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| A Russian built Kilo (636) class Submarine (File Photo) |
Vietnam's recent acquisition of three new 636MV attack submarines has cast the spotlight on the burgeoning regional submarine race in the South China Sea, reports China's official Xinhua news agency.
Towards the end of last year, the third of six Kilo-class subs Vietnam contracted to buy from Russia for US$1.8 billion in 2009 were delivered to southeast Vietnam's Cam Ranh Bay. The last of the six large torpedo-equipped attack subs is expected to be delivered by 2016.
This is a significant upgrade of Vietnam's submarine fleet, which had previously relied on the two Yugo-class midget submarines it acquired from North Korea during the 1990s as part of a "rice for arms" deal.
The new Kilo-class subs are equipped with Club S anti-ship missiles, which are believed to include 3M54E1 supersonic anti-ship cruise missiles that have a range of around 300 kilometers, giving Hanoi the ability to attack China's key naval base on Hainan Island and the People Liberation Army's South Sea Fleet command center located in Zhanjiang in Guangdong province.
Read the full story at Want China Times