Russian 'Special Mission' submarine BS-64 carries payloads on back
Photos continue to emerge on Russian internet sources showing Russian Navy / GUGI special mission host submarine BS-64 with payload cradle for Pr.18270 BESTER Deep Sea Rescue Vehicle (DSRV) on deck. This confirms the configuration shown on Covert Shores since 2016.
Original artwork from November 2016 - CLICK for HIGH-RESOLUTION
BS-64 Подмосковье (Podmoskovye = ‘Moscow Oblast’) is a Project 09787 DELTA-IV STRETCH ballistic missile submarine which has been converted into a host submarine for nuclear powered midget-subs. She was relaunched on October 22nd and is expected to join 29th Separate Brigade of submarines of the Northern Fleet at their secretive base at Olenya Guba (Deer Bay) on the Murmansk Oblast. The 29th Separate Brigade operate a range of Special Mission submarines (read ‘Spy submarines’) for GUGI (Main Directorate Deep Sea Research). Podmoskovye will be used as a Host Submarine (‘mother submarine’) for some of the midget submarines based there, most likely including the elusive Project 10831 LOSHARIK. On 1st July 2019 a serious accident occured aboard Losharik as she docked with BS-64 resulting in the death of 14 hydronauts aboard the midget submarine.
BS-64 Podmoskovye Special Mission (spy) Host Submarine < MAIN ARTICLE
Losharik spy sub < MAIN ARTICLE
In May 2018 several photographs were posted on Russian Social Media site VK (account since deleted). CLICK for HIGH-RESOLUTION image.
The cradle seen matches the Project 18270 BESTER Deep Sea Rescue Vehicle, which has a secondary ocean engineering application and is also associated with ICEBERG arctic Arctic seabed project.
Pr. 18270 BESTER DSRV Specifications
Displacement: 40 tons
Length: 12.0 m
Beam: 3.2 m
Height: 5.0 m
Performance: cruising 3.0 knots, descent/ascent 0.6 knots, lateral 0.4 knots
Crew: 3
Number of compartments: 2
Endurance: 4-5 hours
The artwork was originally commissioned by Janes Intelligence Review from IHS Markit. Original artwork - CLICK IMAGE FOR HIGH-RESOLUTION. Bester DSRV illustrated on righthand side:
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At the center of the cradle there is an access trunk for crew access to the payload, which in this case is probably a Project 18270 BESTER rescue submersible (DSRV – Deep Sea Rescue Vehicle). Photo of a BESTER aboard rescue ship Igor Belousov, note the access hatch at the bottom which mates with the hatch on the ship, per the one on the submarine’s cradle:
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The cradle is almost exactly the same as one patented in Russia specifically for carrying rescue vehicles on submarine's backs (http://www.freepatent.ru/patents/2589500):
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