On August 12, 2000, a catastrophe occurred onboard nuclear submarine ‘Kursk’ (K-141) of Project “Antey” (Oscar II) during exercises of the Northern Fleet. All submarine crew was lost as a result of this accident.

     SSN ‘Kursk’ has sank as a result of the torpedo ammunition explosion inside the compartment and was found on 13 August to the west of cape Teriberka, in 108 miles off the Kola Bay at the depth of 115 to116 m in the point with co-ordinates 69°37'00'' N and 37°34'25'' E.

     From August 13 through 19 the sunken submarine was inspected during the rescue operation by manned submersible vehicles of the Northern Fleet and on August 20 - 21 by deep divers from Norwegian vessel "Seaway Eagle". More detailed survey of the submarine was continued at the end of September by means of deep-diving manned vehicles “Mir-1” and “Mir-2” from research vessel “Academik Mstislav Keldysh” and in October - November by unmanned submersible vehicles and divers of Norwegian company Halliburton AS from vessel “Regalia”.

     Upon instructions of the President of Russia V.V.Putin the Governmental Commission chaired by the Deputy Chairman of the Russian Government I.I.Klebanov was established for investigation of causes of the submarine ‘Kursk’ sinking.

     The Government of the Russian Federation assigned CDB ME “Rubin” the task of arrangement of “preparatory works for recovery of bodies of perished sailors from the nuclear submarine ‘Kursk’ and her salvage”. “Rubin” was entrusted this task as it is known as an enterprise with highly qualified engineering personnel who knew in details special features of submarine structure and who had necessary knowledge of modern salvaging methods and techniques. The enterprise was assigned to carry out negotiations (if required) about the salvage works with foreign companies.

     The general management of the submarine salvage design was carried out by General Designer and Head of CDB ME “Rubin”, Academician of RAS, I.D.Spassky.

     For co-ordination of works on the project and for operative solving of all technical and organisational issues raised in the process of work a Working Group of designers was established. I.L.Baranov, General Designer of the ‘Kursk’, headed the group. This group included also specialists from Krylov Research Institute, 1st Central Research Institute of the Russian Defence Ministry and 40th Research Institute of the Russian Defence Ministry.

     In the process of the detail design development of the ‘Kursk’ salvage the about 10 variants of the sunken submarine salvage was reviewed.

     At the same time over 500 technical proposals were considered that were sent to the enterprise from other enterprises and individuals as well as from many foreign companies and firms.

     Nevertheless, none of the reviewed variants provided the possibility of the submarine lifting in 2001. The overwhelming majority of proposals made by national and foreign companies and institutions, groups and individuals was not acceptable because the authors of proposals did not have required information about design features of the submarine, her actual status after the accident and conditions of the operation.

     Taking into account the fact that the period assigned for the operation was very short, there were no marine technological means for the lifting from the depth over 100 meters of such a large size and displacement object as submarine ‘Kursk’, the lifting could be performed only by means of existing equipment of foreign companies.

     Therefore the Russian side negotiated with several foreign companies and as a result Dutch company Mammoet Transport Antilles N.V. was selected. The company management expressed the willingness and confirmed the possibility to carry out the ‘Kursk’ salvage operation with involvement of a number of foreign companies.

     Destruction of the pressure hull in the first compartment and forward portion of the second compartment, loss of the overall strength of hull structures in the submarine forward part did not allow to lift the entire submarine. In this connection the decision was taken to cut out the destroyed compartment of the submarine.

     This operation was executed using equipment of Dutch company Smit International (Mammoet’s partner) based on initial data provided by CDB ME “Rubin” and with their technical support.

     The general finally implemented plan of the submarine lifting and transportation was as follows.

     Required lifting forces were created by hydraulic strandjacks (5) installed onboard the lifting and transport barge (3). By means of these strandjacks the submarine was broken off from the seabed and smoothly lifted to the surface in controllable manner.

