The largest underwater. "Shark", "Pike", "Ohio"
Nuclear ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) / cruising submarine (until July 25, 1977) / heavy strategic missile submarine cruiser (heavy SSBN since June 3, 1996). The developer of the project is the Rubin Central Design Bureau for Mechanical Engineering, the chief designer is S.N. Kovalev, the chief observer from the Navy is V.N. Levashov. Preliminary development of the D-19 missile system began at Miass SKB-385 in early 1971. The tactical and technical specifications for the design of SSBNs were issued in December 1972. The construction of a new series of SSBNs was planned as a response to the construction in the United States of a series of Ohio-class missile carriers. The resolution of the Council of Ministers of the USSR on the design and construction of Project 941 was adopted on December 19, 1973. Probably, it was planned to build a series of 12 SSBNs of the project - this figure was named by the Commander-in-Chief of the USSR Navy S.G. Gorshkov in a speech to students and teachers of the Navy Training Center No. 93 in Paldiski in the summer of 1975
The lead submarine of the TK-208 series was laid down at the Sevmash Production Association (Severodvinsk) on June 17, 1976. Launched on September 23, 1980 and accepted by the USSR Navy on December 12, 1981. Construction of the series of submarines was completed by delivery to the Navy on September 4, 1989 SSBN TK-20. A total of 6 SSBNs of the project were built, the seventh boat of the project - TK-210 - was laid down in 1986, but in 1988, with 40% readiness, construction was stopped, and in 1990 the backlog was dismantled for metal. In the 1980s, partial assembly and metal procurement were carried out for three more SSBN series. Those. In total, as of the early to mid-1980s, it was planned to build a series of 10 SSBNs, which was later reduced to 6 copies.
After the fleet accepted the lead SSBN TK-208, the boat was subjected to intensive trial operation. When the SSBN project entered service with the Navy, the training base at the center in Paldiski was virtually absent and was created handicraft by the “students” themselves. Later, the Alder simulator was created in Paldiski, simulating 19 compartments of the SSBN Project 941 with an operating nuclear reactor.
Five of the six SSBNs built pr.941 TYPHOON in Zapadnaya Litsa, 1980-1990s (photo from the Volk archive, http://tsushima.su).
In May 1987, according to the Resolution of the USSR Council of Ministers, a schedule for the modernization of SSBN Project 941 according to project 941UTTH was approved:
- TK-208 (plant No. 711) - from October 1988 to December 1994
- TK-202 (plant No. 712) - from October 1992 to December 1997
- TK-12 (plant No. 713) - from 1996 to 1999
- TK-13, TK-17, TK-20 - with transfer to the Navy after 2000.
Repair work was planned to be carried out (medium repair) at the Zvezdochka shipyard, modernization - at the Sevmash production facility.
As of January 2010, except for the lead boat Project 941 and Project 941U TK-208, the remaining SSBNs have not undergone medium repairs. At the end of September 2011, three SSBN projects formally remain in service (including two boats in reserve without main ammunition and one in the role of an experimental SSBN - TK-208), the media are discussing the plans of the Russian Ministry of Defense to withdraw the boats from the fleet in 2014-2019 On February 9, 2012, the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy, Vladimir Vysotsky, stated that two SSBNs of the project - "Sevrstal" and "Arkhangelsk" - in the coming years with their standard weapons - retained R-39 missiles - will remain in service with the Russian Navy, the third boat of the project - " Yuri Dolgoruky" will be used as an experimental submarine and in the SLBM test program.
According to unconfirmed data, the code of the missile system from the SSBN Project 941 "Akula" is "Typhoon". This is probably where the western name of the submarine comes from - TYPHOON.
Design- the design of the submarine - a catamaran - is determined by the size of the ammunition load - large-sized solid-fuel intercontinental missiles. The boat is made according to multi-hull architecture and consists of a lightweight hull, retractable device guards and 5 durable hulls:
- two main strong hulls run symmetrically along most of the length of the boat, have a variable diameter and each is divided into 8 compartments (3 bow total length 54 m, 3 adjacent to the GKP with a total length of 31 m, reactor and turbine compartments with a total length of 30 m).
- a strong bow hull - to accommodate a torpedo compartment (one compartment).
- durable housing of the main command post of the boat and radio-technical equipment (one compartment, length 30 m).
- aft transitional 13-meter strong hull (one compartment).
The fencing of retractable devices is made durable for breaking through ice up to 3 m thick or more, the roof is round in shape, height is 8.5 m.
The material of the durable cases is steel using titanium alloys, the lightweight case is steel. The body is covered with a rubber sound-absorbing coating.
The living conditions of the crew on the boat have been significantly improved - officers and midshipmen are accommodated in 1-, 2- and 4-berth cabins, sailors and foremen in small cockpits. There is a health center with a sauna and a swimming pool.
Means of rescue- on the sides of the retractable device fence there are two pop-up rescue chambers - for the right and left sides.
Propulsion system:
- 2 x double-circuit pressurized water nuclear reactors OK-650VV with a power of 190 MW each (housed in different durable buildings) - the reactors are modernized reactors of the VM-4AM type;
- 2 x STU (steam turbine units) with GTZA (main turbo-gear units) / turbines of 45,000-50,000 hp. / up to 60,000 hp according to other data;
- 2 x backup electric motors with a power of 260 hp each. - connected to the main shaft line using couplings;
Mover: 2 propeller shafts with 7-bladed fixed pitch propellers, precision machined, curved blades.
Screw diameter - 5.55 m
Rotation speed - 0 - 230 rpm
Two additional thrusters with 750 kW electric motors each in the bow and stern of the boat.
http://gelio.livejournal.com/).
