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Project 677 Lada class
Diesel-Electric Torpedo Submarine

The Lada-class submarine is the first diesel-electric submarine developed by Russia since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Its development work can be traced back to the late 1980s. In 1989, the former Soviet Navy awarded the Rubin Design Bureau a contract to design a new fourth-generation conventional submarine to replace the Kilo-class diesel submarine.

Although the Lada class was once regarded as a "darling" by the Russian side, the Lada class project was plagued by delays from the beginning due to factors such as technology loss and insufficient funds caused by the disintegration of the Soviet Union. Its first submarine, the St. Petersburg, began to be developed in the late 1990s, was launched in 2004 and should have been delivered to the navy in 2006, but the Northern Fleet did not receive the submarine for trial until 2010. Even after delivery, the submarine failed to pass the acceptance and enter the combat sequence. According to Vladimir Vysotsky, the then commander of the Russian Navy, the St. Petersburg failed to meet the reported technical indicators. The main problems were that the motor power did not meet the standards, the sonar performance did not meet the standards, and the combat management system had defects. It was not until 2014 that it had combat capability. Therefore, there was news that the Russian Navy would abandon the Lada class and prepare to re-produce its predecessor, the Type 877, or the latest improved Type 636 "Kilo" class submarine to replace it.

The first two mass-produced Lada-class submarines, the Kronstadt and the Bolshaya Luki, were originally scheduled to be delivered to the Russian Navy in 2021. However, Alexander Buzakov, general manager of the Russian Navy Shipyard, said that the delivery date was postponed due to problems with the contracting parties. Buzakov emphasized that the first two mass-produced Lada-class diesel-electric submarines did not use "anaerobic" engines because Russia had not yet developed them at the time. However, all subsequent Lada-class diesel-electric submarines will be equipped with "anaerobic" engines.

The future of the Project 677 Lada program, a unique design developed by the Rubin design bureau, is uncertain. The Russian Navy evidently had problems developing the new Project 677 Lada diesel-electric submarines. This design began in 1989 as the export oriented Project 1650 Amur class. The submarine (Lada = harmony), whose export version is known as the Amur 1650, features a new anti-sonar coating for the hull, an extended cruising range, and advanced anti-ship and anti-submarine weaponry.

Tomasz Grotnik summed things up nicely on 02 Feb 2024, noting that " factory sea trials revealed a number of serious flaws in the design. The Lada design was very innovative compared to legacy Russian submarines: a single-hull design was used for the first time, a pressure hull made of the new AB-2 strength steel, a new Molniya hull anechoic covering, a new SED-1 synchronous electric motor with permanent magnetic excitation, the Lira sonar system (the first time a Russian bow sonar had a conformal antenna), the Litiy automated combat management system, the Parus-98 optronic mast, the Distantsiya integrated communications system and others."

The new, fourth postwar generation Project 677 Lada class diesel-electric submarine is a successor to the Type 877EKM and Type 636 Kilo-class submarines. The Lada type is significantly smaller (1,600 tons D/W) than the previous Kilo type submarines (2,325 tons D/W), which may account for the problems encoutered in sea trials. It is generally configured for anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare, minelaying and special forces deployment.

The construction of the Project-677 Lada-class diesel submarine, named the St. Petersburg, began in 1997. The similar Lada-class (some sources consider this to be a Project 877 boat) Sankt Petersburg was begun the same day at the same facility for the Russian Navy. As of January 2000 the Sankt Petersburg was said to be about 30% complete and the Amur 1650 about 7% complete, and subsequently this boat faded from view. As of early 2001 Russian officials were predicting that the Sankt Petersburg would be launched during 2001. As of 2002 work on the Sankt Petersburg was suspended.

New types of production and technological processes have been introduced in the course of construction, as follows:

• a work bay has been equipped for production of non-penetrating retractable devices and hoist masts;
• a testing bench has been produced for the above retractable devices and hoist masts;
• a technology of installation of highly sensitive hydrophone antenna of sonar system "LIRA" has been developed and introduced;
• a technology of application has been introduced for anti-sonar coating of a new generation "Molniya" ("Lightning");
• a technology of painting with "VICOR" of improved stability has been introduced.

