Yasen-class submarine

Class overview
Name:	Yasen
Operators:	Russian Navy
Preceded by:	Akula class
Cost:	Equivalent of US$1.6 billion
Building:	4
Planned:	12 (7 on order)
Completed:	2 (Severodvinsk)
Active:	1
General characteristics
Displacement:	Surfaced: 7,700–8,600 tons Submerged: 13,800 tons
Length:	120 m (390 ft)
Beam:	15 m (49 ft)
Propulsion:	1 x KPM type pressurized water reactor
Speed:	Surfaced: 20 kn (37 km/h; 23 mph) Submerged (silent): 28 kn (52 km/h; 32 mph) Submerged (max): 35 kn (65 km/h; 40 mph)
Range:	unlimited except by food supplies
Test depth:	600 m (2,000 ft)
Complement:	90 (32 officers)
Sensors and processing systems:	Rim Hat ESM/ECM Snoop Pair Surface Search Radar
Armament:	8 x VLS equiped silos for either: 32 (8 x 4) with Oniks or 40 (8 x 5) with Kalibr-PL anti-ship, anti-submarine and land attack submarine launched weapon. Kh-101 cruise missiles. 10 × torpedo tubes (8x650mm and 2x533mm).

The Yasen-class submarine (Russian: Проект 885 "Ясень", "ash tree"; NATO reporting name: "Severodvinsk", also known erroneously as the Graney class) is the newest Russian nuclear-powered multipurpose attack submarine. Based on the Akula-class submarine and the Alfa-class submarines it is projected to replace Russia's Soviet-era attack submarines, both Akula and Oscar-class submarines.

According to one of the U.S. Navy’s top submarine officers Rear Adm. Dave Johnson, Naval Sea Systems Command’s (NAVSEA) program executive officer (PEO) submarines, "We’ll be facing tough potential opponents. One only has to look at the Severodvinsk, Russia’s version of a [nuclear guided missile submarine] (SSGN). I am so impressed with this ship that I had Carderock build a model from unclassified data [so that he could look at it every day on his way to his office].”

History

Yasen-class submarines were designed by the Malakhit Central Design Bureau, formed by the combination of SKB-143 and TsKB-16, with work on the initial design scheduled for start in 1977 and completion in 1985. Malakhit is one of the three Soviet/Russian submarine design centers, along with Rubin Design Bureau and Lazurit Central Design Bureau.

Construction on the first submarine started on 21 December 1993 with its launch slated for 1995 and commissioning for 1998. However, the project was delayed due to financial problems and it appeared during 1996 that work on the submarine had stopped completely. Some reports suggested that as of 1999 the submarine was less than 10 percent completed. In 2003 the project then received additional funding and the work of finishing the submarine continued.

In 2004 it was reported that the work on the submarine was moving forward, but due to the priority given to the new SSBN Borei-class submarine, Severodvinsk, the lead unit of the Yasen class would not be ready before 2010. In July 2006 the deputy chairman of the Military-Industrial Commission, Vladislav Putilin, stated that two Yasen-class submarines were to join the Russian Navy before 2015.

Acoustic stealth comparison

On 24 July 2009, work commenced on a second Yasen submarine, named Kazan. On 26 July, the Russian navy command announced that starting in 2011, one multipurpose submarine would be laid down every year, although not necessarily of this class.

An August 2009 report from the U.S. Office of Naval Intelligence estimated the Yasen-class submarines to be the quietest, or least detectable, of contemporaneous Russian and Chinese nuclear submarines but is still not as quiet as contemporary U.S. Navy submarines (i.e. Seawolf and Virginia classes).

In April 2010 it was reported that the 7 May launch of the first boat had been postponed due to 'Technical Reasons'.

The launch of the first ship of this class and the beginning of sea trials was reported in September 2011.

Roll out ceremony of Russian submarine Severodvinsk.

K-329 Severodvinsk went on her first voyage in September 2011 in order to conduct sea trials.

