Russia has finally finished twelve years of repairs and upgrades to the Typhoon class ballistic missile sub (SSBN) Dmitry Donskoy. Fresh nuclear fuel is being loaded into its reactors. Meanwhile, the replacement for the Typhoons, the first of the Yury Dolgoruky class boats, will undergo tests this year, even though construction is not complete. The Yury Dolgoruky is supposed to enter service in 2005, but there have been many delays. Construction was begun in 1996. The 14,700 ton submarine has a crew of 107 and can stay at sea for 100 days at a time. A major reason for the delay was the need to change the design to accommodate a new missile. The missile originally intended for the Dolgoruky class subs, an improved version of the missile carried in the Typhoon class boats, the Bark, kept failing tests and was cancelled. Instead, the successful land based Topol ICBM was ordered to be modified for use on the new Dolgoruky boats.
