Putin’s move is a checkmate, writes the Russian press, since the installation of Zircon missiles on the world’s most modern submarines, the Yasen-M class, has shocked the top leadership of the West. Even worse for the US, is that the Russian stealth submarines will be located just 30 km from the alliance’s borders, threatening Trump with Armageddon, the same source emphasizes.
This news caused a shock in the NATO command. The new Russian submarines can completely change the principles of underwater warfare. The weapons that the Yasen-M class submarines can launch have been causing concern in NATO for many years, as they indicate a change in the missions of these submarines.
Rather than operating as submarine hunters, these new submarines are capable of firing a full range of missiles against ships and land targets, using the supersonic Zircon missile as their “tool”.
With a claimed speed of Mach 6-8, depending on the flight path, the Zircon missile can suppress a ship’s air defense system, without giving it time to decide whether to fire countermeasures.
This will be especially difficult if the Zircon can perform high-G maneuvers in the final phase of flight before impact.
Zircon threatens land targets and vital western NATO naval bases
The missile’s incredible speed makes it an excellent means of attacking large ships, as well as fortified ground targets located deep underground.
In 2018, Vladimir Putin included this missile among five Russian superweapons, along with the Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle, the Poseidon underwater drone, the Burevestnik nuclear-powered cruise missile, and the Kinzhal hypersonic air-to-air missile.
Analysts at the Royal Institute (RUSI) concluded that the design of the Yasen-M submarine, to “carry” nuclear missiles, indicates a change in the principles of operation of the Russian submarine forces in the confrontation with NATO.
The Yasen-M submarine (Project 885M) is the closest to the American Virginia-class submarines and was created to clearly confront the US Navy.
According to the RUSI (Russia Submarine Capabilities) report, the submarines’ initial mission was to block sea lanes, but with the advent of weapons such as Zircon, the main task of Russian submarines will be to strike from extremely long distances.
And this will require changes in NATO’s anti-submarine warfare doctrine.
The entire defense strategy in the GIUK (Greenland-Iceland-United Kingdom) area may prove ineffective against Russian submarines, which may not need to overcome this obstacle to achieve their operational objectives.
As a reminder, the fourth Yasen-M-class submarine, Arkhangelsk, was delivered to the Russian Navy on December 27, 2024, in a ceremony held at the Sevmash shipyard.
The fleet of Russian Yasen-M submarines will expand to at least 12 units, with half of them belonging to the Northern Fleet.
In addition to the Zircon missile, these Russian submarines also carry a Kalibr long-range cruise missile, and the Onyx anti-ship missile.
The Onyx (3M55) has a range of 320 nautical miles (almost 600 km), while the Kalibr has a range of 1,600 nautical miles (almost 4,000 km).
A Russian fleet of 12 such submarines would be a shock to US and NATO plans to counter future Russian submarine threats.
The Russian submarine fleet will continue to grow in number, while, incidentally, the exact number of submarines in the Russian Navy is classified (the Nuclear Threat Initiative estimated it at 64 units in August 2024, but the number is clearly significantly underestimated).
Russia has essentially abandoned large but expensive surface ships, such as the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov, and is investing in nuclear-powered submarines in order to excel against the West.
