MOSCOW, March 19. /TASS/. Russia’s Project 677 Lada diesel-electric submarines are especially effective at neutralizing enemy surface ships, Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy Admiral Alexander Moiseyev said.
"Two submarines are successfully used in the Baltic Fleet - the Kronshtadt and the Velikiye Luki. They were designed as a development of Project 636.3, taking into account operational experience and modern achievements in weapons, military, and special equipment. They are marked by low noise levels, high level of automation, and more powerful armament, and are an important component of the fleet’s mixed-force groups operating in the near-sea zone. Their presence and combat capabilities virtually eliminate the use of enemy surface naval forces," the commander said in an interview with the Krasnaya Zvezda newspaper.
Moiseyev noted that the Russian Navy’s current development priority is the creation of non-nuclear submarines with air-independent propulsion systems. "Their enhanced capability to remain submerged for extended periods is a modern requirement," he added. Project 677 submarines belong to the fourth generation of diesel-electric submarines and are currently recognized as the most modern and advanced domestic non-nuclear submarines in terms of both combat effectiveness and other performance characteristics. Admiralty Shipyards is the only shipyard that builds submarines of this class.
The Russian Navy’s submarine forces mark the 120th anniversary of their establishment on March 19. In 1906, by decree of Emperor Nicholas II, a new class of ships — submarines — was included in the classification of naval vessels.