On July 24, at the Sevmash Shipyard in Severodvinsk in the North of Russia the flag of the Russian Navy (Voyenno-morskoy flot, VMF) was raised on the project 955A / Borei-A class nuclear-powered ballistic submarine (SSBN) K-555 Knyaz Pozharskiy. The commissioning took place in presence of Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin.
In recent years, Putin has participated in keel-laying, launching or flag-raising ceremonies on various ships and submarines, but most often it was a “virtual” presence, via video link. This time, the Russian president personally paid a “working visit” to the only shipyard building nuclear submarines for the Russian Navy – Sevmash, which belongs to the United Shipbuilding Corporation.
The submarine was named after Knyaz Dmitry Pozharskyi, who became famous as the leader of the uprising that drove the Polish-Lithuanian army out of Russia, during the 1609-1618 Polish-Russian War. For Russians, it has become a national symbol, and the anniversary of the victorious battle of Moscow (occupied by Poles) in 1612 has recently been celebrated as a Russian national holiday.
The fifth Borei-A
The K-555 Knyaz Pozharskiy is the fifth nuclear submarine of the project 955A (09952) Borei-A. It is an improved variant of the project 955 Borei, on the basis of which the first three SSBNs (Yuriy Dolgorukiy-class) were built. The keel was laid on December 23, 2016, and the roll-out took place on February 3, 2024. The submarine was soon launched. After short harbour acceptance trials, K-555 went to sea for the first time in July 2024. Thus the submarine’s testing lasted a year, which is not a long time for an SSBN. Knaz Pozharsky joined the Northern Fleet and was assigned to the 31st Submarine Division based in Gadzhiyevo, as a third Borei/Borei-A-class in this fleet.
The design of these vessels, officially described as “submarine missile cruisers of strategic purpose,” was developed at the St. Petersburg-based Rubin Marine Technology Design Bureau. The Borei-A-class SSBNs are 170 meters long, with a submerged displacement of about 24,000 tons. A nuclear power plant with a 170 MW OK-650V reactor powers steam turbines that move a pump-jet thruster, used for the first time on Russian nuclear-powered submarines. Another novelty is the MGK-600B Irtysh-Amfora-Borei sonar system, which uses conformal antenna installed on the submarine’s bow. The crew consists of around 107 men.
The principle armament is the D-30 Bulava missile system with 16 3M30 intercontinental ballistic missiles. In addition, they are equipped with six 533mm launchers for heavyweight torpedoes and the same number of Shlangbaum system launchers for deploying torpedo countermeasures.
The Knyaz Pozharskiy is the 142nd nuclear-powered submarine built at the Sevmash Shipyard. Two more Borei-As, ordered in July 2020, are currently under construction there. They will be named Dmitry Donskoy and Knyaz Potemkin, and their keels were laid down on a single day, August 23, 2021. The Borei and Borei-A will be the essential class of Russian SSBN to replace the Project 667BDRM Dolphin-class submarines.
