MOSCOW, December 27. /TASS/. The Project 885M (Yasen-M) latest nuclear-powered submarine Arkhangelsk built at the Sevmash Shipyard in northwestern Russia has entered service with the Russian Navy, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported on Friday.
"An official ceremony took place at the Sevmash Shipyard to deliver the Yasen-M-class fourth-generation nuclear-powered submarine Arkhangelsk to the Russian Navy. The ceremony was held under the direction of Russian Navy Commander-in-Chief Admiral Alexander Moiseyev," the ministry said in a statement.
During the ceremony, the Russian Navy chief handed in the St. Andrew’s naval flag to the submarine commander, Captain First Rank Alexander Gladkov. The flag was raised aboard the nuclear-powered submarine cruiser Arkhangelsk that will operate in the Russian Navy’s submarine forces, it said.
The nuclear-powered submarine has been named after the military glory city of Arkhangelsk, the capital of the vast territory called Pomorye in the north of the European part of Russia. The Arkhangelsk is the third serial-built sub in the family of Yasen-M-class multi-purpose nuclear-powered submarines. A ceremony of rolling out the submarine from the Shipyard’s slipway took place on November 29, 2023. The Arkhangelsk has become the 141st nuclear-powered submarine constructed for the Russian Navy at the Sevmash Shipyard. The project was designed by the St. Petersburg-based Malakhit Design Bureau of Marine Engineering.
Latest submarines to join Russian Navy
As the Russian Navy chief stressed, "the construction of a series of submarines of this Project will continue." Shortly, four multi-purpose nuclear-powered submarines, the Perm, the Ulyanovsk, the Voronezh and the Vladivostok will join the Russian Navy, he added.
The nuclear-powered submarine cruiser Arkhangelsk carries all the types of seaborne missile weaponry capable of effectively striking both sea and coastal targets, the Navy chief said.
"This enables Yasen-M-class submarines remain an effective and advanced weapon. Thanks to this, they make their invaluable contribution to maintaining global and regional security in peacetime," Moiseyev emphasized.
The admiral said he was confident that the Sevmash Shipyard would continue the tradition of delivering ships to the Navy within the established timeframe and of high quality.
"You shoulder high responsibility: you make the necessary, complex and serious weapons for our country. The ships built by the Sevmash Shipyard are our pride, strength and mightiness and Russia’s reliable shield," the admiral said.
The Project 885M lead submarine Kazan’s long-distance deployment this year, including its visit to Cuba, demonstrated high results of ensuring Russia’s naval presence in the World Ocean, the Navy chief said.
Yasen-class submarines
The Sevmash Shipyard is constructing four Project 885M submarines: the Perm, the Ulyanovsk, the Vladivostok and the Voronezh. The Project 885/885M nuclear-powered subs Severodvinsk, Kazan, Novosibirsk and Krasnoyarsk are operational in the Russian Navy.
Upgraded Project 885M submarines incorporate the latest unique Russian innovations in the field of missile armament, seaborne weapons, technical and radio-electronic systems and main propulsion units. The upgrades and technical solutions integrated into the Yasen-M Project deal with the components base of the sub’s systems, upgraded equipment and materials produced by Russian enterprises. Over 400 companies across Russia are engaged in the construction of submarines. The submarine has successfully passed all the stages of trials.
Project 885M nuclear-powered submarines carry Oniks and/or Kalibr-PL cruise missiles as their basic strike weapons.