The main objectives of the Russian Shipbuilding Agency for 2004 in the military sector included the delivery during the year of the Sankt Petersburg class diesel sub for the Russian and foreign customers; project 11356 frigate; mine sweeper; combat and patrol cutters, specialized and auxiliary ships (fire control, divers', hydrographic, demagnetizing, floating berths).

On 28 October 2004 the Sankt Petersburg, honoring the 300th anniversary of the city, was launched at Admiralteyskiye Verfi. The conventionally powered fourth-generation submarine of the Lada project, designed by the Rubin Central Design Bureau, marked the introduction of one of the first submarines specifically built for the Russian Navy since the collapse of the USSR. In 2005 the Russian fleet commissioned two ships, including the conventional submarine Sankt Petersburg of the maiden Project 677.

In July 2006 Konstantin Lantratov, Reporter for Kommersant Daily, reported that Vladislav Putilin, the deputy chairman of the Military-Industrial Commission, said that under the Russian State Armaments Program for 2007-2015 the Navy would receive six Project 677 Lada diesel-electric submarines.

In January 2007 St. Petersburg's Admiralty Shipyards said it would soon begin a final round of sea trials of a fourth-generation diesel submarine. At that time a second Lada-class submarine, the Kronshtadt, which was the first in the production series, was also being built at the shipyard and was to be commissioned by the Russian Navy in 2009. A third submarine, whose keel was laid 10 November 2006, was named after a city associated with Russian naval glory - Sevastopol, and was expected to be launched in 2010. On 25 July 2008 it was reported that Navy commander Adm. Vladimir Vysotsky stated that the construction of new-generation nuclear-powered ballistic missile and attack submarines was a top priority for the Russian Navy's development. At that time, the construction schedule for the Lada class submarines remained unchanged from 18 months earlier.

Diesel-electric submarines in the Russian Navy are represented by Kilo-class vessels. They would be gradually replaced by Project 667 Lada-class submarines. As of March 2009 the first submarine of the Lada class was undergoing sea trials and was to enter service with the Russian Navy in 2009. A second Lada class submarine, which was the first in the production series, was to be commissioned in 2009. A third submarine was expected to be launched in 2010.

Project 877 Paltus (Kilo class) submarines continued to age rapidly. As a result, the Navy had to order upgraded Project 636-M (Kilo class) submarines once again. In August 2010, the keel of a lead Project 636-M submarine was laid for the Black Sea Fleet. Project 636.3 diesel electric submarine Novorossiysk was laid down at Admiralteyskie Verfi shipyard (ST. Petersburg) 20 August 2010 at 12 pm. The sub would be delivered to the Navy in 2013; later on, other two submarines of the project would be laid down and in 2014 dispatched to south Russia.

A production rate of 1/year starting with laying down a fourth unit in 2008 would be needed to maintain existing force structure in the face of a plausible Kilo retirement schedule through 2020. Alternately, a building rate of two each year could be initiated after 2015 to achieve the same result, recognizing that the remaining Kilos were built at a rate of about two each year, and thus might also retire at about that rate.

The Russian Navy planned to build a total of eight Lada Class submarines, but by 2014 construction on the second and third units remained at a standstill, while the first unit, though nominally in commission, remained in sea trials.

Construction of the Sankt Peterburg, the lead ship of the Project 677, began in December 1997. It was introduced into the Navy for trial operations in April 2010. Two other ships of the class had been laid down. "The two Lada-class Project 677 submarines will be delivered as scheduled — in 2018 and 2019," an official representative of Russia's United Shipbuilding Corporation said 18 March 2016. Then the construction of the new non-nuclear Kalina-class submarines will be launched.

