Project 677

The design of Project 677 submarines was substantially ahead of its time.

The development of the project began in 1987 under the supervision of Yuri Kormilitsin, General Designer. Since 2008 the Project Chief Designer has been Alexander Arsentiev.

In the course of development of Project 677, the first Russian conventional submarine of the Generation IV, the designers went the extra mile from the implementation of the best achievements gained for the previous generations of the submarines. A principally new ship in Russian practice accumulated more than 130 equipment suites and systems of radio electronic weaponry, high-precision weapons, equipment, as well as latest achievements in stealth capability, with due consideration to future requirements. The innovative character of implemented solutions demanded extended testing during trials.

Key features of the Project 677 submarine compared to submarines of the previous generation:

  • a single-hull architecture and significantly smaller displacement
  • an integrated automated combat control system supporting high automation of submarine control and weapons use
  • a missile salvo capability to be used against sea and stationary land targets
  • increased range of target detection by a sonar suite with a large-area conformal array and digital signal processing
  • a significantly higher stealth capability due to lower signature
  • an option of using an air-independent propulsion plant to considerably enhance underwater endurance
  • considerably extended submerged operating range
  • an electric propulsion system based on Variable Speed Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor
  • personnel complement reduced by over 30%

Results of trial operation were taken into consideration in the revised technical design, under which the follow-on Project 677 submarines are constructed.

Further development of the project is focused on the improvement of:

  • the radio electronic weaponry
  • the electric propulsion system
  • ship's systems and mechanisms

Project 677 submarines can effectively solve all the tasks which modern conventional submarines are assigned with, both in littoral and blue-water areas.