MOSCOW, July 25. /ITAR-TASS/. The Russian-Italian work to develop an S-1000 small submarine was suspended indefinitely, the director-general of Russia's Rubin design office, Igor Vilnit, told ITAR-TASS.

“Unfortunately, the implementation of the project has been suspended because of the known political situation,” he told ITAR-TASS. The task group planned to meet in the first half of 2014, but Italy requested an indefinite postponement, Vilnit added.

Russian and Italian specialists had developed a cheaper project with foreign equipment but without the Russian-built Club missile system and associated radio electronics, Vilnit added.

“If the next annual meeting in the autumn does take place, it will mean that the situation is going back to the normal course, and we’ll be happy to continue cooperation with Italian partners,” said head of Rubin.

The joint project was launched by the Italian shipbuilding company Fincantieri and Rubin in 2004. S-1000 is a highly efficient, easy in operation and cheap submarine equipped to work in the tropical regions, among the islands, mainly in shallow waters.