The Rubin Central Design Bureau (part of the United Shipbuilding Corporation) has developed the first Russian patrol ship with a diving capability for foreign customers, the Rubin press office told TASS on Monday.
“Rubin presents the first modification of a submergible patrol vessel that combines the advantages of a submarine and a surface patrol ship,” the press office said.
The project has been dubbed ‘Strazh (‘Guard’) and will be promoted on the world market under the name of BOSS (Border and Offshore Submersible Sentry), Rubin said.
“The cost of patrol ships is relatively low on the world market, which makes them acceptable for countries with small budgets. Their operation is recouped through the prevention of poaching and other economic offences. The ships of this type are multifunctional and can be used for protection and as rescue or research vessels,” the press office specified.
In choosing the equipment for the new patrol ship, Rubin maximally focused on the existing types that were serial-produced and proved to be commercially effective, including the systems for surface ships and aircraft, the statement says.
The ship’s submerged position immediately offers two advantages: the possibility to conduct surveillance stealthily and get away from bad weather while continuing patrol missions, the press office said.
“A submergible ship can be used as a classical submarine for reconnaissance and other tasks. A diving patrol ship will have broader possibilities than a surface vessel to survey the shelf. It will also serve as an inexpensive training tool to train crews and prepare infrastructure for purchasing classical submarines in the future,” it added.
The Rubin Central Design Bureau is among the world’s leaders in creating nuclear-powered and conventional submarines and Russia’s largest design bureau of marine hardware.
Russia develops another COVID-19 vaccine
Specialists from Smorodintsev Research Institute of Influenza under the Russian Ministry of Health is developing another vaccine against a coronavirus, preliminary results may appear in the near future, Russian Minister of Health Mikhail Murashko announced on Saturday.
“The institution has a high scientific potential, there are both scientific, as well as production and research sites engaged in diagnostics. Today, another vaccine against the new coronavirus infection is being developed at this institute. We expect the first preliminary results … in the near future,” the minister said.
Director of the Research Institute Dmitry Lioznov told reporters that the vaccine for intranasal use is made on the basis of the influenza virus. “So this is a similar technology with Sputnik V, but in this case the influenza virus is used. The effect will hopefully be as good as that of our other vaccines,” he said, adding “Clinical trials are planned for this fall, so the drug will be available in winter – next spring at the earliest”. Lioznov also hopes that the drug will help not only protect the population of Russia, but also other countries from the virus.
