NATO is on alert after Russia’s new state-of-the-art stealth submarine underwent its first sea trials this week. The Arkhangelsk submarine, one of the latest Yasen-M vessels, is a significant boost for Vladimir Putin’s navy which has suffered humiliating losses during the war with Ukraine.
It is feared that the nuclear-powered cruise missile submarine could be undetectable by Western adversaries. Arkhangelsk will pose a particularly serious threat to NATO military bases, naval convoys, and onshore critical infrastructure during a crisis, according to experts.
President Putin’s new vessel will be equipped with deadly “unstoppable” 6,670mph nuclear missiles and will join the rest of the Russian navy later this year. The submarine will be based at the submarine base in Zapadnaya Litsa, a short 60km from the border to NATO country Norway.
It will be armed with Tsirkon missiles, also known as Zircon – a Russian nuclear-capable hypersonic cruise missile.
Earlier this week, footage emerged of the Arkhangelsk carrying out its first sea trials in the closed city of Severodvinsk on the White Sea, where it was constructed.
It is the latest sabre-rattling move from President Putin’s navy.
Last week, Rishi Sunak was given a top-secret briefing after a Russian nuclear submarine was identified off the coast of Scotland.
The Kazan, another state-of the art Yasen-class submarine, was detected on June 5 and tracked by an RAF maritime surveillance plane.
It headed up the west coast of Ireland to Scotland, passing close to Britain’s nuclear naval base at Faslane.
Military commanders feared the loitering 13,800-tonne vessel was probing for weaknesses on NATO’s extreme flank.
It is the same submarine that docked in Cuba earlier this week. The Admiral Gorshkov frigate and the nuclear-powered submarine Kazan, arrived in Havana on Wednesday after conducting “high-precision missile weapons” training in the Atlantic Ocean.
The fleet was also seen passing just 25 miles from the US in a chilling echo of the Cuban Missile Crisis.
It is also expected to make port calls in Venenzuela – one of America’s long-sworn enemies.