This class of submarines is the first diesel-electric submarine developed by Russia since the collapse of the Soviet Union to replace the Kilo-class diesel submarines. Due to the use of a variety of quieting measures, it is said that the overall noise level will be more than three times lower than that of the Type 636 submarine. According to the Russian idea, the Lada-class can fight against enemy submarines and surface ships, strike coastal targets, set up minefields, protect the coast from enemy landings, and transport troops or special materials. "Lada" submarines are the fourth generation of NNS. Compared with the previous submarines type "Warszawianka", "Lada" (code "Harmony") has a surface displacement is only about 1,750 tons compared to 2,300 - and faster: submerged speed reaches 20-21 knots. Submarines of the new generation have a low noise level and high degree of automation. Their main weapons are the cruise missile complex "Caliber".

The Project 677 Lada submarines would have high submerged cruising range and endurance, combat efficiency and reliability, and low acoustic signature. The sonar equipment includes highly sensitive direct-listening transducers at the forward end and a towed transducer array. It would be outfitted with six torpedo tubes, and its 18 weapons would comprise a mix of torpedoes and torpedo-tube launched missiles. Measuring 67 meters in length and 7.2 meters wide, it would include an anechoic tile coating on the outer hull and a skewed 7-blade propeller. The vessel's surface speed would be 10 kt; submerged 21 kt. The submerged cruising range using economic speed is 500 nautical miles at 3 kt. The maximum diving depth is 250 m, with an endurance of 45 days with a crew of 34.

In addition:

• acoustic field of the submarine has been considerably reduced (in comparison with submarines of previous generations - several times);
• radio-electronic equipment of a new generation has been installed with a state-of-the-art element base;
• an integrated system has been installed for automatic control of submarine and its combat and technical facilities;
• an inertial navigation complex has been installed which provides safety of navigation and determination of motion parameters with specified missile armament accuracy during long underwater operation;
• a variable-speed propulsion plant of a new design has been fitted;
• a storage battery with increased service life has been installed.

The displacement of the Lada-class submarine is about 1,800 tons, the maximum diving depth is 350 meters, and the crew is 30 people. The hull adopts a single-hull structure design, made of AB-1 steel, and the hull line is smooth. This design greatly reduces the non-watertight space and improves the space inside the boat and the static tightness of navigation. The command room of this class of submarines is equipped with a horizontal rudder, the tail adopts a cross-shaped control surface, and a single-axis drive 7-blade large side-inclined low-noise propeller, which greatly improves the hydrodynamic performance of the boat and greatly reduces the radiation noise at the tail of the boat. In addition, the outer surface of the hull is fully covered with anechoic tiles, which greatly reduces the main noise source of the boat and effectively reduces the target echo intensity of the enemy's active sonar. Moreover, the Lada-class diesel-electric submarine is the first batch of submarines planned by Russia to use "anaerobic" engines. Therefore, according to the Russian side, the overall noise level of the Lada class is more than 3 times lower than that of the 636-type, i.e., the improved version of the Kilo-class submarine, which can be said to be a truly quiet conventional submarine.

In terms of detection equipment, the Lada-class submarine is equipped with the "Lira" sonar system, which consists of a bow conformal array, a side array, active/passive independent listening sonar (medium frequency), lightning protection sound and a tail towed array sonar (low frequency), etc. The detection range is unmatched by previous Soviet submarines. The periscope system is the "Parus-98" type "integrated periscope complex" system, which consists of a non-penetrating electro-optical periscope, radar, interception and other systems, and has greatly improved the detection performance of the "Kilo" class.

The Lada class continues to use the same six 533mm torpedo tubes as the Kilo class, all located in the upper part of the bow, and uses automated torpedo loading technology. The boat can carry 18 torpedoes or mines, and is compatible with the Caliber series of submarine-launched anti-ship/ground cruise missiles and VA-111 "Blizzard" supercavitating torpedoes (Russia calls it a "high-speed underwater rocket" with a maximum speed of 300 kilometers per hour). According to the Russian idea, despite its small tonnage, the Lada class submarines will have multiple uses. They can fight against enemy submarines and surface ships, attack coastal targets, set up minefields, protect the coast from enemy landings, and transport troops or special materials.