Launched at the end of December 2023, the new attack submarine Velikiye Luki, the third of the new Lada-class being incorporated by the Russian Navy, has begun new sea trials in the Gulf of Finland. This has been confirmed through various OSINT sources, which have been reporting on the submarine’s movements, departing from the Admiralty Shipyard facilities in the city of St. Petersburg.
Currently, the Lada-class conventional propulsion attack submarine (also known as Project 677) is one of the most modern developed for the Russian Navy. Based on projections, the Northern Fleet plans to incorporate five operational units in total, in addition to the Sankt Peterburg, the original prototype of the class, which is used solely for testing and experimentation.
With smaller dimensions compared to the Kilo-class, its capabilities and performance have significantly increased, featuring a maximum submerged speed of 21 knots, an endurance of 45 days with a crew of 34, and automated Litiy combat control systems. It has a displacement of 1,765 tons on the surface (2,700 tons submerged) and is armed with six 533 mm torpedo tubes, from which torpedoes, mines, or Alfa and Oniks missiles can be launched.
One of the latest milestones of the Project was reached at the end of January, when the second unit of the class, the B-586 Kronstadt, was officially commissioned into service with the Russian Navy’s Northern Fleet. This will be followed by the aforementioned B-587 Velikiye Luki, once it has completed its sea and acceptance trials.
Although there are no major updates regarding the rest of the class, Russian shipyards report progress on the construction of the third and fourth units, Vologda and Yaroslavl, though no specific launch or service dates have been set. Initially, these were expected to be launched in 2025 and 2026, respectively. Lastly, construction of the sixth Lada-class submarine, which has yet to be officially named, is still pending.
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