Russian navy to enhance capabilities with K‑564 Archangelsk submarine
The latest nuclear vessel, K-564 Archangelsk, is now ready for initial tests, as reported by the Bulgarian Military portal. The Russians unveiled it on Wednesday, November 29, following eight years of dedicated work. Let's explore its capabilities.
6:09 AM EST, November 30, 2023
This ship is the most advanced unit of Project 885M Yasen-M, recently revealed in Severodvinsk. Soon, it will be subject to a series of rigorous tests. Upon successful completion of each trial, the ship will be incorporated into the Northern Fleet of the Russian Navy.
Bulgarian Military indicates that the "journey to complete K-564 Archangelsk was long". Work commenced in 2015, and construction continued uninterrupted for eight years until the unit's unveiling at the end of November. Reportedly, delays in funding caused the extended production period, hence the development of the unit couldn't be completed sooner. K-564 isn't the only vessel to have faced such delays. For instance, the construction of K-560 began in 1993, and it took a staggering 20 years to complete, marking the first Yasen-M class ship.
Ships of the Yasen-M class
The Russian army has been deploying ships of this class since 2013 when the 20-year construction of the K-560 unit was completed. The general features of Yasen-M ships include a length of 426 feet and propulsion provided by an OK-650 nuclear fission reactor, a water reactor using enriched uranium-235 as fuel.
The Yasen-M ships are notable for being the first Russian designs to be equipped with the spherical sonar MGK-600 Irtysh-Amfora. The sonar's size necessitated a redesign of the machine and incorporation of an inclined torpedo launcher. Moreover, these class vessels are especially silent compared to other Russian ships. As reported, the K-560 unit can reach a speed of up to 28 knots (approximately 32 mph) in quiet mode, and a maximum of 35 knots (40 mph).
The most significant aspect that ensures the high usability of the Yasen-M class ships is their armament. They can be equipped with 32 Oniks or Caliber maneuverable missiles (missiles with a range of up to about 932 miles and carrying up to 1102 lbs of explosive material in the warhead). In addition, there is capacity onboard for 10 torpedo launchers with a cal. 544 mm, carrying heavy Fizik-2 torpedoes and Igla-M ground-to-air missiles.
