Western powers continue underestimating Russian military technology at their own peril, particularly at the strategic level. This is most notably true in terms of Russia’s submarine threat to the West. Specifically, Russia’s nuclear-powered Yasen-M-class guided-missile submarines.

That’s because these boats don’t just carry your typical ground-attack missiles in their vertical launch tubes. They carry the newest weapon of mass havoc that Russia has spent years perfecting. That’s the Tsirkon hypersonic cruise missile (along with your typical Kalibr anti-ship, anti-submarine, and land-attack cruise missile or the Oniks anti-ship cruise missile). 

To compound matters for Western militaries, the Yasen-B-class sub is considered to be among the quietest—possibly the quietest—submarines in the world. That means that these nuclear-powered beasts can travel long distances, avoid detection, nestle beside their targets, and unleash destruction on an almost biblical level upon their unsuspecting target. What this submarine does for the Russian Navy is that it gives it an incredibly lethal strike capability. Sure, America’s submarine force is impressive. But the American submarines lack hypersonic weapons.

And that’s the rub.

The Tsirkon 

A Russian Tsirkon hypersonic cruise missile can travel at around Mach 9, or just shy of 7,000 miles per hour. It has a range of around 620 miles. Like other hypersonic weapons, the most lethal aspect of this weapon is neither its speed nor payload. What makes the Tsirkon most dangerous for those charged with defending against these weapons is the unpredictable, radical maneuvers they engage in to overcome whatever anti-missile defense systems might be arrayed against them.

Russia’s military has already successfully deployed this specific hypersonic weapon in its ongoing war in Ukraine. More recently, the Russians demonstrated this weapon during naval exercises in the Mediterranean Sea. It was a clear signal to Western powers that the Russian military has capabilities against which the Western powers—notably the United States—have no real defense.

Yasen-B-class Specs 

As for the Yasen-B-class submarines, these are among Russia’s newest and most advanced submarines. Designed in 1993 and entering service around a decade later, the Yasen-B-class submarines have given Pentagon officials dyspepsia ever since they came online. Between their impressive weapons package and their well-demonstrated ability to avoid detection, the Russians have a real winner in undersea warfare with the Yasen-Bs. These submarines also have an MGK-600 Irtysh-Amfora spherical sonar system which is state of the art, meaning it will be difficult for enemy submarines to get near to these boats undetected.

What’s more, the Yasen-B-class submarines are made with low-magnetic steel to help cut down on enemy sonar operators’ ability to detect these boats. Unlike other Russian subs, the Yasen-B-class has only a single hull. Interestingly, the crew required for the Yasen-B is much smaller than its American rivals. This indicates a high degree of automation for these already dangerous submarines. 

An Afrikantov OKBM fourth-generation nuclear reactor powers this submarine. Indeed, this is the first Russian sub with a fourth-generation nuclear reactor. In fact, the reactor has a natural circulation of water. In other words, there is no need for noisy circulation pumps like in other Russian submarines. This is yet another reason why this submarine is ultra-quiet when underway.

Further, the speed of these boats troubles the Pentagon. Many experts assess that these submarines might be able to travel 28 knots when in quiet mode—which is faster than either the American Seawolf-class nuclear-powered attack submarine or the Virginia-class. 

All this combines to give the Russians a true strike capability that is relatively unmatched by the Americans. Now is not the time for Washington to be escalating against Russia. Instead, it is the time for negotiations to occur. That’s the only way we avoid another world war.

Brandon J. Weichert, a National Interest national security analyst, is a former Congressional staffer and geopolitical analyst who is a contributor at The Washington Times, the Asia Times, and The-Pipeline. He is the author of Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower, Biohacked: China’s Race to Control Life, and The Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy. His next book, A Disaster of Our Own Making: How the West Lost Ukraine, is available for purchase wherever books are sold. Weichert can be followed via Twitter @WeTheBrandon.