Project 941 Akula submarines are known all over the world, as they are the largest nuclear submarines and submarines in general. Many of you have probably heard about these " sea whales“, but few people really imagine the size of such ships.
And so that you understand, we want to demonstrate several illustrative examples of comparisons of the Project 941 submarine with other impressive objects.
The length of such a submarine is as much as 173 meters! Just imagine a 50-story building floating underwater!
To make it even easier for you to use your imagination, here are a few examples:
This is a football field used for international matches. The average length of such a platform is about 105 meters.
And here’s what this field would look like against the backdrop of the Akula submarine. Isn't that impressive?
This photo shows the largest aircraft in the world - AN-225.
But even he “doesn’t take off” compared to this submarine. The 84-meter AN is almost half the size of the “sea predator”.
Russia has a lot of submarines, and most of them are of impressive size. However, they failed to get around the Shark.
In the photo above you can see what the submarine looks like next to our other submarines.
Pay attention to the part highlighted with a red arrow. These small dark fragments are the propellers of the Akula Project submarine protruding above the water.
Here's what this shot looks like up close. They are not that small...
Everything on board the boat looks just as impressive. The photo shows special compartments designed for R-39 ballistic missiles.
The weight of one such projectile is 90 tons, the height is more than 17 meters.
There are as many as 20 of these missile silos on the submarine!
Typically, most of the submarine is hidden from our eyes. Usually the submarine is submerged in water up to the white mark on the hull (see photo above).
In other words, that block of steel and titanium that we see above the water is only 1/3 of the entire ship.
The width of the Akula project submarine is 23 meters, and its height is 25 meters. This is an entire 8-story building!
Now pay attention to the picture of these people...
This is what they look like from afar!
Well, now you understand how big this boat is?
The Soviet Union and the United States maintained nuclear parity with each other until the early 70s. Neither side had an overwhelming superiority over each other in the number of nuclear warheads and delivery vehicles. In the USSR, they relied on silo installations of nuclear intercontinental missiles and a nuclear submarine fleet. Strategic aviation was small in number and did not have the qualities that would provide it with air superiority over the enemy. In the United States, on the contrary, at that time there already existed a nuclear triad, in which the main emphasis was on strategic aviation and silo launchers of ICBMs.
However, even such a large number of nuclear warheads and delivery vehicles, capable of repeatedly destroying all life on the planet, could not satisfy either the Soviet or the American side. Both countries were looking for a way to create a first strike advantage. The rapidly developing arms race in this direction led to the emergence of the largest submarines in the history of mankind, the Soviet Project 941 Akula-class nuclear submarines.
Reasons explaining the appearance of the steel monster
The huge steel monster, the size of a 9-story building, was a response to the appearance of the Ohio-class nuclear submarine in the US Navy. This submarine could carry 24 intercontinental missiles. Not a single submarine in the USSR possessed such firepower. The presence of such submarines by the enemy negated the existing balance in delivery means, which had been so difficultly achieved by that time. Project 941, developed in the Soviet Union, could not only deprive the Americans of superiority in the naval component of the nuclear triad, but also provide a certain advantage.
This is what caused the next round of the naval arms race. Work began to boil in Soviet design bureaus and overseas. Each country tried to be the first to create a strategic submarine missile carrier.
The reasons for the appearance of a ship of this size are explained by the technical side of the issue. The thing is that the Soviet nuclear submarine was created with the expectation of outstripping the Americans in terms of the power of its missile salvo. The Project 941 nuclear submarine was supposed to carry on board the new R-39 intercontinental ballistic missiles, which were superior to the American Trident-1 intercontinental missiles deployed on the Ohio-class missile submarines. The Soviet nuclear baton could carry 10 nuclear warheads, instead of the 8 on the American missile, and the R-39 missile flew much further than its American counterpart. The new Soviet rocket had three stages and, according to the project, was supposed to weigh up to 70 tons. Having such technical characteristics of the main weapon, Soviet designers had to solve a difficult task - to create an appropriate launch platform.
In addition, it was planned to immediately install 20 such missiles on the new nuclear submarine missile carrier. The commissioning of new Soviet nuclear-powered ships was supposed to cool the militant ardor of overseas strategists. As foreign sources noted, the Soviet Typhoon-class Akula submarine, according to NATO classification, could wipe out everything from the face of the earth with one salvo. West Coast USA. The presence of 3-4 missile carriers of this type by the Soviets would threaten the entire territory of the United States, not to mention the vulnerability of the territories of NATO allies.
