Vietnam holds flag-raising ceremony for two new submarines
Xinhua, February 28, 2017 Adjust font size:
A flag-raising ceremony was held Tuesday for Vietnam's two newly-received submarines at a military seaport of Submarine Brigade 189 in Vietnam's south central coastal Khanh Hoa province.
The two submarines namely Da Nang and Ba Ria-Vung Tau are the last among six Kilo-class submarines that Vietnam ordered from Russia following a nearly 2 billion-U.S. dollar contract between Vietnam and Russia signed in 2009, reported Vietnamese government's e-Portal (VGP) on Tuesday.
Speaking at the ceremony, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said the fact that the submarines are included in the payroll of Submarine Brigade 189 affirmed the strategy of the party and state which aims at enhancing defense capacities at sea, bringing Vietnam People's Navy to be closer to common qualification of other navies in the region and in the world.
In total, Vietnam received six Russian-made submarines in January and March 2014, February and June 2015, February 2016 and January 2017.
Each submarine is nearly 74 meters in length with displacement of 3,000-3,950 tons. It is able to operate at a maximum depth of 300 meters and at a speed of 20 nautical miles per hour with 52 crew members on board, said the VGP. Endit