K‑553 Generalissimus Suvorov: Russia sent powerful submarine to the Far East

The K-553 Generalissimus Suvorov is a new unit of the 955A Borei-A project. Its construction began in 2014, and the ship was launched at the beginning of 2022.

Since December of the previous year, there has been ongoing assembly, training and team coordination, and after almost a year, the unit was directed to the Far East - to the Russian Pacific Fleet.

The ship set off on its journey from one of the Northern Fleet bases, reaching the Far East via the so-called northern route - a route leading through waters surrounding Eurasia from the north. Generalissimus Suvorov became part of the 25th Submarine Division.

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K-553 represents a class of ships, called boomers. These are strategic nuclear-powered submarines, equipped with intercontinental ballistic missiles on board.

K-553 Generalissimus Suworow is the sixth representative of the Borei family of vessels (project 955), and also the third of the modernized subtype Borei-A. These are units designed entirely in Russia, after the collapse of the USSR.

Work on them began in the 90s, and the first representative of the new series of ships, K-535 Yuri Dolgoruky, entered service in 2013, after 17 years of construction. Borei-type ships have a submerged displacement reaching 26,500 short tons. Their hull is 557 feet long and 44 feet wide, and each vessel is operated by a crew of 130 officers and sailors.

The main weapon of Borei class ships is 16 R-30 Bulava intercontinental ballistic missiles. The Bulavas have a range exceeding 4,971 miles and carry MIRV warheads, containing six sub-warheads with a power of 100-150 kt and a total weight of 2,535 lbs. Each of them can attack a different target.

In addition to ballistic missiles, Borei-class submarines are equipped with 6 or 8 (depending on the variant) 533 caliber torpedo launchers.