The enormous destructive power akin to a typhoon strike, which the Soviet submarine possessed, became the reason for it to be given the appropriate name “Typhoon” in the West. According to the classification, Project 941 boats had the code “Typhoon”.
For reference: According to the NATO classification, “Akula” submarines were Soviet multi-purpose submarines of the “Shchuka-B” type of Project 971, built already in the mid-80s. The NATO code “Akula” was assigned to these ships after the name of the lead ship of the K-284 “Akula” nuclear submarine project, which entered service with the Pacific Fleet in 1984.
Birth of a record holder
In the Soviet Union, there have already been cases of creating record-breaking equipment. This is the world's largest transport aircraft AN-22 "Antey" and the world's first nuclear icebreaker"Lenin". In military terms, the USSR also caused a lot of trouble for the American military, creating excellent military equipment. The latest generation of Soviet intercontinental ballistic missiles caused terror overseas. The navy did not lag behind in this regard, so the world's largest nuclear submarine, the Akula, did not come as a surprise to the Soviet country.
The Soviet ship, built in the early 80s of the 20th century, remains to this day an unsurpassed achievement of design thought. In many technical respects, the new nuclear submarine is rightfully considered the most ambitious Soviet military project. The technical dimensions of the ship alone are amazing, not to mention the cost of building a ship of such scale. The length of the ship is 173 meters, and the width of the hull is 23 meters. The hull of the boat is a steel cigar the size of a 9-story building. Only the draft of the boat was 12 meters. These dimensions also corresponded to the huge displacement. The Soviet submarine missile carrier had the displacement of a World War II battleship - 50 thousand tons.
In terms of displacement, the Akula nuclear submarine was three times larger than its opponent, the Ohio-class submarine. If we talk about the name of the ship, the Soviet version is of folk origin. Even on the slipways, the boat began to be called a shark. This comparison was so successful that it subsequently took root in military and political circles. For the first time in the general public, the new nuclear-powered missile cruiser was called “Shark” by the General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee L. I. Brezhnev.
For reference: In the domestic fleet, the first submarine, called “Shark,” was created back in 1909. The designer of the submarine was Ivan Bubnov. The boat was lost during the First World War during a military campaign.
The designers of the Rubin Central Design Bureau for Marine Equipment, the flagship of the Soviet shipbuilding industry, handled the task of developing a project for a Soviet underwater super-cruiser perfectly. In 1972, Leningraders received technical specifications for the development of a project for a third-generation strategic nuclear submarine. The design work was headed by the talented Soviet designer S.N. Kovalev, who already had completed and successful projects behind him. His brainchildren plied the seas and oceans, remaining a reliable shield of the Soviet state. Since 1973, after the decision of the Soviet government, work on the creation of the project began within the walls of the Rubin Central Design Bureau.
The place where new ships of this size were built was the Sevmash enterprise. For the construction of new ships, a new boathouse of enormous size was specially erected on the shipyard territory. Dredging work was carried out in the water area of the shipyard to allow the passage of ships of such a large displacement.
Three years later, the first lead submarine of Project 941 was laid down on the Sevmash stocks. The ship received the factory index TK-208 (heavy cruiser - 208). In total, it was planned to build 7 ships under this project over the next 10-15 years. It should be noted that Soviet designers managed to overtake their American colleagues by earlier creating a ready-made project for a new submarine missile carrier. The launch of a new Soviet submarine of colossal size in September 1980 came as a real shock to the Americans. The first Ohio-class boat launched in December 1981, when the Soviet missile carrier entered the active fleet.
Over the course of 8 years, from 1981 to 1989, 6 vessels of the same type were built in the Soviet Union. The seventh ship planned for construction remained on the stocks, even taking into account the fact that the main hull structures for the submarine were ready. The construction of Soviet nuclear missile carriers of Project 941 was provided by more than 1000 related enterprises. At the Sevmash shipyard alone, 1,200 people worked on the construction of the ship.
An interesting detail: of the 6 ships built according to the project, the very first one turned out to be the longest-lived. The KT-208 submarine, launched back in 1981, continues to be in service today. Now this is the TPRKSN (heavy strategic missile submarine cruiser) “Dmitry Donskoy”, KT-208 boat of Project 941.