     For the period of transportation the submarine was pulled by additional force to special saddles (11) installed on the barge bottom. These saddle shapes repeated the submarine’s superstructure lines. Special recess (10) was made in the barge bottom in order to locate the submarine mast fairwater inside the barge hull. Hoisted masts of the submarine were cut out prior to the lifting. The same hydraulic jacks that were used for the lifting created the additional pulling force.

     Lifting forces were transferred to the submarine hull (1) from hydraulic strandjacks (5) through strands (2) (a bundle of steel wires of special design). Grippers were fixed in holes (14) preliminary cut out between two frames in the upper part of the submarine pressure hull.

     The calculation made by the enterprise designers determined that it was necessary to have 26 lifting points to apply forces required for the submarine breaking off from the seabed, lifting and transportation without loosing contact with the barge saddles (11).

     Such a lifting method used for the first time in the ship salvage history could be implemented only due to high load carrying ability of the submarine pressure hull.

The scheme of SSN lifting after the separation from the bottom (a) and during the transportation (b)

     For execution of all stages envisaged by the design it was necessary to create and use a whole complex of salvage equipment and crafts of both Mammoet and its contractors and the Northern Fleet of the Russian Navy.

     This complex included barge “Giant 4” (Smit International) with the installed lifting system (Mammoet), barge “Carrier” with equipment for the first compartment cutting out (Smit International), Diving Support Vessel “Mayo” (DSND), tugboats: seagoing tugs contracted by Smit Maritime Contractors BV (‘Smit Wijs Singapore’, ‘Atrek’ and ‘Havila Charmer’) and harbour tugs of the Northern Fleet; additional buoyancy pontoons (Mammoet) specially constructed on PA “Sevmash” for the docking operation; floating dock PD-50 (Northern Fleet), crane ships “Paltus” and 7500 (Northern Fleet), rescue tug “Altay” (Northern Fleet), pontoons SSP-80 and SSP-200 (Northern Fleet).

     Beside these facilities the lifting operation was supported by escort, weather observation and radioactivity monitoring ships, aviation, auxiliary vessels and crafts of the Northern Fleet of the Russian Navy.    

     All offshore preparatory works, lifting, transportation, attachment of additional buoyancy pontoons and submarine docking were carried out with technical support from the enterprise’s specialists and they participated in solving all technical and organisational questions raised in the process of these works.

      Measurements of actual values of lifting forces and submarine position in the process of breaking off from the soil and lifting made by special instruments confirmed the high accuracy of engineering calculations made by SOE CDB ME “Rubin” and Krylov Research Institute during design.

     The ‘Kursk’ Salvage Operation was supported by Special Purpose Expedition established by the order of the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy out of means and forces of the Northern Fleet. Vice Admiral M.V.Motsak, Chief of Staff of the Northern Fleet, was appointed the Commanding Officer of the Expedition.

     The Expedition included about 3,000 people, 12 combatant ships, 16 support ships and 8 helicopters. Cruiser «Petr Velikiy» carried out the area guard duty during the submarine lifting.

     Barge “Giant 4” with the submarine arrived to the place of docking in the evening of the 10th of October.

     As the draft of the system “barge - submarine” exceeded 22 meters its docking in the floating dock PD-50 was ensured by using two additional buoyancy pontoons designed by Dutch company Smit Engineering and built by PA “Sevmash”.

	On 21st – 23rd October the Northern Fleet performed the docking of the system “barge-submarine-pontoons” into dock PD-50 on Ship Repair Yard 82 in village Roslyakovo of Murmansk Region. After the system “barge – pontoons” was taken out of dock PD-50 the Kursk Salvage Operation was completed.

     Within only 5 months since the moment of Contract signing by the Russian and Dutch parties the unique, extremely difficult, large-scale and rather emotionally strained operation of the submarine ‘Kursk’ lifting, transportation and docking was performed by multinational project team speaking different languages.

Salvagers are received by President of Russia V.V.Putin

     The presentation version of the documentary "Kursk". The last moorage” of St.Petersburg documentary studio (producer Yu.G.Zanin) can be watched here.

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