On 9 November 2011 Russia signed a contract for 4 Yasen-class submarines to be delivered by 2016.

On 26 July 2013 the third submarine, Novosibirsk, was laid down.

On 30 December 2013 the first submarine, Severodvinsk, was handed over to the Russian Navy. The flag-raising ceremony was held on 17 June 2014 marking its introduction into the Russian Navy.

Costs

It was speculated that the cost of the first Yasen-class submarine was around US$1 billion, although another source claims that the price was actually US$2 billion. Recent reports from unnamed sources speculate that the first-of-class (Severodvinsk) unit cost was 50 billion rubles (roughly US$1.6 billion) while the second boat (Kazan) will cost an estimated 110 billion rubles (US$3.5 billion). This would make Kazan the most expensive SSN/SSGN in the world together with USS Jimmy Carter but not as expensive as the $4.8 billion French SSBN Triomphant class. A single Yasen-class submarine allegedly costs as much as two Borei-class submarines.

In 2011, (then) Defense Minister Anatoliy Serdyukov criticized the ever increasing cost of the Borei- and Yasen-class submarines. The Minister described the massive increase in cost between the first and the second Yasen-class submarine as "incomprehensible". However, he insisted that the Ministry of Defence and Sevmash (builder) would resolve the issue. Officials from the United Shipbuilding Corporation replied that work done in Sevmash accounts to only 30% of the submarines completion cost, the remaining 70% being linked to suppliers/contractors.

Due to the high cost of each submarines some sources believe that a new generation of SSNs would be of smaller dimensions with a reduced armament/payload.

Description

The vessel's design is claimed to be state-of-the-art. The Yasen-class nuclear submarine is presumed to be armed with Kalibr-PL system or Oniks SLCM. Kalibr-PL has several variants including the 3M54K (terminal-supersonic) and 3M54K1 (subsonic) antiship, 91R1 antisubmarine, and the 3M14K land-attack variant. It will also have 8 x 650 mm and 2 x 533 mm tubes as well as mines and anti-ship missiles such as the RPK-7.

This class is the first Russian submarine to be equipped with a spherical sonar, designated as Irtysh-Amfora. The device (allegedly the Irtysh/Amfora sonar system) was tested on a modified Yankee class submarine. The sonar system consists of a spherical bow array, flank arrays and a towed array. Due to the large size of this spherical array, the torpedo tubes are slanted. The hull is constructed from low-magnetic steel. The submarine has a crew of about 90, suggesting a high degree of automation in the submarine's different systems. The newest USA attack submarine, the Virginia-class submarine, has a crew of 134 in comparison.

Yasen-class submarines will be the first Russian SSNs/SSGNs equipped with a fourth generation nuclear reactor. The reactor will allegedly have a 25-30 year core life and will not have to be refueled.

A VSK rescue pod is carried in the sail.

Units

Severodvinsk class – significant dates

	Project	Name	Laid down	Launched	Commissioned	Status	Fleet	Comments
K-560	885	Severodvinsk	21 December 1993	15 June 2010	30 December 2013	In operation	Northern
K-561	885M	Kazan	24 July 2009			Under construction	TBD	First serial unit, modernized.
K-573	885M	Novosibirsk	26 July 2013			Under construction	TBD
K-571	885M	Krasnoyarsk	27 July 2014			Under construction	TBD
	885M	Arhangelsk	19 March 2015			Under construction	TBD
	885M	-	July 2016			Ordered	TBD

See also

• Borei-class submarine, the latest Russian navy ballistic submarine
• 095-class submarine, the latest for China's People's Liberation Army Navy, first launched in 2010
• Astute-class submarine, the latest in service with the British Navy, first launched in 2007
• Barracuda-class submarine, the latest for the French Navy, with the first to be commissioned in 2017
• Virginia-class submarine, the latest in service with the United States Navy, first launched in 2003