Russia to Waive Lada Class Submarines?

Construction program of Project 677 Lada non-nuclear submarines can be suspended, reports Izvestiya referring to a source in Russian Navy Main HQ.

According to the source, SSK St. Petersburg will not be commissioned into the Navy and remain an experimental prototype.

Defects of Lada-class submarine – unfinished propulsion plant, sonar, Lithium tactical data system, torpedo TE-2 – make Russian Navy return to submarines of well-proved project Varshavyanka, reports the newspaper.

According to the source, construction of two Lada-class submarines – Kronshtadt and Sevastopol – was suspended as well in spite of their hulls almost completed.

Representative of JSC Admiralteyskie Verfi shipyard denied a request of Central Navy Portal to comment that information.

Characteristics of Project 677 Lada diesel electric submarines:

Surface displacement – 1,765 tons
Length overall – 66.8 meters
Beam overall – 7.1 meters
Surface speed – 10 knots
Submerged speed – 21 knots
Operating depth – 250 meters
Test depth – 300 meters
Endurance – 45 days
Propulsion plant: D49 diesel engines
Armament: 6 x 533-mm torpedo tubes (combat load – 18 torpedoes/rocket torpedoes/missiles or up to 44 mines), MANPADS Igla-1M with 6 missiles
Crew – 35 men

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Naval Today Staff, November 25, 2011;