President Putin Orders More Yasen-M Nuclear Attack Submarines

Russian President Vladimir Putin was confirmed on July 24 to have given instructions to continue the serial production of Yasen-M Class submarines, emphasising their role as the backbone of the Russian Navy’s general-purpose forces. “It is crucial to continue the serial production of the Yasen-M Class submarines,” he stated at the time, adding that fourwere being built at the Sevmash facility, and another two were planned. The class’ carriage of high-precision weapons and advanced navigation, communication and hydroacoustics capabilities were all highlighted, as was the equipping of the submarines with Zircon hypersonic cruise missiles beginning with the warship Perm launched in March. The Russian Navy has made only very limited investments in its surface fleet since the disintegration of the Soviet Union, with no new cruiser or destroyer sized ships having been laid down for the service from that time. Investments have been disproportionately focused on the submarine fleet.

The first Yasen-M Class attack submarine was commissioned into service in mid-2021, and when the first ship of the class was launched in December 2019 it was dubbed the world’s “deadliest submarine ever” by the National Interest, reflecting broader concerns in the West that the ships could significantly influence the balance of power at sea. Accommodating vertical launch cells for 32 cruise missiles, while also carrying ten torpedo tubes and an Igla-M short ranged surface to air missile system, the ships are expected to continue to be prioritised to receive the world’s first hypersonic cruise missile, the Zircon, which has revolutionised their offensive capacities particularly against enemy warships. The first launch of the Zircon from a Yasen Class ship was carried out in October 2021, with the missile’s 1000 kilometre ranges and Mach 9 speeds making them extremely challenging to intercept. Combined with the Yasen-M’s quietness and its ability to stay at sea for months at a time, the Zircon provides the ships with the ability to very seriously threaten even well defended enemy warships such as aircraft carriers operating as part of strike groups, and to do so with little warning and almost anywhere in the open oceans.