MOSCOW, December 11. /TASS/. The Admiralty Shipyard in St. Petersburg expects to sign a contract in 2020 on building a series of Project 636.3 diesel-electric submarines for the Baltic Fleet, Shipyard CEO Alexander Buzakov said on Wednesday.

"There is no contract yet. We would like to sign a deal in 2020 and start implementing it in 2021 but life will show how it will be," the chief executive said, responding to a question about a contract on building Varshavyanka-class submarines for the Baltic Fleet.

The Baltic Fleet has great demand for new subs but there is no clear idea yet about the volume of work, specific projects and models, he said.

A source in the shipbuilding industry told TASS in November that the Russian Navy Command was discussing the issue of building a series of Project 636.3 (Varshavyanka-class) diesel-electric submarines for the Baltic Fleet. The emergence of submarines armed with Kalibr missiles in the Baltic Fleet will considerably strengthen Russia’s striking potential in the Baltic region, the source added.

Another source told TASS that instead of six submarines as in the Black Sea and Pacific Fleets, the series for the Baltic Fleet "may include a lesser number."

The Admiralty Shipyard (part of Russia’s United Shipbuilding Corporation) earlier built a series of six Project 636.3 submarines for the Black Sea Fleet. Six more submarines of this Project are at various stages of their construction and trials for the Pacific Fleet. All of Project 636.3 submarines are armed with Kalibr-PL missile systems. The submarines of this Project built for the Black Sea Fleet earlier delivered missile strikes against terrorist targets in Syria from the Mediterranean Sea.

Project 636.3 submarines

Project 636.3 submarines (NATO reporting name: Improved Kilo-II) are 74 meters long and displace more than 3,900 tonnes. Due to its strong hull, the submarine has an operational depth of 240 meters and can dive to a maximum depth of 300 meters. Submarines of this Project have an operational range of up to 7,500 miles. They are armed with Kalibr cruise missiles that are launched from torpedo tubes from the sub’s submerged position.

Project 636 submarines are considered among the world’s most noiseless underwater cruisers. They can develop a speed of up to 20 knots, have their sea endurance of 45 days and a crew of 52 men.