St. Petersburg shipyard launches multipurpose submarine

St. Petersburg's Admiralty Shipyards held a ceremony Friday to lay the keel of the Sevastopol, a serially produced multipurpose submarine.

Admiralty Shipyards said in October it would begin construction of a fourth-generation diesel-electric submarine in November. "The Project-677, or Lada-class diesel submarine, whose keel will be laid November 10, will be named after a city associated with Russian naval glory - Sevastopol," a company source said. "It is to be launched in 2010."

Igor Dygalo, aide to the Navy commander, said that today's event "testifies to the fact that Russia's shipbuilding program now enjoys stability, and we will see the results as soon as 2010."

He said the project's submarines will eventually replace the diesel submarines now in use.

The Sevastopol will be the third Project-677 submarine designed by the Rubin design bureau.

Read more