The Vietnam People’s Navy (VPN) held a flag raising ceremony for two new Russian-made Project 636M (improved Kilo-class) diesel electric attack submarines at Cam Ranh naval base in Vietnam’s south central coastal Khanh Hoa province on February 28, Vietnam’s Ministry of Defense reports in a press release.
The two submarines — Da Nang and Ba Ria-Vung Tau — will join four other Project 636M boats already in service with the VPN’s Submarine Brigade 189 and are the last two subs commissioned as part of a $ 2.6 billion contract (some sources indicate $2.1 billion) with Russia’s Admiralty Shipyards for six diesel-electric attack submarines in 2009.
The flag raising ceremony was attended by Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phu and other dignitaries. The prime minister emphasized the importance of the VPN in raising awareness over the South China Sea territorial disputes and praised the navy’s willingness to defend every inch of Vietnam including its territorial waters.
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He also noted that Vietnam seeks no arms race in the region and the deployment of the new submarines does not aim to deter other countries in the region. Furthermore, he stated Vietnam’s desire for a peaceful solution to the South China Sea disputes. Yet, he was also adamant that Vietnam would defend its sovereignty over its continental shelf, its territorial sea, and its islands.
Project 636M submarines, an improved variant of the original Project 877 (Kilo-class) design, are specifically designed for operations in shallow waters and are primarily intended for anti-shipping and anti-submarine warfare operations. With a crew of 52, the sub has an endurance of 45 days and can reach a submerged top speed of around 20 knots. The Project 636M boats are slightly longer than the original Kilo-class and feature an improved MGK 400E sonar, new noise reduction technology ( the U.S. Navy dubbed the subs “black holes” due to their quietness) and new armaments.
http://thediplomat.com/2017/03/black-holes-in-the-south-china-sea-vietnam-commissions-2-new-attack-submarines/