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Submarine arriving Black Sea after Arctic tests

The Varshavyanka-class submarine "Novorossiysk".

Russia’s new diesel-electric submarine Novorossiysk has completed the journey from the Barents Sea to the Black Sea.

Location

According to Russia’s Ministry of Defense, the submarine sailed through the Dardanelles and Bosporus and arrived in the Black Sea on Wednesday. It is expected to arrive in its base of Novorossiysk in a couple of days.

As BarentsObserver reported, the “Novorossiysk”, arrived in the Northern Fleet for deep-water tests of equipment and weapons systems in the beginning of November 2014. The series of tests were completed by the firing of a cruise missile from the Barents Sea in August.

Novorossiysk is the first of six planned Varshavyanka-class (NATO reporting name Improved Kilo class) diesel-electric submarines specially built for the Black Sea Fleet. The second vessel of the class, “Rostov-na-Donu”, was in January reported to be preparing to sail to the Barents Sea for deep-water tests of equipment and weapons systems.

The Varshavyanka-class submarines are characterized by a combination of small size and low noise level with powerful torpedoes and missiles. They can fight underwater and surface targets and are designed to protect naval bases, coastline and sea lanes. They have a 4000 tons displacement and can make 20 knots submerged. The submarine is armed with 533 mm torpedoes and Kalibr cruise missiles, which can destroy surface targets at a distance of up to 300 kilometers.