USC to develop two new nuclear-powered submarines

Russia’s Cold War Oscar II nuclear-powered submarine

Russia’s state-owned United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC)  last week unveiled plans to build two new classes of nuclear-powered submarines as part of President Vladimir Putin’s $356bn rearmament campaign.  USC’s Anatoly Shlemov last week described one as an “underwater interceptor” and the other  as an “aircraft carrier killer.” The  Malakhit design bureau will be responsible for the initial work on the new submarines, he said. The new models will replace Soviet-era submarines still in service such as the Oscar II-, Sierra-, and Victor-class multipurpose nuclear-powered submarines.