(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) – “Feared” by the West, the “Yasen-M” class nuclear-powered submarines, are poised to become even more formidable as their manufacturer plans to outfit them with the hypersonic missile “Tsirkon,” capable of flying at Mach 9 and striking targets up to 1,000 km away.
Western nations are apprehensive about the “Yasen-M” submarines due to their ability to move in near-silence, making them challenging for adversaries to detect, coupled with a variety of guided missiles for both maritime and land-based targets.
Speaking to the Russian news agency Ria-Novosti, Alexei Rakhmanov, Director of the United Shipbuilding Corporation responsible for constructing the nuclear-powered submarines, stated that work to equip the “Yasen-M” attack submarines with hypersonic missiles has already commenced.
“Multi-purpose nuclear submarines of the Yasen-M project will … be equipped with the Zircon missile system on a regular basis. Work in this direction is already underway,” Alexei Rakhmanov, chief executive officer of the United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC).
Russia’s Yasen-class nuclear-powered cruise-missile submarines are quiet, difficult to track, heavily armed, and able to conduct attacks against land- and sea-based targets. The first sub of the class, the Severodvinsk, was commissioned late in 2013 following decades of design, development, and construction that started during the Cold War.
The Yasen-M submarines are equipped with torpedoes and guided missiles such as “Kalibr” and “P-800 Oniks,” and now the hypersonic guided missile “Tsirkon,” which enhances their threat to adversaries.
The hypersonic guided missile “Tsirkon” boasts a speed of Mach 9 and a range of over 1,000 km.
Pentagon senior officials anticipate that within the next one to two years, the most powerful submarines of Russia’s Yasen class will begin patrolling more frequently near the coastal areas of the United States.
General Glen Van Herck, Commander of the United States Northern Command (NORTHCOM), reportedly stated in 2021 that Russian forces had started deploying military assets, including “ultra-quiet” submarines like the Yasen-M, posing a threat to the country’s security.
He emphasized the increasing risk, with Russian Yasen-class submarines now present not only in the Atlantic but also in the Pacific, anticipating more frequent threats 24/7 within the next one or two years, reducing decision-making time for national leaders during crises.
Also known as the Severodvinsk class by NATO, the 13,800-ton Yasen-M submarines are recognized by international defense analysts as among the most capable submarines globally.
In 2018, the Yasen-class submarine identified as “Severodvinsk” successfully evaded detection by U.S. platforms for weeks, according to media reports.
Designed to operate near the coastal areas of the United States, carrying cruise missiles to threaten critical infrastructure during security crises between the two nations, the Yasen-M submarines’ threat will significantly increase after being equipped with the hypersonic guided missile “Tsirkon.”
With a speed of Mach 9, there is no air defense system capable of intercepting the hypersonic guided missile.
As of now, the Russian submarine force already has five operational Yasen-M submarines.
President Vladimir Putin said earlier this year that Russia would start mass supplies of Zircon missiles as part of the country’s efforts to boost its nuclear forces.
The Russian multi-purposes frigate Admiral Gorshkov, which has tested its strike capabilities in the western Atlantic Ocean earlier this year, has been already equipped with Zircon missiles. — DSA
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