Admiralty Shipyards launches sub built for Russian Navy
ST. PETERSBURG. Sept 20 (Interfax-AVN) - The Admiralty Shipyards has launched the Project 677 submarine Kronstadt, which was built for the Russian Navy.
"Today we are launching a ship whose keel was laid in 2005 and which has been through a lot, including pauses in construction and financing. Construction delays have enabled us to take into account the experience of the construction and operation of the St. Petersburg submarine. This sub surpasses its Project 636 predecessor in every parameter. We believe that the future of the conventional submarine fleet belongs to Project 677. We believe it will be a large series," Admiralty Shipyards General Director Alexander Buzakov said at the launch ceremony.
The Rubin Central Design Bureau for Marine Engineering designed Project 677 (Lada) diesel-electric submarines to destroy submarines and surface ships, strike ground targets, defend coasts and marine routes, and carry out reconnaissance.
The subs have a displacement of 1,800 tonnes, a top speed of 21 knots, a maximum depth of 350 meters, and a crew of 36. They produce little noise and feature a high degree of automation. Their principal weapons are Kalibr-PL and/or Oniks cruise missiles (up to 10).
The keel of the St. Petersburg, the lead sub of Project 677, was laid in 1997 and began its trial run in the Navy in 2010. The construction of serial submarines, the Kronstadt and the Velikiye Luki, began in 2005 and 2006, respectively. Their construction resumed in 2013 after a pause.
The core activity of the Admiralty Shipyards is the construction of warships and vessels, submarines, and oil tankers. The plant is part of the United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC).