Navy

Russia launches R&D work on fifth-generation submarine

The St. Petersburg-based Malakhit Marine Engineering Bureau has launched R&D work codenamed Laika to develop a fifth-generation multipurpose nuclear-powered submarine, a source in the defense industry told TASS on Wednesday.

As the source specified, "late in 2018, the Malakhit completed R&D work codenamed Husky on defining the conceptual design of the fifth-generation multipurpose nuclear-powered submarine and the results of the work were approved by the Defense Ministry."

"After that, the Malakhit switched to the next stage of developing the submarine - the R&D work codenamed Laika," the source said.

The source gave no technical parameters of the submarine being developed but noted that "Tsirkon hypersonic missiles will be among its strike weapons." The source added that the Laika "will feature a modular configuration and a single integrated combat control system with artificial intelligence."