35-009 SIRENA - SOVIET DIVER PROPULSION VEHICLE (MIDGET SUBMARINE)

The Sirena is a Soviet miniature submarine from the post-war period. The length of the vessel was 11.3 meters, and its hull diameter was 533 millimeters. The maximum speed was around 3-4 knots, and the maximum immersion depth did not exceed 40 meters. The crew of the unit consisted of 2 divers. The first prototypes of the Sirena submarine were made in 1958, and the unit unofficially entered service two years later (1960). The vehicle was to be used to carry out long-distance maritime reconnaissance missions, but also for sabotage operations aimed at destroying large enemy surface units in their ports. It was also assumed that the vehicle would be able to operate both from its own surface ships and from submarine torpedo launchers. In the 1960s, several development versions of the Sirena were developed, including: Sirena-UT (version with a modified drive unit) or Sirena-RE. However, in the 1970s, efforts were made to reduce the noise generated by this type of vehicle. It is assumed that the Sirens are still in service with the navies of Russia, Ukraine and Azerbaijan.