Russia Prepares to Deploy Highly Advanced Silent Submarine

Moscow is preparing to send one of its new attack submarines to its Pacific Fleet, Russian state media has reported, deploying its enhanced subs to a region seeing "confrontation between great powers" like the U.S. and China.

The Ufa diesel-electric submarine, which was commissioned in November 2022, will move from the Baltic Sea to the Pacific at an unspecified date in the fall, Russian state media outlet Izvestia, reported on Monday.

The Ufa, one of Russia's Project 636.3 diesel-electric submarines, is touted as an advanced stealth vessel. The improved kilo-class submarines have been dubbed a "black hole" and are believed to be among the world's quietest submarines.

Russia's underwater operations have attracted increased attention in recent months. Experts have deemed Moscow's submarines a formidable fleet, posing a greater threat to NATO nations than Russia's surface vessels.

Unlike the U.S. Navy, which only operates nuclear-powered submarines, Russia also deploys conventionally-powered subs for underwater operations. According to the non-profit Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI), Russia currently has around 21 diesel-electric attack submarines.

Russia signed a contract for six Project 636.3 submarines in 2016, the NTI said, with the first submarine launched in March 2019.

In November 2022, Admiralty Shipyards, which produces the Project 636.3 subs, said the fourth vessel, the Ufa, had been accepted into the Pacific Fleet. The fifth submarine in this series, the Mozhaisk, was launched in late April 2023. The sixth and final vessel, the Yakutsk, is scheduled to be handed over to Russia's Navy in 2024, according to the TASS news agency.

In June 2022, TASS reported that a set of six Project 636.3 submarines would be built for the Northern Fleet, supplementing those already destined for the Pacific Fleet.

Russia's Black Sea fleet, which can operate close to Ukraine's coastline, also has the Project 636.3 submarines, and is "actively involved in Russia's special military operation in Ukraine," TASS reported in June last year, referring to the war using the Kremlin-approved term. They can fire cruise missiles, such as the Kalibr missiles frequently used by Russia to attack Ukrainian targets.

These submarines have a length of 240 feet, and can travel at a speed of up to 20 knots, Russian state media reports. The attack subs are manned by a 52-person crew, and can reportedly stay out at sea for 45 days.

As of the start of 2023, Russia had 10 Project 636.3 submarines, according to the 2023 Military Balance, produced by the International Institute for Strategic Studies think tank.

The deployment of the Ufa diesel-electric submarine is important "because the Asia-Pacific region has become an arena of confrontation between great powers, primarily China and the United States," the Izvestia report said.

The Pacific Fleet, outfitted with these stealth diesel-electric submarines, therefore "needs to be maintained at a certain level," the state media outlet added.