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Key Points: Russia’s Project 636.3 Varshavyanka-class (or Kilo II-Class) submarine Ufa, dubbed a “Black Hole” for its stealth, made a port visit in Qingdao, China, following its transit through the Yellow Sea.

-This is part of Ufa’s journey to its home base at Vladivostok, with stops in India, Indonesia, and Malaysia, showcasing the submarine’s operational flexibility.

-Designed for coastal operations, the Kilo-II-class submarines are equipped with advanced stealth features, sonar, and weaponry, including Kalibr-PL cruise missiles.

-This move underscores Russia’s naval presence in the Indo-Pacific amidst heightened tensions in the region.

Russia’s New Submarine Makes Port Visit in China

The Chinese port of Qingdao in the Shandong province is home to 10.6 million people – but to residents, it could feel as if the city were being invaded by Russians! On Monday, a flotilla of Russian Navy warships departed the city that is known for its German-style architecture and its beer breweries that date to its colonial past, when it was an Imperial German trade center and port known as Tsingtau.

Hours after the Russian Navy’s Pacific Fleet’s corvettes Gromky, Rezky, and Hero of the Russian Federation Aldar Tsydenzhapov and the tanker Pechenga departed following a five-day-long port call, the Kremlin’s fourth modified Project 636.3 Varshavyanka-class diesel-electric submarine Ufa and rescue tug Alatau arrived in Qingdao after transiting the Yellow Sea.

Also known as the Kilo II-class, the Project 636.3 boats have earned the ominous nickname “Black Holes” from the U.S. Navy for their effective stealth that makes them especially hard to track while submerged. Though designed to operate in shallower, coastal waters and to conduct anti-ship and anti-submarine operations, Ufa has taken part in an epic journey – and still hasn’t arrived yet at the Pacific Fleet’s home port of Vladivostok.

Kilo-class Submarine. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

The Ufa – On the Move

Launched in November 2022 at the Admiralty Shipyards of the United Shipbuilding Corporation in St. Petersburg, Ufa completed its sea trials last year and took part in a brief deployment to the Mediterranean Sea in March. The submarine began the transit to the Pacific Ocean via the southern route, accompanied by the rescue tug, in October – making port calls in India, Indonesia, and Malaysia while the underwater cruiser made a surprise appearance earlier this month after surfacing in the West Philippine Sea.

Ufa was spotted 148 kilometers, eighty nautical miles, west of Occidental Mindoro, and within the Philippines’s economic waters. The Russian submarine’s movements were carefully tracked by the guided-missile frigate BRP Jose Rizal (FF-150), the led vessel of the first purpose-built frigates for the Maritime Southeast Asian nation.

Meet Russia’s Black Holes in the Water

The Project 636.3 Kilo-II attack submarines are seventy-four meters long and displace more than 3,900 tons. The boats live up to the “Black Hole” moniker, as each is equipped with acoustic stealth and a target detection range, as well as the latest inertial navigator, advanced automated information and control system, more powerful high-speed torpedo, and improved missile armament. Due to their strong hull, the submarines have an operational depth of 240 meters and can dive to a maximum depth of 300 meters.

With the engine plant placed away from the hull, which eliminates some noise, the diesel-electric submarines have been described as being among the world’s quietest underwater cruisers, making them extremely hard to track. Each is also furnished with modern radar and communications systems and advanced sonars, which increases their capabilities. 

Kilo-Class Submarine

Russia-built Kilo-class Submarine. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

The Kilo-II subs are operated by a crew of fifty-two submarines and can travel at speeds of up to twenty knots, while they have sea endurance of forty-five days and an operational range of up to 7,500 miles. The boats are armed with Kalibr-PL cruise missiles that can be launched from six 21-inch torpedo tubes while submerged.

The Kremlin signed a contract for building a series of Project 636.3 six diesel-electric submarines for the Pacific Fleet in September 2016. The lead submarine of the class, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, was delivered to the Russian Navy on November 25, 2019, while the second Volkhov was subsequently handed over to the Fleet on October 24, 2020. A third submarine Magadan was delivered to the Russian Navy in November 2021, and joined the Pacific Fleet after transiting the Northern Sea Route in late 2022.

Author Experience and Expertise: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu is a Senior Editor focusing on defense issues for 19FortyFive. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,500 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on X: @PeterSuciu – and on Bluesky: @petersuciu.bsky.social.