Vietnam's third Kilo 636 submarine is about to be launched

Interfax-AVN quoted a source in the Russian shipbuilding industry as saying that the third submarine hull of Project 636, built at the Admiralty Shipyard (Saint-Petersburg) for the Vietnamese Navy, will be launched at the end of August.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung inspected the Hanoi Submarine during his recent visit to Russia (Photo: Duc Tam/VNA)

“The installation of the shaft, electric motors, fuel and other systems is currently underway. The third export vessel will be launched in about two weeks. Then, docking tests will begin,” the source said.

The contract for the supply of six Kilo 636 class diesel-electric submarines was announced by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung in December 2009. Full implementation of the contract is scheduled for 2016.

Of the six submarines, the first two will be named "Hanoi" and "Ho Chi Minh City" respectively. Both have completed factory and state trials, Voice of Russia reported. Crew training, shore and sea training began in July.

Last month, Russian news agency RIA Novosti also quoted a press release from the Admiraltei Verfi shipyard saying that the first Kilo 636 submarine out of six built for Vietnam would be officially delivered in November 2013.

Military experts quoted by Voice of Russia also affirmed that they have complete confidence that the Vietnamese crew will be able to control these modern submarines to return home via Africa./.

According to VNA - LT