ST. PETERSBURG, November 26 (AVN) - Russia is planning to expose an export variant of its Amur-1650 diesel-electric submarine at the Langkawi International Military and Aerospace show (LIMA-99) which will open in Malaysia on November 30, Yuri Kormilitsyn, constructor-general of the local Rubin sea equipment design bureau, said on Friday.
Amur-1650 is developed from Projects 977, 877B, 887EKM and 636 Amur, Kormilitsyn told the Military News Agency. It was designed by the Rubin bureau and built at the local Admiralteiskie Verfi shipyard.
The submarine is frequently called "sea hunter," as it is one of the most manoeuvrable, quiet and well-armed undersea ships in the world. It has aboard six 553-mm torpedo launchers with reserve ammunition of 18 torpedoes and is capable of making autonomous trips for as long as 45 days. Its range is 650 miles, but can reach even 6,000 miles if the engine is used in the economic regime. Its maximum diving depth is 250 metres.
According to Kormilitsyn, the submarine will be equipped with the Kristal-27E air-independent energy plant with electrochemical generator. Though the competition for submarine orders for the Gulf, Southeastern and Latin American countries is tough, Amur-1650 has good chances to conquer the market, he said.