Energy:
- 4 x steam turbine nuclear power plants with a capacity of 3200 kW each BPTU-514 (BPTU-514M on project 941UTTH/U);
- 2 x backup diesel generators ASDG-800 with a power of 800 kW each;
- Lead-acid battery type "item 144"
TTX boats:
Crew - 163 people (including 52 officers and 85 midshipmen)
Length:
- 170 m
- 172.8 m (other data)
- 172.6 m (TK-17)
- 173.1 m (TK-20)
Width - 23.3 m
Wake draft - 11.2 / 11.5 m
Full underwater displacement - 48000 / 49800 t (according to various sources)
Surface displacement - 23200 / 28500 t (according to various sources)
Underwater full speed - 25-27 knots
Full surface speed - 12-13 knots
Cruising range - unlimited
Maximum immersion depth - 500 m
Working depth of immersion - 380 m
Autonomy - 120 days
Armament:
| Project 941 | Project 941U / UTTH | Project 941U / 09412 |
|
| Rocket | D-19 missile system with 20 R-39 SLBM launchers D-19U missile system with 20 R-39U SLBM launchers | D-19M missile system with 20 R-39M SLBM launchers (project) D-19UTTH missile system with 20 SLBM launchers (re-equipment of TK-208 SSBN was underway) | D-30 missile system with 20 SLBM launchers, for testing Bulava missiles, 2 launchers are equipped in the bow of the ship |
| Torpedo | 6 TA caliber 533 mm with a quick loader and a torpedo tube preparation system "Grinda" Ammunition - 22 torpedoes of the VA-111 Shkval type and missiles of the " " and " " complexes. | similarly | similarly |
| Other | 8 x Igla-1 type MANPADS, ammunition - 48 missiles | similar + self-defense complex "Barrier" with 8 x SGPD MG-74 "Korund" launchers | similarly |
Equipment:
| Project 941 | Project 941 / TK-17, TK-20 | pr.941UTTH | Project 941U / 09412 |
|
| BIUS | "Omnibus" / "Omnibus-1" with a computer MVU-132 | "Omnibus-U" with a computer MVU-132U | "Omnibus-U" with a computer MVU-132U | |
| Hydroacoustic equipment | - SAC MGK-500 "Skat-KS" with 4 antennas, simultaneously accompanied by 10-12 targets; - mine detection sonar MG-519 “Arfa-M”; - GAS for determining cavitation MG-512 “Vint”; - GAS for determining the speed of sound GISZ MG-553 “Shkert”; - echometer MG-518 “Sever”; | instead of the MGK-500 "Skat-KS" GAK, the MGK-501 "Skat-2M" GAK was installed GPBA "Pelamida" was installed | instead of the MGK-500 "Skat-KS" GAK, the MGK-501 "Skat-2M" GAK was installed | GAK MGK-540 "Skat-3", includes: - GAK MGK-501 “Skat-2M” (?) - Mine detection sonar MG-519 “Arfa-M” (?) - GAS for determining cavitation MG-512 “Vint” (?) - GISZ MG-553 “Shkert” (?) - echometer MG-518 “Sever” (?) |
| Radar complex | RLK MRKP-58 "Radian" radio-technical intelligence station MRP-21A | RLK MRKP-59 "Radian-U" | RLK MRKP-59 "Radian-U" | MRKP-59 "Radian-U" radio-technical intelligence station MRP-21A (?) |
| Navigation complex | satellite navigation complex "Symphony" navigation complex "Tobol-941" navigation circular detector NOK-1 navigational fault detector NOR-1 | satellite complex "Symphony-UTTH" | satellite complex "Symphony-UTTH" navigation complex "Tobol-941" (?) |
|
| Communication complex | "Molniya-L1" / "Molniya MS" two manufactured "Zalom" pop-up antennas provide signal reception at boat depths of up to 150 m | "Smerch-2" | "Smerch-2" | |
| Retractable devices | - periscope "Signal-3"; Periscope "Swan-21"; Combined antenna post of a “friend or foe” identification station and a radio sextant; The antenna post of the radar radar "Radian" is combined with a retractable shaft for operating the compressor under water (RKP); Antenna post of the radio communication complex; Combined underwater communication system antenna and direction finder; Antenna post for satellite communications and radio navigation systems; Antenna post of the Zaliv-P radar signal detection system |
Modifications:
- project 941- basic modification.
- Project 941 / TK-17, TK-20- on the submarine there are no wings that protect the rudder group from ice, the light hull is somewhat elongated. Equipment changed. A set of measures was carried out on the boats to reduce the primary acoustic field of the boat and its own interference with hydroacoustic means.
- Project 941UTTH / Project 941U / Project 09411- upgrade option for the D-19UTTH missile system with 20 SLBM launchers. During the modernization, in addition to the missile weapons complex, it was also planned to replace some submarine equipment systems. A new steam turbine unit BPTU-514M is installed on the boats of the project. During the modernization work, it was planned to extend the service life of the boats by 25 years without undergoing a second mid-life repair. The decision to modernize all SSBNs of the project was made in May 1987. The modernization period was planned until 2005. Since September 20, 1989, the Sevmash Production Association has received the TK-208 SSBN for medium repairs with modernization on Project 941UTTH/941U. In 1991, due to problems with financing, work on the conversion of SSBNs was actually stopped. Work was resumed in 1996, and since 1998 it has been carried out on Project 941UM for the Bulava-M missile complex.
- Project 941U / Project 09412 / Project 941UM- upgrade option for the D-30 missile system with 20 SLBM launchers. From 1998 to June 26, 2002, at the Sevmash Production Association, the TK-208 SSBN, previously modernized according to Project 941U / UTTH, was re-equipped - 2 launchers for testing Bulava missiles were installed in the bow of the ship, the equipment was modernized. Mooring tests of the boat began on June 30, 2002, and it was re-accepted for trial operation in the Russian Navy on July 26, 2002 for testing the Bulava-M missile system.
- Project of transport submarine-ore carrier- together with the Norilsk Nickel company, the Rubin Central Design Bureau MT, in the 1990s, the possibility of converting the SSBN Project 941 into ore-carrying submarines was considered for transporting ore underwater along the Northern Sea Route.
Status: USSR / Russia
Satellite photograph of SSBN pr.941 (TK-208 or TK-202) in the harbor of the Sevmash Production Association in Severodvinsk, 10.10.1982. Photo taken by the American KH-9 surveillance satellite (http://www.air-defense.net /forum).
- 1992 - serial production of the R-39 SLBM for the SSBN Project 941 missile systems was discontinued. In the mid-1990s, it was planned to begin mass production of SLBMs, but work on these missiles ceased in 1998.
1994 - as part of the 18th submarine division of the Northern Fleet, 5 SSBNs.
2003 December 11 - a throw-launch of an SLBM was carried out from a surface position with a TK-208 SSBN during testing of the boat.
2004 September 23 - a throw-launch of an SLBM was carried out from an underwater position with a TK-208 SSBN during testing of the boat.
January 2005 - of the entire group of SSBN Project 941, only 10 R-39 SLBMs remain in service with the TK-20 SSBN.
May 2010 - Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy V. Vysotsky stated that the reserve SSBNs Project 941 "Arkhangelsk" and "Severstal" will serve in the Russian Navy until 2019 and may be modernized.
2011 September 29 - the decision of the Russian Ministry of Defense to decommission SSBN Project 941 by 2014 was announced in the media. SSBNs decommissioned will be disposed of.
2011 September 30 - the media refuted the message dated September 29, 2011 about the decommissioning and disposal of SSBN Project 941.
Aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya of the Indian Navy and SSBN "Dmitry Donskoy" pr.941UM at the Sevmash Production Association in Severodvinsk, photo - November 2011 (photo from the nosikot archive, http://navy-rus.livejournal.com).
- 2011 December 02 - Director of PA "Sevmash" Andrey Dyachkov stated in the media that the SSBN pr.941UM "Dmitry Donskoy", assigned to the Belomorsk naval base (Severodvinsk), will be used in testing submarines of new projects as an experimental one. The fate of the Arkhangelsk and Severstal SSBNs has not yet been decided.
