“I would like to note that in the coming decade, 8.4 trillion rubles (US$100.5 billion) have been allocated for the construction of new ships and naval platforms,” said Russian Presiden Vladimir Putin, underscoring that “these funds must be taken into account when shaping the State Armament Program.”
(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) — Long seen as the underdog of Russia’s military establishment, particularly when compared to its land and air forces—and even more so when benchmarked against the overwhelming global reach of the United States Navy—the Russian Navy is now on the brink of a generational transformation.
This tectonic shift comes in the form of a sweeping $100.5 billion (8.4 trillion rubles) investment programme, unveiled by President Vladimir Putin, aimed at restoring Moscow’s maritime power and realigning its naval doctrine for the emerging security environment of the 21st century.
Citing the pressures of an increasingly volatile global order, expanding maritime threats, and rapid advances in military technology, Putin declared the urgent need to craft “a new image” for the Russian Navy.
“I would like to note that in the coming decade, 8.4 trillion rubles (US$100.5 billion) have been allocated for the construction of new ships and naval platforms,” he announced, underscoring that “these funds must be taken into account when shaping the State Armament Program.”
“This demands a new approach to strengthening our maritime defence posture,” Putin asserted during a high-level meeting focused on the strategic realignment and future force structure of Russia’s navy.
In recent years, Moscow has embarked on an ambitious naval modernisation campaign, spearheaded by extensive investment in shipbuilding, next-generation propulsion systems, and long-range missile technology.
“From Kaliningrad to Vladivostok, shipyards across Russia are engaged in the serial production of both surface combatants and next-generation missile submarines, including Project Borei-A strategic submarines and Project Yasen-M multipurpose nuclear-powered submarines,” Putin said.
An unindentified Borei-class submarines launching a “Bulava” ICBM
He added that “significant funds have been channelled” to ensure the sustained momentum of these critical naval development efforts.
Putin further highlighted that 100 percent of the Russian Navy’s strategic nuclear forces are now outfitted with modernised weapons and cutting-edge systems, a posture that he described as essential to maintaining Russia’s deterrent edge and must remain unchanged in the future.
He stressed that the navy remains a linchpin of Russia’s national defence architecture, playing a pivotal role not only in homeland security but in securing Moscow’s expanding maritime interests across the world’s oceans.
Strategic Reorientation Amid Wartime Attrition
Putin’s renewed emphasis on naval power comes at a time when the Russian Navy has endured significant battlefield attrition, particularly in the context of the ongoing three-year war in Ukraine.
Western-backed Ukrainian forces claim to have disabled or destroyed nearly one-third of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet by mid-2024, delivering a heavy blow to Moscow’s regional sea power and maritime dominance.
These losses—inflicted through a combination of Western-supplied long-range missiles, innovative drone warfare, and Ukrainian coastal defence—have forced Russia to reassess the composition and doctrine of its naval forces.
Yasen-M class submarine
In response, Moscow is now accelerating its naval regeneration, with Putin signalling that the next phase of fleet development will focus intensely on strategic nuclear capabilities.
According to the state-owned TASS news agency, the Kremlin has overseen the construction of 49 new naval vessels over the last five years, a mix of submarines and surface combatants aimed at bolstering the survivability and striking power of Russia’s global fleet.
Among these assets are four Project Borei-A ballistic missile submarines, purpose-built to carry nuclear-armed Bulava SLBMs, and four Project Yasen-M nuclear-powered cruise missile submarines, optimised for deep strike operations and maritime interdiction.
These developments signal Russia’s intent to re-establish a maritime deterrence triad, one that complements its land-based and aerial strategic forces in the face of growing NATO presence in the Arctic, Baltic, and Black Sea theatres.
The Tsirkon Era Begins: Submarine “Perm” Marks Hypersonic Milestone
In a landmark moment that underscores Russia’s technological leap in undersea warfare, Putin spotlighted the launch of the submarine “Perm”, the first nuclear-powered vessel in the Russian Navy to be armed with the Tsirkon (Zircon) hypersonic cruise missile as its primary weapon system.
The launch ceremony, which took place in March 2025 in Russia’s Murmansk Region, was officiated by Putin via video link, further elevating the significance of the event.
The frigate “Admiral Gorshkov” launches a hypersonic “Tsirkon” missile during an exercise.Tsirkon
Named after a historic industrial city in the Ural Mountains, the Perm is not only the sixth in the Yasen-M class, but also the first Russian submarine capable of deploying Tsirkon missiles from beneath the surface as part of its standard payload.
The 3M22 Tsirkon, a hypersonic cruise missile developed by NPO Mashinostroyenia, is capable of travelling at speeds of up to Mach 9, making it one of the fastest tactical missiles ever fielded by a major power.
With a strike range estimated to exceed 1,000 kilometres, the Tsirkon is designed to defeat high-value naval and land-based targets, including aircraft carriers and heavily fortified coastal infrastructure.
Its combination of blistering speed, terminal phase maneuverability, and radar-evading profile renders it virtually impossible to intercept using current-generation Western missile defence systems.
Capable of being launched from both surface warships and submarines, the Tsirkon can be fitted with either conventional or nuclear warheads, significantly enhancing its strategic and tactical versatility.
Russian Navy warship, “Admiral Gorshkov” during visit to Cuba last month.
Perm Submarine: A Nuclear Leviathan with Strategic Reach
Construction of the Perm began on 29 July 2016 at the Sevmash Shipyard in Severodvinsk, a facility widely regarded as the beating heart of Russia’s nuclear submarine industry.
Its launch marks a key milestone in the revitalisation of Russia’s underwater nuclear strike capability, and further cements Sevmash’s role as a cornerstone of Moscow’s naval-industrial complex.
The Perm is scheduled for commissioning in 2026, after a series of sea trials and weapons integration tests.
As part of the Project 885M (Yasen-M) programme, the Perm is engineered for high-speed, ultra-quiet, and multi-mission performance, with a design that reflects Russia’s shift toward fifth-generation undersea warfare.
The submarine is outfitted with a next-generation nuclear reactor, allowing for months-long submerged endurance and near-unlimited operational range in contested waters.
It boasts a submerged displacement of approximately 13,800 tonnes, a length of over 130 metres, and a submerged top speed of over 30 knots, making it among the largest and fastest attack submarines ever constructed.
Russian corvette Russia “Gromkiy”Russian submarine Perm
Armed with a diverse weapons suite that includes Tsirkon hypersonic missiles, Kalibr cruise missiles, Oniks supersonic missiles, and advanced torpedoes, the Perm is capable of conducting strategic strike, anti-ship, and anti-submarine operations across multiple theatres.
Equipped with state-of-the-art acoustic stealth technologies and electronic warfare systems, the submarine is designed to operate effectively even in the most heavily monitored and contested naval zones.
The launch of Perm represents more than just an industrial milestone—it is a strategic declaration of Russia’s intent to remain a peer competitor in undersea warfare, capable of projecting power from the Arctic to the Indo-Pacific.
