Recently, the St. Petersburg-based Admiralty Shipyards has launched the new generation diesel-electric attack submarine Volkhov.
The submarine belongs to the Kilo-class boats - more accurately referred to as the Varshavyanka class - and is being built for the needs of the Pacific Fleet. The main function of Varshavyanka/Kilo-class subs is to serve as “sub-hunters,” seeking out and destroying larger and louder ballistic-missile boats before they can hit land-based targets — such as the nuclear warhead-equipped submarines that are one-third of the nuclear deterrent in both the U.K. and the United States — and to interdict other shipping in “shallow waters”.
Volkhov is the second Project 636.3 submarine. The lead ship of the series, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, has already been delivered to the Pacific Fleet.
Reportedly, Volkhov will be completed on the water. The heart of the submarine is a power plant with two 1,000-kilowatt diesel generators and a 5,500 horsepower electric motor.
In addition, Volkhov is equipped with two standby 102 horsepower electric motors. It has a small crew of 52 sailors. The submarine is capable of cruising autonomously for 45 days and submerging to a depth of 300 meters.
Overall, plans are afoot to build six Varshavyanka/Kilo-class subs for the Pacific Fleet. They are expected to be completed in November 2022.
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