Project 855 Yasen submarine launching ceremony
The Kazan submarine belongs to Russia’s Project 855M.
After the Cold War, the US navy dominated the ocean with the core of Virginia-class submarines.
Project 855 ‘Yasen’ submarine
In the mid-1980s, the Malakhit Central Design Bureau, one of the three main Soviet submarine design bureaus, completed the design of the Yasen-class attack submarine.
However, economic difficulties in post-Soviet Russia caused this project to stagnate and stop completely in 1996. In 2003, the Russian Ministry of Defense funded the Sevmash factory to continue completing the Severodvinsk.
The Yasen-class submarine is 118 m long and displaces 13,800 tons when submerged.
The Severodvinsk uses an OK-650KPM nuclear reactor with a capacity of 200 MW, allowing the ship to reach a maximum speed of 65 km/h when diving or swimming quietly in the sea at a speed of 37 km/h.
Severodvinsk is equipped with the MGK-600 `Irtysh-Amfora` sonar complex, which includes a spherical sonar on the nose, multiple sonar clusters on the flanks and a towed sonar on the tail.
Weapons on the ship include four 533 mm torpedo tubes and four 650 mm torpedo tubes.
Virginia class submarine
The Virginia class is a continuation and cost-effective version of the Seawolf class, a very powerful but extremely expensive ship.
The Virginia class is only about 3 m shorter than the Yasen, but has twice the displacement.
Confrontation scenario between the two most powerful attack submarines in the world
Virginia-class submarine leaves port on patrol.
Similar to the Russian ship, the Virginia class also uses a spherical BQQ-10 sonar at the bow.
The Virginia submarine only has four 533 mm launch tubes for improved Mk.48 torpedoes (ADCAP) and UGM-84 anti-ship missiles.
Confrontation scenario
Military expert Kyle Mizokami assessed that in a one-on-one situation between the Virginia Block III class submarine and Severodvinsk, it is difficult to determine victory or defeat.
The weapons on the two ships have equal power.
The Severodvinsk submarine can run slower but dive much deeper than the Virginia class.
Virginia-class submarines have the advantage of low noise.
In the near future, the Virginia ship may have its sonar upgraded through a new software package, while the Severodvinsk ship does not have this feature.
In the long term, the competition between these two submarines will lead to the use of unmanned submersibles and many new technologies.
Olivia