23.03.2009
Source:
The first Lada class diesel-electric submarine featuring extended noise reduction will be commissioned with the Russian Navy in 2010, deputy head of the Navy General Staff said on Friday.
The
St. Petersburg is a Project 677 diesel submarine developed by the
Rubin design bureau, whose export version is known as the
Amur 1650. It features an advanced anti-sonar coating for its hull, an extended cruising range, and advanced anti-ship and anti-submarine weaponry, including
Club-S cruise missile systems.
"The sub is undergoing sea trials to test new propulsion, electronics and weapons systems," Vice Admiral Oleg Burtsev said.
The construction of the sub began in 1997 at the St. Petersburg's Admiralty Shipyards. Two other submarines of the same class - the
Kronshtadt and the
Sevastopol - are being built by the company.
The Lada class vessels will gradually replace the
Kilo class submarines, which are sometimes called "Black Holes" for their uncanny ability to "disappear," and are thought to be one of the quietest diesel-electric submarine classes in the world.
The Russian Navy is planning to commission a total of eight
Lada class submarines in the future, the admiral said.
