MOSCOW. Nov 29 (Interfax) - A new multirole nuclear submarine, the Arkhangelsk, has left the slipway at the Sevmash plant in Severodvinsk, the Russian Defense Ministry said.
"An important stage in building a modern fourth-generation ship of Project Yasen-M has been completed," the ministry said.
"In the coming days, the Arkhangelsk will move from the basin to the embankment for further construction and testing. Multirole nuclear submarines of the fourth generation have proven to be combat capable and have shown high technical characteristics," the ministry quoted Sevmash head Mikhail Budnichenko as saying.
The Arkhangelsk is the third serial submarine of upgraded Project Yasen-M.
According to official reports, such submarines are armed with Oniks and/or Kalibr cruise missiles. Plans to arm them with Tsirkon hypersonic missiles have also been reported.
"Weapon systems of such ships significantly exceed foreign analogues by certain parameters," Navy Commander Nikolai Yevmenov said at the ceremony of the submarine's departure from the slipway.
The submarine forces of the Russian Navy "are the foundation of guaranteed provision of national security in seas and oceans," he said.
"Construction of multirole and strategic nuclear submarines is a priority of our joint work with the industry," the ministry quoted Yevmenov as saying.