Russia has taken another major step towards modernizing its navy.
The Russian defense company Admiralty Shipyards launched its second diesel-electric Varshavyanka-class submarine this week.
Called Krasnodar, the company claims that the vessel will be "the quietest submarine in the world," Zachary Keck reports for The National Interest.
Krasnodar is part of a plan to update Russia's submarine fleet. According to Russia Today, the submarine is the "second Varshavyanka submarine out of six planned for the Black Sea Fleet by the end of 2016."
The Varshavyanka-class is an update to Russia's current Kilo-class submarine. Although Varshavyanka-class submarines can not dive as deep or stay submerged underwater as long as nuclear submarines, they are nearly impossible to detect acoustically.
Primarily, the Varshavyanka-class submarines will be used for anti-shipping and anti-submarine warfare in shallower water. According to Naval Technology, the submarines can cruise for a range of 400 miles, can patrol for 45 days, and carry surface-to-air missiles and torpedoes.
The mixture of weaponry onboard the submarines allow the vessels to hypothetically strike both a mixture of land, sea, and underwater targets.
The first Varshavyanka-class submarine was launched in November 2013. Dubbed the Novorossiysk, the submarine is also based in the Black Sea.
In addition to the Varshavyanka-class, Russia plans on adding an additional 14 to 18 diesel-electric submarines similar to Lada-class subs over the next 15 years.
Russia also plans to replace its Delta III and Delta IV-class subs with Borei II submarines in the coming years. The Oscar II-class sub will be replaced with the entirely new Yasen submarine class after 2020.
SEE ALSO: Here are Russia's grandiose plans for upgrading its Navy