21.11.2008
Source:
The Vladikavkaz diesel-electric submarine will return to service with Russia's Northern Fleet in 2011 after an extensive overhaul at the Zvezdochka shipyard in north Russia, the company said on Thursday.
The
Vladikavkaz is a
Kilo class diesel submarine first put into service with the Russian Navy in 1990.
"
Zvezdochka will soon start an assessment of work on repairs and the modernization of the submarine. The return of the vessel to service with the Northern Fleet is scheduled for 2011,"
Zvezdochka's press service said in a statement.
The submarine has a displacement of 2,300 tons, a maximum depth of 350 meters (1,200 feet), a range of 6,000 miles, and a crew of 57. It is equipped with six 533-mm torpedo tubes.
Kilo-class submarines, which are sometimes called "Black Holes" for their uncanny ability to "disappear," are thought to be one of the quietest diesel-electric submarine classes in the world.
By November 2006, 16 vessels were believed to be in active service with the Russian Navy and 8 submarines were thought to be in reserve. Another 29 vessels have been exported to various countries.
