Russia’s latest Project 885M Yasen-class attack submarine will have an advanced sonar system allowing it to detect enemy ships at an early stage, the submarine’s engineering bureau said on Friday, according to RIA Novosti.

The Novosibirsk, the third of eight Yasen-class boats (designated Graney-class by NATO), is to be laid down at the Sevmash shipyard near the White Sea on Friday.

The boat’s designer, the Malakhit Marine Engineering Bureau company said ahead of the ceremony that the new Yasen-M will be have an advanced design that would significantly increase its ability to detect enemy vessels at speeds far higher speed that those of its predecessors.

Its bow section will be “acoustically clean” and will be entirely dedicated to housing sonar systems, with the torpedo systems relocated to another part of the boat, according to the company.

In order to reduce noise and increase its stealth capability, new power supply and acoustic defense systems have been developed for the boat, Malakhit said.

In addition to the torpedo tubes, the Yasen class will be armed with a multirole missile system including a vertical-launcher for cruise missiles. Both the torpedo and missile tubes could be used “for a variety of weapons without being specially re-equipped,” the company said.

Sevmash plans to deliver the Severodvinsk, the first Yasen-class nuclear attack boat, by the end of this year.

The submarine’s armament will include 3M55 Oniks (SS-N-26) and 3M54 (SS-N-27) Kalibr cruise missiles and conventional torpedoes, rocket-torpedoes and mines, according to Malakhit.

The second Project 885M vessel, the Kazan, was laid down in 2009 and is already under construction at the Sevmash shipyard in Severodvinsk.