Two Russian Typhoon-class Subs To Carry 200 Kalibr Missiles

Two Russian Typhoon-class submarines, Arkhangelsk and the Severstal, will be rearmed and developed in order to enable them to carry 200 Kalibr missiles each.

The Project 941 or Typhoon-class submarines had been withdrawn from service and kept at the dock of the Zvyozdochka Ship Repair Center in Severodvinsk slated for their subsequent disposal.

“We now plan to re-equip these submarines with Oniks, Tsirkon and 200 Kalibr missiles,” TASS reported quoting Vice-Admiral Oleg Burtsev as saying Wednesday.

"The dimensions of these submarines allow arming each of them with at least 200 cruise missiles," he said.

“American Ohio-class submarines can carry 154 Tomahawk cruise missiles and Chinese Project 055 destroyer is capable of carrying 112 cruise missiles. But our frigates belonging to the Project 22350 can currently carry only 16 of them. Subsequent frigates will get 24 of them. It is still insufficient,” he added.

Russia has also begun developing a modernized frigate under Project 22350, that is capable of carrying 48 Kalibr cruise missiles.

"The Northern Design Bureau has completed designing frigates of Project 22350M capable of carrying up to 48 Kalibr cruise missiles,” TASS quoted a source from the design bureau as saying Sunday.

The Kalibr missiles were used by Russia in Syrian operations. The Kalibr is Russian group of surface ship-, submarine-launched and airborne anti-ship and coastal anti ship (AShM), land attack cruise missiles (LACM) and anti-submarine missiles.

The country also plans to develop ground-launched, longer range version of the Kalibr cruise missile in 2019-2020, Sputnik quoted Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu as saying in early February. The longer range version could be in excess of 310 mile range which is the limit imposed under the Intermediate Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty.