The Kilo class is the NATO reporting name

NATO reporting name

NATO reporting names are classified code names for military equipment of the Eastern Bloc...

 for a naval diesel-electric

Diesel-electric

Diesel-electric transmission or diesel-electric powertrain is used by a number of vehicle and ship types for providing locomotion.A diesel-electric transmission system includes a diesel engine connected to an electrical generator, creating electricity that powers electric traction motors...

 submarine

Submarine

A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...

 that is made in Russia

Russia

Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

. The original version of the vessels were designated Project 877 Paltus (Turbot

Turbot

The turbot is a species of flatfish in the family Scophthalmidae. It is native to marine or brackish waters of the North Atlantic, Baltic Sea and the Mediterranean Sea.-Etymology:...

) in Russia. There is also a more advanced version, designated as Improved Kilo in the west, and Project 636 Varshavyanka in Russia. The Kilo will be succeeded by the Lada class submarine

Lada class submarine

The Russian Navy's Project 677 Лада is a submarine class designed by the Russian Rubin Design Bureau. The class is also referred to as the Petersburg class, after the lead ship...

, which began sea trial

Sea trial

A sea trial is the testing phase of a watercraft . It is also referred to as a "shakedown cruise" by many naval personnel. It is usually the last phase of construction and takes place on open water, and can last from a few hours to many days.Sea trials are conducted to measure a vessel’s...

s in 2005.

The boats are mainly intended for anti-shipping

Anti-Surface Warfare

Anti-surface warfare is a type of naval warfare directed against surface combatants. More generally, it is any weapons, sensors, or operations intended to attack or limit the effectiveness of an adversary's surface ships....

 and anti-submarine

Anti-submarine warfare

Anti-submarine warfare is a branch of naval warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, or other submarines to find, track and deter, damage or destroy enemy submarines....

 operations in relatively shallow waters. Original Project 877 boats are equipped with Rubikon MGK-400 sonar system (with NATO reporting name

NATO reporting name

NATO reporting names are classified code names for military equipment of the Eastern Bloc...

 Shark Gill), which includes a mine detection and avoidance sonar MG-519 Arfa (with NATO reporting name

NATO reporting name

NATO reporting names are classified code names for military equipment of the Eastern Bloc...

 Mouse Roar). Newer Project 636 boats are equipped with improved MGK-400EM, with MG-519 Afra also upgraded to MG-519EM. The improved sonar systems have reduced the number of operators needed by sharing the same console via automation.

Anechoic tile

Anechoic tile

Anechoic tiles are rubber or synthetic polymer tiles containing thousands of tiny voids, applied to the outer hulls of military ships and submarines, as well as anechoic chambers...

s are fitted on casings and fins to absorb the sonar sound waves of active sonar, which results in a reduction and distortion of the return signal. These tiles also help attenuate sounds that are emitted from the submarine, thus reducing the range by which the sub may be detected by passive sonar.

Operators

The first submarine entered service in the Soviet Navy

Soviet Navy

The Soviet Navy was the naval arm of the Soviet Armed Forces. Often referred to as the Red Fleet, the Soviet Navy would have played an instrumental role in a Warsaw Pact war with NATO, where it would have attempted to prevent naval convoys from bringing reinforcements across the Atlantic Ocean...

 in 1980, and the class remains in use with the Russian Navy. 17 vessels are believed to still be in active service with the Russian Navy, while 7 vessels are thought to be in reserve. So far, 33 vessels have been exported to several countries:
– 2 Original Kilo, 2 Improved Kilo to be commissioned between 2009–2010. – 2 Original Kilo, 10 Improved Kilo. – designated as the Sindhughosh class; 10 active. – 1 Kilo ORP Orzeł. – 3 Kilo. – 1 Kilo – (Delfinul II

Delfinul submarine

Delfinul is a Kilo class submarine of the Romanian Naval Forces. It was commissioned in August 1985 and is currently the only Romanian submarine in service...

). – 17 Kilo in active service (B-445; B-459 Vladikavkaz; B-464 Ust'-Kamchatsk; B-471 Magnitogorsk; B-494 Ust'-Bolsheretsk; B-800 Kaluga; B-871 Alrosa; B-808 Yaroslavl'; B-177 Lipetsk; B-806; B-340; B-190; B-227; B-260 Chita; B-345; B-394; B-402 Vologda).; 6 Improved Kilo ordered – 6 Improved Kilo (Kilo-636 KMV) on order, contract signed in 2010, production of one per year.

