Russian Navy: Black Sea Fleet to Receive 11 New Vessels by End of Year

: Posted On Friday, 29 August 2014 08:47

Naval Forces News - Russia

Russian Navy: Black Sea Fleet to Receive 11 New Vessels by End of Year

The Russian Black Sea Fleet is to receive 11 new ships and service vessels, including two anti-sabotage boats, six service vessels, two diesel-electric submarines and two frigates, Navy Commander Adm. Viktor Chirkov said Thursday.

Varshavyanka-class submarine before its launch at Admirality Shipyard in St Petersburg

“By the end of the year the Black Sea Fleet will receive two Grachonok-class anti-sabotage boats and six service vessels of different classes. Two Project 636.3 diesel-electric submarines, the ‘Novorossiysk’ and the ‘Rostov-on-Don,’ will join the Black Sea Fleet this year,” Chirkov said.

Chirkov also said that by the end of 2014 the Black Sea Fleet is to receive a new Project 1135.6 frigate, the “Admiral Grigorovich,” and in September-October welcome a second ship of the same project, the “Admiral Essen.” Overall, the project entails six ships, with all of them going to the Black Sea Fleet.

Earlier, the commander-in-chief announced that in 2017 Russia will start building a new generation of non-nuclear submarines. The submarines are expected to be equipped with an anaerobic system that increases speed and provides submarines with the ability to remain submerged while recharging their batteries instead of having to surface to do so.

The Project 636.3 Varshavyanka-class submarines should be constructed by 2016. The third of the six submarines has been scheduled to launch Thursday in St. Petersburg. The submarines are primarily intended for anti-ship and anti-submarine missions in relatively shallow waters.

The Varshavyanka-class is an improved version of the Kilo-class submarines and features advanced stealth technology, extended combat range and the ability to strike land, surface and underwater targets. Export versions of the class are being built for Vietnam, China and Algeria.

These submarines are mainly intended for anti-shipping and anti-submarine missions in relatively shallow waters.

The vessels, crewed by 52 submariners, have an underwater speed of 20 knots, a cruising range of 400 miles (electric propulsion) with the ability to patrol for 45 days. They are armed with 18 torpedoes and eight surface-to-air missiles.