Russian design firm launches submersible patrol ship series

Russian naval architects Rubin Central Design Bureau has confirmed that development is underway on a new type of warship that will combine key features of submarines and surface patrol vessels.

The vessels that will be built under the Border and Offshore Submersible Sentry (BOSS) project will be versatile enough to be used in patrols, intelligence gathering, anti-smuggling missions, seabed research, search and rescue (SAR), and training.

Rubin said the ability to dive will enable the vessel to conduct discreet surveillance missions. It will also allow the crew to avoid harsh weather and sea conditions while performing their missions, thus reducing the risk of aborts.

Each vessel will have a displacement of 1,000 tonnes, an LOA of between 60 and 70 metres depending on the configuration, and space for 42 personnel including crewmembers and boarding teams.

There will also be large, pressure-proof containers for housing rigid hull inflatable boats (RHIBs) or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The UAV launch sequence will be fully automated, thus eliminating the need for people to be on the vessel’s open deck.

The vessels’ armament will include torpedoes, missiles, and autocannon.

Rubin said the BOSS vessels will closely resemble the Soviet Navy’s 1950s-era Project 613 or Whiskey-class diesel-electric submarines.

The BOSS vessels will be marketed to export customers, added Rubin.