Possible operators

– likely to buy 4 Project 636 Kilo diesel subs for about $1.2 bln – tender for 2 new diesel subs ongoing – is interested in buying 3 Project 636 Kilo class submarines

Project 877 units

Project 877 – significant dates

Operator	#	Name	Shipyard	Project	Laid down	Launched	Commissioned	Fleet	Status
	B-248	x	Komsoloľsk na Amure	877	16 March 1980	12.09.1980	31 December 1980		in reserve
	B-260	Chita	Komsoloľsk na Amure	877	22 February 1981	23 August 1981	30 December 1981	PF	active as of 2010
	B-227	Vyborg	Komsoloľsk na Amure	877	23 February 1982	16 September 1982	23 February 1983	BF	active as of 2010
	B-229	x	Komsoloľsk na Amure	877	23 February 1983	15 July 1983	30 October 1983		in reserve
	B-404	x	Komsoloľsk na Amure	877	07.05.1983	24 September 1983	30 December 1983		in reserve
	B-401	Novosibirsk	Nizhniy Novgorod	877	06.10.1982	15 March 1984	30 September 1984	NF	active as of 2010
	B-402	Vologda	Nizhniy Novgorod	877	24 August 1983	29 September 1984	30 December 1984	NF	active as of 2010
	B-405	(ex Tyumenskiy Komsomolets)	Komsoloľsk na Amure	877	20 April 1984	21 September 1984	30 December 1984		decommissioned and sold for scrap in 2007
	291 (ex B-351)	Orzeł	Nizhniy Novgorod	877E	1984	1985	1985		active as of 2010
	581 (ex B-801)	Delfinul II	Nizhniy Novgorod	877E	1984	1985	1985		unknown (in reserve from 1995)
	S55	Sindhugosh	Saint Petersburg	877EKM	29 May 1983	29 July 1985	25 November 1985		active as of 2010, modernized to project 08773 in 2002–2005
	B-470	x	Komsoloľsk na Amure	877	06.05.1985	27 August 1985	30 December 1985		decommissioned and sold for scrap in 2007
	B-806	x	Nizhniy Novgorod	877EKM	15 October 1984	30 April 1986	25 September 1986	BF	active as of 2009, status in 2010 unknown
	S56	Sindhudhvaj	Saint Petersburg	877EKM	01.04.1986	27 July 1986	25 November 1986		active as of 2010
	012	Rais Hadi Mubarek	Nizhniy Novgorod	877EKM	1985	1986	29 November 1986		active as of 2007, status in 2010 unknown
	B-439	x	Komsoloľsk na Amure	877	4 April 1986	31 July 1986	30 December 1986		in reserve
	S57	Sindhuraj	Nizhniy Novgorod	877EKM	1986	1987	02.09.1987		active as of 2010, modernized to project 08773 in 1999–2001
	013	Rais Hadi Slimane	Nizhniy Novgorod	877EKM	1986	1987	25 November 1987		in reserve in 2006, status in 2010 unknown
	S58	Sindhuvir	Saint Petersburg	877EKM	15 May 1987	13 September 1987	25 December 1987		active as of 2010, modernized to project 08773 in 1997–1999
	B-445	Svyatoi Nikolai Chudotvorets	Komsoloľsk na Amure	877	21 March 1987	26 September 1987	30 January 1988	PF	unknown (in reserve from 2007 or active)
	S59	Sindhuratna	Nizhniy Novgorod	877EKM	1987	1988	14 August 1988		active as of 2010, modernized to project 08773 in 2001–2003
	S60	Sindhukesari	Saint Petersburg	877EKM	20 April 1988	16 August 1988	29 October 1988		active as of 2010, modernized to project 08773 in 1999–2001
	B-808	Yaroslavl	Nizhniy Novgorod	877	29 September 1986	30 July 1988	27 December 1988	NF	active as of 2010
	B-394	(ex Komsomolsk Tadjikistana)	Komsoloľsk na Amure	877	15 April 1988	03.09.1988	30 December 1988	PF	unknown (in reserve from 2007 or active)
	B-800	Kaluga (ex Vologodskij komsomolets)	Nizhniy Novgorod	877LPMB	05.03.1987	07.05.1989	30 September 1989	NF	active as of 2010
	S61	Sindhukirti	Saint Petersburg	877EKM	05.04.1989	26 August 1989	30 October 1989		in modernization to project 08773 from 2007
	B-464	Ust'-Kamchatsk	Komsoloľsk na Amure	877	26 May 1989	23 September 1989	30 January 1990	PF	in reserve from 2007
	B-459	Vledikavkaz	Nizhniy Novgorod	877	25 February 1988	29 April 1990	30 September 1990	NF	unknown (in reserve from 2008 or active)
	S62	Sindhuvijay	Saint Petersburg	877EKM	06.04.1990	27 July 1990	27 October 1990		active as of 2010, modernized to project 08773 in 2005–2007
	B-871	Alrosa	Nizhniy Novgorod	877V	17 May 1988	09.1989	30 December 1990	BSF	active as of 2010
	B-471	Magnitogorsk	Nizhniy Novgorod	877	26 October 1988	22 September 1990	30 December 1990	NF	active as of 2010
	B-494	Ust'-Bolsheretsk	Komsoloľsk na Amure	877	5 May 1990	04.10.1990	30 December 1990	PF	unknown (in reserve from 2008 or active)
	901	Tareg	Saint Petersburg	877EKM	05.04.1991	25 September 1991	25 December 1991		unknown (probably in modernization to project 08773 from 2006)
	B-187	x	Komsoloľsk na Amure	877	07.05.1991	05.10.1991	30 December 1991	PF	in reserve from 2007
	B-177	Lipetsk	Nizhniy Novgorod	877	03.11.1989	27 July 1991	30 December 1991	NF	active as of 2010
	B-190	Krasnokamensk	Komsoloľsk na Amure	877	08.05.1992	25 September 1992	30 December 1992	PF	active as of 2010
	902	Noor	Saint Petersburg	877EKM	30 April 1992	16 October 1992	31 December 1992		unknown (probably in modernization to project 08773 from 2006)
	B-345	Mogocha	Komsoloľsk na Amure	877	22 April 1993	06.10.1993	22 January 1994	PF	active as of 2010
	364	Yuan Zhend 64 Hao	Nizhniy Novgorod	877EKM	???	1994	10.11.1994		active as of 2007
	365	Yuan Zhend 65 Hao	Nizhniy Novgorod	877EKM	???	1995	14 August 1995		active as of 2007
	903	Yunes	Saint Petersburg	877EKM	05.02.1992	12.07.1994	02.09.1996		active as 2011 (probably in modernization to project 08773 from 2006)
	S63	Sindhurakshak	Saint Petersburg	877EKM	16 February 1995	26 June 1997	02.10.1997		in modernization to project 08773 from 09.08.2010 work is planned for approximately 2 years
	S64	Sindhushastra	Saint Petersburg	877EKM	12 December 1998	14 October 1999	16 May 2000		active as of 2010

