Key Points and Summary – Russian President Vladimir Putin boasts about the “mighty potential” of the new Borei-class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines, but the reality is far more troubled.
-While the Borei is quieter and more advanced than its predecessors, the program has been plagued by serious design flaws.
Borei A-Class. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
-Its primary weapon, the Bulava ballistic missile, has a history of failed tests, and the submarine itself suffers from issues like noisy hydraulic pumps that compromise its stealth.
-This “wonder weapon” is a less-than-optimal platform whose shortcomings are likely being hidden from the Kremlin in a classic case of not bringing “bad news to the Tsar.”
Russia’s Borei-Class Submarine Might Be a Failure
WARSAW, POLAND – A long-time Russian colleague with many years in the defense sector once described how it is that President Vladimir Putin consistently boasts about the “mighty potential” of Russia’s increasingly troubled weapon systems.
After one of Putin’s annual presentations to a joint session of the Russian parliament—one in which the weapons he showcased were almost entirely seen as CGI videos or artists’ conceptions—he had the following observation.
“Our president and former KGB Lt. Col. generally has not an inkling of the true pitifully bad state of his defense industry,” he told me. “Even more than three years since the war began, he still believes the claims made by Mr. [Sergei] Chemezov and the other senior industry people when they tell him that there is a raft of wonder weapons out there that will make Russia ‘stronger than ever.’”
“So why does this comical theatre continue to go on? You ask,” he continued. “Because this is the classic dictatorial regime where you ‘do not ever bring any bad news to the Tsar’s table.’ Even if what you are telling him is completely untrue.”
Enter the Borei
Putin has recently claimed the Russian Navy’s fleet of Borei-Class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines can “provide a distinct advantage over the Western world in the event of a nuclear war, highlighting the ships’ unique capabilities,” according to a leading military technology publication.
“Our strategic nuclear submarines dive beneath the Arctic ice, vanishing from radar. This is our military advantage,” Putin stated recently at a meeting with nuclear industry workers in the city of Sarov, east of Moscow. He made a point of emphasizing that Arctic research was “extremely important” because shipping routes are becoming more accessible due to the continued melting of the polar ice.
“It is our competitive advantage because many countries are interested in using the routes,” he said. But that advantage is more of a mirage than one might suspect.
On the positive side, the Russian Navy’s nuclear-powered boats are all under the command of either the Arctic or Pacific fleets, with a significant majority of them falling under the former.
Due to their deployment latitudes, they can launch strikes on targets in Europe and North America, targeting cities or installations with minimal warning time.
Concentrating the nuclear boats in the Arctic puts the Borei-class at an advantage in any operations in this region.
The Russian Navy (VMF) also deploys the vessels with more nuclear warheads onboard than any other class of warship in the world.
Ten of the Borei submarines have been laid down for the VMF to replace a fleet of Soviet-era vessels.
The number eight sub in this production run, the Knyaz Pozharsky, was launched in 2024, and the remaining two are still under construction.
Less Than Optimal Solution
But to the somewhat cynical observer, the Borei boats have had less than “smooth sailing” since they entered service and continue to be problematic.
At the top of the list of chronic design problems is the RSM-56 Bulava missile. As far back as 2009, the 12th test of the missile ended in failure after liftoff from the Dmitry Donskoy submarine that was stationed in the White Sea.
The missile not only failed but was reportedly responsible for a spectacular sky show over Norway, thought to have been caused by a failed guidance and control system that sent the missile tumbling end over end.
Two previous launches of the Bulava missile had also failed, bringing the total number of failed test flights to six at the time.
A cursory check of all the problems with the Borei on both English and Russian language websites reveals a long list of serious design flaws.
Noisy hydraulic pumps that increase the noise signature and make the sub easier to detect. Slow missile tube preparation processes.
Potential defects with motor generator harmonics and hull noise—to name a few.
Ironically, the Borei boats, despite all these mechanical headaches, are rated as stealthier and more capable than the previous generations of Russian SSBNs. This makes them a less-than-optimal solution for the VMF to increase Moscow’s strategic nuclear posture.
What Happens Next?
As of today, the fleet will be increased to 14 boats, marking a proposed extension of the production line first announced in 2021.
These subs will continue to be an essential component of the VMF’s “not-so-silent service”; however, all available evidence suggests that the design’s shortcomings are details that will never be revealed to or repeated publicly by Russia’s president.
Bad news that no one wants to convey to him.
About the Author: Reuben F. Johnson
Reuben F. Johnson has thirty-six years of experience analyzing and reporting on foreign weapons systems, defense technologies, and international arms export policy. Johnson is the Director of Research at the Casimir Pulaski Foundation. He is also a survivor of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. He worked for years in the American defense industry as a foreign technology analyst and later as a consultant for the U.S. Department of Defense, the Departments of the Navy and Air Force, and the governments of the United Kingdom and Australia. In 2022-2023, he won two awards in a row for his defense reporting. He holds a bachelor’s degree from DePauw University and a master’s degree from Miami University in Ohio, specializing in Soviet and Russian studies. He lives in Warsaw.
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