Zvezdochka Shipyard Put Upgraded SSK Kaluga Afloat

28.05.2012 Northern Fleet (NF) diesel electric submarine B-800 Kaluga on May 26 left covered slipway for further launching after modernization at defense shipyard Zvezdochka (Severodvinsk), the company's press service reported.

The submarine is expected to join Russian Navy by the end of the current year. "She is going to be the first non-nuclear submarine modernized by Zvezdochka for Russian Navy in the recent 20 years", pointed out the press service.

The submarine has stayed at the shipyard's quay for 9 years pending repairs. Full-scale works on SSK Kaluga started only in the last year.

Kaluga was built in 1989 at Krasnoye Sormovo shipyard in Nizhniy Novgorod under Project 877 Paltus (export version Varshavyanka, on NATO classification Kilo class). At first, the sub was stationed at Black Sea Fleet, and then transferred to the north. SSK Kaluga was designed by the Rubin Central Design Bureau in S. Petersburg. Surface displacement of those submarines is 2,300 tons; length is 73 meters, submerged speed is 18 knots (about 33 kph); full endurance is 45 days, test depth is 300 meters; crew is 52 men; armament is six 533-mm torpedo tubes.

Being specialized in repair and utilization of nuclear-powered submarines, Zvezdochka is widely experienced in upgrading of diesel submarines. Since 1997, the shipyard modernized four Indian subs of that type and is presently working on the fifth one. In addition, Zvezdochka provides overhaul and modernization to another similar submarine in her basing site, i.e. Indian port Vishakhapatnam, reports ITAR-TASS.