Russia’s New Yasen-M Submarine to Carry Zircon Hypersonic Missiles
The impressive Zircon missile is expected to become the norm for future vessels, including the Yasen-class.
Despite its naval setbacks in the ongoing Ukraine war, Russia is banking on a new submarine class to project power in the seas. According to the Kremlin, an upcoming nuclear-powered submarine class will be the first to be fitted with the hypersonic Zircon missile. Designated by Moscow as “Perm,” this vessel is part of the Yasen-M class. While Russian officials initially hoped to field thirty Yasen submarines in addition to fourteen strategic Borei-class boats, it appears only ten will be built for each class. The 3M22 Zircon missile remains one of the most hyped-up weapons in Russia’s arsenal. If reported specs and capabilities surrounding this weapon are accurate, this anti-ship missile could pose a lethal threat to ships within a 300–400-mile range.
What We Know About the Yasen-class
Russia’s Yasen-class submarines are a Cold War product. As the arms race was heating up between the USSR and the United States, the Malakhit Marine Engineering Bureau was tasked to develop a fleet of cruise missile fast attack vessels. However, the first Yasen submarine was not commissioned until after the USSR collapsed. In fact, the lead ship of the class, Severodvisk, did not reach operational capacity until 2014. Despite this massive delay in introduction, the Yasen submarine was considered to be top-of-the-line. In fact, the enhanced Yasen-M boats are comparable to the U.S. Navy’s fleet of Virginia Block V submarines, according to Naval News.
After the Severondvinsk was formally commissioned, the Kazan (K-561) followed suit and was commissioned in 2021, succeeded by the Novosibirsk (K-573) and Krasnoyarsk (K-571). The next boat planned to enter service with the Russian fleet is the Arkhangelsk (K-564). Seven additional submarines could join the class down the line. In terms of power, each boat in this class can reach a top speed of 35 knots with submerged displacements of 13,800 tons. According to Russian sources, the Yasen boats are the first to be fitted with a fourth-generation nuclear reactor, which provides a longer core life.
Where the Yasen-M submarines really shine, however, is in armament power. These submarines are equipped with thirty-two vertical tubes which can accommodate three missile types, including the Kalibr-PL and Oniks cruise missiles. If the Yasen-M submarines really can field the Zircon hypersonic missile, these vessels would pose an even greater threat to adversarial boas. State-run media sources claim the Zircon missile can reach a top speed of Mach-9.0 (times the speed of sound). The Missile Defense Advocacy Alliances previously detailed that the Ziron can reach ranges up to 466 miles, but Russian sources claim the top range is actually much higher at around 620 miles.
Russia’s new Perm submarine may be the first to be fitted with the Zircon, but this impressive missile is expected to become the norm for future vessels. Alexei Rakhmanov, chief executive officer of the United Shipbuilding Corporation, recently told RIA that, “Multi-purpose nuclear submarines of the Yasen-M project will … be equipped with the Zircon missile system on a regular basis.”
About the Author: Maya Carlin
Maya Carlin, National Security Writer with The National Interest, is an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has by-lines in many publications, including The National Interest, Jerusalem Post, and Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin. Carlin has over 1,000 articles published over the last several years on various defense issues.
Image: By Mil.ru, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.
