Russia to equip new submarines with hypersonic missiles

Russia is in the midst of equipping its new nuclear submarines with hypersonic Zircon missiles, according to the chief of Russia's largest shipbuilder.

Alexei Rakhmanov, CEO of United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC), confirmed this in an interview published on Monday by the RIA state news agency.

He said, "Multi-purpose nuclear submarines of the Yasen-M project will be equipped with the Zircon missile system on a regular basis. Work in this direction is already underway."

Yasen-class submarines, also known as Project 885M, are nuclear-powered cruise missile submarines designed to replace Soviet-era nuclear attack submarines as part of an army and fleet modernization programme.

The sea-based Zircon hypersonic missiles have a range of 900 kilometres (560 miles) and may fly at multiple times the speed of sound, making them tough to defend against.

President Vladimir Putin stated earlier this year that Russia would begin mass production of Zircon missiles as part of the country's attempts to strengthen its nuclear forces.

The Russian multi-purpose frigate Admiral Gorshkov, which tested its striking capabilities in the western Atlantic Ocean earlier this year, is already outfitted with Zircon missiles.