Project 677 Lada: Russian Navy lays keel for sixth Maloyaroslavets submarine

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The conventional attack submarine programme, Project 677 Lada, continues to progress as part of the Russian Navy’s renewal plans, with a new vessel having its keel laid at the Admiralty Shipyards. Named Maloyaroslavets after a town in the Kaluga region, the submarine is officially the sixth unit in the programme.

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Project 677 Lada construction and service entry

The Lada submarines are being built by the Admiralty Shipyards, which are part of the United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC), while the design is developed by the Rubin Design Bureau. Unlike the Sankt Petersburg, the first Project 677 boat, which was used to assess the design and its systems, the submarines now under construction feature an improved configuration based on lessons learned during prototype trials and operational evaluation.

This development has already been demonstrated by the commissioning of the first upgraded boats. The Kronstadt joined the Russian Navy in 2024, while the Velikiye Luki, the third submarine in the class, entered service in December 2025, signalling the programme’s move into a more sustained production phase. Two further units, Vologda and Yaroslavl, are currently at different stages of construction.

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Lada submarine capabilities

Among the Lada submarines’ principal characteristics is their focus on acoustic signature reduction, using various measures intended to lower noise generated while underway. Their hydroacoustic systems, meanwhile, were designed to provide a high capacity to detect and track contacts.

The combat system was also designed to enable the use of weapons against naval and land targets, including torpedoes and missiles, broadening the range of missions the platform can undertake.

Russian Navy expansion plans

The programme’s continuation follows Kremlin plans to expand the future conventional submarine force. In July 2025, President Vladimir Putin announced plans to build three additional Project 677 units, raising the overall production target to nine Lada submarines.

The decision provides renewed backing for a programme that has experienced an extended period of development and technical difficulties, but which is now seeking to establish production on a larger scale for the Russian Navy.

The name Maloyaroslavets also maintains the Russian tradition of naming conventional submarines after towns of historical importance. The locality played a particularly significant role in the conflicts of 1812 and 1941, when it was the site of fighting regarded as important to the defence of Russian territory.

Beyond its symbolic aspect, the keel-laying of the new unit marks another tangible step forward for Project 677 Lada, which is expected to take on an increasingly important role within the Russian Navy’s conventional submarine capabilities.

Photographs: Rubin Design Bureau.