July 28,2008:
Russia has had a hard time coming up with a replacement for its Kilo
class boats. The first of these new Lada class subs has been undergoing sea
trials for over two years now, with no end in sight. Two more Ladas are under
construction. The Kilo class boats entered service in the early 1980s. Russia
only bought 24 of them, but exported over 30. It was considered a successful design. But just before the Cold War
ended in 1991, the Soviet Navy began work on the Lada. This project was stalled
during most of the 1990s by a lack of money.
The Ladas
are designed to be fast attack and scouting boats. They are intended for
anti-surface and anti-submarine operations as well as naval reconnaissance.
These boats are said to be eight times quieter than the Kilos. This was
accomplished by using anechoic (sound absorbing) tile coatings on the exterior,
and a very quiet (skewed) propeller. All interior machinery was designed with
silence in mind. The sensors include active and passive sonars, including towed
passive sonar. The Ladas have six 533mm torpedo tubes, with 18 torpedoes and/or
missiles carried. The Lada has a surface displacement of 1,750 tons, are 220
feet long and carry a crew of 38. Each crewmember has their own cabin (very
small for the junior crew, but still, a big morale boost).
When
submerged, the submarine can cruise at a top speed of about 39 kilometers an
hour (half that on the surface) and can dive to about 800 feet. The Lada can
stay at sea for as long as 50 days, and the sub can travel as much as 10,000 kilometers
using its diesel engine (underwater, via the snorkel) Submerged, using battery
power, the Lada can travel about 450 kilometers. There is also an electronic
periscope (which goes to the surface via a cable), that includes a night vision
capability and a laser range finder. The Lada was designed to accept a AIP (air
independent propulsion) system. Russia was long a pioneer in AIP design, but in
the last decade, Western European nations have taken the lead. Construction on
the first Lada began in 1997, but money shortages delayed work for years. The
first Amur boat was finally completed in 2005. A less complex version, called
the Amur, is being offered for export.