Built at the Admiralty Shipyards, part of the United Shipbuilding Corporation, the Mozhaisk is a Project 636.3 diesel-electric submarine. Its crew raised the Russian Navy flag on Tuesday, joining the fleet.
As the fifth of six submarines in its series for the Pacific Fleet, the Mozhaisk's introduction is a significant step. The Admiralty Shipyards are also in the process of constructing the final submarine in this series, the Yakutsk. Both the Mozhaisk and Yakutsk were simultaneously laid down in August 2021.
Servicemen line up during a ceremony to raise the Russian Navy ensign aboard the Project 636.3 diesel-electric submarine Mozhaisk joining the Russian Pacific Fleet at Admiralty Shipyards, a subsidiary of the United Shipbuilding Corporation, in St. Petersburg, Russia
© Sputnik / Mikhail Kireev
/ The contract for building these submarines for the Pacific Fleet was signed in September 2016. The fourth submarine in the series, the Ufa, was integrated into the fleet in November 2022. Prior to these, the first three submarines - Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Volkhov, and Magadan - had already joined.
These Project 636.3 submarines are part of the third generation, with impressive specifications: a displacement of 3,950 tons, an underwater speed of 18 knots, a diving depth of 300 meters, a crew capacity of 52, a 45-day autonomous navigation capability, and a range of 400 miles for underwater navigation at an energy-efficient speed.
A serviceman attends a ceremony to raise the Russian Navy ensign aboard the Project 636.3 diesel-electric submarine Mozhaisk joining the Russian Pacific Fleet at Admiralty Shipyards, a subsidiary of the United Shipbuilding Corporation, in St. Petersburg, Russia
© Sputnik / Mikhail Kireev
/ Equipped with state-of-the-art technology, these submarines feature the latest inertial navigation system, a modern automated information and control system, high-precision missile weaponry, and powerful torpedo armaments. The armament includes 533 millimeter torpedoes (six devices), mines, and Kalibr cruise missiles. Remarkably, they can detect targets at a distance three to four times greater than the distance at which they can be detected by an enemy. NATO has nicknamed these submarines the "black hole" due to their exceptional stealth capabilities.