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French Navy Detected a Russian Navy SSBN in the Bay of Biscay in January

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Naval Forces News - Russia
 
 
 
French Navy Detected a Russian Navy SSBN in the Bay of Biscay in January
 
According French weekly news magazine L'Obs citing a senior French source, the French Navy (Marine Nationale) would have spotted a Russian nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) in the Bay of Biscay, off the French coast in early January. Contacted by L'Obs, the French Ministry of Defence didn't deny the information.
     
According French weekly news magazine L'Obs citing a senior French source, the French Navy (Marine Nationale) would have spotted a Russian nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) in the Bay of Biscay, off the French coast in early January. Contacted by L'Obs, the French Ministry of Defence didn't deny the information.
Project 667BDRM SSBN K-114 Tula at a pier of the Russian Northern Fleet's naval base in the town of Gadzhiyevo, Murmansk Oblast.
     
It would be the first time since the cold war that a Russian SSBN sails past the Northern Atlantic to get close to the French coasts. A few weeks ago a pair of Tu-160 heavy bombers were intercepted by the French Air Force and Royal Air Force above the Enligh Channel.

The SSBN highly likely belonged to the Northern Fleet based in Murmansk area. Six Project 667BDRM Delta-IV class SSBNs are based there as well as one Typhoon/Akula class (Project 941) SSBN and one newer Borey class (project 955) SSBN.

The Project 667BDRM SSBNs are designed for destroying strategic installations of the enemy. The submarines of the class also can sink surface combatants and submarines, using their torpedoes. Each of the SSBNs accommodates 16 intercontinental ballistic missiles of various types and four 533-mm torpedo tubes in the bow. Their standard weapons suite consists of 12 missiles and torpedoes, including Vodopad (SS-N-16 Stallion) antisubmarine missiles. The submarines of the class can carry modified R-29RMU2 Sineva (SS-N-23 Skiff) and R-29RMU2.1 Liner ballistic missiles. The latter is a version of the Sineva capable of penetrating any ballistic missile defenses. All Project 667BDR/BDRM submarines are expected to transition to the Liner SLBM, which will allow extending their service life until 2030. In all, the Russian Navy operates six Project 667BDRM submarines.