Russian Navy’s Third Diesel-Electric Submarine Launched

Admiralty Shipyards, part of the United Shipbuilding Corporation, launched the “Stary Oskol” of project 636.3, third in the series diesel-electric submarines being built for the Russian Navy.

The ceremony was attended by Chief of the Russian Navy, Admiral Viktor Chirkov, vice-president of JSC “United Shipbuilding Corporation” Sergei Forafonov and other guests.

This series of six submarines that will serve in the Black Sea Fleet represent the Russian Navy’s fleet modernization programme.

All ships of this series are named after cities.

“Novorossiysk”, the head submarine, was recently delivered to the Russian Navy, and works on the second and fourth submarines “Rostov-on-Don” and “Krasnodar” are in progress.

Admiralty Shipyards will lay the last two submarines of the series of Project 636.3 “Veliky Novgorod” and “Kolpino” in October 2014. All submarines are expected to be delivered to the Black Sea Fleet by 2016.

The Varshavyanka-class submarines, the improved variant of the Kilo-class diesel-electric submarines, feature advanced stealth technology, extended combat range, modern inertial navigation system and the ability to strike land, surface and underwater targets.

These submarines have an underwater speed of 20 knots, a cruising range of 400 miles (electric propulsion), the ability to patrol for 45 days and can accommodate a crew of 52 submariners.