Design features of the Project 941 submarine missile carrier
For the uninitiated, the boat is a huge whale-shaped steel cigar. However, for specialists, special attention is drawn not so much to the size of the ship as to its layout. The submarine has a double-hull design. Behind the outer shell of a lightweight steel body is a dual main robust body. In other words, inside the boat there are two separate hulls located parallel to each other according to the catamaran design. Durable cases are made of titanium alloy. The torpedo compartment, central post and aft mechanical compartments on the ship are placed in closed compartments, capsules.
The space between the two durable hulls is filled with 20 silo launchers. The conning tower is shifted to the rear of the boat. The entire front deck is one big launch pad. This arrangement of launchers implies the possibility of simultaneous launch of all ammunition. In this case, the missiles should be launched with a minimum time interval. The Soviet missile carrier is capable of launching missiles from surface and submerged positions. The working immersion depth for launch is 55 meters.
The ship has 19 compartments, each of which communicates with the others. Horizontal rudders are installed in the light hull of the bow of the boat. The conning tower has a reinforced structure, specially designed for the emergency ascent of the ship in the presence of a continuous ice sheet on the surface. Increased strength is the main distinguishing feature of Soviet III generation missile carriers. If the American Ohio-class nuclear submarines were built for patrolling in the clear waters of the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean, then Soviet submarines mainly operated in the waters of the Arctic Ocean, therefore the ship’s design was created with a safety margin capable of overcoming the resistance of an ice shell 2 meters thick.
On the outside, the boat has a special anti-radar and soundproof coating, the total weight of which is 800 tons. Another feature of the ship's design is the presence of life support systems in each individual compartment. The internal layout of the boat is planned and equipped in such a way as to ensure the survival of the ship's crew in the most unforeseen situations.
The heart of the nuclear-powered ship is two OK-650VV nuclear reactors with a total power of 380 MW. The submarine is set in motion through the operation of two turbines with a capacity of 45-50 thousand l/s each. Such a huge ship also had propellers of the appropriate size - 5.5 m in diameter. Two 800W diesel generators were installed on the boat as backup engines.
The nuclear-powered missile carrier on the surface could reach a speed of 12 knots. Underwater, a submarine with a displacement of 50 thousand tons could move at a speed of 25 knots. The working diving depth was 400 m. At the same time, the boat had a certain reserve of critical diving depth, amounting to an additional 100 m.
A ship like this large sizes and with such performance characteristics it was controlled by a crew of 160 people. A third of this number were officers. The interior living quarters on the submarine were equipped with everything necessary for a long and comfortable stay. Officers and midshipmen lived in comfortable 2- and 4-berth cabins. The sailors and petty officers lived in specially equipped cubicles. All living areas on the boat were served by an air conditioning system. During long cruises, the ship's crew, free from combat shifts, could spend time in the gym, visit the cinema and library. It should be noted that the ship’s autonomy exceeded all standards existing before that time - 180 days.
Main comparative characteristics of the Project 941 ship
The Soviet nuclear-powered ship, which entered service in 1981, had a significant superiority in comparison with other foreign-built ships of the same type. The likely opponents of the Soviet III generation missile carrier were:
- American Ohio-class nuclear submarine with 24 Trident ICBMs on board, 18 units built;
- English nuclear submarine "Vangard" with 16 Trident ICBMs, 4 units built;
- French nuclear submarine Triumphant with 16 M45 ICBMs, 4 ships were also built.
The Soviet nuclear submarine was three times larger in displacement than all the listed ships. It had a total weight of 51 tons for a salvo of 20 R-39 ICBMs. British and French submarines were significantly inferior to the Soviet missile carrier in this parameter. British and French nuclear submarines could fire warheads weighing a total of 44 tons at the enemy. Only American Ohio-class submarines, of which less than two dozen were launched, could compete with the Soviet underwater giants.
No other ship, domestic missile carriers of projects 667BDRM and 955, could compare in displacement and combat power with Akula-class submarines. Soviet nuclear submarines, launched in the 80s of the last century, formed the basis of the nuclear missile power of the USSR and became the basis for the nuclear naval component of modern Russia.
The nuclear-powered icebreaker KT-208 “Dmitry Donskoy” remains the only operational ship of this class in the Russian Navy. Two vessels, KT-17 Arkhangelsk and KT-20 Severstal, were put into reserve in 2006 and 2004. respectively. The final decision on the fate of these two legendary ships not accepted yet. The nuclear submarine KT-208 received a new name in 2002 - KT-208 “Dmitry Donskoy”. The boat is the only one of all ships of this type that has retained its technological resource. This, in turn, made it possible to carry out on the ship in 1999-2002. modernization according to project 941M. The purpose of the modernization was to re-equip the ship for the new Bulava SLBM.
