Marking a change in Russian naval doctrine, the nuclear-powered Perm is the first Yasen-M class submarine purpose-built to fire Zircon hypersonic missiles.
The Perm, the first Yasen-class (Project 885M) nuclear-powered attack submarine purpose-built for the hypersonic 3M22 Zircon cruise missile, has been launched by Russia. High-ranking defence officials and Navy Commander Admiral Alexander Moiseyev attended the event on 28 March 2025 at the Sevmash shipyard in Severodvinsk.
Unlike earlier Yasen-class submarines that were subsequently altered to launch Zircon missiles, the Perm was built from the beginning to fit this capacity. With a claimed speed of Mach 9 and a range of over 1,000 kilometres, the Zircon missile offers the Perm a significant stand-off attack advantage against land-based and maritime targets alike.
Among the cruise missiles the submarine can launch are Kalibr, Oniks, and the Zircon from 10 vertical launch system (VLS) tubes. Russian media say Perm can handle 40 cruise missiles overall.
The launch of Perm is viewed as part of Russia's larger plan to upgrade its submarine fleet and improve its second-strike and conventional deterrent capacity. Including stealth elements and automated technologies to lower crew burden, the Yasen-M class is regarded as the most sophisticated attack submarine type in the Russian Navy.
Full commissioning into the Northern Fleet is anticipated for 2026; the ship is slated to undertake sea testing this year. With a few more already under development, Russia intends to create at least nine Yasen-M class submarines.
