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| Russia Coats Anti-Sonar Medusa Rubber on Borei Class and Yassen Class Nuclear Submarines |
International Military - Russia applies the latest Medusa rubber technology to coat two nuclear-powered submarines Borei class and Yassen class. This special rubber with advanced technology is able to reduce sound from inside the submarine and is anti-sonar, making it even more silent and difficult to detect.
The information comes from the Russian media Izvestia who works in the Ministry of Defense. Quoted from the Bulgarian Military page, Wednesday (7/9/2022), currently, the two submarines are in the process of being worked on. The Borei-class submarines are projected to carry cruise missiles, similar to the US Ohio-class submarines. The same is true for the Yassen-class submarines. Both classes of submarines are powered by nuclear power.
The new coating with special rubber with the latest technology for the two submarines is called Medusa rubber. This special rubber has two functions, first to protect the sound coming from inside the submarine or to turn off the sound of the submarine. Both are able to significantly reduce the reflection of enemy sonar.
The former commander of the Russian submarine missile carrier Igor Kurdin said he was not surprised by the Russian Defense Ministry's decision to make the Yassen and Borei class submarines the first to receive the new Medusa rubber coating. "Russia's most valuable submarines must be equipped first," said the reporter from Izvestia.
The Yassen-class Borei-class submarines are the future of the Russian submarine fleet. The 955 Borei and 955A Borei-A submarines are currently under construction in Russia. Experts say the Borei-class submarines are the main force of Russia's nuclear fleet. Each submarine will carry 16 R-30 Bulava intercontinental ballistic missiles. Each R-30 Bulava missile is equipped with multiple nuclear warheads.
The Yassen-class submarines are currently being built according to the new project, the more modern Yassen-M. This submarine is capable of firing a variety of cruise missiles so that it is able to engage targets at sea, coast, or land. Some analysts say the submarines of this class will be carriers of Zircon hypersonic missiles.
The commander of the 31st Submarine Division of the Northern Fleet, Rear Admiral Stepan Kelbas, compared the presence of submarines in military operations to a game of cat and mouse. Each submarine was trying to find an enemy submarine, so it needed to be done quietly without causing a fuss.
Kelbas said the submarine's main purpose on the battlefield is to anticipate submarines against missile carriers, as they are capable of firing 16 ballistic missiles. Although Russian submarines will receive the Medusa's rubber coating, any impact including rocks, seabed or other submarines can damage it, making it easy to detect.