Russia's Navy \"Black Hole\": What is Known About the \"Varshavyanka\" Submarine with \"Caliber\" Missiles

Diesel-electric submarines (DES) of Project 636.3 "Varshavyanka" were created in Russia as a development of Project 877 "Paltus". The submarine designer is TsKB MT "Rubin", and construction is underway at the "Admiralty Shipyards".

Project 636.6 "Varshavyanka"
Image source Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation

The main purpose of submarines is to combat underwater and surface ships of all classes, strike at coastal targets, lay mines, and conduct reconnaissance.

The 636.3 project submarines are part of the Black Sea and Pacific Fleets and are mainly used for operations in the near and far sea zones.

Technical characteristics and stealth

The full displacement of the "Varshavyanka" exceeds 3.9 thousand tons, the hull length is about 74 meters, and the crew is 52 people. The submarine is capable of accelerating up to 20 knots in the deep sea and operating autonomously for up to 45 days.

The main feature of the project is the low level of acoustic signature. For this, engineers used a multi-layer sound-absorbing hull coating, a cleverly optimized propeller shape, and isolated mechanisms.

The commander of the electromechanical combat unit of the submarine cruiser, Denis Bayrachny, explained that the secret lies in the special design of the engine. In the surface position, sailors use the main electric motor in the fifth compartment of the submarine, and to achieve maximum silence, they use the economic speed engine.

We use an economic speed engine, which is controlled from the fifth compartment. Due to its lower power consumption and to save electricity, we use it in the submerged position.

Denis Bayrachny, commander of the electromechanical combat unit of the submarine

In NATO, the Varshavyanka project submarines received the unofficial nickname "Black Hole" precisely because of the difficulty of detecting them with passive hydroacoustic means.

Armament and combat use

The basis of the Varshavyanka's armament is six 533 mm bow torpedo tubes. The submarine can use high-precision Caliber-PL cruise missiles, torpedoes, and mines.

It was the 636.3 project submarines that became the first non-nuclear submarines of the Russian Navy (Navy) with "Caliber" missiles on board. The ammunition load reaches 18 missiles or torpedoes.

A modern navigation system and sonar station allow searching for targets in a complex jamming environment, and automation reduces the load on the crew.

How many 636.3 "Varshavyanka" project submarines are in the Russian Navy?

Preliminary, Russia has two series of these submarines, six units each. Six submarines were delivered to the Black Sea Fleet between 2014 and 2016 — Novorossiysk (B-261), Rostov-on-Don (B-237), Stary Oskol (B-262), Krasnodar (B-265), Veliky Novgorod (B-268), Kolpino (B-271)

The series for the Pacific Fleet was built from 2016 and completed by the end of 2024 — Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky (B-600), Volkhov (B-603), Magadan (B-602), Ufa (B-588), Mozhaisk (B-608).