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Russian Navy Orders 6 Project 636.3 Improved Kilo SSK to Boost Pacific Fleet Submarine Force - TASS

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Naval Forces News - Russia
 
 
 
Russian Navy Orders 6 Project 636.3 Improved Kilo SSK to Boost Pacific Fleet Submarine Force
 
The construction of six Project 636.3 (NATO reporting name: Improved Kilo-class) diesel-electric submarines, announced by Navy Shipbuilding Dept. chief Vladimir Tryapichnikov on January 16, will boost the Pacific Fleet’s submarine capabilities, a defense industry source told journalists on Tuesday.
     
The construction of six Project 636.3 (NATO reporting name: Improved Kilo-class) diesel-electric submarines, announced by Navy Shipbuilding Dept. chief Vladimir Tryapichnikov on January 16, will boost the Pacific Fleet’s submarine capabilities, a defense industry source told journalists on Tuesday.
Project 636.3 (NATO reporting name: Improved Kilo-class) diesel-electric submarine
     
"The Pacific Fleet’s needs 10-12 up-to-date diesel-electric submarines in the coming decade. Combined with the nuclear-powered submarine fleet, the number will ensure superiority over the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force on the maritime border and a parity with the US Navy," the source said.

The Pacific Fleet operates three Project 949A (Oscar II-class) nuclear-powered guided missile submarines (K-456 Tver, K-186 Omsk, K-150 Tomsk, with two more - K-132 Irkutsk and K-442 Chelyabinsk - being upgraded) and the Project 971 (Akula I-class) K-419 Kuzbass nuclear-powered attack submarine (four more ships in the class are in various phases of upgrade). In addition, the Pacific Fleet has six Project 877 (Kilo-class) diesel-electric submarines - the B-394 Nurlat, B-464 Ust-Kamchatsk, B-494 Ust-Bolsheretsk, B-187 Komsomolsk-on-Amur, B-190 Krasnoznamensk and B-345 Mogocha.

The construction of six Project 636.3 submarines will double the size of the diesel-electric force of the Pacific Fleet. According to the defense industry source, however, it needs 10-12 advanced diesel-electric boats to have the superiority over the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. Thus, to attain the target, the Defense Ministry has either to build more Project 636.3 submarines for the Pacific Fleet or to upgrade the Project 877 diesel-electric submarines, updating their units and introducing the Kalibr ship-based missile system.

According to US publication Military Balance, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force has two Harushio-class and 11 Oyashio-class diesel-electric submarines and five Soryu-class submarines as well. The ships of the classes can carry both torpedoes and cruise missiles, including US-made antiship RGM-84 Harpoons. In addition, the western part of the Pacific is patrolled by US Navy nuclear-powered submarines, in particular, Virginia- and Los Angeles-class ones, which weapons suites incorporate both torpedoes and RGM-109 Tomahawk land-attack and Harpoon antiship missiles.

The Project 636.3 diesel-electric submarines are third-generation ships derived from the Project 877 and 636 diesel-electric designs. They have a low acoustic signature, a submerged speed of 20 knots, an endurance of 45 days, a total displacement of about 4,000 tons, and a complement of over 50. The Project 636.3 submarines feature the Kalibr missile system comprising 3M-54 and 3M-541 antiship and 3M-14 land-attack cruise missiles and advanced radio electronics as well.

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