Russian Northern Fleet announced on wednesday that its Smolensk nuclear-powered submarine has conducted a successful test launch of a cruise missile while submerged. The fleet's spokesperson stated that a Granit missile was fired against a combined sea-based target at a distance of about 400 kilometers in the Barents Sea.
A Project 949A Antei nuclear-powered attack submarine (SSN), K-140 Smolensk was commissioned on March 14, 1991. 154-meter long submarine is armed with two 650-mm and four 533-mm torpedo tubes in addition to Granit antiship missile launcher. Project 949A class vessels have a displacement of 24 thousand tonnes and have an underwater speed of 32 knots.