February 9, 2012 - Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy Vladimir Vysotsky said that two SSBNs of the project - "Sevrstal" and "Arkhangelsk" - in the coming years with their standard weapons - retained R-39 missiles - will remain in service with the Russian Navy, the third boat of the project - "Yuri Dolgoruky" will be used as an experimental submarine and in the SLBM testing program, as well as to support testing of other submarines.
July 30, 2012 - SSBN TK-208 "Dmitry Donskoy" is located in the Sukhona floating dock on the territory of the Sevmash Production Association.
SSBN TK-208 "Dmitry Donskoy" in the floating dock "Sukhona" on the territory of PA "Sevmash", 07/30/2012 (photo - Oleg Kuleshov, http://kuleshovoleg.livejournal.com).
- 2013 May 21 - information appeared in the media, citing a source in the Ministry of Defense, that the dismantlement of the Severstal and Arkhangelsk SSBNs will be carried out before 2020.
Return to Severodvinsk to support testing of other submarines SSBN "Dmitry Donskoy" pr.941UM, 06/28/2013 (photo - Oleg Kuleshov, http://kuleshovoleg.livejournal.com/).
SSBN TK-208 "Dmitry Donskoy" pr.941UM near the wall of the Sevmash production facility, Severodvinsk, October or spring 2014 (photo - Slava Stepanov, http://gelio.livejournal.com/).
Composition of the SSBN Project 941 group as part of the Navy of the USSR and Russia (as of December 2011):
| Year | SSBN | SLBM | SSBN composition | Note |
| 1982 | 1 | 20 | TK-208 | |
| 1984 | 2 | 40 | TK-208, TK-202 | 18th Division of the Northern Fleet, Western Litsa |
| 1985 | 3 | 60 | TK-208, TK-202, TK-12 | 18th Division of the Northern Fleet, Western Litsa |
| 1986 | 4 | 80 | TK-208, TK-202, TK-12, TK-13 | 18th Division of the Northern Fleet, Western Litsa |
| 1988 | 5 | 100 | TK-208, TK-202, TK-12, TK-13, TK-17 | 18th Division of the Northern Fleet, Western Litsa |
| 1990 | 5 | 100 | TK-202, TK-12, TK-13, TK-17, TK-20 | 18th Division of the Northern Fleet, Zapadnaya Litsa, TK-208 - in medium repair at Sevmash Production Association |
| 1994 | 5 | 100 | TK-202, TK-12, TK-13, TK-17, TK-20 | 18th Division of the Northern Fleet, Zapadnaya Litsa, TK-208 - in medium repair at Sevmash Production Association |
| 2005 January | 3 | 10 | TK-208, TK-17, TK-20 | Ammunition for SSBN TK-20 - 10 SLBM R-39 |
| 2011 | 3 | 0 | TK-208, TK-17, TK-20 | TK-208 - experimental SSBN, the rest are in reserve without SLBMs |
Register of SSBN pr.941(version as of September 30, 2011, double dates due to different data):
| № pp | Name | Project | NATO | Factory. № | Factory | Bookmark date | Launch date | Date entered. into operation | Write-off date | Basing and note |
| 01 | TK-208 "Dmitry Donskoy" (from 10/07/2000) | 941 941U | TYPHOON | 711 | Sevmash | 17.06.1976 30.06.1976 | 23.09.1980 27.09.1980 | 12.12.1981 29.12.1981 07/26/2002 (project 941U) | Northern Fleet 2011 - part of the Navy, Northern Fleet; The SSBN is equipped and used to test SLBMs. |
|
| 02 | TK-202 | 941 | TYPHOON | 712 | Sevmash | 22.04.1978 | 23.09.1982 | 28.12.1983 | 2000 | Northern Fleet SSBN stripped to metal with American financing |
| 03 | TK-12 "Simbirsk" | 941 | TYPHOON | 713 | Sevmash, responsible deliverer Yu.N. Grechkov ( ist. - Kantor B...) | 19.04.1980 | 17.12.1983 | 26.12.1984 | 08/31/2005 | Northern Fleet 07/26/2005 delivered to Severodvinsk for cutting, cut into metal with American financing |
| 04 | TK-13 | 941 | TYPHOON | 724 | Sevmash | 23.02.1982 | 30.04.1985 | 26.12.1985 | 1998 | Northern Fleet SSBN dismantlement began in the docking chamber of the Zvezdochka Shipyard in Severodvinsk on July 3, 2008. |
| 05 | TK-17 "Arkhangelsk" | 941 | TYPHOON | 725 | Sevmash | 09.08.1983 24.02.1985 | 12.12.1986 August 1986 | 06.11.1987 15.12.1987 | plan for 2014 according to some and 2019 according to other data | Northern Fleet |
| 06 | TK-20 "Severstal" | 941 | TYPHOON | 727 | Sevmash | 27.08.1985 06.01.1987 | 19.12.1989 04.09.1989 | plan for 2014 according to some and 2019 according to other data | Northern Fleet due to lack of ammunition in 2006 it was put into reserve, 2011 - part of the Navy, in reserve, Northern Fleet |
|
| 07 | TK-210 | 941 | TYPHOON | 728 | Sevmash | 1986 mid | - | - | - | the boat was laid down, the groundwork was being prepared, in 1988 construction was stopped when it was 40% complete, the groundwork was dismantled for metal in 1990. |
Side numbers:
| Year | TK-208 | TK-202 | TK-12 | TK-13 | TK-17 | TK-20 |
| 1990 | 834 | 821 | 840 | 818 | 830 | |
| 1994 | 824 | , 2011
Dear comrades, many of you have probably visited naval salons and climbed uncomfortable, shaking gangways onto the decks of huge ships. We wandered around the upper deck, looking at missile launch containers, spreading branches of radars and other fantastic systems.
Even such simple things as the thickness of an anchor chain (each link is about a pound of weight) or the radius of sweeping the barrels of naval artillery (the size of a country “six hundred square meters”) can cause sincere shock and bewilderment in the unprepared average person.
The dimensions of the ship's mechanisms are simply enormous. Such things are not found in ordinary life– we learn about the existence of these cyclopean objects only during a visit to the ship on the next Navy Day (Victory Day, during the St. Petersburg International Naval Show, etc.).
Indeed, from the point of view of an individual, small or large ships do not exist. Marine technology it amazes with its size - standing on the pier next to a moored corvette, a person looks like a grain of sand against the backdrop of a huge rock. The “tiny” 2500-ton corvette looks like a cruiser, but the “real” cruiser has generally paranormal dimensions and looks like a floating city.
The reason for this paradox is obvious:
An ordinary four-axle railway car (gondola car), loaded to the brim with iron ore, has a mass of about 90 tons. A very bulky and heavy thing.
