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Russia is building 5 Yasen-M submarines known as Project 885M. Photo/TASS/Bulgarian Military
MOSCOW – Russia is building 5 Yasen-M submarines known as Project 885M, even though it is at war and under sanctions. This provides an overview of Russia’s defense budget, which is projected to exceed 5.6 trillion rubles or the equivalent of $62 billion (Rp. 955.5 trillion) in 2023.
Quoted from the Bulgarian Military page, Monday (20/11/2023), the nuclear submarine from Project 885M Yasen-M seems quite strong. Each submarine of this class has an impressive set of specifications.
For example, this submarine has a water displacement capacity of up to 8,600 tons on the surface and up to 13,000 tons underwater. Its diameter and length are about 13 and 130 meters respectively.
This submarine can reach a speed of 16 knots on the surface and increases to 31 knots underwater. This submarine carrying 64 crew is capable of diving for up to 100 days.
Each submarine is armed with 10 torpedo tubes holding 30 torpedoes, along with 8 launch cells, each capable of holding 4 Onyx missiles or 5 Kalibr missiles. In essence, each submarine can carry up to 32 Onyx missiles or up to 40 Kalibr missiles.
However, the price of this submarine is still a matter of debate in the public domain. It is estimated that each submarine is priced starting at 41 billion rubles or USD 455 million (more than IDR 7 trillion).
Borei Class Submarine Has Advanced Sonar
Russia currently has a “Borei class” strategic nuclear submarine equipped with an advanced underwater sonar system. In fact, according to Russian state media, Ria Novosti, the Borei submarine’s sonar sophistication exceeds that of the US submarine by 1.5 times.
Quoting a Russian defense magazine, the Borei class submarine is equipped with Irtysh-Amphora-B-055 sonar. This hydroacoustic sonar system surpasses the capabilities of US fourth-generation multipurpose nuclear submarines such as the Virginia-class and Ohio-class SSBNs.
In a dialogue with Russian media, Victor Murakhovsky, Editor-in-Chief of Russian Defense Magazine, stated that the Borei sonar system can detect targets as far as 100 km or more than US nuclear strategic submarines. The Borei submarine’s Irtysh-Amphora-B-055 system offers multifunctional capability, simultaneous tracking of at least 30 underwater targets.
This sonar system consists of a main hydroacoustic antenna known as the “Amphora”, side antennas, and a towing antenna. This complex system uses digital signal processing for noise direction finding, echo direction finding, and target classification.
In addition to detecting enemy submarines, torpedoes and minefields, these sonar systems play an important role in Arctic operations by assessing ice thickness and determining missile release positions. Currently, the Russian Navy operates six Borei-class submarines, including the Yuriy Dolgorukiy, Alexander Nevsky, and Vladimir Monomakh of Project 955, along with the Knyaz Vladimir, Knyaz Oleg, and Generalissimus Suvorov of Project 955A.
(wib)
