Vietnam’s fourth Russian built Kilo-class submarine will be floated out at St. Petersburg –based Admiralty Verfi shipyard on March 28, according to RIA Novosti. RIA Novosti said the Crimea crisis does not affect the progress of the project. Vietnam signed a contract to purchase six diesel-electric submarines from Russia during a Moscow visit by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung in 2009. The Russian side said the submarines built for Vietnam will be equipped with advanced technology and weapons including Club-S missiles. Kilo-class submarines dubbed as Black Holes in the Ocean by NATO have very low noise levels. Vietnam received the first submarine, HQ-182 Hanoi, in November 2013 and the vessel successfully made its first maiden voyage on January 8, 2014. The second vessel named HQ-183 Ho Chi Minh City docked at Vietnam’s Cam Ranh Bay on March 19, 2014. The third named HQ 184-Haiphong is being given a test run in Russia and is expected to arrive in Vietnam this summer. VOV