In the case of the 11,000-ton missile cruiser Moskva, we have only 11,000 tons of metal structures, cables and fuel. The equivalent is 120 railway cars with ore, densely concentrated in a single mass.
Anchor of the submarine missile carrier project 941 “Shark”
How does water hold THIS?! Conning tower of the battleship New Jersey
But the cruiser "Moscow" is not the limit - the American aircraft carrier "Nimitz" has a total displacement of more than 100 thousand tons. Truly, great is Archimedes, whose immortal law allows these giants to stay afloat!
A big difference
Unlike surface ships and vessels that can be seen in any port, the underwater component of the fleet has an increased degree of stealth. difficult to see even when entering the base - largely due to the special status of the modern submarine fleet.
Nuclear technologies, danger zone, state secrets, objects of strategic importance; closed cities with special passport regime. All this does not add to the popularity of the “steel coffins” and their glorious crews. Nuclear boats quietly nest in secluded coves of the Arctic or hide from prying eyes on the coast of distant Kamchatka. Nothing has been heard of the existence of boats in peacetime. They are not suitable for naval parades and the notorious “flag display”. The only thing these sleek black ships can do is kill.
Baby S-189 against the backdrop of the Mistral
What do “Loaf” or “Pike” look like? How big is the legendary "Shark"? Is it true that it doesn't fit in the ocean?
It is quite difficult to clarify this issue - there are no visual aids on this matter. Museum submarines K-21 (Severomorsk), S-189 (St. Petersburg) or S-56 (Vladivostok) are half a century old “diesel engines” from the Second World War and do not give any idea about actual sizes modern submarines.
The reader will certainly learn a lot of interesting things from the following illustration:
Comparative sizes of silhouettes of modern submarines on a single scale
The fattest “fish” is a heavy strategic missile submarine cruiser.
Below is an American Ohio-class SSBN.
Even lower is the underwater “aircraft carrier killer” of Project 949A, the so-called. “Baton” (it was to this project that the lost “Kursk” belonged).
In the left bottom corner multi-purpose Russian nuclear submarine of Project 971 is lurking (code).
And the smallest boat shown in the illustration is the modern German diesel-electric submarine Type 212.
Of course, the greatest public interest is associated with the “Shark” (aka “Typhoon” according to NATO classification). The boat is truly amazing: the hull length is 173 meters, the height from the bottom to the roof of the deckhouse is equal to a 9-story building!
Surface displacement - 23,000 tons; underwater - 48,000 tons. The numbers clearly indicate a colossal reserve of buoyancy - to submerge the Shark, more than 20 thousand tons of water are pumped into the boat’s ballast tanks. As a result, the “Shark” received the funny nickname “water carrier” in the navy.
Despite all the seeming irrationality of this decision (why does the submarine have such a large reserve of buoyancy??), the “water carrier” has its own characteristics and even advantages: when on the surface, the draft of the monstrous monster is slightly greater than that of “ordinary” submarines - about 11 meters. This allows you to enter any home base without the risk of running aground, and use all available infrastructure for servicing nuclear submarines.
In addition, the huge reserve of buoyancy turns the Akula into a powerful icebreaker. When the tanks are blown, the boat, according to Archimedes’ law, “rushes” upward with such force that even a 2-meter layer of solid, like stone, will not stop it. arctic ice. Thanks to this circumstance, the “Sharks” could carry out combat duty in the highest latitudes, right up to the North Pole.
But even on the surface, the “Shark” surprises with its dimensions. How else? - the largest boat in world history!
You can admire the shark’s appearance for a long time:
"Shark" and one of the SSBNs of the 677 family
The boat is simply huge, there is nothing more to add here
Modern SSBN Project 955 "Borey" against the backdrop of a gigantic "fish"
The reason is simple: two submarines are hidden under a light, streamlined hull: the “Shark” is made according to the “catamaran” design with two durable hulls made of titanium alloys. 19 isolated compartments, a duplicate power plant (each of the durable hulls has an independent OK-650 nuclear steam generating unit with a thermal power of 190 MW), as well as two pop-up rescue capsules designed for the entire crew...
Needless to say, in terms of survivability, safety and convenience of personnel accommodation, this floating Hilton was unrivaled.
Loading the 90-ton Kuzka mother. In total, the boat's ammunition load included 20 R-39 solid-fuel SLBMs
"Ohio"
No less surprising is the comparison of the American submarine missile carrier "Ohio" and the domestic TRPKSN project "Shark" - it suddenly turns out that their dimensions are identical (length 171 meters, draft 11 meters) ... while the displacement differs significantly! How so?
There is no secret here - "Ohio" is almost half as wide as the Soviet monster - 23 versus 13 meters. However, it would be unfair to call the Ohio a small boat - 16,700 tons steel structures and materials inspire respect. The Ohio's underwater displacement is even greater - 18,700 tons.
Carrier Killer
Another underwater monster, whose displacement surpassed the achievements of the Ohio (surface displacement - 14,700, underwater - 24,000 tons).
One of the most powerful and advanced boats of the Cold War. 24 supersonic cruise missiles with a launch weight of 7 tons; eight torpedo tubes; nine isolated compartments. The operating depth range is more than 500 meters. Underwater speed over 30 knots.
In order to accelerate the “loaf” to such speeds, the boat uses a two-reactor power plant - uranium assemblies in two OK-650 reactors burn day and night with a terrible black fire. The total energy output is 380 Megawatts - enough to provide electricity to a city of 100,000 inhabitants.
"Loaf" and "Shark"
Two "loaves"
But how justified was the construction of such monsters to solve tactical problems? According to a widespread legend, the cost of each of the 11 boats built reached half the cost of the aircraft-carrying cruiser Admiral Kuznetsov! At the same time, the “loaf” was focused on solving purely tactical problems - exterminating AUGs, convoys, disrupting enemy communications...
Time has shown that multi-purpose nuclear submarines are most effective for such operations, for example...
« Pike-B"
A series of Soviet nuclear multi-purpose boats of the third generation. The most formidable underwater weapon before the advent of the American Seawolf-class nuclear submarines.
But don’t think that “Pike-B” is so small and puny. Size is a relative value. Suffice it to say that the baby does not fit on a football field. The boat is huge. Surface displacement - 8100, underwater - 12,800 tons (in the latest modifications it increased by another 1000 tons).
This time, the designers made do with one OK-650 reactor, one turbine, one shaft and one propeller. Excellent dynamics remained at the level of the 949th “loaf”. A modern sonar system and a luxurious set of weapons appeared: deep-sea and homing torpedoes, Granat cruise missiles (in the future - Caliber), Shkval missile-torpedoes, Vodopad anti-missile missiles, thick 65-76 torpedoes, mines... at the same time , the huge ship is piloted by a crew of just 73 people.
