improved Borei-class submarine, the Knyaz Vladimir, was seen in open source satellite photos leaving a Russian naval base at Severodvinsk along Russia’s White Sea where it was built.
What was so unusual about the satellite photographs was the clearly visible wake that trailed behind the Knyaz Vladimir. The wake, over five miles, or about eight kilometers long, could be traced all the way back to the harbor where it entered the White Sea. The naval expert H I Sutton speculated that the long trailing wake was due to a combination of calm surface conditions as the submarine left the harbor, combined with the sub’s large-diameter pumpjet being relatively close to the surface.
According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, the Knyaz Vladimir left Severodvinsk for the White and Barents Seas to do combat training and to test the ship’s systems.
https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/spotted-satellites-spot-russia%E2%80%99s-newest-submarine-heading-out-combat-training-163879
