Russia Launches New Yakutsk Submarine

Russia has launched a new Kalibr-carried diesel-electric submarine, Yakutsk.

The Russian holding company United Shipbuilding Corporation stated that the submarine was launched at its Admiralty Shipyards in St. Petersburg.

The Yakutsk is being built for the Russian Pacific Fleet.

It became the sixth submarine of the series (Project 636 Varshavyanka) for the Pacific Fleet, which was laid down at the shipyard in August 2021.

The submarines of this project have:

• displacement of 3.95 thousand tons;
• underwater speed – 18 knots;
• immersion depth – 300 m;
• crew – 52 people;
• autonomy of navigation – 45 days;
• range of underwater navigation at economic speed – 400 nautical miles.

The Varshavyanka is the main class of non-nuclear submarines in the Russian Navy. They are in service with both the Russian and a number of foreign navies.

The submarine has a strong double hull, enabling it to dive to significant depths.

The contract for the construction of Project 636 submarines for the Pacific Fleet was signed in September 2016.

The fleet already includes submarines: Ufa, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Volkhov, Magadan, and Mozhaysk.

The Project 636 submarines are equipped with a new inertial navigation system, a new automated information and control system, missiles, and torpedoes.

The submarines are armed with 533mm torpedoes (six tubes), mines, and the Kalibr cruise missile system.

In 2023, it became known that Russia plans to build six more Varshavyanka-class submarines for the Northern Fleet.