There are no plans to equip the ship with new ballistic missiles. The submarine is used as a self-propelled floating test complex for new types of missile technology. The decision of the high government commission was to extend the life of the vessel until 2020. The nuclear-powered missile carrier is based at the Zapadnaya Litsa naval base and is part of the Russian Northern Fleet.
While you are reading these lines, somewhere far (or maybe not so far) from you, silent killers are plowing the seas, hiding under the water. They are huge, powerful and deadly, capable of lurking in the depths for months, only to one day strike a decisive blow.
No, we are not talking about a new horror film or a documentary video “from the life of sharks.” In this article, you, dear readers, will find the answer to the question of which submarine deserves the title of the largest in the world, and which countries can afford to build such steel giants.
And just recently we introduced readers to 10 in the world.
10. “Astyut” – length: 97 m, width 11.3 m
The tenth largest submarine in the world, it is the largest, most advanced and most powerful submarine ever operated by the British Royal Navy. Its size is 97 meters long and 11.3 meters wide.
The Astyut class includes three submarines, with four more under construction. In case it has to engage in battle, the submarine is armed with six 48 missiles or torpedoes, Tomahawk cruise missiles, Harpoon anti-ship missiles and 533 mm torpedo tubes (TA).
In 2012, the Astutes proved their ability to launch Tomahawk missiles by successfully firing two missiles from the Gulf of Mexico and accurately hitting targets at a test site in North Florida.
9. “Seawolf” – 107.6 x 12.2 m
This series of nuclear submarines was built for the US Navy in 1989-1998. The Seawolves were a response to the construction of Project 971 Shchuka-B submarines in the Soviet Union. A total of three ships were built, although it was originally planned that the series would include 12 submarines.
The length and width of the Seawolf hull are 107.6 meters and 12.2 meters, respectively. These submarines are equipped with a single nuclear reactor and their speed is 18 knots.
The armament installed on the American submarine includes eight 660 mm torpedo tubes, 50 torpedoes or missiles and 50 Tomahawk cruise missiles.
8. Project 945A “Condor” – 110.5 x 12.2 m
The first, but not the only one among the largest submarines in Russia. Today, there are two Condors in operation, 110.5 meters long and 12.2 meters wide.
The hull of Condor-class submarines is made of lightweight and durable titanium, which allows the submarine to reach greater depths and reduces noise levels. Among the weapons, the Condors boast six 533 mm torpedo tubes, 40 torpedoes, S-10 Granat cruise missiles and 8 Igla-1 and Igla MANPADS launchers.
7. Project 971 “Pike-B” – 110.3 x 13.6 m
The Soviet Union can be criticized for many things, but not for its weak army and navy. It was in the USSR that the construction of one of the largest nuclear submarines in the world, Shchuka-B, was carried out. Unlike the Condors, the hull of this submarine is made of alloy steel. The length of the formidable steel “fish” is just over 110 meters, and the width is over 13 meters.
The Shchuki-B project (1983-2001) was carried out at the Sevmash machine-building enterprise in Severodvinsk and was revised several times. The improved boats were called "Improved Akula" or "Akula-II" by Western militaries. And the most modernized submarine, the K-335 Cheetah, was called Akula-III in the West. The Indian Navy also has one of the modernized Shchuk-B (K-152 Nerpa) in service. It lacks the SOKS system and the ability to launch acoustic countermeasures.
In 2017, four Shchuka-B class submarines remained in service. Each of them is equipped with four 650 mm torpedo tubes, four 533 mm TA, IRS Kalibr-PL and Strela-3M MANPADS.
6. “Triumphan” – 138 x 12.5 m
Sunny France is one of the few European countries that can afford to build a huge, heavy and expensive submarine. From 1989 to 2009, four Triumphant-class submarines with a length of 138 and a width of 12.5 meters were built. Initially, the construction of six units was planned, but the plans of the French Navy changed due to the collapse of the Soviet Union.
The Triumphants are armed with four 533 mm torpedo tubes, 10 torpedoes, 8 Exocet SM39 cruise missiles launched from the launch vehicle and M45 and M51 missiles.
