This morning, December 27, the Russian Navy celebrated the reception of a new nuclear-powered attack submarine of the Yasen-M class. The unit, named K-564 Arkhangelsk, built by the Sevmash shipyard, is the fourth belonging to the Project 885M class and the second to be soon incorporated into the Northern Fleet.
The Yasen/Yasen-M class is recognized as the most modern nuclear-powered submarine in service with the Russian Navy. Designed by the Malakhit Marine Engineering Bureau and built by the Sevmash shipyard, they have been established as replacements for the aging Oscar- and Akula-class cruise missile and attack submarines of the Soviet era. The start of their construction was hampered by the challenges Russia faced in the early 1990s following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. This led to the development of an improved variant, coinciding with the completion of the first unit, Severodvinsk (Project 885), which is now known as Project 885M or Yasen-M. This variant constitutes the majority of current and future submarines to be incorporated.
Currently, excluding the Severodvinsk and with today’s reception of the K-564, the Russian Navy operates a total of four new Yasen-M submarines, deployed within the Pacific Fleet (K-573 Novosibirsk and K-571 Krasnoyarsk) and the Northern Fleet (K-561 Kazan and the recently delivered Arkhangelsk).
During the ceremony, the commander of the K-564, Captain Alexander Gladkov, received the St. Andrew’s flag from the hands of Navy Commander Admiral Alexander Moiseyev.
Additionally, the high command of the Russian Federation’s Armed Forces referred to progress in the construction of the next submarines of the class, stating that “… The construction of a series of submarines of this project will continue,” alluding to the future Perm, Ulyanovsk, Voronezh, and Vladivostok, which are currently under construction at the Sevmash shipyard.
The statement by the head of the Russian Navy aligns with Russia’s strategic modernization plans, which emphasize dominance in the underwater domain through the construction of new nuclear- and conventionally-powered submarines for both ballistic missile and attack roles.
As part of these plans, it was confirmed in late 2023 that three additional Project 885M submarines will be built, bringing the fleet to a total of 12 units operating within the Northern and Pacific Fleets. Other projects related to the class have also been highlighted, such as their capability to launch Zircon hypersonic missiles, further enhancing their strike capabilities, currently provided by the combination of Kalibr and Oniks anti-ship missiles, as well as 533 mm torpedoes.
Finally, regarding the K-564 Arkhangelsk, it is expected that the nuclear-powered submarine will undergo additional navigation and diving trials in the coming weeks and months to evaluate the proper functioning of its systems. It is likely that its incorporation into active service will occur during 2025, on a date to be confirmed by the Russian Navy.
