Russia is betting on a new class of submarines — Project 885M Yasen-M. These submarines are likely to be equipped as standard with hypersonic anti-ship Zircon missiles. This is how military expert Maya Karlin commented on the news about the launch of the Russian submarine Perm in a column for The National Interest.
The 3M22 Zircon remains one of the most highly touted weapons in Russia's arsenal. If the stated characteristics of the missile are true, it poses a deadly threat to ships within a 300–400 mile radius.
Karlin recalled that the lead submarine of the Yasen class, the Severodvinsk, was handed over to the Russian Navy in 2014. At that time, it was a "top-notch" submarine.
The submarines of the improved Yasen-M project are comparable to the US Navy's Virginia-class submarines.
The expert referred to Russian sources, according to which fourth-generation nuclear reactors are installed on the Yasen submarines.
These submarines are equipped with 32 launchers for 3 types of missiles, including Kalibr-PL and Onyx cruise missiles. If the Yasen-M submarines are equipped with Zircons, this is a major threat to the enemy.
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