As the United States has once again shifted its focus to great-power competition with near-peer adversaries, there is now a greater emphasis to “keep up with the Joneses,” and while the United States Navy continues to operate the largest number of aircraft carriers, it is in submarines where Russia could have an edge.
During the Cold War, the Soviet Union was unable to match the surface fleet of the United States; however, the Soviet Navy maintained a significantly larger force of submarines.
Now, as Moscow has put renewed emphasis on its underwater cruisers, the question has been asked how Russia’s latest submarines compared to those in service with the US Navy.
Writing for Naval News, H I Sutton compared the Russian Navy’s advanced Project 885M (Yasen-M) nuclear-powered submarines with the US Navy’s Block-V Virginia-class submarines.
