Russia's state-owned United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC), through its Sevmash division, recently laid the keel of a new nuclear-powered attack submarine (SSN) slated for the Russian Navy.
The future Murmansk belongs to the Project 885M series, otherwise known as the Yasen-M-class.
Like her sisters, she will have a length of 130 metres, a hull diameter of 13 metres, a maximum rated depth of 658 metres, a maximum submerged speed of 35 knots, and space for 64 crewmembers.
The submarine’s armament will consist of torpedoes and cruise missiles such as Zircon hypersonic missiles. Murmansk's sister boat Perm will be Russia's first SSN to be fitted with Zircon missiles after she enters service.
Design work on the sole Project 885 submarine and the eleven Project 885M boats including Murmansk is being undertaken by USC subsidiary Malakhit Marine Engineering Bureau.
The submarines will replace the Russian Navy’s Project 949/Oscar-class and Project 971/Akula-class boats, which were originally built in the 1980s.
