Russian Submarines Leave Crowd in Awe at St. Petersburg Maritime Show

Source : http://sputniknews.com

The 2015 International Maritime Defense Show (IMDS-2015) took place in St. Petersburg last week and showed that the Russian shipbuilding industry is on the rise, Rossiyskaya Gazeta reported.

Berths in St. Petersburg were packed with over 40 new vessels from the Russian Navy, the Border Service of Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) and the Ministry of Emergency Situations.

"Russia ranks number two in the world in terms of building warships," said Denis Manturov, the Minister of Industry and Trade, as cited by Rossiyskaya Gazeta. "Currently, all plans on the state armament program for the supply of ships to the Navy are implemented on time."

Among the most notable vessels at the Maritime Show were Stary Oskol, an improved Kilo-class (also known as Varshavyanka-class) submarine and Amur-1650, the latest Amur-class submarine.

Stealth submarine Stary Oskol, also dubbed "Black Hole" by NATO, is believed to be the world's quietest submarine. The Kilo-class submarine is one of the six planned for the Black Sea Fleet by the end of 2016.

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Armed with 18 torpedoes and eight-surface-to-air Club missiles, Stary Oskol is mainly intended to hunt for enemy ships and submarines in relatively shallow waters. The submarine is capable of striking surface, underwater and land targets, RT said.

The Amur-1650 is a modern version of the Kilo-class submarine with new acoustic stealth, improved combat systems and air-independent propulsion (AIP). Armed with long range weapons and anti-ship and anti-submarine missiles, The Amur-1650 is larger than its counterparts from the same Kilo-class submarines and was designed for longer missions.

The Amur submarine is equipped with new radio-electronic weapons, according to the latest scientific and technological developments. Additional AIP fuel cells can be added into the submarine, significantly improving the Amur's endurance and range.