Italy, Russia to Modernize Diesel Submarine Project

Ria Novosti ^ | 05/07/2013

[sukhoi-30mki]

Italy, Russia to Modernize Diesel Submarine Project

ST. PETERSBURG, July 5 (RIA Novosti) – Russia and Italy have decided to optimize their joint next-generation diesel submarine project, a Russian naval design bureau said Friday.

The S-1000, a 1,000-ton diesel submarine, is a joint project begun in 2004 by Russian submarine builder Rubin and Italy’s Fincantieri. Russia and Italy presented a mockup model of the S-1000 at an international arms show in France in October 2006.

Andrei Baranov, deputy head of the Rubin Central Design Bureau, said that in its proposed configuration, the S-1000 is of “little interest” for potential clients, adding that a decision had been made to improve the project and target specific countries that need a submarine fleet.

The submarine was originally designed for anti-submarine and anti-ship warfare, reconnaissance missions, and transportation of up to 12 troops. It is 56.2 meters long, has a top speed of 14 knots and is equipped with a new fuel cell-powered Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) system developed by the Italian firm.

Although its exterior will stay as designed, there will be considerable changes to “what’s inside” the submarine, Baranov said, adding that the target regions for selling submarine would remain the Middle East and Southeast Asia.

He cited several reasons for the upgrading the sub, including to market it to the Russian and Italian navies. He said the S-1000 design was drawn up almost a decade ago and much has changed since then. And, he noted, such small submarines are currently in great demand in the world, and there is intense competition on the market.

“Countries that are actively looking for new submarines are setting some totally unexpected demands for those ships,” he said.

[sukhoi-30mki]

S-1000 diesel submarine project

© Photo Rubin Central Design Bureau

[Jeff Head]

These things will be a lot smaller than the other DE subs being produced now days. They'll 1,000 tons (actually 1,100) and only about 160 ft long. They'll have six torpedo tubes, but the weapons are loaded in the tubes and fired from there and that is their total load out.

They would be very quiet...but also very slow. At 14 knots, they could not truly "intercept" war vessels, and would be hard pressed to "intercept" many of today's modern merchant vessels.

They would have to lay in wait for them...in narrows, channels, or shallows.

Having said that, they are liable to be cheap and dangerous and other nations would have to be on their guard. All sea faring nations have to develop better ASW methodologies against such vessels.

That is why the US NAvy leased a Sedish diesel-electric boat and crew for over 2 years to find ways to effectivly locate and prosecute them.

[sukhoi-30mki]

Umm-nope their total loadout is 14 weapons (6 in tubes+8)

http://www.fincantieri.it/cms/data/prodotti/000022.aspx

That’s the same as many Type-209 variants and the newer Type-212

[Jeff Head]

You are correct. My bad. They do carry eight weapons internally.

Just the same, their speed and their endurance make them pretty much a defensive, lay in wait type platform. Quiet for sure...but any task force seeking them will use whatever ASW prodecures they have set up fo SSKs to de-gausse the straits, channels, choke point where they may lay in wait.

[Conspiracy Guy]

I had one just like this as a kid. It was powered by baking soda.

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

There are too many submarines in the world, and it’s about time that somebody began to discreetly start culling the herd, leaving little or no evidence behind of the proximate cause of the sinking. Hopefully in water so deep that nobody will find out any time soon.

[Strategerist]

There are too many submarines in the world, and it’s about time that somebody began to discreetly start culling the herd, leaving little or no evidence behind of the proximate cause of the sinking. Hopefully in water so deep that nobody will find out any time soon.

Real easy to propose the mass murder of sailors from countries we're not at war with from behind a computer screen.

And despite everything you hear, the total number of submarines in the world, and the number of countries with submarines, has actually dropped in the last couple of decades. They're expensive.

[central_va]

Electric boats are really hard to find.

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

I gather the number is around 550, but my concern is that submarines have become like battleships were in the build up to World War I, an easy excuse for belligerence.

In particular, the Chinese are attempting to assert control over the entire South China sea, almost to the coasts of its neighbors.

http://www.strategypage.com/fyeo/howtomakewar/databases/submarine_database/submarines.asp

Likewise, with the sinking of the Cheonan, the North Koreans have established themselves as a regional menace; which when combined with nuclear weapons could be a major pain, such as parking a suicide sub in someone’s harbor.

Finally are the Iranians, always a wild card.

[0.E.O]

Electric boats are really hard to find.

They've been working on it: The War Against Invisibility

[MHalblaub]

They’ve been working on it:

US Navy still got problems with electric boasts:
http://seefahrer.blog.de/2013/04/24/manoevertagebuch-westlant-deployment-u-32-15-20-15785812/ (Translator on top right)

[MHalblaub]

That’s the same as many Type-209 variants and the newer Type-212

Fincantieri did also built the fist batch of Italian Type 212 submarines and is actually building another 2 of this type.

The question is who will buy Italian/Russian products than you can order original German u-boats?
http://www.thyssenkrupp-marinesystems.com/en/hdw-class-210mod.html
http://www.kockums.com/en/products-services/submarines/kockums-a26/

The price may cheaper in first place ...

You can drive very fast with a Ferrari or a Mercedes but there are other differences.