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Russia to construct by 2016 for Vietnam six submarines of 636 project

The submarines of the kind are most low-noise of those Russian-made ones

KALININGRAD, May 13 (Itar-Tass) - Russia will construct for Vietnamese Navy by 2016 six diesel-electric submarines of project 636, Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said on Monday.

During his trip to Russia, he visited in Kaliningrad the Sudoremont-Zapad enterprise, where he saw a submarine built for the Vietnamese Navy at St. Petersburg’s plant. In the Russian Baltic, the submarine’s tests are underway.

“We are very grateful to our Russian friends, who will build and give to Vietnam to 206, according to the agreement, six submarines of the kind,” the prime minister said. The order “is not only of a commercial character, it is also an expression of friendship and trust between our two countries.”

The prime minister continued saying Vietnam has a big sea border and stressed “the country’s policy is aimed at defence, as a sovereign country we are developing the economy, and we are buying armament for defence, for defence of the sovereignty of our territories.”

Nguyen Tan Dung said the military-technical cooperation with Russia “is not limited with the six submarines, we are also expecting other kinds of armament and equipment.”

The diesel-electric submarine of project 636 is the third generation of submarines of projects 877 and 877EKM - the famous Varshavyanka, which is well known all over the world for its high tactic and technical characteristics, and which NATO classifies as of KILO-class.

The submarines of the kind are most low-noise of those Russian-made ones. The submarine, which mergers with the natural noise of the sea, may identify a target at the distance, which is three or four times more than the distance it may be identified by an enemy. NATO calls submarines of project 636 “black hole in the ocean.”