US Navy officials have expressed concern with Russia's newest submarines, including the Yasen class, but these comments serve to boost defense spending, analyst Mikhail Lukanin told Radio Sputnik, emphasizing that Russian weapons are meant for defensive purposes only.

True, the Project 885 Yasen class is impressive. Armed with cruise, antiship and anti-submarine missiles, the highly autonomous nuclear-powered multipurpose attack submarine is a force to be reckoned with. It is fast, silent and deep-diving.

Thanks to its unique features, the Yasen class "came as an unpleasant surprise to the United States," Lukanin observed. "Americans are concerned that our silent subs could largely neutralize [Washington's] ballistic missile defense system."

But Yasen capabilities are not the only reason, Captain 1st Rank (Reserve) added.

The US Navy "is trying to scare its own government to secure more funds," the analyst explained. "However, this does not dispute the fact that America's maritime supremacy has been significantly affected."

Earlier, US Navy Commodore Ollie Lewis told CNN that "we have to consider there is an adversary ready to challenge us in the undersea domain and that [America's] undersea superiority is not guaranteed." Former NATO commander James Stavridis recently called Russian subs as posing "an existential threat to US carrier groups."

Lukanin doubts that the US would develop a submarine resembling the Yasen class, since the Pentagon has another strategy. "The Americans have traditionally developed heavy offensive weapons, including cruise and ballistic missiles. They don't have defensive fleet, except for the Coast Guard," he explained.

"Russia has traditionally pursued a defensive strategy. All Russian weapons serve for defensive purposes. The Americans, on the other hand, adhere to an offensive approach that is based on suppressing an adversary with their might," he added.

Last week, the first Yasen-class submarine in service with the Russian Fleet successfully completed its first combat training mission. The Severodvinsk executed a flawless precision strike against a land-based dummy target using a Kalibr cruise missile during a routine military exercise in the Barents Sea.

Source: Sputnik News