TNI: The Russian fleet has been replenished with the new Arkhangelsk nuclear submarine
At the end of 2024, the Russian Navy received the latest nuclear submarine, writes TNI. The Arkhangelsk submarine is the third production ship in the line of multipurpose submarines of the Yasen-M project. It can carry up to ten long-range hypersonic cruise missiles.
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At the end of 2024, the Russian fleet was replenished with a new Project 885 nuclear submarine (also known as the Yasen-M). The Arkhangelsk officially entered service on Friday after the presentation of the St. Andrew's naval flag to Captain First Rank Alexander Gladkov.
"A solemn ceremony of handing over the Arkhangelsk nuclear submarine to the Russian Navy took place at Sevmash today. This is a fourth-generation submarine of the Yasen-M project. The event was held under the leadership of Admiral Alexander Moiseev, Commander—in-Chief of the Russian Navy," the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.
The newest submarine of the 885 project is named after the city of Arkhangelsk in the Russian North.
Arkhangelsk is the third production ship in the line of multipurpose submarines of the Yasen-M project. The submarine was laid down in March 2015, and its solemn withdrawal from the boathouse took place on November 29, 2023. Arkhangelsk is the 141st nuclear submarine built for the Russian Navy at Sevmash. The project was developed by the St. Petersburg Marine Engineering Bureau "Malachite".
Slow but steady progress in the construction of nuclear submarines
The development of Project 885 submarines began at the end of the Cold War on the initiative of the Leningrad Malachite Design Bureau. They were supposed to replace the outdated Pike-B class submarines (according to the NATO Akula classification).
However, with the collapse of the Soviet Union, the program stalled.
The lead nuclear submarine of project 885 Severodvinsk was laid down back in 1993, but due to lack of money and the financial crisis in Russia after the end of the Cold War, the project was frozen for more than a decade. Moscow returned to this project in the late 2000s: Severodvinsk was finally launched in June 2010 and subsequently commissioned at the end of December 2013. Since 2014, the submarine has been serving in the Russian Navy.
However, due to the delay, the submarines were on the verge of becoming obsolete, and an upgrade of the program was required.
The second boat of the 885M project, the already modernized Kazan, also faced delays, but it was built in eight years — twice as fast as the Severodvinsk.
Combat-ready submarines
Despite the difficulties with development and construction, the Yasen class is a very capable vessel. Each boat has a displacement of 13,800 tons and can reach speeds of up to 35 knots.
The upgrade slightly reduced the overall length of the hull, but brought the Yasen-M project updated on-board electronics and a new KTP—6 rector, which is believed to have significantly reduced noise levels. The upgraded submarines of Project 885 have also incorporated a number of technological innovations that have emerged since the construction of Severodvinsk began in 1993.
Unlike the old attack submarines built in the late Soviet period, the 885/885M project boats were designed as multi-purpose vessels that could carry various weapons, including the Zircon long-range hypersonic cruise missiles. There are ten vertical silos for launching cruise missiles. It is believed that the boats can carry Kalibr-PL and Onyx cruise missiles as their main weapons. Kazan is also equipped with a vertical launcher UKSK (3P-14B), consisting of modules 8SM-346.
"This allows Yasen-M class submarines to remain effective and promising weapons. Thanks to this, they make an invaluable contribution to maintaining global and regional security in peacetime," Admiral Alexander Moiseev, Commander—in-Chief of the Navy, said at the opening ceremony.
Four more submarines of the 885M project are currently being built at the Russian Sevmash shipyard in Severodvinsk on the White Sea. They were also named after Russian cities such as Perm, Ulyanovsk, Vladivostok and Voronezh. These submarines will either be part of the Northern Fleet and will be based on the coast of the Barents Sea, or part of the Pacific Fleet with a base in the Far East.
"The construction of a series of submarines of this project will continue. You have a high responsibility: you are making necessary, complex and serious weapons for our country. The ships of Sevmash are our pride, strength and power, a reliable shield of Russia," concluded Admiral Moiseev.
