The Kronshtadt silent boat will cover strategic missile submarines
The underwater "black hole" — that's what the navy calls this submarine — will replenish the Northern Fleet in the fall. The Ministry of Defense has approved a plan to transfer the Kronstadt submarine of Project 677 Lada to the Navy. It is currently undergoing testing. By the end of autumn, the submarine must make the transition to Polar, where it will join the brigade of submarines of the Northern Fleet. Today, the Kronstadt is considered the most silent boat in its class — it is capable of hitting underwater and surface targets, including Kalibr and Onyx missiles. Experts believe that in the North, Kronstadt will be able to solve several tasks at once, including covering strategic missile carriers.
Heading North
The Ministry of Defense has approved a plan to transfer the unique Kronstadt submarine of Project 677 to the Navy, sources told Izvestia in the military department. According to the interlocutors of the editorial office, the submarine is currently undergoing factory tests.
Already in late summer and early autumn, the submarine should make the transition to the Murmansk region. There, the submarine is waiting for additional tests, which should be completed before the end of autumn. After their passage, the Kronstadt will become part of the brigade of submarines of the Northern Fleet.
The Project 677 Kronstadt submarine is undergoing the second stage of factory tests in St. Petersburg, April 4, 2022
Image source: Photo: RIA Novosti/press service of JSC Admiralty Shipyards
— Today, the 161st submarine Brigade of the Northern Fleet consists mainly of boats of Project 877, — military historian Dmitry Boltenkov told Izvestia. — Two of them — Vladikavkaz and Kaluga — were modernized in the 2010s, but in general these are outdated boats, and it's time to simply write them off. The 161st Brigade performs important tasks — ensuring the deployment of the main forces of the Northern Fleet in the Barents Sea — submarine strategic missile carriers, surface warships. In the context of deteriorating relations between Russia and NATO, it is necessary to supply not only nuclear submarines, but also diesel submarines to the Northern Fleet.
In addition to covering the main forces of the fleet, the tasks of the submarines of the 677th project will include anti-submarine operations in the North Atlantic, the expert added.
A protracted series
The Lada series became a development of the 877 Halibut project. These submarines have a displacement of 1.8 thousand tons, a speed of up to 21 knots and a diving depth of more than 300 m. So far, the Navy has only the lead ship of the 677th series - the submarine "St. Petersburg", built in 2010. Two years ago, it underwent modernization and can use torpedoes, missiles and mines, operate in the near and middle sea zone, hit both surface and underwater targets. At the end of 2021, she became part of the 161st Submarine Brigade of the Northern Fleet. In February, the St. Petersburg boat took part in large-scale maneuvers in the Mediterranean Sea, where she came with a detachment of ships of the Northern Fleet. As reported by Izvestia, the exercises were held in conditions close to combat.
The Kronstadt boat was laid down in 2005, but its construction was suspended in 2009. In 2013, the submarine continued to be built, but according to an updated project. It was equipped with an improved navigation system and a more powerful and silent electric propulsion system. The ship's arsenal now includes Kalibr cruise missiles, which it can launch through torpedo tubes.
Launching ceremony of the Kronstadt Project 677 submarine in St. Petersburg, September 20, 2018
Image Source: Photo: TASS/Peter Kovalev
In February, the general director of JSC Admiralty Shipyards, Alexander Buzakov, said that Kronstadt was "somewhat delayed due to problems with counterparties."
In addition to the Kronstadt, this year it is planned to transfer to the fleet another boat of Project 677 — the Velikiye Luki. In addition, last June, two more ships were laid at the Admiralty Shipyards — Vologda and Yaroslavl.
The Lada project turned out to be quite difficult for developers, Dmitry Boltenkov also noted.
— But in the end, "St. Petersburg" was brought to mind. Now the ships of Project 677 can fire Kalibr cruise missiles. So in addition to the tasks of covering the main forces and anti—submarine operations in the North Atlantic, these submarines will be able to perform a third round of tasks — to hit ground and surface targets," the expert summed up.
Without noise and dust
One of the two divisions of strategic missile submarines, the 31st, is serving in the Russian Northern Fleet. The ships that make up it regularly go on combat duty. As previously reported by Izvestia, it is in this connection that the newest strategic submarines of the project 955 "Borey" 955A "Borey-A" arrive as they are built. This decision was made based on the results of the maneuvers. During the exercises, three submarines simultaneously rose to the surface in the Arctic, breaking through a layer of ice one and a half meters thick. As Admiral Nikolai Evmenov, Commander-in-chief of the Navy, reported to the president, the ascent in a limited area with a radius of 300 m was made for the first time in the history of the Russian fleet. In addition, during the maneuvers, a practical torpedo firing of the submarine from under the ice was carried out, followed by the equipment of a polynya at the point of ascent of the torpedo and its rise to the surface.
According to the developers, due to new technical solutions, the visibility of the "Lad" is already lower than that of the diesel-electric submarines (diesel-electric submarines) of the 636.3 Varshavyanka project, which are currently being mass-built. After installing an air-independent power plant, their noise level will be lower than the background level in the sea. That is, it will be almost impossible to detect them.
Diesel-electric submarine "Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky" of project 636.3 "Varshavyanka"
Image source: Photo: RIA Novosti/Alexey Danichev
Initially, it was stated that an advanced air-independent power plant (VNEU) would be developed for Lad. With it, the submarine could move for a long time without surfacing. It was planned to equip the modern Lada with an engine with an electrochemical generator developed by the MT Rubin Central Design Bureau, and to produce hydrogen from diesel fuel and oxygen. But the development of this engine has not yet been completed, which led to delays in the construction of boats. In 2019, the Ministry of Industry and Trade and Rubin signed a new contract for the continuation of work, which is scheduled to be completed by the mid-2020s.
Roman Kretsul
