Lada class, Russian designation Project 677 Lada (, meaning "Lada", NATO reporting name St. Petersburg) is the class of diesel-electric attack submarine designed by the Russian Rubin Design Bureau. A program to develop a "fourth generation" diesel-electric submarine aimed to produce an improved version of the Project 636 with better acoustic signature, new combat systems and possibly air-independent propulsion. However, in 2019, Alexander Buzakov, the head of the Admiralty Shipyard, indicated that there were no plans to equip the Lada class with an air-independent propulsion system. In July 2022, it was reported that efforts to produce an electrochemical generator capable of making hydrogen from a combination of diesel fuel and oxygen was resuming as the designers signed a new contract in 2019. This was scheduled to be completed by the mid-2020s. In 2023, the decision was taken to decommission and scrap the lead ship of the class, due to the very high costs of modernizing the submarine.
History The lead boat of the class, named , was originally laid down in December 1997 alongside a second boat meant for export (Project 677E, apparently for India) that never got past initial construction and was very similar to the Project 677 boat. The lead boat was launched in October 2004 and began sea trials in November 2005. The submarine was transferred to the Russian Navy in April 2010.
Another two vessels were under construction at the Admiralty Shipyard with plans to launch four to six submarines by 2015. In 2009, the Russian Navy had set out a requirement for a total of eight St. Petersburg-class submarines. Indonesia had indicated its interest in acquiring two St. Petersburg-class submarines, but the deal fell through before 2010 due to financing issues.
In November 2011, the Russian Navy decided that this class of submarines would not be accepted into service, as the lead boat had fallen far short of requirements during tests. The lead boat was retained as a test vessel to experiment with various systems. The construction of the remaining boats of the class was frozen.
On 27 July 2012, the Russian Navy commander-in-chief announced the resumption of the construction of the St. Petersburg-class submarines, having undergone extensive design changes. In 2013 and 2015, two further boats were re-laid and commissioning was expected in 2017 and 2018.
On 20 September 2018, the first serial submarine of the class, B-586 Kronshtadt, was launched at the Admiralty Shipyards in St. Petersburg.
In June 2017, the Russian Navy announced it planned to order two more Lada-class submarines, and the build contract was signed in June 2019, during the International Military-Technical Forum «ARMY-2019». One more sub was ordered in August 2020, during the International Military-Technical Forum «ARMY-2020», with some speculation that all six of the submarines currently on order, or alternatively up to six of the eventual total number of Lada-class boats, might eventually be deployed with the Baltic Fleet.
In July 2025, Russian president Putin stated that at least nine submarines of the class would be built.
Design
The project 677 St. Petersburg is a Russian diesel-electric submarine developed in the late 1990s. The submarine is designed for anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare, defense of naval bases, seashore and sea lanes, as well as for conducting reconnaissance. The class marks the first usage of a mono-hull design by the Russian navy for an attack submarine since the 1940s.
Displacement is 25% lower than that of its predecessor, the , but its capabilities are greatly enhanced. Top submerged speed is , up from s for the Kilo class. The class is designed for an endurance of 45 days with a complement of 35.
The submarine is equipped with automated combat control system Litiy (meaning "Lithium").
A variant designated as the project 1650 is offered as an export model.
Units # Name Builders Laid down Launched Commissioned Decommissioned Fleet Status Notes B-585 Admiralty Shipyards 26 December 1997 28 October 2004 8 May 2010 5 February 2024 Northern Decommissioned, to be scrapped Prototype. Subsequent boats are heavily redesigned. B-586 28 July 2005 20 September 2018 31 January 2024 Northern Active Construction stopped due to multiple issues with B-585 Sankt Peterburg, resumed on 9 July 2013. B-587 19 March 2015 23 December 2022 16 December 2025 Baltic Active Laid down on 10 November 2006, re-laid in 2015 due to a redesign. Vologda 12 June 2022 Northern Under construction Yaroslavl 12 June 2022 Northern Under construction Maloyaroslavets 27 August 2026 Northern Under construction
See also Future of the Russian Navy List of submarine classes in service
Equivalent submarines of the same era U212 NFS Type 218SG
Dolphin II class
Notes
References
Bibliography
External links
Project-677 class submarine set for final sea trials
Завершаются ходовые испытания подводной лодки "Санкт-Петербург" 24 января 2007 Russian version of the above translation Video about Sankt Petersburg