Advanced diesel-electric submarines (DESL) of project 677 "Lada" are famous for their low noise, but are forced to surface due to technical nuances of the power plant. This was pointed out by the Telegram channel "Russian Weapon".
Channel analysts noted that tracking submarines in neutral waters is due to the need for a submarine without an air-independent power plant (AIP) to travel a significant part of the way in a surface position.
Nuclear submarines, which do not need such an installation, are devoid of this disadvantage. Thanks to this, they remain visually hidden, the authors reminded.
To solve the problem, experimental design work is underway to create a domestic AIP, which was supposed to be installed on the DESL of project 677 "Lada". However, at the moment, it has not been possible to achieve success in this matter, and the "Ladas" went into service without AIP.
Recall that the "Malachite" bureau continues to work on the P-750B project with a closed-cycle gas turbine AIP. Unlike Western counterparts on fuel cells, the Russian concept involves the use of a single fuel, which simplifies logistics.
In 2026, Russia will lay down two new DESLs of project 677 "Lada", said Admiral Alexander Moiseev, Commander-in-Chief of the Navy. Submarines of this series are capable of diving to a depth of about 300 m and are characterized by a low noise level with autonomy of up to 45 days.