Project 636 units

Project 636 – significant dates

Operator	#	Name	Shipyard	Project	Laid down	Launched	Commissioned	Fleet	Status
	366	Yuan Zheng 66 Hao	Saint Petersburg	636	16 July 1996	26 April 1997	26 August 1997		active as of 2006
	367	Yuan Zheng 67 Hao	Saint Petersburg	636	28 August 1997	18 June 1998	25 October 1998		active as of 2006
	368	Yuan Zheng 68 Hao	Saint Petersburg	636M	18 October 2002	27 May 2004	20 October 2004		active as of 2006
	369	Yuan Zheng 69 Hao	Saint Petersburg	636M	18 October 2002	19 August 2004	2005		active as of 2006
	370	Yuan Zheng 70 Hao	Saint Petersburg	636M	2004	05.2005	2005		active as of 2006
	371	Yuan Zheng 71 Hao	Saint Petersburg	636M	2004	2005	2005		active as of 2006
	372	Yuan Zheng 72 Hao	Saint Petersburg	636M	2005	2005	2006		active as of 2006
	373	Yuan Zheng 73 Hao	Nizhniy Novgorod	636M	07.1992	08.05.2004	05.08.2005		active as of 2007
	374	Yuan Zheng 74 Hao	Severodvinsk	636M	29 May 2003	21 May 2005	30 December 2005		active as of 2006
	375	Yuan Zheng 75 Hao	Severodvinsk	636M	29 May 2003	14 July 2005	30 December 2005		active as of 2006
	022	???	Saint Petersburg	636M	2006	20 November 2008	28 August 2009		active
	023 (?)	???	Saint Petersburg	636M	2007	09.04.2009	29 October 2009		active
	B-261	Novorossiysk	Saint Petersburg	636.3	20 August 2010		pl.2013	BSF	laid down
	B-237	Rostov-on-Don	Saint Petersburg	636.3	21 November 2011		pl.2014	BSF	laid down
	B-???	???	Saint Petersburg	636.3	pl.2012		pl.2015	BSF	ordered
	B-???	???	Saint Petersburg	636.3			pl.2015		ordered
	B-???	???	Saint Petersburg	636.3			pl.2016		ordered
	B-???	???	Saint Petersburg	636.3			pl.2016		ordered
	???	???	Saint Petersburg	636M	25 August 2010		pl.2014		ordered, could have been laid down
	???	???	Saint Petersburg	636M			pl.2015		ordered
	???	???	Saint Petersburg	636M			pl.2016		ordered
	???	???	Saint Petersburg	636M			pl.2017		ordered
	???	???	Saint Petersburg	636M			pl.2018		ordered
	???	???	Saint Petersburg	636M			pl.2019		ordered