Why do I say “total”? Just an example: to operate a modern American boat analogue of the Pike, an unsurpassed underwater killer of the type, a crew of 130 people is required! At the same time, the American, as usual, is extremely saturated with radio electronics and automation systems, and its dimensions are 25% smaller (displacement - 6000/7000 tons).
By the way, an interesting question: why are American boats always smaller? Is it really all the fault of “Soviet microcircuits - the largest microcircuits in the world”?! The answer will seem banal - American boats have a single-hull design and, as a result, a smaller buoyancy reserve. That is why the “Los Angeles” and “Virginia” have such a small difference in the values of surface and underwater displacement.
What is the difference between a single-hull and a double-hull boat? In the first case, ballast tanks are located inside a single durable housing. This arrangement takes up part of the internal volume and, in a certain sense, negatively affects the survivability of the submarine. And, of course, single-hull nuclear submarines have a much smaller buoyancy reserve. At the same time, this makes the boat small (as small as a modern nuclear submarine can be) and quieter.
Domestic boats are traditionally built using a double-hull design. All ballast tanks and auxiliary deep-sea equipment (cables, antennas, towed sonar) are located outside the pressure hull. The stiffening ribs of the robust housing are also located on the outside, saving precious volume interior spaces. From above, all this is covered with a light “shell”.
Advantages: a reserve of free space inside a durable case, allowing for the implementation of special layout solutions. A larger number of systems and weapons on board the boat, increased unsinkability and survivability (additional shock absorption in case of nearby explosions, etc.).
Nuclear waste storage facility in Sayda Bay (Kola Peninsula). Dozens of submarine reactor compartments are visible. The ugly “rings” are nothing more than stiffening ribs of a durable casing (the lightweight casing has been previously removed)
This scheme also has disadvantages and there is no escape from them: large dimensions and area of wetted surfaces. The direct result is that the boat is noisier. And if there is a resonance between the durable and lightweight body...
Don’t be fooled by hearing about the above-mentioned “reserve of free space”. It is still forbidden to ride mopeds or play golf inside the compartments of Russian Shchukas - the entire reserve was spent on installing numerous sealed bulkheads. The number of habitable compartments on Russian boats usually ranges from 7...9 units. The maximum was achieved on the legendary “Sharks” - as many as 19 compartments, excluding sealed technological modules in the light body space.
For comparison, the robust hull of the American Los Angeles aircraft is divided by hermetic bulkheads into only three compartments: central, reactor and turbine (of course, not counting the insulated deck system). Americans traditionally bet on high quality manufacturing of hull structures, equipment reliability and qualified personnel as part of submarine crews.
A whopping big fish. American multi-purpose submarine of the Seawolf class
Another comparison on the same scale. It turns out that the “Shark” is not so large compared to the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier of the “Nimitz” type or the TAVKR “Admiral Kuznetsov” - the size of aircraft-carrying ships is completely paranormal. The victory of technology over common sense. The small fish on the left is the Varshavyanka diesel-electric submarine
These are the key differences between submarine shipbuilding schools on different sides of the ocean. But submarines are still huge.
The largest Soviet submarine Akula, created as a symmetrical response to the United States after they created the Ohio submarine.
The largest nuclear submarine (NPS) is the Akula.
The goal of the developers was to create a ship even more powerful and larger in size than its American counterpart.
The real name of the submarine is “Project 941”, in the West it is called “Typhoon”, and the name “Shark” is explained by the fact that a drawing of a shark is placed on the side of the submarine (however, it could only be seen until the ship was launched).
This is exactly what L.I. named the new combat unit. Brezhnev, and later the image of a shark appeared on the uniform of sailors who served on the submarine.
“Shark” is a nuclear submarine of truly impressive size. Its length corresponds approximately to the length of two real football fields, and its height corresponds to a nine-story building. The submarine's displacement is 48 thousand tons when launched.
How and when did the largest submarine in the world appear?
The creation of this powerful warship is associated with the period of the Cold War and the arms race. The Akula submarine was supposed to show the superiority of the Soviet navy over the Western one. In 1972, scientists received the task of creating a submarine more powerful, larger, and more dangerous than the Ohio (USA).
Work on the Ohio submarine began in the United States in the early 1970s; It was planned to arm the submarine with 24 Trident solid-fuel missiles with a range of more than 7 thousand km, i.e. intercontinental. It was significantly superior to everything that was in service with the USSR, because the huge (with a displacement of 18.7 thousand tons) submarine could launch missiles at a depth of up to 30 m and was quite fast - up to 20 knots.
The Soviet government set the designers the task of creating a Soviet missile carrier, even more powerful than the American one. This work was entrusted to the Rubin design bureau, which at that time was headed by I.D. Spassky, and designer S.N. Kovalev – a leading specialist in this field; 92 submarines were created according to Kovalev's designs.
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Construction began at the Sevmash enterprise in 1976; the first cruiser was launched in 1980, and it passed tests even earlier than the Ohio, work on which began earlier.
Over the entire history of the project, 6 Akula submarines were created, and the seventh, having already begun, was not completed due to the beginning of disarmament. Three of the existing submarines were dismantled at financial assistance The USA and Canada, two did not have time to be disposed of and now the question of what to do with them next is being decided, and one - “Dmitry Donskoy” - has been modified and is now in service.
Re-equipping the Sharks is too much expensive pleasure, it costs the same as it would cost to build two new modern submarines.
Design features of the Akula submarine
Due to the need to arm the largest submarine in the world with solid-fuel missiles, the designers were faced with difficult problems to solve. The missiles were too large and heavy, it was difficult to place them on a conventional cruiser, because even loading massive weapons required an innovative crane, and they were transported from them along specially laid rails.
And the capabilities of the shipbuilding plant were limited to the creation of ships that did not exceed the norm for the draft of the vessel.
The designers adopted non-standard constructive solution: the cruiser was given the appearance, so to speak, of a catamaran for swimming underwater. It does not consist of two buildings (external and internal), as usual, but five: two main and three additional.
The result is excellent buoyancy (40%).
Almost half of the ballast when the cruiser is under water is water. No matter how much they scolded the nuclear submarine designers for this! Both “a victory of technology over common sense” and a “water carrier” (the submarine’s nickname is “Shark”), but it is precisely this feature that allows the cruiser to float, breaking through a 2.5-meter layer of ice, so that it can serve almost at the North Pole .
Inside the common body there are five more, two parallel; The missile silos are unusually located: they are located in front of the wheelhouse; The mechanical, torpedo and control module compartments are isolated and located in the gap formed by the main hulls, which makes the design safer.
This is also achieved by a couple of dozen waterproof compartments and two rescue chambers that can accommodate the entire crew.
The outer steel hull is coated with special rubber for sound insulation and anti-location purposes, making the submarine difficult to detect.
