Russia Begins Construction of 2 New Stealthy Kilo Submarines

In another step forward for the Russian navy's ambitious rearmament plans, the keels of two more "Improved Kilo-class" diesel-electric submarines were laid at the Admiralty Shipyards in St. Petersburg on Thursday, Interfax reported.

The new submarines are destined to join Russia's Black Sea Fleet upon completion in 2016.

Kilo submarines are extremely quiet compared with nuclear submarines, the mainstay of many submarine fleets, because they use diesel engines rather than nuclear reactors for power. They also play a very different combat role. While nuclear attack submarines are designed for long-range deployments in the ocean depths, diesel-electric submarines are intended to sink surface vessels and other submarines in shallow waters closer to land.

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