According to the source, after 2027, the Russian Ministry of Defense may receive a Project 955 Borey nuclear submarine, which carries cruise missiles rather than ballistic missiles.
According to TASS, citing an unnamed source in the military-industrial complex, the Ministry of Defense is considering the creation of a ship of a different class on the basis of a strategic submarine of Project 955, namely SSGN (nuclear submarine with cruise missiles). In this case, such a submarine will lose the ability to act as a carrier of ballistic missiles R-30 "Bulava".
“The military department is considering the possibility of creating two more Boreis, but not with ballistic, but with long-range cruise missiles. If a decision is made, these submarines will be built according to the new Borei-K project with delivery to the customer after 2027,”the source said. There is no official confirmation of these data.
The Project 955 Borey nuclear submarine is the world's only fourth-generation strategic missile submarine (SSBN), as well as one of two fourth-generation submarines in service with the Russian Navy. In total, the fleet is armed with three Project 955 submarines: K-535 "Yuri Dolgoruky", K-550 "Alexander Nevsky" and K-551 "Vladimir Monomakh". Another submarine - K-549 "Prince Vladimir" - is being tested. Each of the Borey submarines carries 16 R-30 Bulava solid-propellant ballistic missiles. Now the project 955 boat is one of the most important elements of the Russian nuclear triad.
© arms-expo.ru
Despite the successes of recent years, this rocket has not the best reputation, which is associated with a large number of unsuccessful launches during tests. Many experts also consider the rocket to be unsuccessful due to its relatively small throw-weight compared to analogues and, as a result, more modest strategic capabilities. In turn, the defenders of the complex focus on reducing the "active area" of missile acceleration as an important means of defense against missile defense. The R-30 has already been put into service.
Bulava missile launch from Project 941 SSBN / © militaryrussia
The creation of a cruise missile carrier on the basis of a strategic submarine is not Russian know-how. The US Navy has four Ohio-class strategic submarines, which have been converted into SSGNs: each of these submarines can carry up to 154 Tomahawk cruise missiles.
In May last year, it became known that Russia, in addition to the already under construction nuclear submarines of the project 955 "Borey", will lay down six more submarines of the "Borey-A" modification.