Deputy Armed Forces Vice-Admiral Igor Mukhametshin, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy, said that by 2025 the Pacific Fleet would receive six diesel-electric submarines of the Varshavyanka project 636.3. He said this, speaking at a meeting on the construction of non-nuclear submarines, informs the press service of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.
As the commander-in-chief of the Navy, Admiral Vladimir Korolev, explained, submarines under construction for the Pacific Fleet will have better life support systems and radio-technical weapons than previous models that were previously supplied to the Black Sea Fleet.
On March 28, 2019, the submarine Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, the first submarine for the needs of the Pacific Fleet, was launched in St. Petersburg. To date, laid three "Varshavyanka" - "Volkhov", "Magadan" and "Ufa", another two signed a contract.
"Hide submarines from radar"
"Varshavyanka" is a continuation of the Soviet diesel-electric submarines of projects 636 and 877. This unusual name the submarine inherited from the project 636, which was created specifically for export to the countries - members of the Warsaw Pact.
Project 636.3 was developed within the walls of the Central Design Bureau of the Rubin Design Bureau, serial production was deployed at the Admiralty Shipyards in St. Petersburg. In the 1990s and 2000s, less advanced modifications of Varshavyanka were exported to China, Algeria and Vietnam. In total, about 20 submarines were sold abroad.
The length of the submarine of project 636.3 is 74 m, width - 10 m, displacement - about 2.3 thousand tons, depth - 300 m, autonomy - 45 days, underwater speed - 20 knots (37 km / h), crew - 52 people . "Varshavyanka" refers to the class of third-generation submarines, but it is equipped with modern equipment, which allows to largely automate control processes.
The main advantage of the submarine project 636.3 is its low noise. In the West, the domestic submarine is called "Black Hole". In addition, Rubin's specialists managed to increase the cruising range and the period of the submarine operation in autonomous mode compared with export samples.
The main weapons of Varshavyanka are the Caliber-PL missile system and six 533-mm torpedo tubes. Submarine received baptism of fire in November 2015 off the coast of Syria. Launches were made on the militants of the "Islamic State" *. For the first time in the history of the national fleet, missile strikes were delivered from a submerged position in real combat conditions.
The submarines of the Black Sea Fleet also took part in the Syrian operation. From 2010 to 2016, the Admiralty Shipyards delivered six submarines to the Navy: Novorossiysk, Rostov-on-Don, Stary Oskol, Krasnodar, Veliky Novgorod, Kolpino. All of them are deployed at the Novorossiysk naval base (naval base).
According to the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, a series of half a dozen submarines for the Pacific Fleet will be built using the latest achievements of the national shipbuilding thought. In particular, “Varshavyanka” will be equipped with new hydroacoustic plates. As noted in the military, their installation will allow "completely hide the submarines from the radar."
- Rehearsal before the parade in honor of the Navy Day
- © Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
“The developers managed to bring the noise to the background values of the sea. Due to the special design, the hydroacoustic plates effectively absorb the noise of various frequencies and at different depths, thereby making it difficult to detect the submarine, ”says the materials of the Russian Ministry of Defense.
In an interview with RT, the editor of Arsenal of the Fatherland magazine, Alexey Leonkov, noted that the combat capabilities of Varshavyanka make it possible to destroy a wide range of sea and land targets.
“Modern hydroacoustic and navigation systems have been installed on our submarines. The low noise and the damaging power of the Calibrov with a range of about 2.5 thousand km make the Varshavyanka a very formidable weapon. At the same time, the cost of producing the boat and the cost of its operation are quite modest, ”Leonkov explained.
Military expert, retired colonel Mikhail Timoshenko said in an interview with RT that the submarines of project 636.3 as part of the Pacific Fleet would perform the tasks of protecting the Kuril Straits and protecting naval bases.
New generation
The command of the Navy pays great attention to the construction of fourth-generation non-nuclear submarines. We are talking about the project 677 "Lada". At present, the St. Petersburg submarine is in trial operation. Until 2021, the Navy should receive "Kronstadt" and "Great Luke." Moreover, the submarine "Kronstadt" was already launched in September 2018, and in 2019 it should be put to the test.
In the near future, the Ministry of Defense plans to sign a contract for the construction of two more submarines. It is assumed that in the future submarines of the project 677 should form the basis of a non-nuclear submarine fleet of Russia. Also, the Russian Federation is ready to supply Lada to foreign partners in the Amur-1650 modification.
The length of the Lada is 67 m, the width is 7 m, the speed is 21 knots (39 km / h), the displacement is 1.7 thousand tons, the depth is 300 meters, the autonomy is 45 days, the crew is 35 people. The submarine is capable of performing tasks both in the coastal zone and in the expanses of the oceans.
Like the Varshavyanka, the project 677 submarine is armed with the Kalibr-PL missile system and is equipped with six torpedo tubes. However, the "Lada" is superior to its predecessor in terms of low noise and automation. The submarine is equipped with a unique system of combat control "Lithium".
“The distinguishing features of submarines of the 677 project as compared with the submarines of the previous generation are the ability to conduct salvo rocket firing at sea targets and improved characteristics of electronic weapons,” reads the materials of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.
Project 677 submarines will be improved during production.
It is expected that the sixth and subsequent serial submarines will be equipped with an air-independent (anaerobic) power plant (VNEU), which will allow the Lada not to float to the surface for several weeks.
This unit is developed by three enterprises: TsKB MT "Rubin", ICB "Malachite" and Krylov State Research Center (KGNTs). According to the United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC), both the Lada and the fifth generation submarines that received the Kalina code will be equipped with the VNEU.
As stated earlier by the head of the USC, Alexei Rakhmanov, the promising submarine will receive a number of advantages that strategic missile cruisers now possess. It is assumed that the submarine will be armed with a hypersonic rocket complex "Zircon".
- Launching the submarine "Kronstadt"
- © Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
According to the general director of TsKB MT Rubin (developer of Kalina) Igor Vilnita, all the leading world powers are striving to reduce the size of submarines, increase their speed, automate management and minimize operating costs.
In a conversation with RT, Konstantin Sivkov, Doctor of Military Sciences, said that with great probability Kalina would widely use a variety of robotic means for conducting reconnaissance, attacking and overcoming minefields. The expert also believes that the fifth-generation domestic submarine will be equipped with the Zircon complex or an improved version of the Caliber.
Mikhail Tymoshenko holds a slightly different point of view. According to him, the use of underwater unmanned vehicles will be more limited due to the lack of appropriate control systems, especially at long distances. Most likely, domestic engineers will focus on relieving the submarine of the need to rise to the surface, the expert said.
“In my opinion, the fifth generation non-nuclear submarine should be equipped with lithium-ion batteries. They are relatively compact, unlike the VNEU. Their use should make the submarine completely electric, as the diesel still creates noise. Definitely increase the range and autonomy. Progress in the development of a non-nuclear fleet will enhance the combat capabilities of the Navy and allow it to effectively interact with strategic cruisers, ”summed up Tymoshenko.
* “Islamic State” (IG) - the organization is recognized as terrorist by the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation dated December 29, 2014.