The People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) Navy's fourth Improved Project 636 Kilo-class diesel-electric submarine (SSK) has arrived in Cam Ranh Bay, according to local media reports corroborated by IHS Maritime data.
The submarine, Da Nang (HQ 185), is part of a USD2 billion contract for six SSKs signed between Vietnam and Russia's Admiralty Shipyards in 2009. All six boats are scheduled for delivery to the PAVN by 2016.
According to ship tracking data from AISLive , a semi-submersible carrier identified by Vietnamese media to be carrying Da Nang , the Netherlands-registered Rolldock Storm , was projected to arrive in Cam Ranh on 30 June. This is in line with media reports stating that the vessel arrived on the same day. Da Nang was expected to be unloaded from Rolldock Storm on 2 July.
Vietnam's Kilo-class submarines are equipped with six 533 mm tubes that can deploy TEST-71 series anti-surface and anti-submarine heavyweight torpedoes, according to data from IHS Jane's Fighting Ships . The 72 m vessels can reach top speeds of 17 kt when submerged and 9 kt when snorting.