Specifications

There are several variants of the Kilo class. The information below is the smallest and largest number from the available information for all three variants of the ship.

• Displacement:
  • 2,300–2,350 tons surfaced
  • 3,000–4,000 tons submerged
• Dimensions:
  • Length: 70–74 meters
  • Beam: 9.9 meters
  • Draft: 6.2–6.5 meters
• Maximum speed
  • 10–12 knots surfaced
  • 17–25 knots submerged
• Propulsion: Diesel-electric 5900 shp
• Maximum depth: 300 meters (240–250 meters operational)
• Endurance
  • 400 nautical miles (740.8 km) at 3 knots (6 km/h) submerged
  • 6000 nautical miles (11,112 km) at 7 knots (14 km/h) snorkeling (7,500 miles for the Improved Kilo class)
  • 45 days sea endurance
• Armament
  • Air defence: 8 SA-N-8 Gremlin or SA-N-10 Gimlet Surface-to-air missile
    Surface-to-air missile
    A surface-to-air missile or ground-to-air missile is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft or other missiles...
    
    s (export submarines may not be equipped with air defense weapons)
  • Six 533 mm torpedo tubes with 18 53-65 ASuW or TEST 71/76 ASW torpedo
    Torpedo
    The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
    
    es or VA-111 Shkval
    VA-111 Shkval
    The VA-111 Shkval torpedo and its descendants are supercavitating torpedoes developed by the Soviet Union. They are capable of speeds in excess of 200 knots .-Design and capabilities:...
    
     supercavitating
    Supercavitation
    Supercavitation is the use of cavitation effects to create a bubble of gas inside a liquid large enough to encompass an object traveling through the liquid, greatly reducing the skin friction drag on the object and enabling achievement of very high speeds...
    
     "underwater missiles", or 24 DM-1 mines,
  • Club S anti-ship missiles
    3M-54 Klub
    The Russian 3M-54 Klub is a multi-role missile system developed by the Novator Design Bureau. Its NATO reporting name is SS-N-27. Both submarine and surface ship launched versions exist. The system is designed to accept various warheads, allowing its use against surface and subsurface naval...
    
     (only on some export versions)
• Crew: 52
• Price per unit is US$200–250 million (China paid approx. US$1.5-2 billion for 8 Project 636 Kilo class submarines)

See also

• INS Sindhurakshak
  INS Sindhurakshak
  INS Sindhurakshak is a diesel-electric submarine of the Indian Navy. On February 26, 2010, a sailor aboard the submarine was killed in a fire that broke out in the battery compartment of the submarine while it was docked at Visakhapatnam naval base, though the platform suffered no serious...
  
   – an Indian submarine of the Kilo class
• Russian submarine Losharik
• Patrick Robinson – author of the novels Nimitz Class
  Nimitz Class (novel)
  Nimitz Class is a naval thriller published in 1997 by Patrick Robinson. It is the first book in the series which features admiral Arnold Morgan and Ben Adnam. It is stylistic similar to Tom Clancy, particularly The Hunt for Red October.-Plot summary:...
  
  and Kilo Class
  Kilo Class (novel)
  Kilo Class is a 1998 novel by Patrick Robinson. It features characters found in his earlier novel, Nimitz Class, including Admiral Arnold Morgan....
  
  ; both describe hypothetical situations involving Kilo class submarines, though lacking credible detail. The Kilo is portrayed in many of Robinson's other novels, where the ships' stealth may be overemphasized.
• List of ships of Algeria