On October 11, Admiralty Shipyards, part of the OSK (United Shipbuilding Corporation), held a christening and launching ceremony for the Project 636.3 diesel-electric submarine „Yakutsk”. The vessel was rolled out from the plant’s production hall to the floating dock, which, after being towed to the dock depths, was submerged, while the submarine gained buoyancy. The vessel is currently being prepared for factory trials. According to the manufacturer, „Yakutsk” is 90% ready. It is also expected to go to sea for the first time by the end of the year. Admiralty Shipyards is the sole manufacturer of these subs.
This is the sixth and final unit of Project 636.3 (06363) Varshavyanka intended for the Pacific Fleet. The „Yakutsk” will most likely reinforce the 19th Submarine Brigade, as will others of this class.
Project 636.3 submarines to the Pacific
The Project 636.3 submarines, designated in the NATO reporting code as Improved Kilo II, are a state-of-the-art variant based on Project 877 Paltus (Halibut, NATO: Kilo). The famous predecessor was developed at the “Rubin” design bureau in Leningrad in the late 1970s and early 1980s for use in the Soviet Navy and export to friendly countries, including Warsaw Pact states. For this reason, the nickname “Varshavyanka” stuck to them.
Currently, Project 636.3 is the most numerous conventional-powered submarine being built for the Russian Navy. This was because the submarines of Project 677 Lada, also developed by “Rubin”, to replace the Varshavyankas, had numerous defects, making them unwanted by the Russian Navy. As mentioned, „Yakutsk” is the ending series for the Pacific Fleet, but the Improved Kilo IIs will continue to be produced. The keel of the future „Petrozavodsk”, reportedly intended for the Baltic Fleet, and three vessels for the Northern Fleet are expected to be laid soon.
Between 2010 and 2016, Admiralty Shipyards built the first six Project 636.3 subs for the Black Sea Fleet. In terms of the quality of the submarine forces, it was in its greatest decline. Currently, the units of this fleet are involved in the war against Ukraine and have repeatedly fired at land targets using 3M14 cruise missiles of the Kalibr-PL system. They have also been the targets of attacks by the Ukrainians. One of them brought success. Last September, a B-237 Rostov-na-Donu (in service since December 2014) was badly damaged by close-range explosions of Storm Shadow cruise missiles while in the dry dock of a repair shipyard in seized Sevastopol.
Another one that urgently required reinforcement with conventional submarines was the Pacific Fleet. The contract between the OSK and the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation for the second batch of six Varshavyankas was concluded in September 2016. To date, Admiralty Shipyards has built and handed over to the Pacific Fleet five of them: B-274 „Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky” (2019), B-603 „Volkhov” (2020), B-602 „Magadan” (2021), B-588 „Ufa” (2022) and B-608 „Mozhaysk” (2023).
New-old Varshavyankas
Project 636.3 is a development of the improved export submarines of projects 636 (for China), 636M (for China and Algeria), 636.1 (for Vietnam and Algeria), based in turn on Project 877E, EK and EKM (for Poland, Romania, Iran, Algeria, India and China).
Russia’s Project 636.3 is equipped with new systems, as well as the most extensive version of the Kalibr-PL missile system (export designation Club-S). Instead of the PZNG-8M periscope, the Parus-98KP optoelectronic mast has been installed, the MGK-400 Rubikon sonar system has been replaced by the newer MGK-400W1, the Andoga navigation system has been replaced by the Apassionata-KM, the MWU-110 Uzel combat management system has given way to the Lama-KM. Also new are: lead-acid batteries, anechoic tiles on the outer hull, and the Palladiy-M platform equipment control panel.
The ship’s six 533mm caliber launchers can fire UGST, 53-65K, and USET-80K heavy torpedoes, laying bottom mines, and fire Kalibr-PL system missiles. It is reported that in one salvo the Project 636.3 submarine can fire four 3M14 cruise missiles (in short intervals). In addition to these, 3M54 anti-ship missiles are in use. Project 636.3 submarine can be armed with up to eight missiles.
