Russia upgrading current and future submarines with new missiles and underwater robotic drones

Russia upgrading current and future submarines with new missiles and underwater robotic drones
Russia is developing unmanned underwater vehicles for deployment by fifth-generation submarines.

New fifth generation nuclear submarines are expected to have advanced stealth, noise-reduction, automated reconnaissance and warning systems, Russian Navy's Commander-in-Chief Adm. Viktor Chirkov said last fall.

"[Unmanned submarine drones] will be released from the [main] submarine for environmental monitoring using different hardware or to attack the enemy. Torpedoes can be used as a weapon on these carriers. We are calling them underwater robots for now," the official added.

The Sevmash shipyard in northern Russia said in July that the construction of fifth-generation nuclear-powered submarines could begin by 2020.

Russia plans to upgrade its Project 971 [Akula] nuclear submarines with Kalibr cruise missiles, Rear Admiral Viktor Kochemazov said.

The Akula's truly remarkable feature is its low level of noise generation the Soviet and later Russian engineers were able to achieve. An upgraded version, known as the Akula II, was the quietest submarine at the time when it was commissioned, exceeding the upgraded version of the US Los Angeles-class subs.

The Russian Navy operates over ten Akulas as part of its Northern and Pacific Fleets. One Project 971 submarine, currently known as INS Chakra is on a ten-year lease in India.