Yasen-class (Project 885)

The Yasen-class submarines originate from design work that commenced in the 1980s. Based on the preceding Akula and Alfa classes, the Yasen was projected to replace the Russian Navy's Soviet-era nuclear attack submarines as well as the Oscar II-class cruise missile submarines. Construction of the first vessel began in 1993 but was severely delayed due to financial problems, with work nearly halting completely by the late 1990s. The project was revived with additional funding in 2003, and the lead submarine was commissioned in 2014. Subsequent vessels have been built to an upgraded and slightly shorter Yasen-M design, the first of which entered service in 2021.

These submarines are nuclear-powered multipurpose vessels intended for both hunter-killer and cruise missile strike roles. The hull is constructed from low-magnetic steel and is predominantly a single-hull design, a departure from previous Russian double-hulled submarines. Propulsion is provided by a fourth-generation nuclear reactor with a long core life, reducing the need for refueling. The reactor's cooling system utilizes natural circulation, a feature that significantly reduces the vessel's acoustic signature. The class is reportedly capable of high speeds while maintaining a low noise profile. It is the first Russian submarine class equipped with a large spherical bow sonar array, a design choice that required its torpedo tubes to be slanted and moved aft from the bow. Armament is composed of vertical launch silos for land-attack, anti-ship, and anti-submarine missiles, including hypersonic variants. The platform also has ten 533 mm tubes for launching heavyweight torpedoes and mines. A reduced crew complement compared to its Western counterparts suggests a high degree of automation.

Operated by the Russian Navy, Yasen-class submarines have been deployed to both the Northern and Pacific Fleets. The lead submarine, Severodvinsk, reportedly evaded detection efforts for several weeks during a deployment in the Atlantic Ocean in 2018. The vessel has also served as a weapons-testing platform, conducting successful submerged and surfaced launches of the Tsirkon hypersonic missile in October 2021. Other submarines of the class have also been active in the North Atlantic, engaging in sea trials and operational deployments.