The much-anticipated delivery of these submarines, dubbed by the US
Navy as “black holes in the ocean” because they are nearly undetectable
when submerged, is a key part of Russia’s naval strategy in the
Mediterranean, where Moscow has recently deployed a permanent task force
consisting of some 10 surface ships. Construction of the Novorossiisk submarine started at Admiralty
Shipyards in August 2010, followed by the Rostov-on-Don sub in November
2011 and the Stary Oskol in August 2012, RIA Novosti reported.
The Varshavyanka-class (Project 636) is an improved version of the
Kilo-class submarines and features
- advanced stealth technology,
- extended combat range and
- the ability to strike land, surface and underwater targets. (Club-S SSM)
Kilo-class submarine
The Kilo class is the NATO reporting name for a naval diesel-electric submarine that is made in Russia. The original version of the vessels were designated Project 877 Paltus (Halibut) in Russia. There is also a more advanced version, designated as Improved Kilo in the west, and Project 636 Varshavyanka in Russia.Russia Submarine Import and Export Behavior
China has emerged as a critical importer of Russian-made naval
equipment. In 1994, Beijing purchased four diesel-electric Varshavyankas
from Russia, including two improved Project 636 models. It is believed
that these four original vessels will be taken to Russian shipyards in
the near future to be retrofitted with the Klub-S (Club-S) anti-ship missile
system. Today, however, China's inventory of kilo-class submarines has
risen to twelve, with the remaining eight being Project 636 or 636M
variants armed with Klub-S missiles. An order for an additional eight
submarines was completed in 2002, and by 2007 all of the submarines had
been delivered. Five of these submarines were built at the Admiralty
Shipyard in St. Petersburg, with the remainder being constructed at the
Sevmash Shipyard in Severodvinsk and Krasnoye Sormovo in Nizhniy
Novgorod. Some sources also suggest that Russia has continued to assist
China in its construction of nuclear-powered submarines.
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