Armed with Hypersonic & Cruise Missiles, Russian Navy Launches Nuclear Powered Submarine

Russia officially accepted the Arkhangelsk, a multipurpose nuclear submarine of the Yasen-M project, into its naval fleet.

The submarine, built at Severodvinsk’s USC Sevmash enterprise, is equipped with a versatile armament system capable of launching Kalibr cruise missiles, supersonic Oniks missiles, or hypersonic Tsirkon missiles, depending on mission requirements.

The Arkhangelsk is the third serial ship in the Yasen-M project and the 141st submarine constructed at USC Sevmash. The transfer ceremony, held at the Sevmash facility, was led by Admiral Alexander Moiseyev, Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy.

The Arkhangelsk’s addition to the Navy is part of a broader naval modernization effort, with four more submarines – Perm, Ulyanovsk, Voronezh, and Vladivostok – expected to join the fleet in the near future.

The Yasen-class (Project 885) nuclear-powered attack submarines were developed as part of Russia’s strategic modernization efforts. Their design builds on insights gained from Soviet-era vessels like the Akula and Alfa classes. With a displacement of 8,600 tons, the submarines feature vertical launch systems for Kalibr and Oniks anti-ship missiles, along with 10 533mm torpedo tubes. The Yasen-M variant improves upon the Severodvinsk, the class's first submarine, with a hull length reduced by 9 meters. This modification aims to cut costs without sacrificing performance.

Sevmash is also building five nuclear submarines under Project 885M. The submarines Severodvinsk, Kazan, Novosibirsk, and Krasnoyarsk from the 885/885M projects have already been delivered to the Navy.