According to information published by Tass on October 25, 2022, the Black Sea Fleet’s Project 636.3 submarine Novorossiysk (NATO reporting name: Improved Kilo) will undergo planned repairs at the Kronstadt Shipyard in 2023 after its months-long mission as part of the Russian Navy’s squadron deployed in the Mediterranean Sea.
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Russian Project 636.6 submarine Novorossiysk. (Picture source: kchf)
Project 636.3 diesel-electric submarines of the Russian Black Sea Fleet regularly operate as part of the Russian Navy’s permanent formation deployed in the Mediterranean Sea. Until recently, the formation included the subs Novorossiysk and Krasnodar.
Submarines of this type repeatedly attacked terrorist targets in Syria with Kalibr-PL (SS-N-27 Sizzler) missiles from the Mediterranean Sea. They also hit targets in Ukraine from the Black Sea during Russia’s special military operation.
The Black Sea Fleet operates six Project 636.3 submarines built by the Admiralty Wharves Shipyard (part of the United Shipbuilding Corporation).
On October 13, the Russian Defense Ministry reported the arrival of the submarine Novorossiysk and the rescue tug Sergei Balk in Kronstadt. The crews were welcomed by Navy Commander-in-Chief Admiral Nikolai Yevmenov.
About the Kalibr missile
The 3M-54 Kalibr, (Калибр, caliber), also referred to it as 3M54-1 Kalibr, 3M14 Biryuza, (NATO reporting name SS-N-27 Sizzler and SS-N-30A) is a family of Russian cruise missiles developed by the Novator Design Bureau (OKB-8).
There are ship-launched, submarine-launched and air-launched versions of the missile, and variants for anti-ship, anti-submarine and land attack use. Some versions have a second propulsion stage that initiates a supersonic sprint in the terminal approach to the target, reducing the time that target's defense systems have to react, while subsonic versions have greater range than the supersonic variants. The missile can carry a warhead weighing up to 500 kilograms (1,100 lb) of explosive or a thermonuclear warhead.
Discrepancies in range values may be political declarations for strategic effect, or potentially longer 2,500 km-range claims could be associated with a thermonuclear armed variant while shorter 1,500 km-range estimates are for the conventionally armed missile.
Domestic variants are basic versions of this missile family; these are the 3M54 and 3M14. The export model is called Club (formerly Klub). There are two major launch platforms: the Kalibr-PL (export Club-S), designed for use from submarines, and the Kalibr-NK (export Club-N), designed for surface ships.