The huge submarine has quite comfortable living conditions for the crew: cockpits for small groups of sailors, comfortable cabins for officers, televisions, a gym, even a swimming pool, solarium and sauna, two wardrooms and a “living corner.”
Submarine armament
“Akula” is armed with two dozen R-39 “Variant” (these are ballistic missiles, each weighing 90 tons). There are also torpedo tubes (6 pieces) and Igla-1 MANPADS. Interestingly, even from a depth of 55 meters, a submarine can fire these missiles almost in one gulp.
Quite comfortable living conditions for the crew have been created on the huge submarine: the sailors live in small cabins for several people, while the officers occupy double cabins.
In addition to the gym and two cabins, there is a sauna and a small swimming pool on board, there is even a solarium and a “living corner”.
The commander's chair in the control room can only be used by the captain; even Defense Minister P. Grachev, who visited the submarine in 1993 and broke tradition, was unanimously condemned by all those present.
Project 941 "Akula" (SSBN "Typhoon" according to NATO classification) - Soviet heavy missile submarine cruisers for strategic purposes. Developed at TsKBMT "Rubin" (St. Petersburg). The development order was issued in December 1972. Project 941 nuclear submarines are the largest in the world.
History of creation
The tactical and technical specifications for the design were issued in December 1972, and S. N. Kovalev was appointed chief designer of the project. New type submarine cruisers were positioned as a response to the US construction of Ohio-class SSBNs (the first boats of both projects were laid down almost simultaneously in 1976). The dimensions of the new ship were determined by the dimensions of the new solid-fuel three-stage intercontinental ballistic missiles R-39 (RSM-52), with which it was planned to arm the boat. Compared to the Trident-I missiles that were equipped with the American Ohio, the R-39 missile had best characteristics flight range, throw weight and had 10 blocks versus 8 for the Trident. However, the R-39 turned out to be almost twice as long and three times as heavy as its American counterpart. To accommodate such large missiles standard scheme The layout of the SSBN did not fit. On December 19, 1973, the government decided to begin work on the design and construction of a new generation of strategic missile carriers.
The first boat of this type, TK-208 (which means “heavy cruiser”), was laid down at the Sevmash enterprise in June 1976, launched on September 23, 1980. Before launching, an image of a shark was painted on the side of the submarine in the bow below the waterline; later, stripes with a shark appeared on the crew’s uniform. Despite the later launch of the project, the lead cruiser entered sea trials a month earlier than the American Ohio (July 4, 1981 of the year). TK-208 entered service on December 12, 1981. In total, from 1981 to 1989, 6 Akula-type boats were launched and put into operation. The planned seventh ship was never laid down; Hull structures were prepared for it.
September 23, 1980 at the shipyard of the city of Severodvinsk, on the surface White Sea The first Soviet Akula class submarine was launched. When her hull was still in the stocks, on its bow, below the waterline, a drawn grinning shark could be seen, which was wrapped around a trident. And although after the descent, when the boat got into the water, the shark with the trident disappeared under the water and no one saw it again, the people already dubbed the cruiser “The Shark”. All subsequent boats of this class continued to be called the same, and a special sleeve patch with the image of a shark was introduced for their crews. In the West, the boat was given the code name “Typhoon”. Subsequently, this boat began to be called Typhoon in our country. The construction of “9-story” submarines provided orders for more than 1000 enterprises Soviet Union. At Sevmash alone, 1,219 people who participated in the creation of this unique ship received government awards.
For the first time, Leonid Brezhnev announced the creation of the “Shark” series at the XXVI Congress of the CPSU. Brezhnev specifically called the “Shark” “Typhoon” in order to mislead his Cold War opponents.
To ensure reloading of missiles and torpedoes, in 1986 the diesel-electric transport-missile carrier “Alexander Brykin” of Project 11570 was built with a total displacement of 16,000 tons; it could carry up to 16 SLBMs.
In 1987, the TK-12 "Simbirsk" carried out a long high-latitude voyage to the Arctic with repeated replacement of crews.
On September 27, 1991, during a training launch in the White Sea on the TK-17 Arkhangelsk, a training rocket exploded and burned out in the silo. The explosion tore off the cover of the mine, and the warhead of the rocket was thrown into the sea. The crew was not injured during the incident; the boat was forced to undergo minor repairs.
In 1998, tests were carried out in the Northern Fleet, during which 20 R-39 missiles were launched “simultaneously”.
Design
The power plant is made in the form of two independent echelons located in different durable buildings. The reactors are equipped with an automatic shutdown system in case of loss of power supply and pulse equipment for monitoring the condition of the reactors. When designing, the TTZ included a clause on the need to ensure a safe radius; for this purpose, methods for calculating the dynamic strength of complex hull components (fastening modules, pop-up cameras and containers, inter-hull connections) were developed and tested by experiments in experimental compartments.
To build the Sharks, a new workshop No. 55 was specially built at Sevmash - the largest indoor boathouse in the world. The ships have a large reserve of buoyancy - more than 40%. When submerged, exactly half of the displacement is accounted for by ballast water, for which the boats received the unofficial name “water carrier” in the navy, and in the competing design bureau “Malachite” - “a victory of technology over common sense.” One of the reasons for this decision was the requirement for the developers to ensure the smallest draft of the ship to be able to use existing piers and repair bases. Also, it is the large reserve of buoyancy, coupled with a durable deckhouse, that allows the boat to break through ice up to 2.5 meters thick, which for the first time made it possible to conduct combat duty in high latitudes right up to the North Pole.
Frame
A special feature of the boat’s design is the presence of five habitable durable hulls inside the light hull. Two of them are the main ones, have a maximum diameter of 10 m and are located parallel to each other, according to the principle of a catamaran. At the front of the ship, between the main pressure hulls, are missile silos, which were first placed forward of the wheelhouse. In addition, there are three separate pressurized compartments: a torpedo compartment, a control module compartment with a central control post, and an aft mechanical compartment. The removal and placement of three compartments into the space between the main hulls made it possible to increase the fire safety and survivability of the boat. According to the general designer S. N. Kovalev.
“What happened at Kursk (project 949A) could not have had such catastrophic consequences on project 941. On the "Shark" the torpedo compartment is designed in the form separate module. And a torpedo explosion would not have led to the destruction of several bow compartments and the death of the entire crew.” Both main strong hulls are connected to each other by three transitions through intermediate strong capsule compartments: in the bow, in the center and in the stern. The total number of waterproof compartments of the boat is 19. Two pop-up rescue chambers, designed for the entire crew, are located at the base of the wheelhouse under the retractable device fence.
Durable cases are made of titanium alloys, lightweight - steel, covered with non-resonant anti-location and soundproofing rubber coating with a total weight of 800 tons. According to American experts, the durable hulls of the boat are also equipped with soundproofing coatings.
The ship received a developed cruciform stern tail with horizontal rudders located directly behind the propellers. The front horizontal rudders are retractable.
