Russian Navy Launches Its Fifth Borei-A Class Nuclear-Powered Knyaz Pozharsky Ballistic Missile Submarine
The Russian Navy launched its fifth Borei-A Class nuclear missile submarine “Knyaz Pozharsky,” also known as Project 955A, last week during a ceremony at the JSC PO Sevmash (Northern Machine Building Company) shipyard in Severodvinsk. The ceremony was attended by the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy, Admiral Nikolai Yevmenov, as well as senior figures including Sevmash General Director Mikhail Budniche, representatives of the Arkhangelsk region, Severodvinsk city officials and executives of United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC).
Admiral Nikolai Yevmenov, Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy, began his speech at the ceremony by thanking employees of the Sevmash shipyard, designers from the Central Bureau of Marine Engineering “Rubin,” and representatives of contracting organizations who contributed to the construction of the Knyaz Pozharsky submarine. Yevmenov continued his speech by saying, “the nuclear-powered submarine cruiser ‘Knyaz Pozharsky’ embodies the advanced technological solutions, domestic submarine shipbuilding experience, and traditions of Sevmash shipbuilders, designers, and scientists.”
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the cruiser Knyaz Pozharsky will go through factory sea trials and state tests after leaving the shipyard. The vessel’s crew, the Sevmash delivery team, the military representative office, and the White Sea naval base of the Northern Fleet will conduct these tests. After all of the tests, a date will be set for “Prince Pozharsky” to be accepted into the Russian Navy.
Knyaz Pozharsky is Russia’s fifth nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBN), designed by the Rubin Central Bureau of Marine Engineering and built at the JSC PO Sevmash shipyard as part of the Borei-A (Project 955A) project. The first four submarines in the project, Knyaz Vladimir, Knyaz Oleg, Generalissimus Suvorov, and Imperator Aleksandr III (Emperor Alexander III), joined the Russian Navy’s Northern and Pacific fleets in 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2024, respectively. In addition, the JSC PO Sevmash shipyard in Severodvinsk is currently constructing two more Borei-A class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines for the Russian Navy, the Dmitry Donskoy and Prince Potemkin.
The Borei-A class submarines, designed to replace Russia’s Soviet-era Typhoon and Delta III class submarines, are 170 meters long, 13.5 meters wide, and have a draft of 10 meters. This fourth-generation submarine has a 170 MW nuclear propulsion system with an OK-650W reactor and steam turbines driving a pump-jet thruster, which is the first of its kind on a Russian nuclear-powered submarine, as well as improved acoustic stealth, maneuverability, and deep-sea operating capabilities over its predecessor. Borei-A class submarines have a displacement of 14,720 tons above water and 24,000 tons underwater and can cruise at up to 15 knots above water and 30 knots underwater. The submarine’s weapon systems include sixteen RSM-56 Bulava SLBM (Submarine Launched Ballistic Missiles), six 533mm torpedoes, and RPK-2 Viyuga anti-ship/anti-submarine missiles.