Algerian Navy fires Club-S type missiles from Kilo-class 636 submarines.

The Algerian Navy has just destroyed land targets by firing cruise missiles from two Kilo-class 636 submarines recently purchased from Russia, a Defense statement said. According to the Menadefense website, the missiles used are Club-S Kalibr.

Kalibr Club-S launched from Kilo-class 636 submarine (Picture source: Algerian Ministry of Defence)

On Sunday, September 29, in Oran, in western Algeria, the Algerian Navy tested, for the second time in maneuvers with real ammunition, its last two Kilo-class 636 submarines acquired from Russia, indicates a press release from the Department of National Defense (DND). This exercise, the first of its kind to hit ground targets, was conducted under the supervision of Lieutenant General Ahmed Gaïd Salah, Chief of Staff of the National People's Army (ANP) and Deputy Minister of National Defense, says DND.

The "Chief of Defence Staff of the National People's Army has supervised the execution of a missile-firing exercise, from two submarines against land targets," said the statement, stating that "this exercise is intended to ensure the operational efficiency of these two submarines".

"Thus, the firing was carried out successfully by destroying the ground targets with great precision, which constitutes a new success of the good control from the crews, the different equipment and armaments, and confirms, also, the progress and readiness achieved by Algerian naval units in recent years, "the statement said.

In a statement to Sputnik, Akram Kharief, Algerian expert in military issues and publisher of the information site Menadefense, says that "the missiles used are Kalibr Club-S type (portable version), the same as those used by the Russian army in Syria ".

The Algerian submarine force consists of six submersibles in service, including four brand-new Kilo 636 and two Kilo 877EKM class units, received in the 1980s and modernized in Russia between 2005 and 2010.

The versatile diesel-electric submarine of the 636 Varchavianka project (Improved Kilo, according to NATO code) belongs to the third generation of submarines. It is called a "black hole" by NATO experts for its discretion. This submersible has a displacement of 2,350 tons in surface and 3,950 tons in diving, and a speed of 17 to 20 knots. This submersible has 45 days of autonomy. It can be equipped with four Kalibr missiles, 18 torpedoes of 533 millimetres (six tubes) and 24 mines, and dive to 300 meters deep. Its crew is 52 people.

Many foreign countries are buying the "636 version" of submarines. Currently, Kilo-class submarines are used in the Algerian, Vietnamese, Indian, Iranian and Chinese navies.