The Russian Navy is celebrating the 325th anniversary of its founding day on July 25. Three nuclear submarines are taking part in the main naval parade for the first time and among them is the newest strategic cruiser Knyaz Vladimir of Borey-A project, which was accepted into the fleet last year.
Russian Navy is in the process of inducting major ships and submarines in 2021. This includes the fourth-generation nuclear-powered strategic submarine of the fourth generation Knyaz Oleg of the Borey-A project and the first serial submarine of the Yasen-M project, Novosibirsk. In addition, the Russian Navy will receive more frigates,corvettes, project 636.3 diesel-electric submarines, small missile ships, patrol boats and support vessels.
Earlier Severodvinsk plant Sevmash had reported that several nuclear missile submarines of different projects were being tested at once, although the company did not specify which submarines were put to the sea.The plant reported that in 2021-2023, four already built strategic submarines of the Borey project (955) will undergo servicing. These are Yuri Dolgoruky, Alexander Nevsk and Vladimir Monomakh, as well as the first nuclear submarine built according to the improved project 955A, Borey-A, Prince Vladimir.
Prince Oleg, a 955A project is under construction. Three nuclear submarines are on the stocks of Sevmash including Generalissimo Suvorov, Emperor Alexander III and Prince Pozharsky. Two more submarines, named Dmitry Donskoy and Prince Potemkin, are due to be laid down this year. Ten or more nuclear submarines are in order, as per Russian sources.
The Vesti Sevmash program is scheduled to be laid down this year as per the commander-in-chief of the Russian Navy, Admiral Nikolai Evmenov. The names and the quantities have not been revealed yet. A similar event took place on 20 July 2020 when Russia simultaneously laid down two universal amphibious assault ships at the Zaliv plant in Kerch, two Project 22350 frigates at the St. Petersburg Severnaya Verf and two nuclear submarines of Project 885M Yasen-M at Sevmash.
Hypersonic SLBM’s
The first test-launch of Russia’s Tsirkon hypersonic missile from the Northern Fleet’s nuclear-powered submarine Severodvinsk may take place in August this year. Tsirkon boasts an operating range of about 1,500 km to strike ground targets and slightly less for naval targets. The Tsirkon hypersonic missile was earlier planned to be accepted for service in 2023. Severodvinsk is the Project 885 Yasen lead and sole underwater cruiser, was delivered to the Russian Navy on 17 June 2014. Russia intends to outfit its submarines and surface ships with Tsirkon hypersonic missile systems.
A Project 885M Yasen-M, also called the Graney class, which is currently under construction is planned to be equipped with Zircon hypersonic missiles. The cruise missile submarine Irkutsk, of the Project 949A Antey and analogous of Kursk Submarine, is undergoing modernisation and will receive Zircon missiles. After modernisation, the project will be called 949AM. The transfer of the Irkutsk with the Zircons to the fleet is scheduled for 2022.
Russian Fifth generation nuclear submarines
United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC ) is proactively continuing the development of fifth-generation submarines – the non-nuclear Kalina and the nuclear-powered  Laika-class or the Husky Class. At the end of June, it was revealed that the St. Petersburg naval engineering bureau Malakhit is working on a project for a small nuclear submarine called Gorgona, which will become a platform for many submarines for various missions.
Russian Navy Diesel Electric Submarines
Russain Navy continues to induct diesel-electric submarines. The third Varshavyanka, Project 636.3, for the Magadan Pacific Fleet is undergoing tests. The fourth such submarine, Ufa, is still under construction at the Admiralty Shipyard in St. Petersburg. Two more of the class – Mozhaisk and Yakutsk – are scheduled to be laid this year. The Pacific Fleet now has two Project 636 Varshavyanka submarines: Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and Volkhov. This year they are scheduled to be moved from St. Petersburg to Vladivostok. Earlier, a series of six diesel electric submarines became part of the Black Sea Fleet.
The Northern Fleet fields the only non-nuclear submarine, of project – 677 Lada, St. Petersburg which is under trial. It was handed over to the fleet back in 2010, and in 2022 Kronstadt and Velikiye Luki of the same project are to be commissioned. Two more of the class will be laid next year.
Both the Varshavyanka and Lada are the development of the Halibut submarines (project 877), also called Kilo Class submarine, the first of which was built almost 40 years ago.
(Image – Project 885 nuclear submarine © Lev Fedoseyev/TASS)
