Russia Builds Nuclear Submarine "Arkhangelsk"
Russia’s Sevmash shipyard will hold a groundbreaking ceremony for its next generation Project fifth Yasen-M multirole nuclear submarine, the Arkhangelsk, on March 19.
The Yasen-class subs are touted as the most advanced nuclear-powered multipurpose underwater craft in the Russian Navy.
According to local media reports, the Navy Commander Admiral Viktor Chirkov has ordered that the submarine be named Arkhangelsk. This missile carrier will become the fifth Yasen Project multirole nuclear submarine, developed by St. Petersburg's Malakhit naval design bureau.
Designed by Rubin Marine Equipment Design Bureau and built by Northern Machine Building Enterprise (Sevmash shipyard), the Borei-class (“North Wind”) is intended to replace the Project 941 Typhoon-class and Project 667 BDRM Delta IV-class vessels.
In addition to its 533-mm torpedoes, a Yasen-class submarine is capable of firing cruise missiles from its eight vertical launching systems.
This constitutes the first time that Russia has added new SSBNs to its navy since the end of the Cold War.
The flagship of Project Yasen, the Severodvinsk nuclear submarine, built by Sevmash, was transferred to the Russian Navy on June 17, 2014.
The updated Project Yasen-M envisages the construction of the multirole nuclear submarines Kazan, Novosibirsk and Krasnoyarsk. The vessels will be equipped exclusively with Russian-made electronic warfare systems and other elements.
According to U.S. Naval Institute notes the Borei represents a literal rebirth of the Soviet submarine fleet; several boats in the class are being constructed partially from the hulls of scrapped or unfinished Akulas and Akula IIIs.
