The Russian Navy Commissions Its Second Lada-Class Diesel-Electric B-586 Kronstadt Submarine
The Russian Navy has officially commissioned the second Lada-class diesel-electric attack submarine, B-586 “Kronstadt”, also known as Project 677M. The commissioning ceremony was held at the Admiralty Shipyard, a division of the United Shipbuilding Corporation. High-ranking officials, including the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy Admiral Nikolai Yevmenov, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Viktor Yevtukhov, and Northern Fleet Commander Alexander Moiseyev, as well as representatives from the United Shipbuilding Corporation and the shipyard, attended the ceremony.
During the ceremony, Admiral Nikolay Yevmenov, the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy, stated, “It is a gala day for the Navy, as we accept a new-generation submarine based on new physical principles and armed with powerful weapons. The submarine will operate in a brigade of the Northern Fleet.” Yevmenov also stated that the new submarine demonstrated all of its best qualities during sea trials, including stealth, maneuverability, and reliability.
Project 677, also known as the Lada Class, is a family of fourth-generation diesel-electric attack submarines designed by Rubin Design Bureau and built at Admiralty Shipyard in St. Petersburg. This project was launched in the late 1990s to replace the Russian Navy’s existing Project 877 and 877EKM Kilo class submarines. The class’s lead vessel, Sankt Peterburg, was launched in October 2004 and began sea trials in November 2005.
In 2005, the Russian Ministry of Defense ordered the second ship in the class, B-586 “Kronstadt,” without waiting for the results of the Sankt Peterburg submarine’s sea trials. The decision to build the B-587 Velikiye Luki, the third ship in the class, was made in 2006. However, when the lead submarine entered trial service with the Baltic Fleet in May 2010, it became clear during testing that a number of technical aspects, such as the propulsion unit and sonar systems, fell short of expectations. As a result, in 2012, the Russian Ministry of Defense decided to halt the construction of these submarines.
In 2013, the Russian Ministry of Defense reversed its decision and launched the 677M project, which aimed to develop the technical control systems, electric propulsion system, and navigation system for the two submarines that were under construction. The “Kronstadt” and “Velikiye Luki” submarines, rebuilt as part of the 677M project, were launched in 2018 and 2022, respectively. During this time, the Russian Ministry of Defense signed new contracts with Admiralty Shipyard for the construction of three submarines in this series, two during the 2019 International Military-Technical Forum “ARMY-2019” and one during the International Military-Technical Forum “ARMY-2020.” According to the delivery schedule, the Russian Navy intends to put the remaining submarines into service in 2025, 2026, 2027, and 2028, respectively. However, given that the “Kronstadt” submarine took 13 years to complete, a delay in new deliveries would not be surprising.