Northern Fleet to get fifth generation non-nuclear submarines

Russia has developed plans for a new series of fifth generation non-nuclear submarines called the Kalina-class. Construction of the first submarine is planned to start as soon as all the Varshavyanka-class submarines for the Black Sea Fleet and Pacific Fleet are ready, FlotProm writes.

Both the Northern Fleet and the Baltic Fleet will get Kalina-class submarines.

The Kalina-class submarines will be fitted with air-independent propulsion technology, making them capable of staying under water for three week without surfacing recharge the batteries.

The new submarine will differ from similar foreign submarines by the way they produce hydrogen. In order not to carry clean gas on board, the vessel will be producing hydrogen gas from diesel in a process called reforming.

The sixth and last Varshavyanka-class (NATO reporting name Improved Kilo class) diesel-electric submarine for the Black Sea Fleet was launched in St. Petersburg on Tuesday. The vessel, which has the name “Kolpino”, will probably spend some time in the Barents Sea for training under Arctic conditions, as its sister vessels have done.

The Admirality Shipyard in St. Petersburg will now start building a series of Varshavyanka-class submarines for the Pacific Fleet. When this is done, a final decision on construction of the Kalina-class will be made. The first experimental work on the new class can start as early as 2017, FlotProm writes.