Russia starts construction of 6th Yasen-class nuclear sub

Yasen-class is the Navy’s newest generation multi-purpose submarine. With an estimated cost of $1,5 billion and a construction period of nearly 20 years, the first vessel of the class, the «Severodvinsk» was approved for the Northern fleet earlier this year. 

The Yasen-class submarine is one of the most secretive and expensive in the program for development of the Navy, and in the state armaments program as a whole.

Sevmash yard says in a press-release on Friday that the “Perm” is only going to be build with Russian equipment. The sub is scheduled to be ready for mission in 2022.

«Severodvinsk» has Zapadanaya Litsa near Russia’s border to Norway as homeport. «Perm» might as well be based at the same base. Half of the vessels in the class will sail for the Northern fleet with bases on the Kola Peninsula, while the other half will sail for the Pacific fleet.

«Perm» is a modernized version of the class and will be armed with both the Oniks and Kalibr anti-ship missiles, a range of torpedoes and naval mines, Interfax reports with reference to the United Shipbuilding Corporation. Sevmash says the electronics, equipment and materials to be used are new compared with the first vessel “Severodvinsk”.

In addition to «Perm», four other Yasen class nuclear powered submarines are currently under construction at Sevmash yard in Severodvinsk. Those are the «Kazan», «Novosibirsk», «Krasnoyarsk» and «Arkhangelsk».

There are also four ballistic missile submarines of the Borei-class under construction at Sevmash, in addition to several special purpose submarines. The yard on the coast of the White Sea have never in post-Cold War times had more nuclear powered submarines under construction than today.

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Russia’s current massiv submarine construction does, however, not goes a s smoothly as planned. Sources in the military-industrial complex recently told TASS that the two submarines supposed to be ready for the navy next year will be one year delayed.

The two submarines scheduled to enter service in 2017 are «Knyaz Vladimir» (Borei-class) and «Kazan». Both are now scheduled to be handed over to the navy in 2018, according to TASS.