MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Russia is currently undergoing a $325-billion rearmament program to achieve a 70-percent modernization of its military by 2020.
"The main efforts in designing the new generation of strategic purpose missile submarines and multi-purpose nuclear submarines are aimed at ensuring stealth, a significant reduction of the noisiness…, a modernization of the communication and control equipment, as well as equipping them with automated reconnaissance and warning systems. The weapons will be improved accordingly," Chirkov said at the ceremony introducing a new Alexander Nevsky submarine.
He added that modernization allows for improved features in on-board life support systems and weapons being implemented on the cutting-edge submarines.
Chirkov said in May that a development of fifth-generation submarines, featuring unified module platforms and integrated robotic weaponry, had begun in Russia.
The Sevmash shipyard in northern Russia said in July that the construction of fifth-generation nuclear-powered submarines could begin by 2020.