Russia still maintains a substantial force of nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs) with intercontinental-range missiles. However, the number of SSBNs will decrease over the next several years because of START reductions and submarines reaching the end of their service lives. Russia plans to supplement and modernize its future naval strategic force with the introduction of the new developmental Bulava-30 SLBM and the new
DOLGORUKIY-class SSBN.
