The newest diesel submarine "Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky" has successfully launched a cruise missile of the "Caliber" complex in the waters of the Sea of Japan.
This was announced by the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.
The department reported that the blow was struck at a ground target from a submerged position.
“At the estimated time, the missile hit the coastal target position in the tactical field of Surkum.
The firing range exceeded 1000 kilometers, ”the ministry said.
The execution of rocket fire was provided by ships and vessels of the Pacific Fleet, aircraft and drones of naval aviation.
It is noted that the crew of the submarine also conducted a set of trainings and exercises for the intended purpose and worked out the algorithm of actions when conducting missile firing with high-precision weapons.
"Immediately before the launch, the submariners made a tactical maneuver of a covert exit to the area of the mission," the Defense Ministry said.
One Step Ahead: How the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky Submarine Strengthens the Defense Capabilities of the Pacific Fleet
The first in the Pacific Fleet
The submarine "Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky" is the first diesel-electric submarine of the modernized project 636 "Varshavyanka", which was built at the "Admiralty Shipyards" for the Pacific Fleet.
She was accepted into the Navy on November 25, 2019.
After all the necessary tests, she arrived at the Pacific Fleet base in Vladivostok on November 30, 2021, making an inter-fleet transition from the Baltic Fleet.
Submariners then crossed the Atlantic and Indian Ocean, as well as the Baltic, North, Mediterranean, Red, Arabian, South China and Japan seas.
Submarines of project 636.3 "Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky" and "Volkhov", arrived as part of a squadron of ships of the Pacific Fleet, in Vladivostok
RIA News
© Vitaly Ankov
In total, the Pacific Fleet will receive a series of six such boats.
At the moment, the Volkhov and Magadan have been launched.
On the fourth Ufa submarine, a light hull is being formed and an acoustic coating is being installed, the United Shipbuilding Corporation, which includes the Admiralty Shipyards, reported on August 27.
Construction of the last two submarines - Mozhaisk and Yakutsk - began on 23 August.
According to Alexander Buzakov, General Director of Admiralty Shipyards, the sixth submarine will be transferred to the Pacific Fleet in 2024.
The ships of this project belong to the third generation of large diesel-electric submarines.
“Submarines of the modified 636 project have a higher (in comparison with previous projects) combat effectiveness.
The world priority of ships of this class in the field of non-nuclear submarine shipbuilding is provided by: an optimal combination of acoustic stealth and target detection range;
the latest inertial navigation system;
modern automated information management system;
powerful high-speed torpedo-missile armament, "the website of the Admiralty Shipyards says.
The Varshavyanka was developed by the Rubin Central Design Bureau of Marine Engineering (St. Petersburg).
As noted on the website of the United Shipbuilding Corporation, the purpose of the submarines of this project is the destruction of enemy submarines, surface ships, ships and ground targets.
Behind the sound of the sea
The main advantages of the "Varshavyanka" are the low noise, thoughtful architecture, powerful mine-torpedo and missile armament, good conditions for the crew and ease of maintenance of the submarines.
Ships of the "Varshavyanka" project can submerge to a depth of 300 m, working depth - 240 m. Length is almost 74 m, width - 9.9 m, underwater displacement - 3950 tons, surface - 2350 tons. 5 thousand liters.
With.
and two 30DG diesel generators with a capacity of 1.5 thousand kW, each submarine can reach a surface speed of up to 17 knots and an underwater speed of 20 knots.
The autonomy of the "Varshavyanka" is 45 days.
Without surfacing, Project 636 ships can cover 400 nautical miles (almost 741 km).
The number of the crew is 52 people.
The Varshavyanka submarines are armed with Caliber-PL cruise missiles.
It is they, as analysts emphasize, that allow Russia to ensure the status of a strategic non-nuclear deterrence today.
After all, these missiles have low radar signature.
In addition, due to flight at ultra-low altitudes, they can effectively avoid detection by air defense systems.
In addition, instead of the usual warhead, the missile of the complex can be equipped with a special, nuclear, warhead.
In addition to the "Caliber" "Varshavyanka" are equipped with an ammunition load of 18 torpedoes - in their bow there are six 533-mm torpedo tubes.
In NATO, modernized submarines (according to their classification - Improved Kilo) were called "black holes" for their quietness and stealth.
As noted in the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, the developers managed to achieve this by using noise-absorbing elements and modern means to reduce the level of its own noise.
“The developers managed to bring the noise level closer to the background values of the sea.
Due to the special design, the hydroacoustic plates effectively absorb noise of different frequencies and at different depths, thereby making it difficult to detect the submarine, ”the department said.
The National Interest: Russian Project 636.3 Varshavyanka submarines: black holes that no fleet wants to fight
© Screenshot nationalinterest.org
Thus, the noise of the submarine merges with the natural background of the ocean, making the submarine virtually invisible to the enemy.
In particular, in the material of the military-political portal The National Interest it is noted that representatives of any fleet would not want to face the Varshavyanka in battle.
In addition, it is emphasized in the material, Project 636.3 submarines have a significant advantage over nuclear submarines due to their dimensions.
"In the event of a conflict in the South China Sea, the United States, which, as a rule, preferred larger and less maneuverable nuclear submarines, in confrontation with a more compact, quiet and maneuverable adversary, may be at a clear disadvantage," the National believes. Interest.
Outperforms competitors
Experts note that the presence of such submarines of the "Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky" type gives the Pacific Fleet an advantage in the region.
"They allow Russia to keep the enemy in suspense and protect the fleet, coastal civilian and military facilities that are accessible to American aircraft carriers from danger," military expert Yuri Knutov explained in an interview with RT.
According to him, a great advantage for such submarines is given by equipping with "Calibers", which are not inferior to the American "Tomahawks", this, together with the characteristics of the submarine itself, makes it a formidable force.
“The fact that the electronic noise is low allows the boat to deliver a sudden, unexpected blow to the enemy.
And the presence of "Calibers" makes this blow crushing ", - said the analyst.
In turn, the editor-in-chief of the National Defense magazine Igor Korotchenko, in a commentary on RT, noted that submarines can solve a wide range of issues.
"Among them - tracking the submarines of a potential enemy and the delivery of special forces to the sites of the operation, striking various targets from underwater and surface positions," he said.
British Astute class submarine
© REUTERS / Jon Nazca
In addition, as another RT interlocutor clarified, a retired 1st-rank captain Konstantin Sivkov, Doctor of Military Sciences, one of the main tasks of the Varshavyanka ships is to cover the areas adjacent to the coast.
He also noted the low noise floor of this class of submarines, which will allow them to be one step ahead of the enemy.
“This was verified during the fighting in Syria, when the British Astute-class submarine was unable to launch missile attacks on targets due to the fact that it was interfered with by the Russian submarine of Project 636.3.
The latter discovered the British before they could find her, and then completely blocked them.
If such a situation had developed in a real combat situation, our submarine would have destroyed the British one before a potential enemy noticed it, ”Sivkov summed up.