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Russia Expands Lada-Class Submarine Program with Two New Submarines to Be Laid Down in 2026.
Russia’s Navy chief, Admiral Alexander Moiseyev, says two additional Velikiye Luki series Project 677 Lada diesel-electric submarines will be laid down in early 2026 at Admiralty Shipyards in St. Petersburg under the state defense order.
On December 16, 2025, Russia confirmed that two additional Velikiye Luki series Project 677 Lada diesel electric submarines will be laid down in early 2026 at Admiralty Shipyards in St. Petersburg under the state defense order, Russian Navy Commander in Chief Admiral Alexander Moiseyev told TASS after the flag raising ceremony on the submarine Velikiye Luki. Presented by Moscow as the future backbone of its non-nuclear submarine force, the Lada class is central to Russia’s efforts to modernize its coastal and near-sea underwater capabilities.
Russia has confirmed plans to lay down two additional Project 677 Lada class diesel-electric submarines in early 2026 at Admiralty Shipyards, reinforcing Moscow’s push to modernize its non-nuclear submarine force for coastal and near-sea operations (Picture Source: Vitaly Kuzmin / Rubin Central Design Bureau)
According to official report from the Rubin Central Design Bureau, Velikiye Luki has become the third Project 677 Lada-class submarine to enter service with the Russian Navy and the second serially produced vessel of its type. The handover ceremony at Admiralty Shipyards marked the completion of state trials and acceptance procedures after extensive testing of its combat, navigation, propulsion, and acoustic systems. Rubin noted that Velikiye Luki was built under an updated technical configuration shaped by experience with earlier units, particularly Kronshtadt, incorporating improvements to onboard systems and crew living conditions to meet current naval standards for non-nuclear submarines in near-sea zones. Following its commissioning for the Baltic Fleet, TASS reported that two additional Lada-class submarines are slated for construction alongside the ongoing Vologda and Yaroslavl projects, while the prototype Sankt Peterburg has been retired due to upgrade costs and complexity. This decision underscores the Russian Navy’s renewed commitment to the Lada platform as a modern, serially produced component of its non-nuclear forces for both the Northern and Baltic Fleets, reflecting confidence in the class’s multi-mission capabilities despite its protracted and challenging development.
In design terms, Project 677 Lada is described by Russian sources as a new-generation evolution of the Project 877 Paltus/Varshavyanka (Kilo) family, developed by the Rubin Central Design Bureau in St. Petersburg in the 1990s to replace earlier conventional submarines with a smaller, quieter and more automated mono-hull design. The boats displace around 1,700–1,800 tonnes on the surface and approximately 2,700 tonnes submerged, for an overall length of about 67–72 meters and a beam of 7.1 meters, with a draught of roughly 6.5 meters. TASS notes a test depth on the order of 300 meters, a maximum submerged speed around 21 knots, and an endurance of up to 45 days with a compact crew of roughly 35 personnel, figures that align broadly with independent open-source data. The combination of reduced displacement, extensive automation and a small crew is intended to lower operating costs while maintaining a full spectrum of combat roles from anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare to reconnaissance, sea-lane protection, mine-laying and special operations support.
Firepower is at the heart of the renewed interest in the Lada series. TASS identifies the Kalibr cruise-missile complex as the primary strike system, integrated with the boat’s six 533 mm bow torpedo tubes and modern combat management architecture. Open technical references indicate that the tubes can accommodate a mix of heavyweight torpedoes, anti-ship cruise missiles, land-attack cruise missiles and rocket-assisted torpedoes, as well as up to several dozen naval mines depending on configuration. The Kalibr family, already used from surface ships and submarines in other theaters, provides conventional long-range precision strike options against both maritime and coastal targets, giving even a relatively small diesel-electric platform the ability to deliver stand-off attacks beyond the immediate littoral zone. In practical terms, a fully armed Lada-class submarine can generate a layered threat: torpedoes and mines for area denial in choke points, coupled with cruise missiles for selective strikes on high-value assets and infrastructure.
From a propulsion and stealth perspective, the class relies on a conventional diesel-electric plant but has been designed from the outset with provisions for an air-independent propulsion (AIP) system using electrochemical generators to increase submerged endurance and reduce the need to snorkel. Rubin’s AIP concept, based on generating hydrogen from diesel fuel and oxygen, has experienced technical delays, and open sources suggest that operational boats to date still operate in a purely diesel-electric configuration, albeit with improved batteries and energy management. Nevertheless, Russian and external descriptions converge on the idea that the Lada design incorporates a high level of acoustic dampening, including a single-hull layout, anechoic coatings, skewed propeller blades and upgraded sonar, such as the Litiy/Lira family, to increase detection ranges while reducing its own acoustic footprint. These characteristics are critical in the confined and noisy waters of the Baltic and Black Seas, where diesel-electric submarines can exploit coastal clutter to remain undetected if they minimize time spent on the surface or at snorkel depth.
The decision to proceed with two more hulls in 2026 has several strategic dimensions. At the military level, it signals Russia’s intent to sustain a sizeable conventional submarine arm alongside its nuclear ballistic and attack submarines, with Lada-class boats optimized for regional operations, including coastal defense, sea-lane interdiction and protection of approaches to major bases such as those near St. Petersburg and Murmansk. Geostrategically, additional Lada units equipped with Kalibr missiles could enhance Moscow’s capacity for conventional strike and sea denial in the Baltic and potentially other theaters where similar environmental conditions prevail, complicating planning for neighboring NATO navies and air forces.
The class also exists in a broader competitive space against other modern non-nuclear designs, such as German Type 212/214 and related export variants, with the Amur-950 and Amur-1650 marketed as export derivatives of Project 677; whether the renewed production tempo and any eventual AIP integration will translate into export successes remains an open question. Finally, the decision comes despite public information about the decommissioning of the prototype Sankt Peterburg and repeated delays in accepting Velikiye Luki into service, which various external analyses interpret as evidence of persistent technical challenges; ordering additional units nevertheless underlines the political and industrial importance attached to the program in Russia’s naval planning.
Against this backdrop, the planned keel-laying of two more Lada-class submarines in early 2026 appears less as a simple fleet renewal step and more as a test of Russia’s ability to consolidate a modern, low-signature conventional submarine line after a troubled start. If the new boats integrate the incremental improvements developed on Kronshtadt and Velikiye Luki, and if the promised AIP solution eventually matures, the series could provide the Russian Navy with a compact but capable platform for multi-domain operations in contested littoral environments. Conversely, continued reliance on conventional diesel-electric propulsion and a limited production run would keep Russia dependent on upgraded Kilo-class submarines for many missions. For now, the 2026 order confirms that Project 677 remains a central pillar of Moscow’s non-nuclear undersea posture, with each new hull adding to a gradual reinforcement of its regional underwater strike and sea-denial capabilities.