Algeria buys two Russian subs

Russia is to sell two 636 Project submarines to Algeria for $400 million. Vladimir Alexandrov, director general of Admiralty Shipyard, said the contract is to be signed in June. The deal was to be struck during Russian President Vladimir Putin?s visit to Algeria back in March, but the contract negotiations broke down.

The two modernized Project 636 submarines (Kilo, in NATO?s classification), will be fitted with latest electronics and construction of the first vessel is to start this year.

Project 636 is a modernized submarine of the 877EKM Varshavyanka class which was exported to seven countries in the 1980s-1990s. Algeria has operated vessels of a similar type when Admiralty Shipyard built two 877EKs for the country back in 1987-1988. These submarines are to be refitted in Russia and Algeria soon.

The St. Petersburg shipyard delivered five submarine of the 636 type to the Chinese Navy between 2004 and 2006 under the $1.8 billion contract between Rosoboronexport, Russia?s arms export monopolist, and China in 2002 on the construction of eight submarines.