Yet as specs of the Vladimir Monomakh, the third of the Borei subs to join the Russian navy since last year, were revealed last week, it became clear that Putin is adding another war tool that will give him significant edge in engaging the United States and the West into a shooting war.
Below are the key lethal elements, according to RT.com, that are found on the fourth generation SSBN (Ship, Submersible, Ballistic and Nuclear) Vladimir Monomakh:
Better mobility, more efficient operation and general prowess
As replacement for the Typhoon-class subs that Russia had counted on for decades, the Monomakh comes with relatively smaller footprint but without compromising on actual capabilities and firepower.
Designed to be manned by 107 personnel, 55 officers and 52 enlisted men, the Monomakh boasts of the following specs, per Wikipedia:
– Displacement: 14,720 t (14,488 long tons) surfaced; 24,000 t (23,621 long tons) submerged
– Length: 170m (557ft 9 in)
– Beam: 13.5 m (44ft 3 in)
– Draught: 10 m (32ft 10 in)
– Propulsion: 1 × ОК-650В nuclear reactor
1 × AEU steam turbine
1 × shaft and propeller (pump-jet)
– Speed: Submerged: 30 knots or covering 56km in an hour
– Surfaced: 15 knots or 28km per hour
– Range: Can ideally operate non-stop for more than a year but unlimited as endurance is restricted only by food inventory
– Test depth: planned 450m (1,400+ft)
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