As a new step in strengthening its submarine capabilities, the Russian Navy has recently commissioned the sixth of its new improved Kilo-class attack submarines (also known as Project 636.3), which will be assigned to the Pacific Fleet. In particular, it is the submarine that the institution has named “Yakutsk,” whose delivery is said to have taken place this morning at the Admiralty Shipyards JSC located in the city of Saint Petersburg.
The delivery ceremony of the new unit was attended by important naval authorities, among whom Admiral Vladimir Vorobyev stood out, who currently serves as Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy. During the ceremony, he was in charge of conveying his congratulations to the manufacturer for their work and wishing the crew to be up to the missions that will be entrusted to them.
It is worth recalling at this point that the submarine recently incorporated into the institution had begun construction in August 2021, with a keel-laying ceremony that stood out due to the participation of Russian President Vladimir Putin. By October 2024, the country’s Ministry of Defense announced that the Yakutsk had been launched to enter the phase of installation of the final sensors and equipment ahead of the corresponding acceptance trials, which—considering that the commissioning has taken place in less than a year since then—can be regarded as having occurred at a remarkably fast pace.
Briefly reviewing some technical details, we can state that the submarine is presented as an improved design of the former Soviet Kilo class, which incorporates as its main advantages the ability to launch Kalibr-PL (SS-N-27 Sizzler) anti-ship missiles and new 533 mm heavy torpedoes. In addition, although not described in detail, the Russian Navy has highlighted on more than one occasion that this is a class with greater stealth and range capabilities than its predecessors; the latter being around 7,000 nautical miles using a snorkel.
In terms of dimensions, each vessel has a length of about 73 meters and a beam of 9.9 meters, within which are contained the over 3,000 tons it displaces and the 52 people that make up its crew. Its propulsion system would consist of two diesel generators with a single seven-bladed fixed-pitch propeller, allowing it to reach maximum speeds of 17 knots on the surface and 20 knots when submerged (being capable of reaching depths of up to 300 meters), with an autonomy of approximately 45 days.
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