In St. Petersburg, the Admiralty Shipyards launched the Yakutsk diesel-electric submarine of project 636.3. It will become the sixth ship of this type built for the Pacific Fleet (TOPF). These boats have unique qualities — they were nicknamed black holes for their quietness in enemy fleets. Experts note the high ratio of efficiency and cost of these boats.
In St. Petersburg, the Admiralty Shipyards launched the Yakutsk diesel-electric submarine of project 636.3. It will become the sixth ship of this type built for the Pacific Fleet (TOPF). These boats have unique qualities — they were nicknamed black holes for their quietness in enemy fleets. Experts note the high ratio of efficiency and cost of these boats.
Where will Yakutsk go?
Yakutsk was laid down at Admiralty Shipyards in August 2021. Earlier, Izvestia reported that the crew for the submarine was formed last year .
— Today we are launching a submarine of project 636.3 for the Pacific Fleet, as planned completing the construction of this series of six submarines, — Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy Igor Mukhametshin said at the ceremony.
He also said that submarines of this class are equipped with high-precision weapons and are capable of solving any tasks in any areas of the World Ocean. According to him, they have long confirmed their high seaworthiness and combat characteristics with thousands of nautical miles traveled, repeated combat campaigns and completed combat missions.
The godmother of the ship was the head of the ANO "Committee of Families of Soldiers of the Fatherland of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)" Marina Bakhalina — her three sons are now serving in the SVO zone. She talked with the crew of the submarine and wished the sailors good luck in their service.
— Today, it is more important than ever to strengthen our Armed Forces. Let the enemy know that our borders are reliably protected! — said the godmother at the ceremony.
After launching, Yakutsk expects a number of completion works at the berthing wall of the shipyards, mooring, factory running and state tests. Then he will join the combat staff of the Pacific Fleet of the Russian Navy.
TOFu boats are certainly needed because they control the underwater space in the near sea zone, in addition, they are capable of striking with high-precision long-range weapons at critical enemy targets, Admiral Sergei Avakyants, ex-commander of the Pacific Fleet, told Izvestia.
— The ratio of efficiency and cost of these boats is very high, — said the admiral. — In addition, they ensure the combat stability of our main component — strategic nuclear forces. They also control the strait zones of the Kuril Islands, including from the Pacific Ocean.
The Admiral noted that after the inclusion of Yakutsk in the Russian Navy, an entire brigade of the Pacific Fleet will be equipped with new ships of the 636.3 project.
— In my opinion, TOFu needs 12 more such boats, taking into account the scope of the likely theater of military operations, — said Sergey Avakyants.
The new ships will replace the submarines of Project 877, which were still Soviet—built - they have already exhausted their resources and are likely to be written off in the near future, military expert Dmitry Boltenkov told Izvestia.
— Boats 636.3, unlike their predecessors, are modern submarines, — he explained. — They can strike with Kalibr cruise missiles at both surface and ground targets. In other characteristics, they are also superior to the boats of the 877 project, after all, there is a whole generation difference between them.
It is possible that Yakutsk will not immediately appear in the Far East, Dmitry Boltenkov noted.
"On the way there, he may stay indefinitely in the Mediterranean Sea, becoming part of a Russian compound based in the Syrian port of Tartus," he said. — The Ufa submarine of the Pacific Fleet has been in the Mediterranean Sea for about two years, performing assigned tasks there.
Characteristics of submarines 636.3
The first series of six submarines of the 636.3 project was built from 2014 to 2016, all of them are serving in the Black Sea. In September 2016, a contract was signed for six more such submarines for the Pacific Fleet.
Currently, five submarines of the second series — Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Volkhov, Magadan, Ufa and Mozhaisk — are successfully serving in combat as part of the Pacific Fleet, performing tasks according to their intended purpose.
The submarines currently entering the Navy are being created according to the upgraded version 636.3. From the original version, they differ in better running characteristics, the presence of a modern automated control system, a more modern navigation system and a reduced noise level.
Submarines of project 636.3 are designed to perform a wide range of tasks — to destroy surface and underwater targets, conduct patrols and reconnaissance.
The autonomy of swimming is 45 days, the maximum diving depth is 300 m. The range of diving at an economical speed is 400 miles, the range of swimming in the engine mode under water is up to 7,500 miles, the number of torpedo tubes is 6. The speed of underwater navigation is 18 knots. The crew consists of 52 people.
Vladimir Matveev
Bogdan Stepovoy