5. “Vangard” – 149.9 x 12.8 m
The pride of the British Navy, over 149 meters long and over 12 meters wide. The Vanguard series includes four nuclear submarines, the history of which began in the 90s of the twentieth century. They were built in a huge covered boathouse (workshop for construction or repair) 260 meters long and 58 meters wide. Its dimensions make it possible to build not only nuclear submarines, but also destroyers with guided missile weapons.
Initially, it was planned to assemble 6 or even 7 submarines, but with the collapse of the USSR, Great Britain and other NATO countries no longer needed a large number of submarines as one of the means of nuclear deterrence.
On board the Vanguards are four 533 mm caliber TAs, 16 Trident II D5 ballistic missiles and Spearfish or Tigerfish remote-controlled torpedoes.
4. “Delta” – 167.4 x 11.7 m
This is a collective designation for four types of strategic nuclear submarines assembled in the USSR. Project code names:
- "Moray eel".
- "Moray eel-M".
- "Squid".
- "Dolphin".
The length of the latest modification, the Dolphin, is 167.4 meters and the width is 11.7 meters. This great steelhead was commissioned in December 1984. Of the seven Dolphins built, five are still in service with the Russian Navy.
The enemies of the Dolphins will not be in trouble, because they are equipped with four 533 mm caliber TAs, 12 torpedoes, 16 ballistic missiles and from 4 to 8 Igla and Igla-1 MANPADS.
3. “Ohio” – 170.7 x 12.8 m
These giants are the largest submarines in the United States and the basis of America's strategic offensive nuclear forces. They regularly have to carry out combat patrols, spending 60% of their time at sea. The size of "Ohio" is 170.7 meters and 12.8 meters (length and width, respectively).
The first submarine of this series was put into operation in November 1981. All other submarines were named after American states, with the exception of USS Henry M. Jackson, which was named after one of the senators.
These underwater hulks are capable of carrying over twenty Trident II missiles and over 150 Tomahawk cruise missiles. Their armament also includes four 533 mm torpedo tubes.
2. Project 955 “Borey” – 170 x 13.5 m
Second in the list of the largest submarines is again a Russian design, one of the most advanced in the world. The Borei project began in 2011, and in May 2018 it became known that 14 ships of this type are planned to be built by 2027.
In the future, it will be “Borey” that will replace the first and fourth numbers on our list.
The submarine's dimensions are 170 meters long and 13.5 meters wide. This curvaceous, deadly beauty can travel underwater at a speed of 29 knots, and is equipped with six 533 mm torpedo tubes, six 324 mm sonar countermeasures, torpedoes, torpedo missiles and cruise missiles (including Onyx and Caliber), as well as 16 PU of the Bulava complex.
1. Project 941 “Shark” – 172.8 x 23.3 m
Known to the West as the Typhoon class and to Russian sailors as the Akula, these majestic steel giants were created as a countermeasure to the American Ohio-class submarines during the Cold War.
At 172.8 meters long and 23.3 meters wide, these monsters, with a surface and submerged displacement of 23,200 tons and 48,000 tons respectively, were larger than American rival submarines. Their height (26 meters) is comparable to the height of a nine-story building.
In essence, the Sharks' task was to create a nuclear apocalypse in the West if Cold War would go into a hot phase.
The largest nuclear submarine in the world received its predatory nickname thanks to the image of a shark, which was painted before its first descent, which took place in September 1980.
Inside the lightweight hull of the huge submarine are five habitable hulls. In the event of an emergency in one of the hulls, the crew inside the other hulls will be safe and the auxiliary devices will still be operational.
Two nuclear reactors give these strategic submarine cruisers the power they need to reach a top speed of about 25 knots underwater.
Instead of constantly moving around the world's seas and oceans, the Sharks were designed to remain north of the Arctic Circle for six months, awaiting command to launch their "farewell greeting to the world" - the R-39 Variant ballistic missiles.
Due to the length and nature of its missions, this Soviet nuclear-powered missile submarine was designed with crew comfort in mind. In fact, the living quarters on the Sharks were so luxurious that sailors in the Soviet (and later Russian) navy nicknamed these giant vessels "floating Hiltons."
Instead of utilitarian steel furniture with minimal upholstery, the Shark's interior features comfortable upholstered chairs, full-size doorways, a fully equipped gym, a fresh or salt water swimming pool, a solarium and even a sauna, the walls of which are lined with oak planks. The command cabins have TVs, washbasins and air conditioning systems.
However, the triumph of the huge and formidable “Sharks” did not last long. Of the seven planned submarines, six were built during the 1980s and retired less than 10 years later in the 1990s. The Russian government simply could not afford to maintain these largest missile submarines in the world in combat-ready condition.
