PRV Minskov (UL-25)

Minskov returns to Saratrov Naval Base, 2017
Minskov's profile
History
Arkava
Name:	Minskov
Namesake:	Alexander Minskov
Ordered:	18 July 1996
Builder:	Hallishaven Shipbuilding Plant, New Donegal
Laid down:	15 January 1996
Launched:	2 August 2002
Christened:	19 April 1999
Acquired:	2 August 2002 (Kalythia), 5 May 2024 (Arkava)
Commissioned:	19 February 2004 (Kalythia), 15 December 2024 (Arkava)
Out of service:	18 October 2023 (Kalythia)
Homeport:	Saratrov Naval Base
Status:	in active service
General characteristics
Class and type:	Revere class submarine
Displacement:	8,300 full
Length:	140 m (459.3 ft) overall
Beam:	11 m (36.1 ft)
Draft:	12 m (39.4 ft)
Speed:	23 knots (submerged)
Range:	35 years
Complement:	15 officers, 145 enlisted
Armament:	6 × 26.5 inch torpedo tubes, sleeved for 21 inch weapon (up to 50 land-attack cruise missiles, anti-surface missiles or torpedoes in storage for resupply)

The PRV Minskov (UL-25) is a Kalythian Revere-class nuclear powered fast-attack submarine that served in the Kalythian Navy as the KOF Century from 19 April 2002 to its decommissioning on 18 October 2023. The submarine was sold to the Arkavan Navy in early 2024, where it now serves in an active capacity. She is the first ship named after the Arkavan revolutionary Alexander Minskov, who lead the country after the 1991 Arkavan revolution. The ship was laid down on 15 January 1996 at New Donegal by Hallishaven Shipbuilding Plant. She was first launched in July of 2002, and commissioned in the Kalythian Navy on 2 August 2004.

Despite the submarines relatively young age, the Century was slated for decommissioning in late 2022 due to budget overruns. The ship was formally decommissioned on 18 October 2023, and subsequently was listed for sale by the Ministry of Foreign Commerce in January of 2024, where it was purchased along with two other ships by Arkava in a deal worth around $5.1 billion NSD. The ship was delivered in good operating condition, and was immediately placed in drydock for retrofitting and upgrades with Arkavan weapons suites.

The ship finished its upgrade package after being in dry dock for around eight months and was put out for sea trials on 16 January 2025. Following about 35 days of intense drills and live fire exercises, the ship was officially released to active service on its first tour on 28 February 2025.

Ship history

2020s

Upgrades and decommissioning

In 2020, the KOF Century was slated to undergo large-scale upgrades in its sonar and communications suite, along with weapons package upgrades and electronic warfare, countermeasure and surveillance packages as well. The total upgrade package was estimated to cost around $1bn Kalyns (roughly $820 million NSD) and take just over a year to complete. However, investigations into the spending habits of the Kalythian Navy revealed, around the same time, severe cost overruns and failure to account for assets and equipment the navy claimed it had in its possession. Due to the results of the investigation, funding for the navy quickly dried up from the Kalythian government as auditors and accountants began pouring through as much data as possible to find out where the nation's money had gone.

As such, the upgrade package was indefinitely put on hold. Around the same time, newer class submarines were scheduled to be coming off the production docks in the next year, that offered the same base performance as what the Century was being upgraded to, but without the additional price tag. Naval auditors quickly identified the Century as a prime candidate for early decommissioning due to the upgrades necessary to keep it up to par for the Kalythian Navy's standards. As such, it was decided it was cheaper to remove the ship from active service and place it in the reserve fleet in early 2022. In late 2023, Naval Auditors further decided the ship was too expensive to maintain in a reserve capacity, and along with numerous other ships in the reserve fleets, recommended they be scrapped or sold to recoup their investment.

Sale to Arkava and retrofit

In January 2024, the Kalythian Ministry of Foreign Commerce officially listed the Century for sale. Around a week later, the ship was purchased by Arkava in a deal worth around $5.1 billion NSD, where they acquired the Century and two other surface ships in the deal. Arkava took possession of the Century on 6 May 2024, and rechristened her the PRV Minskov, in honor of their revolutionary founder. A Kalythian crew was on hand at the transfer ceremony to provide technical training and maintenance training to the crew after the sale. The ship was then transported back to Velirinsk Naval Base where it was placed into dry dock and retrofitted with native Arkavan warfare suites.

After around eight months of additional retrofits and upgrades, estimated to cost Arkava around $1.1 billion Kubits, the newly-christened Minskov was officially commissioned in the Arkavan Navy on 15 December 2024, and entered sea trials on 16 January 2025. The ship and its crew were officially deemed fit for service on 28 February 2025.