B-585 ''Sankt Peterburg'' (russian: Б-585 «Санкт-Петербург»; named after Saint Petersburg) is the lead boat of the s of the Russian Navy. The Lada class is the fourth generation of

diesel-electric submarine A submarine (or sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability. The term is also sometimes used historically or colloquially to refer to remotely op ...

s designed and constructed in the former Soviet Union and Russia to replace the . Construction of the boat started in December 1997, and she was launched in October 2004. After undergoing a series of sea trials, ''Sankt Peterburg'' was commissioned in May 2010. However, the Russian Navy decided not to accept the St. Petersburg class after it was discovered that the boat's propulsion and sonar systems were inadequate. After design corrections the submarine was accepted. In 2014, ''Sankt Peterburg'' joined the Northern Fleet.

Background and construction

''Sankt Peterburg'' is first boat of Rubin Design Bureau's Lada class, of which a total of eight were expected to be procured by the Russian Navy. A less capable version, the , is marketed for export. Designed during the 1990s, the St. Petersburg class is intended to be the successor to the larger Kilo class. The Kilo class is considered to be one of the quietest diesel classes in operations, giving rise to the nickname "Black Hole". Among the expected capabilities improvements of the St. Petersburg class over its predecessor were the incorporation of improved anechoic coating (to minimize sonar contact), extended cruise range, and the upgrade to newer weapons for

anti-submarine An anti-submarine weapon (ASW) is any one of a number of devices that are intended to act against a submarine and its crew, to destroy (sink) the vessel or reduce its capability as a weapon of war. In its simplest sense, an anti-submarine weapo ...

and anti-ship operations. St. Petersburg-class boats can also conduct reconnaissance and defend naval facilities and sea lanes. Amid a severe shortage of funds experienced during the 1990s following the

dissolution of the Soviet Union The dissolution of the Soviet Union, also negatively connoted as rus, Разва́л Сове́тского Сою́за, r=Razvál Sovétskogo Soyúza, ''Ruining of the Soviet Union''. was the process of internal disintegration within the Sov ...

, the keel of ''Sankt Peterburg'' was laid down on 26 December 1997, in Saint Petersburg by Admiralty Shipyard. The company specialises in submarine construction, having built more than 300 boats, including the and nuclear-powered submarines. By 2006, two more of ''Sankt Peterburg''s sister boats, ''Kronshtadt'' and ''Sevastopol'' had had their keels laid down. ''Sankt Peterburg'' was launched on 28 October 2004, to coincide with the 300th anniversary of Sankt Peterburg's founding, before undergoing several sea trials, to validate her systems, until 2009. As of 25 February 2008, ''Sankt Peterburg'' was part of the 13th Brigade of Ships Under Repair and Construction (military unit number 22875), Leningrad Naval Base.Журнал «Власть» № 7(760) от 25.02.2008
Military Unit number is via warfare.ru, http://warfare.be/?catid=321&linkid=2225&title=western-military-district---osc-west. Retrieved 26 February 2012.

Operational history

On 6 May 2010, ''Sankt Peterburg'' was commissioned into the Russian Navy, signalling the official start of her operational service. The boat thereafter underwent combat training with the

Baltic Fleet , image = Great emblem of the Baltic fleet.svg , image_size = 150 , caption = Baltic Fleet Great ensign , dates = 18 May 1703 – present , country = , allegiance = (1703–1721) (1721–1917) (1917–1922) (1922–1991)(1991–present) ...

and participated in a naval

parade A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, float (parade), floats, or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually ce ...

and an

exercise Exercise is a body activity that enhances or maintains physical fitness and overall health and wellness. It is performed for various reasons, to aid growth and improve strength, develop muscles and the cardiovascular system, hone athletic ...

. At the same time, she continued sea trials until late 2011. Despite having been commissioned, in November 2011 the Russian Navy decided that the St. Petersburg class would not be accepted into service, as ''Sankt Peterburg'' had fallen far short of requirements during trials. According to '' Izvestia'', the main drawback was the propulsion unit's inability to produce half of the expected power, along with the inefficiency of the sonar system. With the construction of the other two St. Petersburg-class submarines being halted, the Russian Navy ordered additional Improved Kilo-class submarines. The decision to reject the St. Petersburg class was confirmed in February 2012 by Russian Navy Commander-in-Chief Admiral Vladimir Vysotsky, who stated, "The Russian Navy does not need the St. Petersburg in its current form." ''Sankt Peterburg'' would remain an experimental prototype. ''Sankt Peterburg'' successfully carried a missile launch in accordance with the combat training schedule in the Barents Sea. The cruise missile was launched from an underwater position at a naval target on 17 November 2016. Tests were successfully finished in December 2018. Nevertheless, as of 2020, the submarine continued to be used as a test platform for the class and according to one report, was noted not to be fully operational. In April 2020, the boat was reported undergoing new trials in the Baltic to prepare for her return to the Northern Fleet where her role in protecting the SSBN force was described as "vital". Another report in 2020 suggested that her deployment could in future be shifted to the

. In 2021 it was reported that after years of being used as a "test platform", she was formally "accepted into service".

References

External links

Project 677 ''Lada'' class Project 1650 ''Amur'' class Diesel-Electric Torpedo Submarine
of GlobalSecurity.org
Navy Commander Denied Lada Subs Rejection
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sankt Peterburg (B-585) Lada-class submarines Attack submarines 2004 ships Ships built at Admiralty Shipyard Submarines of the Russian Navy