In order for the boats to be able to carry out duty in high latitudes, the wheelhouse fencing is made very strong, capable of breaking through ice 2-2.5 m thick (in winter the thickness of the ice in the Northern Arctic Ocean varies from 1.2 to 2 m, and in some places reaches 2.5 m). The bottom surface of the ice is covered with growths in the form of icicles or stalactites of considerable size. When surfacing, the submarine cruiser, having removed the bow rudders, slowly presses against the ice ceiling with its nose and wheelhouse specially adapted for this, after which the main ballast tanks are sharply purged.
Power point
The main nuclear power plant is designed according to the block principle and includes two water-cooled thermal neutron reactors OK-650 with a thermal power of 190 MW each and a shaft power of 2 × 50,000 liters. pp., as well as two steam turbine units, located one each in both durable hulls, which significantly increases the survivability of the boat. The use of a two-stage rubber-cord pneumatic shock absorption system and a block arrangement of mechanisms and equipment made it possible to significantly improve the vibration isolation of the units and, thereby, reduce the noise of the boat.
Two low-speed, low-noise, seven-bladed fixed-pitch propellers are used as propulsors. To reduce noise levels, the propellers are installed in ring fairings (fenestrons).
The boat has backup means of propulsion - two electric motors direct current 190 kW each. For maneuvering in cramped conditions, there is a thruster in the form of two folding columns with 750 kW electric motors and rotary propellers. Thrusters are located in the bow and stern of the ship.
Habitability
The crew is accommodated in conditions of increased comfort. The boat has a lounge for relaxation, a gym, a swimming pool measuring 4 × 2 m and a depth of 2 m, filled with fresh or salt sea water with the possibility of heating, a solarium, lined oak boards sauna, “living corner”. The rank and file are accommodated in small cockpits, the command personnel are accommodated in two- and four-berth cabins with washbasins, televisions and air conditioning. There are two wardrooms: one for officers, the other for midshipmen and sailors. Sailors call the Shark a “floating Hilton.”
Armament
The main armament is the D-19 missile system with 20 three-stage solid-propellant ballistic missiles R-39 "Variant". These missiles have the largest launch mass (together with the launch container - 90 tons) and length (17.1 m) of the SLBMs put into service. The combat range of the missiles is 8300 km, the warhead is multiplex: 10 warheads with individual guidance of 100 kilotons of TNT each. Due to the large dimensions of the R-39, the Akula project boats were the only carriers of these missiles. The design of the D-19 missile system was tested on the K-153 diesel submarine, specially converted according to Project 619, but it could only accommodate one silo for the R-39 and was limited to seven launches of dummy models. The entire ammunition load of the Akula missiles can be launched in one salvo with a short interval between the launch of individual missiles. Launch is possible both from surface and submerged positions at depths of up to 55 m and without restrictions on weather conditions. Thanks to the ARSS shock-absorbing rocket-launch system, the rocket is launched from a dry shaft using a powder pressure accumulator, which makes it possible to reduce the interval between launches and the level of pre-launch noise. One of the features of the complex is that with the help of ARSS, the missiles are suspended at the neck of the silo. The design included the deployment of an ammunition load of 24 missiles, but, by the decision of the Commander-in-Chief of the USSR Navy, Admiral S.G. Gorshkov, their number was reduced to 20.
In 1986, a government decree was adopted on the development of an improved version of the missile - the R-39UTTKh "Bark". The new modification planned to increase the firing range to 10,000 km and implement a system for passing through ice. The rearmament of the missile carriers was planned to be carried out until 2003 - the expiration date of the warranty life of the produced R-39 missiles. In 1998, after the third unsuccessful launch, the Ministry of Defense decided to stop work on the 73% complete complex. The Moscow Institute of Thermal Engineering, the developer of the “land” Topol-M ICBM, was assigned to develop another solid-fuel SLBM “Bulava”.
In addition to strategic weapons, the boat is equipped with 6 torpedo tubes of 533 mm caliber, intended for firing torpedoes and missile-torpedoes, as well as for laying minefields.
Air defense is provided by eight sets of Igla-1 MANPADS.
Missile carriers of the Akula project are equipped with the following electronic weapons:
Combat information and control system "Omnibus";
analog hydroacoustic complex "Skat-KS" (digital "Skat-3" was installed on the TK-208 during mid-repair);
sonar mine detection station MG-519 “Harp”;
echometer MG-518 “Sever”;
radar complex MRKP-58 “Buran”;
navigation complex "Symphony";
radio communication complex "Molniya-L1" with satellite communication system "Tsunami";
television complex MTK-100;
two pop-up buoy-type antennas that allow receiving radio messages, target designations and satellite navigation signals when located at a depth of up to 150 m and under ice.
Crew conditions
On the Typhoon, the crew were provided with not just good, but unimaginably good living conditions for submarines. This, perhaps, could be expected from the Nautilus, but not from a real boat. For its unprecedented comfort, the Typhoon was nicknamed a “floating hotel.” When designing the Typhoon, apparently, they did not particularly strive to save weight and dimensions, and the crew was accommodated in 2-, 4- and 6-berth cabins lined with wood-like plastic, with desks, bookshelves, lockers for clothes, washbasins and televisions.
There was also a special recreation complex on the Typhoon: a gym with wall bars, crossbar, punching bag, cycling and rowing machines, treadmills. (True, some of this - purely in Soviet style - did not work from the very beginning.) It also has four showers, as well as as many as nine latrines, which is also very significant. The oak-paneled sauna was, generally speaking, designed for five people, but if you tried, it could accommodate ten. There was also a small pool on the boat: 4 meters long, two meters wide and two meters deep.
Comparative assessment
The US Navy has only one series of strategic boats in service - the Ohio, which belongs to the third generation (18 were built, 4 of which were subsequently converted to carry Tomahawk cruise missiles). The first nuclear submarines of this series entered service simultaneously with the Sharks. Due to the possibility of consistent modernization inherent in the Ohio (including mines with extra space and with replaceable cups), they use one type of ballistic missiles - Trident II D-5 instead of the original Trident I C-4. In terms of the number of missiles and the number of MIRVs, the Ohio surpasses both the Soviet Sharks and the Russian Borei.
It should be noted that the Ohio, unlike Russian submarines, is designed for combat duty in the open ocean in relatively warm latitudes, while Russian submarines are often on duty in the Arctic, while being in the relatively shallow waters of the shelf and, in addition, under a layer of ice, which has a significant impact on boat design. In particular, for Sharks, sea temperatures above +10 °C can cause significant mechanical problems. Among US Navy submariners, diving in shallow waters under the Arctic ice is considered very risky.
The predecessors of the "Sharks" - submarines of projects 667A, 670, 675 and their modifications, were nicknamed "roaring cows" by the American military due to their increased noise; their combat duty areas were located off the coast of the United States - in the coverage area of powerful anti-submarine formations, moreover they had to overcome the NATO anti-submarine line between Greenland, Iceland and Great Britain.
