VietNamNet Bridge – Russia is scheduled to hand over the third Kilo Class diesel-electric submarine (SSK) of Project 636 to the Vietnam People’s Navy by the end of this year, reported the Voice of Russia on November 1.
Flag-raising ceremony for HQ-182 Hanoi Kilo Class submarine
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The Voice of Russia cited the Russian shipbuilding industry saying that the fourth submarine of this kind will be sent to Vietnam in 2015 after successful test runs.
Under a contract signed in 2009 during a Moscow visit by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, Russia has agreed to build six submarines, dubbed as Black Holes in the Ocean by NATO.
The first two vessels, HQ-182 Hanoi and HQ-183 Ho Chi Minh City, have been handed over to Vietnam. The first submarine HQ-182 Hanoi successfully made its maiden voyage on January 8, 2014. The second vessel HQ-183 Ho Chi Minh City docked at Cam Ranh Bay on March 19, 2014.
The multipurpose diesel-electric submarines of Project 636 belong to the third generation. They are considered one of the quietest in the world, and the submarines can cruise underwater at a speed of 20 knots and has a cruising range of 400 miles.
VOV/VNN