Currently, only one modernized Akula, the TK-208 Dmitry Donskoy, is in service. The world's largest submarine serves as a test bed for advanced submarine-launched ballistic missiles (Bulava SLBMs).
Documentary video – Project 941 “Shark”
In the fall of 2011, reports appeared in the domestic media according to which it was planned to decommission and dismantle all remaining Project 941 Akula nuclear submarines by 2014. The next day, Defense Department officials denied this information. As it turns out, these submarines will remain in the fleet in the coming years. Since then, new reports have been received from time to time about the future fate of the Sharks. First of all, the possible modernization of these boats is mentioned. However, the repair and re-equipment of the Sharks is sometimes called impractical, because there are only three such boats left in service. But in the early eighties, the Soviet Union was going to build ten Project 941 submarines. Why, instead of the ten largest submarines in the world, does our country now have only three?
When at the Rubin Central Design Bureau for Medical Sciences under the leadership of S.N. Kovalev, the development of Project 941 began, the fleet command could express quite bold wishes. According to some sources, the possibility of building a series of twelve new submarines was seriously considered. Apparently, for economic reasons, it was subsequently reduced to ten ships. Despite this reduction, the mid-seventies, when the project was created, can be called one of the best periods in the Russian Navy. Therefore, only three and a half years passed from the issuance of tactical and technical specifications to the laying of the lead “Shark”. Four years later, the first boat of the TK-208 project left the stocks and entered service in December 1981. Thus, it took about nine years to create the lead submarine.
Until 1986-87, seven Project 941 submarines were laid down at the Sevmash plant in Severodvinsk. However, problems began already in 1988. Due to a number of financial and political problems, the seventh submarine, 35-40 percent complete, was cut into metal. The last three boats of the series generally remained at the stage of preliminary preparation for construction. Perestroika began in the country and funding for defense projects decreased significantly. In addition, the former (?) potential enemy, who was directly interested in the absence of such equipment, learned about the new submarines.
It's worth noting that the United States had good reason to fear the Sharks. Project 941 boats were the largest submarines in the world and carried substantial weapons. The original design of the boat with two main strong hulls located at a distance from each other made it possible to fit two dozen missile silos of the D-19 complex with R-39 missiles into the contours of the light hull. The record large size of Project 941 boats was due to the dimensions of the missiles. The P-39 had a length of 16 meters and simply did not fit on submarines of the old design, like the later versions of Project 667. At the same time, increasing the size of the boat made it possible to place on it comfortable cabins and quarters for the crew, a small recreation room, a gym, a swimming pool and even a sauna.
Both main pressure buildings housed one OK-650VV reactor with a thermal power of up to 190 MW. Two steam turbine units with turbo-gear units had a total power of up to 90-100 thousand horsepower. Thanks to this power plant, Project 941 boats with a displacement of 23-28 (surface) or 48-50 thousand tons (underwater) are capable of moving underwater at speeds of up to 25-27 knots. The maximum diving depth is 450-500 meters, autonomy is up to 120 days.
The main payload of the Sharks was R-39 ballistic missiles. These three-stage solid-fuel ammunition could fly to a range of about 8200-8500 kilometers and deliver ten warheads to targets with a capacity, according to various sources, from 100 to 200 kilotons. In combination with the unlimited cruising range and relatively low noise level of the carrier boat, the R-39 missile provided the Project 941 submarines with high combat characteristics. It is worth noting that the R-39 missiles were not very easy to use. Problems with them were associated, first of all, with weight and size parameters. With a length of 16 meters and a diameter of 2 meters, the rocket with so-called units. shock-absorbing rocket launch system (ARSS) weighed about 90 tons. After launch, the R-39 shed six tons of ARSS weight. However, despite such mass and size, the R-39 missile was considered suitable for use and put into production.
In general, the potential enemy had every reason to be afraid. In 1987, new cause for concern appeared. The Soviet Union decided to modernize all existing “Sharks” in accordance with the 941UTTH project. Its main difference from the basic project was the use of upgraded R-39UTTH missiles. Before the collapse of the USSR, Sevmash managed to finalize only one lead boat of the project, TK-208. Other submarines were not modernized - there was simply no money for it. Subsequently, the lack of money constantly affected the fate of the Sharks, and only in a negative way.