In the USSR and Russia, the main part of the nuclear triad consists of ground-based Strategic Missile Forces.
After the acceptance of strategic submarines of the Akula type into service in the USSR Navy, the United States agreed to sign the proposed SALT-2 treaty, and the United States also allocated funds under the Cooperative Threat Reduction program for the disposal of half of the Sharks while simultaneously extending the service life of their American “peers” until 2023-2026.
On December 3-4, 1997, in the Barents Sea, during the dismantling of missiles under the START-1 treaty by shooting from the Akula nuclear submarine, an incident occurred: while the US delegation was observing the shooting from aboard a Russian vessel, the Los Angeles-class multi-purpose nuclear submarine " made maneuvers near the nuclear submarine "Akula", approaching a distance of up to 4 km. The US Navy boat left the firing area after warning detonation of two depth charges.
Main characteristics
Ship type TRKSN
Project designation 941 "Shark"
Developer of the project TsKBMT "Rubin"
Chief designer S. N. Kovalev
NATO classification SSBN "Typhoon"
Speed (surface) 12 knots
Speed (underwater) 25 knots
(46.3 km/h)
Working diving depth 400 m
Maximum diving depth 500 m
Navigation autonomy 180 days (6 months)
Crew 160 people
(including 52 officers)
Dimensions
Surface displacement 23,200 t
Underwater displacement 48,000 t
Maximum length (according to waterline) 172.8 m
Body width max. 23.3 m
Average draft (according to waterline) 11.2 m
Power point
2 pressurized water nuclear reactors OK-650VV, 190 MW each.
2 turbines of 45,000 - 50,000 hp. each
2 propeller shafts with 7-bladed propellers with a diameter of 5.55 m
4 steam turbine nuclear power plants of 3.2 MW each
Reserve:
2 diesel generators ASDG-800 (kW)
Lead-acid battery, product 144
Armament
Torpedo-
mine weapons 6 TA 533 mm caliber;
22 torpedoes 53-65K, SET-65, SAET-60M, USET-80 or Vodopad missile torpedoes
Missile armament 20 SLBM R-39 (RSM-52)
Air defense 8 MANPADS "Igla"
By the beginning of the 70s, the main participants in the nuclear race, the USSR and the USA, quite rightly placed their bets on the development of a nuclear submarine fleet equipped with intercontinental ballistic missiles. As a result of this confrontation, the world's largest submarine was born.
The warring parties began to create nuclear-powered heavy missile cruisers. The American project, the Ohio-class nuclear submarine, envisaged the deployment of 24 intercontinental ballistic missiles. Our answer was the Project 941 submarine, provisionally named “Akula”, better known as “Typhoon”.
History of creation
Outstanding Soviet designer S. N. Kovalev
The development of Project 941 was entrusted to the team of the Leningrad TsKBMT Rubin, which was led by the outstanding Soviet designer Sergei Nikitovich Kovalev for several decades in a row. The construction of the boats was carried out at the Sevmash enterprise in Severodvinsk. In all respects, it was one of the most ambitious Soviet military projects, still stunning in its scale.
“Akula” owes its second name - “Typhoon” to the General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee L. I. Brezhnev. This is how he presented it to the delegates of the next party congress and to the rest of the world in 1981, which fully corresponded to its all-destructive potential.
Layout and dimensions
The size and layout of the nuclear underwater giant deserve special attention. Under the shell of the light hull there was an unusual “catamaran” of 2 strong hulls located in parallel. For the torpedo compartment and the central post with the adjacent radio-technical weapons compartment, sealed capsule-type compartments were created.
All 19 compartments of the boat communicated with each other. The horizontal folding rudders of the “Shark” were located in the bow of the boat. In case it surfaced from under the ice, provisions were made to significantly strengthen the conning tower with a rounded lid and special reinforcements.
“Shark” amazes with its gigantic size. It is not for nothing that it is considered the largest submarine in the world: its length - almost 173 meters - corresponds to two football fields. As for the underwater displacement, there was also a record here - about 50 thousand tons, which is almost three times higher than the corresponding characteristic of the American Ohio.
Characteristics
The underwater speed of the main competitors was the same - 25 knots (just over 43 km/h). The Soviet nuclear one could remain on duty in autonomous mode for six months, diving to a depth of 400 meters and having an additional 100 meters in reserve.| Comparative data on modern SN RPLs | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Project 941 | Ohio | Project 667BDRM | Vanguard | Triomphant | Project 955 | |
| A country | Russia | USA | Russia | Great Britain | France | Russia |
| Years of construction | 1976-1989 | 1976-1997 | 1981-1992 | 1986-2001 | 1989-2009 | 1996-present |
| Built | 6 | 18 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 2 |
| Displacement, t surface underwater | 23200 48000 | 16746 18750 | 11740 18200 | 12640 14335 | 14720 24000 |
|
| Number of missiles | 20 R-39 | 24 Trident | 16 R-29RMU2 | 16 Trident | 16 M45 | 16 Mace |
| Throwing weight, kg | 2550 | 2800 | 2800 | 2800 | n.d. | 1150 |
| Range, km | 8250 | 7400-11000 | 8300-11547 | 7400-11000 | 6000 | 8000 |
To propel this monster, it was equipped with two 190-megawatt nuclear reactors, which drove two turbines with a power of about 50 thousand hp. The boat moved thanks to two 7-bladed propellers with a diameter of more than 5.5 meters.
The “combat vehicle crew” consisted of 160 people, more than a third of whom were officers. The creators of the “Shark” showed truly fatherly concern for the living conditions of the crew. For officers, 2- and 4-berth cabins were provided. Sailors and foremen were located in small cubicles with washbasins and televisions. All living areas were supplied with air conditioning. In their free time off duty, crew members could visit the pool, sauna, gym or relax in the “living” corner.
Combat potential
Launch silos of the nuclear submarine "Typhoon"
In the event of a nuclear conflict, the Typhoon could simultaneously unleash 20 R-39 nuclear missiles on the enemy, each with ten 200-kt multiple warheads. Such a nuclear “typhoon” could turn the entire east coast of the United States into a desert in a matter of minutes.
In addition to ballistic missiles, the boat’s arsenal included more than two dozen conventional and jet torpedoes, as well as Igla MANPADS. The Alexander Brykin transport ship, with a displacement of 16 thousand tons and designed to carry 16 SLBMs, was developed specifically to equip the Typhoons with missiles and torpedoes.
In service
In just 13 years from 1976 to 1989, 6 Typhoon nuclear submarines rolled off the Sevmash slipways. Today, 3 units continue to serve - two in reserve and one - "Dmitry Donskoy" is used as the main object for testing the new Bulava missile system.
