A Dutch heavy lift ship left Kaliningrad on February 3, carrying the second Russian-built Kilo-class submarine to a naval base in Vietnam.
The submarine, named HQ-183 Ho Chi Minh City, was built at Admiralty Verfi Shipyard in St. Petersburg.
Due to harsh weather conditions in St. Petersburg, the naval diesel-electric submarine was loaded on to the Dutch heavy lift ship at Kaliningrad’s Yantar shipyard instead of Admiralty Verfi.
The loading was supported by two tug boats and a canoe.
The Dutch ship is now travelling to the Baltic Sea and then to Vietnam. It is scheduled to dock at Cam Ranh port in one and a half months.
Vietnam and Russia signed a document verifying the result of the vessel’s technical tests at the Admiralty Verfi Shipyard on January 16.
This is the second of the six Kilo-class submarines Vietnam is purchasing from Russia under a contract signed in 2009.
The first submarine, dubbed HQ-182 Hanoi, was delivered to Vietnam in November 2013. It was transported to Cam Ranh port on December 31, 2013 and successfully made its first maiden voyage on January 8, 2014.
The third vessel, named HQ-184 Haiphong, was launched in Russia on August 28, 2013, and will be delivered to Vietnam this year.
(VOV)
