Russia Operates Yasen-M Arkhangelsk Class Fourth Nuclear Submarine: Equipped With Oniks And Kalibr Cruise Missiles

Russian attack submarine Arkhangelsk at Sevmash shipyard, Severodvinsk December 27, 2024. (Source: United Shipbuilding)

JAKARTA - Russia's Ministry of Defense late last month announced that the country's Navy was officially operationalizing the fourth nuclear-powered submarine from Project 885M (Yisen-M Class) (K-564) Arkhangelsk which was built on the Sevmash Shipyard.

"The official ceremony was held at the Sevmash Shipyard to hand over the fourth Yasen-M Arkhangelsk-class nuclear-powered submarine to the Russian Navy. The ceremony was held under the direction of the Supreme Commander of the Russian Navy Admiral Alexander Moiseyev," the ministry said in a statement, quoted from TASS January 5.

During the ceremony, the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy Admiral Alexander Moiseyev handed over the flag of the Navy St. Andrew to the submarine commander, Captain First Rank Alexander Gladkov Alexander Gladkov, to be flown on board, the ministry said.

The nuclear-powered submarine is named after the military glory city of Arkhangelsk, the capital of the Pomory region north of Russia's Europe.

Arkhangelsk is the third serially built submarine in a family of Yasen-M class multipurpose nuclear-powered submarines.

Previously, the submarine launch ceremony from the launch pad of the Shipyard took place on November 29, 2023.

He added that the Arkhangelsk nuclear-powered submarine carried all types of marine missile weapons capable of effectively striking marine and coastal targets.

However, the submarine's main attack weapon is the Oriks cruise missile and/or Kalibr-PL.

Quoted from The Defense Forces, the ship is also designed to combine the Zircon anti-ship hypersonic cruise missile, which reportedly hit the target from a distance of 600 miles (965 kilometers) and was traveling at Mach 9 speed, so it could beat traditional air defense systems.

This ship has enhanced stealth technology coupled with long-range attack capabilities.

"This allows Yasen-M class submarines to remain effective and sophisticated weapons. Thanks to this, they make an invaluable contribution to maintaining global and regional security in peace times," said Admiral Moiseyev.

Arkhangelsk is the 141st nuclear-powered submarine built for the Russian Navy at the Sevmash Shipyard. The project was designed by the Malakhit Marine Engineering Design Bureau centered in St. Petersburg.

"The construction of a series of submarines of this Project will continue," said the Russian Navy Commander.

"In the near future, four multipurpose nuclear-powered submarines, Perm, Ulyanovsk, Voronezh and Vladivostok will join the Russian Navy," he added.

The plan is for the Kremlin to increase the number of submarines with a length of 130 meters and bring these 64 crew members to 12 units.

The newest nuclear-powered submarine is assigned to the Northern Fleet operating in the Arctic Ocean, Norway Sea, Barents Sea and Kara Sea, along with the Severodvinsk Submarine and Kazan Submarine.

Meanwhile, two other submarines, Novosibirsk and Krasnoyarsk, were assigned to join the Pacific Fleet.