On a crisp late March day, 27th, Russia marked a significant milestone in its naval ambitions with the launch of Perm, the fifth submarine of the Yasen-M class, from the Sevmash shipyard in Severodvinsk.
krasnoyarsk-nuclear-submarine-yasen-m-class
Photo credit: TASS
The ceremony, overseen remotely by President Vladimir Putin via video link from Murmansk, underscored Moscow’s ongoing push to bolster its underwater fleet with cutting-edge technology.
This latest vessel, designed to carry the hypersonic Zircon missile, signals Russia’s intent to maintain a formidable presence in contested regions like the Arctic and to project power far beyond its shores. The event, attended by military officials and shipyard workers, came as part of a broader effort to modernize Russia’s navy amid heightened tensions with the West.
The launch of Perm follows a steady cadence of submarine deployments under the Yasen program, a cornerstone of Russia’s naval strategy since the original Yasen-class vessel, Severodvinsk, entered service in 2014.
According to statements from the Russian Defense Ministry, Perm is the fifth hull in the upgraded Yasen-M series, a design refined for stealth, versatility, and enhanced firepower. Unlike its predecessors, this submarine is reportedly optimized to deploy the Zircon missile, a weapon Moscow claims can travel at speeds exceeding Mach 9 and strike targets up to 560 miles away.
Speaking from Murmansk, where he met with the crew of another Yasen-M submarine, Arkhangelsk, Putin emphasized the strategic value of these advancements. “The Zircon missiles enhance our capabilities with their power, precision, and speed,” he told the sailors, framing the launch as a boost to Russia’s military prestige.
TASS:
The first carrier of hypersonic missile "Zirkon" – Perm Project 885M Yasen-M SSGN – will be handed over to the Russian Navy in 2026.
Before that in late 2024 or early 2025 the nuclear submarine will go on sea trials. pic.twitter.com/3PBPpLSeuh
— Massimo Frantarelli (@MrFrantarelli) January 5, 2023
Details about Perm’s specifications remain closely guarded, but naval analysts have pieced together a picture based on open-source data and official releases. With a submerged displacement of approximately 13,800 tons, the Yasen-M submarines are powered by a nuclear reactor, granting them near-indefinite range limited only by crew endurance and supplies.
Their hulls, constructed with low-magnetic steel, reduce detectability by magnetic anomaly detectors, while advanced sonar-absorbing coatings enhance their stealth profile. Russian state media outlet TASS reported that Perm, like its sister ships, can dive beyond 1,900 feet, a depth that complicates tracking by adversaries.
Beyond the Zircon, the submarine is expected to carry an array of munitions, including Kalibr cruise missiles and Onyx anti-ship missiles, making it a multi-role platform capable of engaging both land and sea targets.
🇷🇺Putin personally approved the launch of the latest "Perm" nuclear submarine of the Yasen-M class, which is a carrier of the "Zircon" hypersonic missiles pic.twitter.com/sVtmo15z3V
— Tony (@Cyberspec1) March 27, 2025
The Zircon missile itself has been a focal point of discussion since its first publicized test in 2017. Russian officials assert it can evade existing missile defense systems due to its hypersonic speed and mid-flight maneuverability.
During a visit to the Atomflot facility in Murmansk, which manages Russia’s nuclear-powered icebreakers, Putin linked the submarine’s capabilities to broader national interests, particularly in the Arctic. “Our fleet’s strength ensures security and access in this vital region,” he said, nodding to the growing competition for resources and transit routes as polar ice recedes.
However, independent verification of the Zircon’s performance remains limited. A 2021 test from the frigate Admiral Gorshkov successfully struck a target in the Barents Sea, but combat conditions could tell a different story.
For context, the Yasen-M class builds on decades of Soviet and Russian submarine design, evolving from the Cold War-era Akula and Alfa classes. The original Yasen project, initiated in the 1980s, faced delays after the Soviet Union’s collapse, with Severodvinsk’s construction stretching over two decades.
The Yasen-M variant, first exemplified by Kazan in 2021, reflects lessons learned: a more compact design, reduced crew requirements, and improved automation. Perm’s launch continues this trajectory, with two more hulls, Ulyanovsk and Voronezh, already under construction at Sevmash, according to the shipyard’s annual report.
The Russian Navy aims to field at least eight Yasen-M submarines by the end of the decade, primarily with the Northern Fleet, which operates out of bases along the Kola Peninsula.
Comparisons to U.S. submarine programs are inevitable. The Yasen-M class is often measured against the U.S. Navy’s Virginia-class submarines, which entered service in 2004 and now number over 20 hulls.
