Russia Develops Ship that Can Dive Like a Submarine

Russia’s Rubin Central Design Bureau has developed perhaps the world’s first patrol ship with a diving capability so that it functions like a submarine for a short time, TASS reported quoting Rubin’s press service.

The report did not provide any information regarding the stage of development of the submersible ship, the technology involved or even its basic features and dimensions.

"Rubin presents the first modification of a submergible patrol vessel that combines the advantages of a submarine and a surface patrol ship," the press office said. Rubin is a subsidiary of United Shipbuilding Corporation.

The project has been dubbed ‘Strazh (‘Guard’) and will be promoted on the world market under the name of BOSS (Border and Offshore Submersible Sentry), Rubin said.

"The cost of patrol ships is relatively low, which makes them acceptable for countries with small budgets. The ships of this type (submersible)  and can be used for protection (surface ship) and as rescue or research vessels (submersible)," the press office said.

The ship’s submerged position immediately offers two advantages: the possibility to conduct surveillance stealthily and get away from bad weather while continuing patrol missions, the press office said.

"A submergible ship can be used as a classical submarine for reconnaissance and other tasks. A diving patrol ship will have broader possibilities than a surface vessel to survey littoral waters. It will also serve as an inexpensive training tool to train crews and prepare infrastructure for purchasing full-fledged submarines in the future," it added.