Russian Newest Nuclear Submarine Launches Intercontinental Ballistic Missile From Underwater

The latest addition to the Russian Navy’s sizeable fleet of nuclear submarines, the Borei Class warship ‘Knyaz Vladimir,’ has carried out a prolific ballistic missile test while submerged in the White Sea. The vessel is currently undergoing sea trials following its launch in November 2017. The missile launched was an RSM-56 Bulava (Mace), a platform which entered service in 2011 and has a range of approximately 9000km. The test follows a successful launch by an older Borei Class submarine, the Yuri Dolgorukiy, in mid-August 2019. The Russian Navy reportedly intends to field ten Borei Class submarines, of which the Knyaz Vladimir is the fourth, and these will replace older Soviet era platforms such as the 48,000 ton Typhoon Class in active service. The warships displace 24,000 tons when submerged, and have an effectively unlimited endurance allowing them to launch ballistic missiles from across the globe.

The RSM-56 is the primary armament of the Borei Class, which each deploying 16 of the ballistic missiles. Each missile in turn deploys between six and ten nuclear nuclear warheads on sophisticated and manoeuvrable multiple warhead reentry vehicles. This means these ships can each carry up to 160 nuclear warheads - and should the program be seen through to completion the fleet will deploy up to 1600 warheads. This arsenal would exceed the combined nuclear arsenals of all states other than Russian and the United States, and would give the Russian Navy an extremely formidable second stage deterrent.