Late last month, Russian President Vladimir Putin attended a ceremony in Murmansk to announce the launch of the sixth and newest Project 885M Yasen-M nuclear-powered fast attack submarine.
Named after the city of Perm in the western part of Russia‘s Ural mountain range, the submarine will be the first to carry the Tsirkon hypersonic missile.
The additional armament will expand the submarine‘s capabilities. As reported by The Barents Observer, “Unlike previous classes of Soviet-designed attack submarines, the Yasen/Yasen-M vessels have a multi-role function: the hunter-killer role as well as the ability to target sea or land enemies with vertical-launched cruise missiles.”
That could allow the Russian boats to be armed with nuclear weapons, giving them the capabilities of ballistic missile subs. “Tactical nuclear weapons were removed from the United States and Russian submarines by the end of the Cold War, but are now coming back in Russia‘s underwater fleet for warfare,” The Barents Observer added.
Is the Yasen-M Submarine Worth the Hype?
Although many of Russia‘s military platforms have appeared to be exaggerated, and its surface navy is in a truly sorry state, its Yasen-class submarines are still considered among the best in the world.
The cruise missile subs, developed in the late 1980s by the St. Petersburg-based Malakhit Design Bureau of Machine-Building, were initially intended to replace the aging Akula-class nuclear-powered attack submarines.
The program progressed slowly following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. While the lead vessel, Severodvinsk, was laid down in 1993 due to funding issues caused by Russia‘s financial crisis, the project sputtered in the following decade. Only in the late 2000s did Moscow finally return to the project, but by then, it was seen as being on the verge of obsolescence.
Yet, instead of starting from scratch, the Kremlin opted to modernize the Yasen-class significantly under the Yasen-M designation. This included numerous design tweaks and key performance upgrades to address the roughly two-decade gap between the building of the Severodvinsk and the next Yasen-class submarine, Kazan.
The Yasen-M revision further offered revamped onboard electronics, a slightly reduced overall length, and reportedly a new KTP-6 reactor that is believed to reduce the submarine‘s noise levels significantly.
Three of the five operational Yasen/Yasen-M boats, Severodvinsk, Kazan, and Arkhangelsk, are now in service with the Russian Navy‘s Northern Fleet, while two others, Krasnoyarsk and Novosibirsk, are with the Pacific Fleet.
With the launch of Perm, the Russian Navy could have six boats in service by early next year. Three more are now under construction, and an additional three are planned.
Putin Hyped the Yasen-M
Putin also stressed the need for Russia‘s naval capabilities last week, likely seeking to replicate those of the Soviet era.
“We think that the Navy is one of the main guarantees of the country‘s security and the overall global strategic stability because we have a certain strategic balance with America. We will treat it most carefully, and we will do everything promptly,” Putin explained.
The Russian leader stated that Moscow seeks to revitalize and modernize the Russian Navy with new shipbuilding programs that will continue through 2050.
“Such submarines and ships will increase the power of all our fleets, will strengthen the security of Russia‘s maritime borders, the Northern Sea Route, will ensure the solution of tasks to protect national interests in various areas of the World Ocean, including the Arctic zone, which in the conditions of intensifying global competition is acquiring the most important economic, logistical, and transport significance,” Putin added.
However, Moscow faces the same issue that Washington has grappled with: a lack of shipbuilding and maintenance facilities.
The submarine shipyard in Sevmash has faced numerous bottlenecks, and a long-needed modernization effort was only completed last year. Moreover, the Kremlin has had to shift its budget to support the ongoing war in Ukraine.
“Aggravating the situation, after the invasion of Ukraine, Russia lost access to foreign components due to sanctions and was forced to start from scratch on some submarine parts,” Defense News reported.
Thus, Putin may dream of a grand Russian Navy, but it will likely remain more of a fantasy than reality.
About the Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He hascontributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].
Image: Shutterstock/Kuleshov Oleg.