Both platforms prioritize stealth and multi-mission flexibility, but they diverge in armament and design philosophy. The Virginia-class relies on Tomahawk cruise missiles and torpedoes, with a submerged displacement of about 7,900 tons—lighter than the Yasen-M. The U.S. Navy’s older Seawolf class, with a displacement closer to 9,100 tons, offers a nearer match in size but lacks the hypersonic weaponry touted by Russia.
Naval expert H.I. Sutton, writing for the website Covert Shores, noted that the Yasen-M’s larger size accommodates a broader missile loadout, though it may sacrifice some agility. “The trade-off is clear: Russia bets on firepower, while the U.S. emphasizes efficiency and numbers,” Sutton observed in a recent analysis.
The strategic implications of Perm’s launch ripple beyond technical specs. The Northern Fleet, Perm’s likely home, patrols the Arctic Ocean, a theater of increasing importance as melting ice opens new shipping lanes and resource deposits.
In recent years, NATO has ramped up exercises in the region, with the U.S. and Norway conducting joint drills near Russian waters. The Zircon’s range and speed could theoretically threaten NATO assets across Northern Europe, from naval bases to critical infrastructure.
Yet, some analysts caution against overhyping the capability. “Hypersonic weapons are a leap forward, but they don’t render defenses obsolete overnight,” said Catherine Dill, a senior researcher at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies. She pointed out that NATO is already adapting, with systems like the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense undergoing upgrades to counter faster threats.
Russia’s naval ambitions don’t come cheap. The Yasen-M program, estimated to cost upwards of $1.5 billion per submarine, strains a defense budget squeezed by Western sanctions and fluctuating oil revenues.
Data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute shows Russia’s military spending held steady at $86.4 billion in 2023, about 4.1% of GDP, but economic pressures could slow future builds. Sevmash, the sole producer of Russia’s nuclear submarines, has faced scrutiny for delays and cost overruns, though the Kremlin insists the program remains on track.
During his Murmansk visit, Putin praised the shipyard’s workforce, calling them “the backbone of our naval power.” The message was clear: despite challenges, Russia intends to stay the course.
Historically, submarines have been a Russian strength. During the Cold War, the Soviet Union fielded over 200 submarines, outnumbering the U.S. at times. Today’s fleet is smaller—around 60 boats, per the International Institute for Strategic Studies—but emphasizes quality over quantity. The Yasen-M class fits this shift, aiming to match or exceed Western counterparts in capability if not in numbers.
Perm’s predecessors, like Kazan and Novosibirsk, have already conducted long-range patrols, with Kazan reportedly shadowing NATO exercises in the Atlantic in 2021. Such missions signal Russia’s intent to project power globally, a goal Perm will likely advance once operational.
The road to that point involves rigorous testing. After its launch, Perm will undergo sea trials, a process expected to last into 2026. These trials will assess everything from propulsion to weapons systems, with the Zircon’s integration a key focus.
Russian naval doctrine prioritizes the Northern and Pacific Fleets, and Perm’s assignment to the former aligns with Moscow’s Arctic strategy. The region’s harsh conditions—ice-covered waters, extreme cold—demand robust engineering, a challenge the Yasen-M design aims to meet.
If successful, Perm could join its sister ships in patrols that test NATO’s vigilance from the Barents Sea to the Greenland-Iceland-UK gap, a critical chokepoint for Atlantic operations.
For the U.S. and its allies, Perm’s launch is a data point in a broader trend. Russia’s submarine fleet, while smaller than its Soviet peak, remains a potent tool of deterrence. The Zircon’s hypersonic promise adds urgency to ongoing debates in Washington and Brussels about missile defense and naval strategy.
The Pentagon’s 2025 budget, submitted earlier this year, allocates $11 billion for submarine programs, including Virginia-class construction and research into counter-hypersonic technologies. “We’re watching closely,” a U.S. Navy spokesperson told reporters in response to the launch. “Our fleet is built to operate in contested environments, and we adjust as the threat evolves.”
As Perm begins its journey from shipyard to service, its significance lies not just in steel and circuitry but in the message it carries. Russia’s investment in the Yasen-M class reflects a determination to reclaim naval prominence, even as economic and geopolitical headwinds loom.
For now, the submarine rests on the cusp of action, its trials a proving ground for Moscow’s ambitions. When it finally slips beneath the waves, Perm will join a fleet poised to shape the underwater balance of power for years to come.
***
Follow us everywhere and at any time. BulgarianMilitary.com has responsive design and you can open the page from any computer, mobile devices or web browsers. For more up-to-date news, follow our Google News, YouTube, Reddit, LinkedIn, and Twitter pages. Our standards: Manifesto & ethical principles.