According to some sources, maintaining one “Akula” in combat-ready condition cost 1.5-2 times more than operating Project 667BDRM boats. In addition, in the late eighties and early nineties, the leadership of our country was ready to make a variety of concessions in international negotiations, including those that were obviously disadvantageous for its own defense capability. As a result of consultations with, as they began to say, foreign partners, the construction of the seventh submarine of the series was completely forgotten, and half of those manufactured were decided to be gradually written off and disposed of. In addition, in the early nineties, production of R-39 missiles ceased. The submarines risked being left without their main one.
Due to insufficient funding, Project 941 boats sat at the piers almost all the time without any hope of going out. The first submarine to leave the fleet was the submarine cruiser TK-202. Disposal was delayed: instead of the planned start in 1997, work began only in 1999. The cutting into pins and needles was completed by the mid-2000s. In 1997-98, two other boats, TK-12 and TK-13, were excluded from the fleet’s operational strength. They stood at the piers for a very long time, and at the beginning of the 2000s there was hope for their return. The option of returning the TK-12 boat to service was considered. In addition, she was supposed to receive the name “Simbirsk”, since the administration of the city of Ulyanovsk expressed a desire to take patronage over her. But these proposals did not come to fruition. In 2004, the United States achieved the start of recycling the boat. The contract for the destruction of the last TK-13 submarine was signed in 2007. A few months later work began.
As we see, the “foreign partners” were still able to push through a solution that was beneficial to them. The importance of destroying the Sharks is perfectly illustrated by the fact that about 75-80% of the costs of dismantling the boats were paid by the United States and NATO. In total, they spent about $25 million. Probably, due to the danger of Soviet and Russian submarine cruisers, they were ready to once again shell out sums of this order for the disposal of the remaining Russian submarines, including other projects.
A completely fair question may arise: why didn’t the Russian leadership break the agreement on the joint destruction of unique boats? There are reasons for this. During the first years, our country simply did not have the opportunity to fully maintain all six submarines. Without proper maintenance, nuclear power plants could cause colossal environmental disasters. Later, at the beginning of the 2000s, money appeared, but at the same time another problem appeared. By the end of the nineties, the lack of missile production began to take its toll. A little later, the situation with ammunition became fatal: in 2005, reports appeared that there were only ten R-39 missiles for three submarines. In other words, it was not possible to equip even one submarine.
It is worth noting that the command of the navy drew attention to this problem back in the mid-nineties. In 1998, modernization of the TK-208 submarine began in accordance with project 941U (another designation “941M”). Instead of old launchers, several new silos were installed on the boat, designed to use R-30 Bulava missiles. The development of this rocket had just begun at that time, but appropriate measures were already being taken for testing and subsequent operation. After repairs, in 2002, the TK-208 boat received the name “Dmitry Donskoy”, and in 2003 it began to participate in the Bulava tests.
The operation of the Dmitry Donskoy submarine continues to this day. The other two remaining boats were less fortunate: they were not modernized. In 2004, TK-17 Arkhangelsk and TK-20 Severstal were put into reserve. In the fall of 2001, the Severstal boat went on a cruise to conduct two training launches. Together with the sailors, television journalists who were filming the documentary “Russian Shark” went to the place of the combat training mission. Subsequently, the footage was repeatedly used in various films about record-breaking submarines. Ironically, this shooting turned out to be the last one on at the moment in the biography of the TK-20 boat.
After memorable statements from an unnamed source in 2011, the situation with Project 941 boats has repeatedly become the subject of discussion. A couple of months after the official denial of decommissioning, the management of the Sevmash plant confirmed that the Dmitry Donskoy submarine will henceforth be used as an experimental submarine to test technologies and technical solutions intended for promising projects. The further fate of Arkhangelsk and Severstal was not known at that time. At the beginning of 2012, the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy, V. Vysotsky, said that all three existing submarines would remain in the fleet and would be in operation over the next years. The situation with the lack of missiles was not commented on. Since then, there have been no official reports about the fate of the remaining Project 941 submarines. Probably, due to the lack of any clear prospects, Severstal and Arkhangelsk will remain in the fleet for several more years and then will be decommissioned. At least now no one is going to upgrade them to use R-30 missiles. Probably, the fleet command assessed the possibilities and prospects of such modernization and came to the appropriate conclusions.
Project 941 submarines were unlucky to appear during a very difficult period in history. In the midst of their construction, transformations began that ultimately proved fatal for the country. Elimination of their consequences took many more years and, as a result, the “Sharks” were held at the pier most of of your life. Now that it is possible to find opportunities to return the boats to service, the feasibility of this has begun to raise questions. Despite record-breaking characteristics for their time, the Project 941 boats are quite outdated and it will be necessary to invest as much money in updating them as would be spent on creating a completely new project. Does this make sense?
