The multipurpose nuclear submarine (SSN) "Irkutsk" of Project 949AM of the Pacific Fleet was launched at the Zvezda shipbuilding complex in Primorye. This was reported on Wednesday by TASS, citing an unnamed source in the Russian defense industry. According to the source, the submarine was launched in 2023, and now work on its modernization is "continuing at the berth." The agency has no official confirmation of this information.
Before modernization, the main strike weapon of the Project 949A SSN was 24 Granit anti-ship missiles. However, during the modernization, the "Irkutsk" will receive a significant update to its arsenal. It is expected that instead of "Granits", the submarine will be able to carry 48 fundamentally new Kalibr-PL, Onyx, and Zircon missiles, which will allow it to strike both enemy ships and coastal targets. In addition, as a self-defense weapon, the boat will be equipped with more than 30 Fizik-2 torpedoes.
According to the latest data, the modernized "Irkutsk" SSN will return to service with the Pacific Fleet around the end of 2025. The submarine's history is rich in events, starting from its laying down at Sevmash in 1985 and launching in 1987. In 1988, it was transferred to the Northern Fleet, and since 1990 it has been serving in the Pacific Fleet and at different times was both in combat and in reserve. Originally named "K-132", in 1993 the submarine was named "Irkutsk". The "Irkutsk" SSN arrived at Zvezda for repair and modernization back in 2001, when it was planned that it would return to the fleet in 2017. But real work began only in 2019. After that, the submarine was promised both by 2022 and the year after.
