Lada-class

Russia's long-delayed, conventionally powered attack boat — a mono-hull Kalibr-shooter that was supposed to field air-independent propulsion but has yet to do so, leaving it a smaller, quieter, but still conventionally limited alternative to the Improved Kilo.

Overview

The Lada class (Project 677, NATO reporting name St. Petersburg) is a Russian diesel-electric attack submarine designed by the Rubin Central Design Bureau as a successor to the Kilo family. Compared with the twin-hull Improved Kilo, the Lada adopts a single-hull architecture, a smaller crew, and a lighter displacement, aiming for quieter operation and greater automation. The design was conceived to carry a domestically developed air-independent propulsion (AIP) system, but that capability has never been fitted, drastically narrowing the boat’s operational utility and forcing the Russian Navy to continue ordering the older Project 636.3 Improved Kilo. Three hulls have been commissioned after a programme that spans nearly three decades, and further construction proceeds at a slow pace.

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