US State Dept released information on Russia's maritime nuclear force

03.06.2011 In accordance with official data exchange under START-3 treaty, the US State Department published information on numbers of nuclear warheads available to the Russian Federation and the US, as well as amount of deployed and non-deployed carriers.

According to the promulgated data, as of Feb 5, 2011 Russia has 537 deployed carriers with 1,537 nuclear warheads, the US – 882 carriers with 1,800 nuclear warheads. Total number of Russia's both deployed and non-deployed carriers – 865; the US has 1,124.

Maritime component of strategic nuclear force is a part of Russian Navy which is a branch of Russian Armed Forces.

As of Dec 2010, Russian Navy operated 12 strategic ballistic missile submarines of 4 projects. They are armed with 160 launchers of submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBM) capable to carry 576 nuclear warheads.

Russian Navy's maritime nuclear force includes following nuclear-powered SLBM-carrying submarines:

Project 667BDR (Delta III class) – 4 submarines carrying 64 SLBMs (R-29R, NATO classification SS-N-18) with 3 nuclear warheads each, totally 192 nuclear warheads;
Project 667BDRM (Delta IV class) – 6 submarines (2 under repairs) carrying 96 SLBMs (R-29RM, NATO classification SS-N-23) with 4 nuclear warheads each, totally 384 nuclear warheads;
Project 941 (Typhoon class) – 1 submarine, no SLBMs with nuclear warheads on board, refitted for test launches of new SLBM Bulava;
Project 955 – 1 submarine carrying 16 SLBM R-30 Bulava with 6 nuclear warheads each (currently is not armed with missiles).

In total: 12 nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines (SSBN) carrying 160 SLBM launchers with 576 nuclear warheads.

According to the information released, Project 955 nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines carry 16 launchers of perspective SLBMs Bulava with 6 nuclear warheads each.

SSBNs of Northern and Pacific fleets make the basis of Russia's maritime strategic nuclear force.

Northern Fleet's strategic submarines are combined in Submarine Force Command established in Feb 2010. The command consists of four nuclear submarine divisions.

The unit based in Gadzhievo (Yagelnaya Bay) operates five Project 667BDRM (Delta IV class) submarines – K-51 Verkhoturye, K-84 Yekaterinburg, K-114 Tula, K-117 Bryansk, and K-18 Karelia. K-407 Novomoskovsk is currently under repair. According to plans, she will be recommissioned in 2011.

Pacific Fleet's strategic submarines are combined in 16th Nuclear Submarine Squadron based in Viliuchinsk (Krasheninnikov Bay, Kamchatka). The squadron consists of four Project 667BDR (Delta III class) submarines – K-211 Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, K-223 Podolsk, K-433 Svyatoi Georgy Pobedonosets, and K-44 Ryazan.

All SSBNs currently in service are armed with liquid-propellant ballistic missiles such as R-29R, R-29RM, R-29RMU and their advanced versions. At present, Russia develops new SLBM system known as R-30 Bulava. The system is equipped with solid-propellant missile standardized with land-based system Topol-M. Currently, the missile undergoes flight tests. New system is supposed to arm Project 955 submarines which are being built at Sevmash shipyard in Severodvinsk. Supposedly, SSBNs of this project will replace all predecessors expired their life terms.