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Submarine

Russia

Rubin Design Bureau

Borei-class

Russia's newest class of nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines, carrying the Bulava submarine-launched ballistic missile as the sea-based leg of the country's nuclear triad. The improved Borei-A variant is in ongoing production.

In service since 2013 · 1 operator countries

Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02

480

m depth

14,720

107

crew

Several performance figures for Russia-origin systems are manufacturer or state claims with limited independent verification. Treat these specs as directional, not tested values.

Pricing: Estimated program cost, disputed public figures

Procurement snapshot

Availability & export

Russian state channel

Rosoboronexport monopoly; Western sanctions exposure and payment/logistics risk for many buyers.

Channel: Rosoboronexport (state)

Fielded & proven

Limited · 1 operator

In service since 2013. Status: active · ~7 built.

Lifecycle cost (est.)

No public unit price to model from.

Interoperability

Mk 41 VLS-class

Derived guidance from public data — export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.

Full specifications

Firepower

Armament, payload and guidance.

VLS cells Vertical-launch missile cells on a warship — a proxy for magazine depth. Higher means more missiles before rearming.: 16

Stronger than 77% of submarines
Torpedo tubes Number of torpedo tubes (submarines and some surface ships).: 6

Stronger than 53% of submarines

Physical

Dimensions, weight and crew.

Length Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.: 170 m

Naval

Displacement, speed, endurance and diving depth.

Displacement Standard displacement in tonnes — the ship’s size class. Larger hulls carry more but cost more and are less agile.: 14,720 t
Max speed Top speed in knots (surfaced, for submarines). Higher aids positioning and screening.: 15 kn

Stronger than 14% of submarines
Submerged speed Maximum speed while submerged (submarines). Higher is faster underwater.: 29 kn

Stronger than 87% of submarines
Test depth Maximum rated diving depth (submarines). Deeper is harder to detect and engage. Actual crush depth is classified.: 480 m

Stronger than 86% of submarines
Complement Crew size. Fewer eases manning cost; more may indicate a larger, more capable platform.: 107
Propulsion plant Machinery type — nuclear reactor, gas turbine (COGAG), CODAG, diesel-electric, AIP.: 1x nuclear reactor (PWR)

Program

Cost, production scale and operators.

Units built Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.: 7

Stronger than 61% of submarines
Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.: 1

Stronger than 39% of submarines

Specifications compiled from public Rubin Design Bureau and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations — treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.

Compare with rivals

See how it stacks up

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Frequently asked questions

What is the Rubin Design Bureau Borei-class used for? +

The Rubin Design Bureau Borei-class is a submarine typically used for deep strike.

How many countries operate the Rubin Design Bureau Borei-class? +

The Rubin Design Bureau Borei-class is operated by 1 countries.

How much does the Rubin Design Bureau Borei-class cost? +

Rubin Design Bureau Borei-class: Estimated program cost, disputed public figures. Defense program costs are rarely fully public and vary by contract and configuration.