Il Kolpino, class submarine Varshavyanka, was delivered this morning to the Russian Navy and, in a few hours, will set sail for the Novorossiysk naval base. The 636,3 class project Varshavyanka for the Black Sea Fleet was completed in six years. The Kolpino will be in active service within the next two weeks.
The class diesel-electric submarines Varshavyanka represent a key element of the new Russian naval strategy. Propelled by diesel-electric engines with very low noise emissions, they can hit targets at long distances without being detected by enemy antisubmarine sensors. Improved version of the Kilo, the latter below five speed nodes is invisible to passive sonars, implements technology stealth advanced. It has a displacement of 3.100 tons, reaches a speed of 20 knots, can dive up to 300 meters and carry crews of 52 people. Submarines, armed with 18 torpedoes, mines and eight cruise missiles Kalibr 3M54 (NATO SS-N-27 Sizzler), are designed to perform anti-submarine missions in the role hunter killer, in relatively shallow waters.
The construction of the first submarine, the Novorossiysk, started in August of the 2010, followed by the Rostov-on-Don in November 2011, from Stary Oskol in August of 2012 and from the fourth boat, the Krasnodar entered the construction site on February 20th of the 2014. The fifth submarine, the Veliky Novgorod, was launched last March 18. The Novorossiysk is in service in the Black Sea since the 22 August of the 2014, while the Rostov-on-Don from the 30 December of the 2014. The Stary Oskol has been in service since July of the 2015. The Krasnodar, fourth of the class Varshavyanka, is active since 5 last November. The Veliky Novgorod the 18 was launched last March in St. Petersburg, in the 110 anniversary of the Russian submarine fleet. The sixth submarine, the Kolpino, the 31 was launched last May (ceremony photo on the right). All six submarines will be operational at the Novorossiysk naval base by the end of the year.
Last December the Rostov-on-Don launched the entire rescue of cruise missiles Kalibr 3M54 embarked against enemy targets near the Syrian city of Raqqa.
Il Rostov-on-Don it has actually entered the history of the Russian Navy for being the first submarine to launch cruise missiles against real enemy targets.
The Russian admiralty, last May, recognized the value of the 636,3 class project Varshavyanka, initially designed to operate only with the Black Sea War Fleet. The Northern and Baltic War Fleets will receive fifth-generation diesel-electric submarines. They will be made at the Admiralty Wharves shipyard and delivered at the rate of two per year starting from the 2019.
The six class submarines Varshavyanka destined for the Pacific War Fleet will be delivered by 2021.
(photo: MoD Russian Federation)
