The Russian navy will get two newly-equipped strategic nuclear submarines armed with "Bulava" intercontinental ballistic missiles, the Russian navy's Commander-in-Chief, Admiral Vladimir Kuroyedov, said Wednesday.

"In accordance with the current program, we expect to get these nuclear submarines, armed with 'Bulava' new missile complexes, at the end of 2006 if everything runs smoothly," Kuroyedov was quoted by the Itar-Tass news agency as saying.

It remains undecided whether the two submarines, named "Dmitry Donskoi" and "Yuri Dolgoruky," would join the Northern Fleet or the Pacific Fleet, Kuroyedov said.

The solid-fuel "Bulava" missile, which is still under a three-year testing program, is capable of carrying up to ten individually guided nuclear warheads, with a range of up to 8,000 km.

The Dmitry Donskoy, the world's largest nuclear submarine, was launched in 1982 and is being transformed into a fourth-generation submarine. Building of the Yuri Dolgoruky started in 1996, according to the Interfax news agency.