"Submarine missile carriers": how the new submarines of the "Varshavyanka" project will strengthen the Russian Navy

Diesel-electric submarine of project 636.3 "Volkhov" will become part of the Russian Navy on October 24.

This was announced on Thursday by the official representative of the Russian Navy, Captain 1st Rank Igor Dygalo.

"The Volkhov submarine is the second in a series of six ships being built at the Admiralty Shipyards (St. Petersburg) for the Russian Pacific Fleet - by order of the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy, Admiral Nikolai Evmenov, it will be accepted into the Russian Navy on October 24," Dygalo said ...

He noted that the solemn ceremony of raising the Andreevsky flag will take place on the territory of the manufacturer.

The Volkhov submarine was laid down in 2017.

The submarine was launched in 2019.

Mooring tests of the submarine began in March 2020.

From June 18 to July 21, the Volkhov submarine underwent factory sea trials, during which life support, radar and communications systems, as well as the hydroacoustic complex were tested.

The vessel successfully completed all the dives: the ship's systems worked in the normal mode and confirmed the declared tactical and technical characteristics.

After that, the military and shipyard employees began state tests of the submarine.

"Halibut" and "Varshavyanka"

Volkhov is the second ship of Project 636.3 Varshavyanka for the Pacific Fleet.

The lead ship of the series was named Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and was handed over to the Navy in November 2019.

At the moment, two more Varshavyanka are being built in the shops of the Admiralty Shipyards: Magadan and Ufa.

Project 636.3 is a modernized version of Project 636 "Varshavyanka", which, in turn, is a continuation of the 877th series of submarines called "Halibut", developed in the USSR in the late 1970s.

• Submarine project 636.3

• © United Shipbuilding Corporation

Compared to the original version, project 636.3 has undergone a number of significant changes.

“Submarines of the modified 636.3 project have a higher (in comparison with previous projects) combat effectiveness.

The optimal combination of acoustic stealth and target detection range, the latest inertial navigation system, a modern automated information and control system, powerful high-speed torpedo-missile weapons ensure the world priority of ships of this class in the field of non-nuclear submarine shipbuilding, ”the Admiralty Shipyards website says.

In total, about 70 submarines of projects 636 and 877 were built in the USSR and the Russian Federation. Moreover, about 40 of them were exported.

In addition to Russia, the list of former and current operators of submarines of this class also includes India, China, Vietnam, Iran, Algeria, Romania and Poland.

The development of "Halibut" and "Varshavyanka" was carried out by the Rubin Central Design Bureau of Marine Engineering (St. Petersburg).

As noted on the website of the United Shipbuilding Corporation, submarines of this type are designed "to destroy enemy submarines, surface ships, ships and ground targets."

The combat missions of submarines of the 636 type also include the protection of the coast, naval bases, communications and borders.

The main advantages of the ships of Project 636 and its modifications, the developers say, are low noise, powerful mine-torpedo and missile weapons, good living conditions for the crew and ease of maintenance of the submarine.

The surface displacement of the ships of the project 636 is 2,350 m³, the maximum immersion depth is 300 m, the navigation autonomy is 45 days, the cruising range in the mode of operation of the engines under water with an enhanced fuel supply and a speed of 7 knots (about 13 km / h) is 7.5 thousand miles (about 14 thousand km).

The submarine is 73.8 m long. Its hull consists of six compartments, which are separated from each other by waterproof partitions.

This "allows you to stay afloat in the event of emergency flooding of one of the compartments, while maintaining combat readiness," says the website of the Admiralty Shipyards.

Type 636.3 submarines are equipped with six 533 mm torpedo tubes and also carry the Caliber-PL missile system.

The total number of shells of both types on the ship is 18.

“Project 636 submarines are capable of delivering salvo missile strikes from all torpedo tubes to sea and ground targets,” the shipbuilding corporation's website says.

For the first time in history, the ships of this project took part in hostilities in 2015, launching "Calibers" at the targets of the militants of the terrorist group "Islamic State" * in Syria.

The launches on ISIS positions were made from a submerged position from the Mediterranean Sea. 

Coastal protection

According to experts, the Varshavyanka are the backbone of the Russian non-nuclear submarine fleet.

“They are designed to work in the near zone, to protect borders in the Black Sea theater of operations, in the North and the Pacific Ocean.

Such ships are very important, as they have the ability to early detection of enemy forces and the use of weapons from the coastal zone.

This allows them to prevent enemy ships from entering the territory, "Retired Rear Admiral Hero of Russia Vsevolod Khmyrov explained in an interview with RT.

In turn, military expert Yuri Knutov noted that one of the main advantages of the Varshavyanka is its low noise level, which is why it received the unofficial nickname “black hole”.

• Submarine "Volkhov" during tests

• © United Shipbuilding Corporation

“The design of the submarine is unique.

The special coating and low-noise engines create conditions under which the noise emitted by the submarine is comparable to the natural noise of the ocean.

It is not for nothing that NATO called her a "black hole", - said Yuri Knutov in an interview with RT.

According to experts, the presence of missile weapons significantly expands the capabilities of these ships: from submarines intended for coastal protection, they actually turn into "missile submarines" capable of hitting targets at a distance of up to 1.5 thousand km.

Caliber cruise missiles have already shown their high efficiency.

And the system with which different types of shells can be launched from a torpedo tube can be called a breakthrough technology.

And Russia continues to develop this direction, ”Knutov says.

According to him, the success of projects 877 and 636 is eloquently evidenced by the high interest in them from foreign countries, including India and China.

“Our submarines are successful because they are extremely difficult to find.

This is what attracts foreign customers.

Other countries have not yet been able to do anything similar, ”Knutov emphasized.

In turn, Vsevolod Khmyrov noted the high reliability of Russian submarines.

“Both the Soviet Union and Russia have produced and continue to produce very reliable, unpretentious equipment.

For foreign buyers, these qualities are among the main ones when choosing a manufacturer, ”the analyst concluded.

* "Islamic State" (IS, ISIS) - the organization was recognized as terrorist by the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of December 29, 2014.