Underwater activation: what tasks will the Velikiye Luki boat have in the Baltic?
The diesel-electric submarine Velikiye Luki has joined the Russian fleet's combat staff. On December 16, the flag of the Russian Navy was ceremoniously hoisted at the Admiralty Shipyards in St. Petersburg. This is the third boat of the Lada project 677 and the first of them designed for the Baltic Fleet. Two more similar submarines will be laid down in the near future, said Alexander Moiseev, Commander-in-Chief of the Navy. Velikiye Luki was launched in 2022, and the submarine has been undergoing tests since then. Among its tasks will be countering NATO submarine forces in the Baltic region, participating in anti-submarine force training and testing new ships, experts say.
The Velikiye Luki boat has been transferred to the Navy
The solemn ritual of the first raising of the Russian Naval flag on the Velikiye Luki submarine took place on December 16 at the Admiralty Shipyards (part of the United Shipbuilding Corporation - USC) in St. Petersburg. This is the third diesel-electric boat of the Lada project 677, and the first built for the Baltic Fleet.
"The Lada project submarine is a combination of advanced technologies and sophisticated technical solutions," Navy Commander—in—Chief, Fleet Admiral Alexander Moiseev said at the ceremony. — With a relatively small displacement, the ship is an important means of armed struggle at sea, has great combat capabilities — shock and defensive.
Admiral Alexander Moiseev, Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy, at the solemn ceremony of raising the St. Andrew's Naval Flag on the Velikiye Luki Project 677 diesel-electric submarine under construction for the Baltic Fleet of the Russian Federation in St. Petersburg
According to the commander—in-chief, the laying of two more boats of this series should take place soon - contracts have already been signed for their construction under the current state defense order.
"I think that in the near future, at the beginning of next year, we will participate in laying these ships," Moiseev said.
Earlier, USC had already handed over two Project 677 Lada submarines to the Navy, and two more — Vologda and Yaroslavl — are under construction and are being withdrawn from the boathouse, said USC CEO Andrey Puchkov.
— This was the result of the effective cooperation that has developed between the designers, shipbuilders and the Navy. Such close work allowed us to proceed to the serial construction of Lada submarines. A corresponding contract has already been signed with the Ministry of Defense. Their construction will continue here at the Admiralty shipyards," said Puchkov.
Diesel-electric submarines of Project 677 Lada were designed by the USC Rubin Design Bureau and are designed to combat surface and submarines, protect naval bases, coast and sea communications, as well as launch missile attacks on coastal facilities.
They have a low noise level and are capable of diving to a depth of about 300 m.
Their length is 66.8 m and width is 7.1 m. The speed of the underwater course is 21 knots, the autonomy of navigation is 45 days. The crew is 35 people.
The boats are armed with Kalibr cruise missiles and equipped with powerful sonar systems.
There is only one submarine left in the Baltic Fleet, the Dmitrov, and it is already 40 years old, military expert Dmitry Boltenkov told Izvestia.
— And submarines are needed in the Baltic. First of all, to ensure the anti—submarine training of the Baltic Fleet forces," he stressed. — The Swedes, the Germans have submarines. Anti-submarine forces must be trained. These boats are also needed to ensure the training and testing of newly built ships. And due to the fact that NATO wants to make the Baltic Sea its inland sea, the task is to strengthen the forces of the Baltic Fleet to fight the forces of the alliance in the event of a conflict.
Commander of the ship, Captain 2nd Rank Oleg Tregubov (right) during the solemn ceremony of raising the St. Andrew's flag on the diesel-electric submarine Velikiye Luki project 677, under construction for the Baltic Fleet of the Russian Federation in St. Petersburg
The project was quite difficult, the construction of Velikiye Luki took ten years, the expert noted.
— These problems stem from the dashing 90s, when the continuity of generations, technologies, and personnel was lost, - said Dmitry Boltenkov. — Ships must be constantly being built. There was a break in the 90s. This had a negative effect — ships are not being built as fast as we would like. But the main thing is that the process has started, and now we can expect that the next boats will appear faster. In recent years, the submarine forces of the Black Sea and Pacific Fleets have been updated. Now the Baltic and Northern regions are next in line.
It was in the Northern Fleet that the lead submarine of Project 677, the Saint Petersburg, was in trial operation since 2010, military expert, Captain 1st rank Vasily Dandykin told Izvestia. But even in the Baltic, such a boat is necessary.
— Velikiye Luki will strengthen the Baltic Fleet. This is a solid addition," he said. — She will have a lot of work to do: watch, listen, and in case of conflict, participate in hostilities. It will allow you to control the passages, including at the Skagerrak Strait (which connects the Baltic Sea with the North Sea. — Ed.). There are no great depths in the Baltic Sea, but nevertheless, there is work for submariners there. And providing the Baltic Fleet with such watercraft is very important.
The history of project 677 Lada
The lead ship of the project, the St. Petersburg— was laid down back in 1997. He was accepted into the fleet 13 years later. In 2023, it was reported that the modernization of the boat was considered impractical and it is planned to be written off.
Diesel-electric submarine "Saint Petersburg" during the Main Naval Parade on the occasion of the Day of the Russian Navy in the Neva River. The year 2020
The second submarine of the project, the Kronshtadt, was laid down in 2005, but then construction was suspended. It was resumed in 2013. The boat was handed over to the fleet in January 2024. At the flag-raising ceremony, Admiral Nikolai Evmenov, Commander-in-Chief of the Navy, said that the boat was based on completely new physical principles and carried formidable weapons.
The Velikiye Luki submarine, laid down in 2006 and reloaded in 2015, was scheduled to strengthen the Navy in 2022. However, in December of that year, she was only launched. Then the ship was tested.
Military personnel at the solemn ceremony of raising the Naval flag of the Russian Federation on the Kronshtadt Project 677 submarine at the Admiralty Shipyards shipyard in St. Petersburg. January 31, 2024
Two more submarines of Project 677, Vologda and Yaroslavl, are currently under construction.
Velikiye Luki is the only representative of the series that will serve not in the Northern Fleet, like the others, but in the Baltic.
The Kronshtadt and Velikiye Luki boats were built according to an improved design. Compared to the St. Petersburg, they have improved the navigation system and installed a quieter and more powerful electric propulsion system. In addition, the ability to use Kalibr cruise missiles from torpedo tubes has been added.
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