More deterrence and deadlier !

Periscope on new Russian SSBNs

The Russian MoD have announced that trials of its newest improved Borei- class ( Borei- A) SSBN will start in 2018. The boat was launched at the Sevmash shipyard in Severodvinsk on 17 November 2017 named Knyaz Vladimir (Prince Vladimir, for Vladimir the Great). The Russian MoD has ordered a total of eight Borei- class vessels with three already in service ( Borei- class) and the remainder ( improved Borei- A class) under various stages of construction. The Russian Navy has indicated that the signature of the Borei-A ships is “considerably reduced.”

Russian defence officials have also reported that R&D for another upgraded variant of the class, Borei-B has commenced. Russian Navy Commander-in-Chief Vladimir Korolyov stated that the timeframe for building Borei-B submarines would become clear after the conceptual design of these underwater cruisers was completed. “We are beginning to work actively on this project from 2018 and I believe that this will happen very soon and we will specify the dates following the results of the first stage, that is, the work on the outline design,” the Naval Chief said.

Meanwhile, the Russian MoD is proceeding with a refit and modernisation programme of previous generation SSBNs that are already in service. In late 2017, the Zvyozdochka ship repair yard in Severodvinsk completed the refit and modernisation of the Delta-IV class SSBN Tula. The maintenance work for the submarine’s life extension started in 2015 and took two years including trials. Two sister ships, Verkhoturye and Ekaterinburg, have undergone the same renovation already, while a fourth SSBN of the class, Bryansk, has arrived at Zvyozdochka for life extension work to commence this year.