Roaring into America’s backyard, meet the “crown jewel” of the Russian Navy, the “silent killer” Kazan submarine stationed in Cuba

Before their arrival in CubaRussian guided-missile frigate Admiral Gorshkov and Yasen Kazan-class nuclear-powered missile submarine conducted military exercises in what was deciphered as a message to the West amid growing tensions.

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The Russian Defense Ministry (RuMoD) announced on June 11 that the nuclear submarine Kazan and the frigate Admiral of the Soviet Union Fleet Gorshkov are conducting an exercise on the use of high-precision missile weapons in the Atlantic Ocean, reports RIA Novosti. Novosti reported.

The RuMoD message read: “The tactical naval strike group of the Northern Fleet, consisting of the nuclear submarine multipurpose missile cruiser of project 885M “Kazan” and the frigate “Admiral of the Soviet Union Fleet Gorshkov”, carrying out long fights. -range tasks, began to conduct an exercise on the use of high-precision missile weapons in the Atlantic Ocean.”

The report (automatically translated from Russian to English) stated that the submarine and frigate crews tested high-precision missiles on sea targets using computer models. The maritime targets were groups of ships of the theoretical enemy located at a distance of more than 600 kilometers.

Interestingly, these exercises coincide with the launch by Russian forces of the second phase of tactical nuclear exercises with Belarus. Russian state media RIA Novosti published a report titled: “From Belarus to Cuba.” Russia sent a message to Washington on June 11 to highlight Russian military maneuvers.

🚨🚨🚨Update: Russian warships are conducting missile exercises in the waters off the coast of Florida, near Cuba. New hypersonic missiles on board and ready to launch!!

The Kazan nuclear submarine and the Admiral Gorshkov frigate, which carries Zircon hypersonic missiles, organized the… pic.twitter.com/gi5w5xGTD0

– American History (@AmericaHistory8) June 11, 2024

Analysts have observed that the exercises present Russia as a major global power whose influence extends far beyond its borders. The exercises come as several Western officials and observers have inferred that Moscow’s global influence is waning. Assumed

The Russian flotilla heading to Cuba was reportedly followed by U.S. and allied warships and aircraft as it headed toward the Caribbean. According to publicly available ship and flight tracking data, the Russian ships may have come within 30 to 90 miles of the Florida coast as they sailed south.

According to reports, a group of warships from the Russian Northern Fleet, consisting of the guided-missile frigate Admiral Gorshkov, hypersonic missile carrier Zircon, and the nuclear submarine Kazan, are now just 41 kilometers from the coast American. pic.twitter.com/mESUH6bOeo

– Trollstoy (@Trollstoy88) June 11, 2024

Cuba reportedly hosted the Russian flotilla on June 12 for naval exercises in the Caribbean Sea until June 17. The Cuban Defense Ministry stressed that these exercises were linked to the historically friendly relations between the two countries and complied with all international rules.

Although the two ships that will participate in the exercises in Cuba are nuclear-capable, Havana has clarified that neither of them will be armed with nuclear weapons when they arrive in the Caribbean country. Washington also said the exercises “pose no direct threat to the United States.”

This is not the first time that Russia and Cuba, both criticized and sanctioned by the West, have conducted military exercises. The joint exercises took place every year between 2013 and 2020, which is essentially why Washington considers this week’s stopover “routine.”

It is worth mentioning that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s warning that his country would arm unnamed nations with weapons capable of hitting kyiv’s Western allies, analysts have now dismissed these concerns.

It should be noted, however, that Russia’s Kazan Yasen-class submarine, considered one of the quietest in the world, will be carrying out maneuvers in the United States’ backyard. This could potentially escalate tensions between the two largest nuclear powers, even if the United States downplays their presence.

Kazan in the Caribbean

Kazan is a Russian Yasen-class submarine that U.S. officials have previously described as sophisticated. This is an extremely quiet ship, “on par” with the modern American submarine fleet. Three Yasen/Yasen-M class submarines – Severodvinsk, Kazan and Novosibirsk – are currently in service with the Russian Navy.

Five additional Yasen-Ms are currently under construction and Russian authorities had already declared their intention to purchase three more.

While Russia’s surface fleet is in disarray in the face of Ukrainian drone attacks, its Yasen-class submarines are still considered among the best in the world. The Yasen-class submarine, along with the Russian Navy’s Borei-class ballistic missile submarines, is considered essential to Russia’s defense and deterrence strategies.

Edward Geist of the American RAND Corporation describes the Yasen-class submarines as “the jewel of the contemporary Russian navy and perhaps the pinnacle of current Russian military technology.”

The 13,800-ton Yasen-class submarine was designed by the Malakhit Maritime Engineering Bureau and built by the Sevmash shipyard in Severodvinsk. Another improved version, the Yasen-M, has a quieter nuclear reactor, additional sensors and new silencer technology. The submarine is 119.8 meters long and can travel 31 knots when submerged.

Since Yasens are actually cruise missile submarines, they are often assigned the unique ship classification “SSGN” rather than “SSN”. The letter “G” stands for “guided missiles”. The Kazan is capable of attacking other submarines and ships and eliminating enemy ballistic missile submarines. It can quickly strike ports and naval sites and is designed to eliminate carrier battle groups.

Analysts have determined that the US Navy’s Virginia class and the Royal Navy’s Astutes, the primary Western equivalents of the Russian Yasen-M class, are significantly smaller.

The Kazan can carry the (3M55) Onik missiles, which have a range of 320 nautical miles (or 592.64 kilometers). Submarines used for land attacks can carry the 1,600 nautical miles (3,963.2 km) range (3M14K) of Kalibr missiles. Ground attack missions can also be carried out with the Oniks.

There are eight complex vertical launch tubes ΡМ-346 (3-14B) for Onik and Kalibr cruise missiles on any Yasen-class submarine. The system can launch missiles using the submarine’s surface and underwater positions. The submarine can also be equipped with hypersonic missiles.

Alexei Rakhmanov, General Director of United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC), previously said that Project 885 (M) will involve deploying Zircon hypersonic missiles on Yasen-class nuclear submarines, with preparations already underway.

Writing for Naval News in 2021, OSINT and naval analyst HI Sutton said: “The Yasen-M class boats are larger and carry more weapons than their Western equivalents. They will also be quicker to deploy hypersonic weapons (although the service’s introduction will be slower than expected). But they carry fewer cruise missiles than the expanded Virginia Block V class. This will significantly narrow the gap even before the US Navy adds hypersonic weapons and anti-ship Tomahawks.

That said, Yasen-class submarines are known to operate in close proximity to the United States. Asked about the threat posed by Chinese and Russian cruise missile submarines operating near the U.S. mainland, USNORTHCOM Commander Gen. Glen VanHerc said last year that Russia had deployed more regularly its Yasen-class nuclear missile attack submarines in recent years.

“(The risk) is absolutely increasing. Last year, Russia also placed its Yasens in the Pacific,” he said. “Now, not only in the Atlantic, but also in the Pacific, and it is only a matter of time – probably a year or two – before this threat becomes persistent, 24 hours a day. This impact has reduces the decision-making margin of a senior national leader in times of crisis.

While U.S. officials have downplayed the Kazan deployment and stressed that the submarines pose no risk as they train with Cuba, military analysts said there is still a major concern about the submarines. -hostile sailors conducting electronic warfare and collecting intelligence by intercepting adversaries’ signals. ‘ ships.

With its deadly missiles and cutting-edge capabilities, the deployment of these submarines in the Atlantic and Pacific could also pose a threat to the security of the United States and its allies in Europe.