Kilo submarine Da Nang enters Cam Ranh Bay

At 7:00 a.m. on June 30, the Rolldock Storm super-heavy transport ship carrying the Kilo submarine HQ-185 Da Nang entered deep into Cam Ranh Bay.

According to plan, after 2 days of customs procedures, security checks and reception preparations, the kilo submarine HQ-185 Da Nang will be launched and towed to the submarine port of Brigade 189 on July 2.

Before entering Cam Ranh Bay, on the night of June 29, the mother ship Rolldock Storm arrived at Cua Lon (Cam Ranh) but dropped anchor and waited until morning to go deep into the bay after a 45-day voyage from the Admiralty Shipyard in Saint Petersburg (Russia) to Vietnam.

Rolldock Storm transport ship anchored at Cua Lon (Cam Ranh). Photo: Dan Viet

The HQ-185 Da Nang submarine was built at the Admiralty Shipyard in Saint Petersburg (Russia). Launched on March 28, 2014, after completing all tests, the HQ-185 Da Nang was sent to Vietnam.

The Rolldock Storm ship brought the Kilo submarine HQ-185 Da Nang back to Vietnam on a route running from north to south in the Atlantic Ocean, around the Cape of Good Hope in Africa to enter the Indian Ocean.

Like the Rolldock Star carrying the submarine HQ-183 Ho Chi Minh City, the Rolldock Storm did not go through the Strait of Malacca to reach Singapore, but through the Sunda Strait.

After a short stop in Singapore, Rolldock Storm passed through the Singapore Strait into the East Sea and headed straight to Cam Ranh military port.

The HQ-185 Da Nang submarine was built at the Admiralty Shipyard in Saint Petersburg (Russia). Launched on March 28, 2014, after completing all tests, the HQ-185 Da Nang was sent to Vietnam.

The HQ-185 Da Nang submarine is the fourth of six Varshavyanka 636.1 class diesel-electric submarines (NATO name: Kilo) that Russia built for Vietnam.

Previously, three Kilo submarines arrived in Vietnam and were put into service with the 189th Submarine Brigade: HQ-182 Hanoi (January 1, 2014), HQ-183 Ho Chi Minh City (March 19, 2014) and HQ-184 Hai Phong (January 31, 2015).

Rolldock Storm transport ship anchored at Cam Ranh Bay. Photo: Dan Viet.

According to Dat Viet Newspaper