Albania to sell sinking subs

09.03.2010
Albanian defense ministry intends to sell two out of four Soviet subs for further scrapping, reports Reuters. By this means the ministry plans to prevent their sinking. "One sub has already sunk", said Mento Beka, spokesman for Albanian Ministry of Defense having concealed, however, why the country would not dismantle the subs by itself.

The question is Projects 613, 644 and 665 diesel electric submarines (on NATO classification Whiskey, Whiskey Twin-Cylinder, and Whiskey Long Bin respectively) built in '50s. Albanian authorities are about to transform one of the subs into museum. It was not reported whether it is planned to pick up sunken submarine.

Yet it is uncertain at what price Albanian defense ministry intends to sell obsolete subs. Unserviceable equipment is normally sold at the price of scrap. Weight of each submarine is about 1,200-1,300 tons.

In '50s the USSR established naval base in Albania and dispatched there 12 submarines. They carried out patrols in the Adriatic and the Ionian seas. When Albania withdrew from Council for Mutual Economic Assistance in 1962, the USSR called off most of subs except four remained at Albania upon mutual agreement of the countries.

For the first time the question of subs sale was emerged in 1997. The obsolete submarines were heavily rusty by that time. Besides, most of equipment containing precious metals was stolen.

It should be pointed out that since 2008 Albania permanently participates in NATO's Operation Active Endeavour conducted in the Mediterranean. On Apr 3, 2008 the country was invited to join the alliance; and on Apr 1, 2009 Albania became NATO member. At present, the country is being rearmed in accordance with NATO standards.

Source: Lenta.Ru, photo: Project 613 diesel electric submarine (submarine.id.ru)