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Project 04261 HA-240 (2017)
Class overview
Name:	Project 04260
Builders:	Shipbuilding Plant No.143
Operators:	Itayana Maritime Force
Built:	2011 - present
In service:	2016 - present
Planned:	12-16
Building:	4
Completed:	6
Active:	6
General characteristics
Type:	Attack submarine
Displacement:	7,000 tonnes surfaced 7,900 tonnes submerged
Length:	113.67m
Beam:	10m
Draught:	11m
Installed power:	Diesel-electric, pump jet
Speed:	15kn surfaced (publicly disclosed figure) 25kn submerged (publicly disclosed figure)
Test depth:	400m (publicly disclosed figure)
Crew:	45
Sensors and processing systems:	Surface-Search Radar Electronic Warfare Suite Optronic mast Active Hull Sonar 6 x Hull Sonar Flank Array (Passive) Towed Array Sonar Wake Detection System
Armament:	4 x 660mm torpedo tubes (16 torpedoes) 2 x 324mm torpedo tubes (20 torpedoes) 4 x 324mm external launchers (with reloads)

The Project 04260 class, NATA reporting name: Claire, is a class of long-range diesel-electric attack submarines in service of the Itayana Maritime Force. It was originally designed in late 2000s as the bigger of the two domestic submarine designs. The class had a protracted development history, being plagued by financial problems, lack of necessary equipment and overly ambitious requirements, necessitating outside help to be completed. Nonetheless, six submarines of the initial Project 04261 entered the operational service in late 2010s. Additional four boats of the related Project 04262 are under construction as per 2022.

Development

Unlike with most of the Itayana Maritime Force projects, the Project 04260 has a relatively known design history coming from the interviews of its lead designers and analysis of the open-source intelligence.

The decision to create an ocean-going diesel-electric boat came from the Admiralty of IMF in 2002. The design requirements called for a boat capable of operating in Salacian and Oorupaqi oceans in anti-shipping and anti-submarine role. Diesel-electric propulsion was maintained as it was deemed that the economy and industry of Itayana would not be able to handle a fleet of nuclear submarines. Other limiting factors were the size of the slipways and available industrial equipment on the Shipbuilding Plant No. 143, the only facility that could build ocean-going submarines in Itayana. The design process correlated with industrial re-armament of the shipbulding plant. It was complicated by progressively more and more ambitious requirements regarding armament, sonars, physical signatures and automation. The design was completed by 2009 and the first two boats were laid down in early 2010. It has been reported that engineers from the Burning Sun Initiative has aided in the design, but so far there is no confirming evidence of that.

Construction involved expensive and extensive contracts from several countries such as Sante Reze, Orun Redisus, Alanahr, Zacapican and Elatia. The first pair of boats was launched in 2015, the acceptance trials lasted for two years and were Commissioned in 2017. The boats received numerical indexes instead of names in line with the IMF naming conventions.

Existing information suggests that the IMF plans to receive 12 to 16 submarines by 2030 while progressively improving the design. The chief designer stated the goal is to increase the rate of domestic equipment from submarine to submarine.

Design

The Project 04260 is a large ocean-going submarine desgined for anti-shipping and anti-submarine operations. Its single-hulled design is optimised for underwater movement. The superstructure acts as a cover for additional equipment and as a base for various masts.

The submarine is powered by diesel-electric transmission and a waterjet. While the lack of primary sources on the waterjet suggests its domestic origins, available information indicates that different submarines use different engines from several manufacturers from Zacapican and Alanahr. Despite that, it is stated that all submarines are capable of acheiving 15 knots surfaced and 25 knots underwater. The submarine has a crew of 45, suggesting high degrees of automation, and is designed for endurance of 90 days.

The submarine's primary armament consists of four 660mm torpedo tubes. The choice of the larger torpedoes was dictated by torpedo design bureaus and justified with significantly larger warhead, improved physical signatures and more sophisticated guidance systems. The submarine is also armed with two 324mm internal torpedo tubes and four external 324mm torpedo launchers. Information on either 324mm or 660mm torpedoes of Itayana is sparse at best, but it is stated that the submarine is intended to carry 16 650mm and 20 324mm reloads.

Project 04260 possesses a sophisticated set of electronic equipment. The underwater detection suite consists of a spherical bow sonar, six flank arrays, a towed array, two arrays on the sail and several antennas of wake detection system. Surface control is provided with an X-band air search radar and an electronic warfare suite. All sensors are integrated around the White Whale system, stated to allow high degrees of automation, reducing the need for additional crew.

Variants

• Project 04261. Baseline design.
• Project 04262. Improved design. Available information suggests higher ratio of domestic equipment. Details are unknown.

Units

Project 04261

Number	Shipyard	Project	Laid down	Launched	Commissioned	Status
HA-240	Shipbuilding Plant No.143	04261	01.02.2010	05.03.2015	2017	Active
HA-375	Shipbuilding Plant No.143	04261	01.02.2010	05.03.2015	2017	Active
HA-434	Shipbuilding Plant No.143	04261	07.03.2015	15.06.2018	2019	Active
HA-193	Shipbuilding Plant No.143	04261	07.03.2015	15.06.2018	2019	Active
HA-278	Shipbuilding Plant No.143	04261	20.06.2018	11.11.2020	2021	Active
HA-182	Shipbuilding Plant No.143	04261	20.06.2018	11.11.2020	2021	Active

Project 04262

Number	Shipyard	Project	Laid down	Launched	Commissioned	Status
HA-403	Shipbuilding Plant No.143	04262	15.11.2020	04.04.2022	N/A	Under construction
HA-387	Shipbuilding Plant No.143	04262	15.11.2020	04.04.2022	N/A	Under construction
HA-???	Shipbuilding Plant No.143	04262	10.04.2022	N/A	N/A	Under construction
HA-???	Shipbuilding Plant No.143	04262	10.04.2022	N/A	N/A	Under construction

Operators

• Itayana Maritime Force ─ 6 units + 4 under construction