December 2, 2024
MANILA – In a rare sighting, a Russian attack submarine surfaced in the West Philippine Sea last week, multiple security sources told the Inquirer.
One of the sources confirmed that the underwater vessel was the Russian Navy’s Ufa, a Kilo II-class diesel-electric submarine. It was first spotted 148 kilometers (80 nautical miles) west off Occidental Mindoro on Nov. 28 and had come from Malaysia, the source added.
The Philippine Navy immediately dispatched an aircraft and a warship to track the Ufa’s movements, according to the sources who spoke on condition of anonymity due to lack of authority to speak to the media. They declined to say why the submarine surfaced.
READ: Ukraine intensifies long-range strikes, sinks Russian submarine
The Russian vessel, however, did not submerge as it moved slowly northward, outside of the country’s territorial waters, until the weekend. Throughout its passage, the Ufa was under the watchful eye of the Philippine Navy’s BRP Jose Rizal.
The 4,000-ton (when submerged) Kilo-class submarines which can go on patrols for 45 days were designed by the Soviet Union in the 1970s and underwent upgrades in later years. The Ufa, in particular, was commissioned in 2022 and was the fourth of six units of Project 636.3 for the Russian Pacific Fleet. It is 74 meters long with a range of 12,000 km (7,500 miles) and is part of the improved Kilo-II submarines.
Silent sub
Dubbed as one of the most highly advanced silent submarines, the Ufa is capable of firing Kalibr missiles which have been widely used in Ukraine. It has an operational depth of 240 meters and can dive to a maximum depth of 300 meters.
The Philippine Navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea has yet to respond to a request for comment.
The US Naval Institute News reported last week that the Russian submarine, together with rescue tug Alatau, were operating in the South China Sea after stopping at the RMN Kota Kinabalu Naval Base in Malaysia on Nov. 23 for a port visit and exercises. It also made a port visit to Indonesia for the first time in early November.
The Ufa was due to return to the Russian Pacific Fleet’s submarine base at Kamchatka Naval Base, the report said.
Russian fleet
According to the report, also heading for the South China Sea as of last week was the Russian Navy Pacific Fleet surface action group comprised of corvettes RFS Gromkiy (335), RFS Hero of the Russian Federation Aldar Tsydenzhapov (339) and RFS Rezkiy (343), and fleet oiler Pechenga. The vessels just completed a port visit to the Royal Thai Navy Sattahip Naval Base on Nov. 25 for their Indo-Pacific deployment, according to the same report.
Also in the South China Sea since last week were the US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) and its escort ships.
Moscow, which enjoys close defense and trade ties with Beijing, had been conducting joint naval exercises in the South China Sea this year. China insists it has sovereignty over almost the entire South China, parts of which are also being claimed by its neighbors, including the Philippines.
But an international arbitral tribunal ruled in 2016 that Beijing’s claim has no basis under international law.