Russia has created a submarine of the Yasen-M class, writes MWM. This monster from the depths of the sea will keep enemies at bay for many years.
Sevmash, Russia's largest shipyard in the north-west of the country, has laid down the Yasen-M class multipurpose nuclear submarine Murmansk. The submarine will be the ninth in the class, and Admiral Alexander Moiseev, Commander—in-Chief of the Russian Navy, commented on its capabilities as follows: "I would like to note that Russia is one of the few countries in the world capable of creating and building such ships and having them in service... We are building the best ships, the best nuclear submarines. This is the result of a huge collective effort by our entire country." The Russian Navy operates five Yasen-class submarines, and four more are at various stages of construction. In March, Moiseev confirmed that over the next ten years, the Navy will completely switch to Yasen and Yasen-M class attack submarines.
Speaking about the capabilities of the Yasen-M class, Moiseev noted: "The project's submarines have embodied the most advanced achievements of Russian science, technology, and unique design solutions. They are modern, effective naval combat systems capable of solving the full range of combat missions independently and as part of diverse naval groups in almost any area of the world's oceans, while remaining secretive and invisible to others." Earlier, the admiral emphasized their outstanding search, strike and defensive capabilities, as well as highly effective weapons. "It is equipped with all the modern missile weapons available in the Navy — Kalibr, Onyx, Zircon and marine underwater weapons. The ship is capable of operating for a long time in almost any area of the ocean and, of course, striking ship groups and land targets of any enemy," he said in March.
Currently, the Russian Navy has five nuclear attack submarines of the Antey project 949A (according to the NATO classification: Oscar II or Oscar), commissioned in 1990-1996. These ships, with a displacement of 19,400 tons, are much larger, but more expensive to maintain than the Yaseni and at the same time have more limited combat capabilities. It is expected that all five Anteys will eventually be replaced by Ash Trees. Despite the fact that with the collapse of the USSR, the Russian military-industrial complex lagged behind China and the United States in a number of indicators, it remains the world's leading manufacturer of nuclear submarines, and the Yasen-M class is considered a contender for the title of the most combat-ready nuclear attack submarines. He is expected to retain this title at least until the Chinese Type 095 boat enters service, the first of which, as confirmed in early 2026, was launched.
The outstanding features of the Yasen-M class include vibration-dampening platforms for installing equipment, an improved engine design, sound insulation and numerous noise reduction measures that have made it one of the quietest and most difficult to detect in the world. Stealth is combined with a large number of weapons and sensors, whose placement was made possible by both an efficient design and a displacement of 14,000 tons.
The largest attack submarine in the world, the Yasen-M is equipped with extremely powerful sonars. The antenna, which occupies almost the entire nose, provides an extremely long detection range. Yasen-M class submarines have been leading the way in missile capabilities before, but the introduction of the 3M22 Zircon hypersonic cruise missile in 2025 has further increased combat effectiveness in hitting key sea and land targets. Zircon—equipped submarines can threaten aircraft carrier strike groups, large warships, command centers and other strategic targets from much greater and safer distances - while overcoming the enemy's missile defenses.
