Russia intends to sell subs to Vietnam

13.11.2009
Russia holds sales negotiations with Vietnam on diesel-electric subs, informed Friday RIA Novosti referring to Konstantin Biriulin, director of Federal agency for military and technical cooperation (FAMTC).

Terms and scope of delivery under prospective contract have not been defined yet. Russia has made all appropriate commercial proposals to Vietnam, specified the source.

According to him, Vietnam is a reliable partner since Soviet times and is of great importance for Russian party. It has multiply purchased Russian arms including eight Project 1241.8 missile boats, two Project 1166.1 escort ships and Bastion coast-based missile antiship system, says RIA Novosti.

Admiralteiskiye Verfi shipyard (St. Petersburg) may become an executor of $1.8 bln contract on construction six Project 636 Kilo-class submarines for Vietnam, said Kommersant in April. According to the newspaper's sources, building of one or two subs will be probably assigned to Sevmash (Severodvinsk).

Project 636 Kilo-class diesel-electric submarine was developed by Rubin Central Design Bureau for Marine Engineering. It constitutes an export variant of Paltus Project 877 Kilo-class submarine. The subs of that project have being exported since 1986 and are in active roll of Indian, Polish, Algerian, Iranian, Romanian and Chinese Navies. They are considered the most silent subs. Surface displacement of these subs is 2 350 tonnes, length is 73.8 meters, draft is 6.2 meters, beam is 9.9 meters, speed is 20 knots, endurance is 45 days, crew is 52. Armament: six 533-mm torpedo tubes, 18 torpedoes or 24 mines (installation of antiship missiles 3M-54E and 3M-54E1 is possible instead of some torpedoes), MANPADS Strela-3.

Source: RusNavy.com, photo: Kilo-class sub (fas.org)