ST. PETERSBURG, December 26. /TASS/. The Admiralty Shipyard in St. Petersburg in Russia’s northwest has floated out the Project 636.3 diesel-electric submarine Volkhov for the Russian Navy.

"The submarines of this series have proven more than once their capabilities in combat conditions and confirmed their performance characteristics," Shipyard CEO Alexander Buzakov said at the launch ceremony.

Commander of the Pacific Fleet’s Primorye Flotilla of All-Arms Forces Vladimir Yakushev also thanked the Shipyard’s personnel. "Your labor helps increase the Navy’s might <…> The crews are ready for the combat employment and operation of these submarines," he stated.

The Project 636.3 sub will join the Pacific Fleet’s Primorye Flotilla of All-Arms Forces.

Overall, the Admiralty Shipyard (part of Russia’s United Shipbuilding Corporation) will build six Project 636.3 submarines for the Pacific Fleet. The first of them, the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, entered service with the Fleet in November.

The Admiralty Shipyard earlier built a series of six Project 636.3 submarines for the Black Sea Fleet. All of Project 636.3 submarines are armed with Kalibr-PL cruise missiles. The submarines of this Project built for the Black Sea Fleet earlier delivered missile strikes against terrorist targets in Syria from the Mediterranean Sea.

The Russian Navy Command is also considering building Project 636.3 diesel-electric submarines for the Baltic Fleet, sources in the shipbuilding industry earlier told TASS. The Admiralty chief executive said in December that the Shipyard expected to sign the relevant contract in 2020 and start implementing it in 2021.

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-PL 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.