Based on materials from sites:
http://flot.com/
http://rbase.new-factoria.ru/
http://deepstorm.ru/
http://lenta.ru/
http://ria.ru/
http://militaryrussia.ru/blog/topic-578.html
Nerpichya Bay, 2004. Reserve. Photo http://ru-submarine.livejournal.com
Heavy strategic missile submarines of Project 941 "Akula"(SSBN "Typhoon" according to NATO classification) - the world's largest nuclear submarines. The project was developed at the Rubin Central Design Bureau of Mechanical Engineering (St. Petersburg). The development order was issued in December 1972.
Story
In the early 70s in the United States (as Western media wrote, in response to the creation of the Delta complex in the USSR), the implementation of the large-scale Trident program began, providing for the creation of a new solid-fuel missile with an intercontinental (more than 7000 km) range, as well as SSBNs a new type, capable of carrying 24 such missiles and having an increased level of stealth.
The political leadership of the USSR demanded that industry provide an “adequate response” to another American challenge.
The construction of Project 941 Akula submarine cruisers (according to the international classification "Typhoon") was a kind of response to the construction in the United States of Ohio-class nuclear missile submarines armed with 24 intercontinental ballistic missiles. In the USSR, the development of a new ship began later than the Americans, so design and construction proceeded almost in parallel.
“The designers were faced with a difficult technical task - to place on board 24 rockets weighing almost 100 tons each,” says S.N. Kovalev, general designer of projects at the Rubin Central Design Bureau for MT. “After many studies, it was decided to place the rockets between two durable hulls. There are no analogues to this there is no solution in the world." “Only Sevmash could build such a boat,” says the head of the Department of the Ministry of Defense A.F. Shlemov. The construction of the ship was carried out in the largest boathouse - workshop 55, which was led by I.L. Kamai. We used a fundamentally new construction technology - the aggregate-modular method, which made it possible to significantly reduce the time frame. Now this method is used in everything, both underwater and surface shipbuilding, but for that time it was a serious technological breakthrough.
As a result, the ship was built in record time - in 5 years. Behind this small number is a huge amount of work by the entire team of the enterprise and its numerous contractors. “The construction of the submarine was supported by more than a thousand enterprises throughout the country,” recalls A.I. Makarenko, at that time the chief engineer of the Sevmash enterprise. “Our “Shark” was ready a year earlier than the American “Ohio.” Naturally, the government highly appreciated the merits of the participants in the creation this unique ship." By order of the Minister of the Shipbuilding Industry, Anatoly Innokentyevich was appointed personally responsible for the construction. For the creation of the nuclear submarine of project 941 A.I. Makarenko and KSP assembler A.T. Maksimov was awarded the title of Hero of Socialist Labor. Responsible deliverer A.S. Belopolsky was awarded the Lenin Prize, N.G. Orlov, V.A. Borodin, L.A. Samoilov, S.V. Pantyushin, A.A. Fishev - State Prize. 1219 employees of the enterprise were awarded orders and medals. Among those who distinguished themselves were shop managers G.A. Pravilov, A.P. Monogarov, A.M. Budnichenko, V.V. Skaloban, V.M. Rozhkov, chief specialists M.I. Shepurev, F.N. Shusharin, A.V. Rynkovich.
In September 1980, an unusually large nuclear submarine, the height of a nine-story building and the length of almost two football fields, touched the water for the first time. Delight, joy, fatigue - the participants in that event experienced different feelings, but everyone was united by one thing - pride in a great common cause. Mooring and sea trials were carried out in record time for a nuclear submarine of such a design. And this is a great merit of the delivery team, such excellent specialists as G.D Pavlyuk, A.Z. Elimelach, A.Z. Raikhlin, and the ship’s personnel under the command of Captain 1st Rank A.V. Olkhovikova. Despite the tight deadlines for the construction and testing of the newest nuclear submarine, situations arose when engineers were required to urgently develop new design solutions. “As you know, the outer hull of the boat is covered with a thick layer of rubber,” continues Anatoly Innokentyevich. “On the Shark, each sheet weighed 100 kilograms, and the total weight of the glued rubber was 800 tons. When the boat first went to sea, part of this coating came off. We had to quickly invent new technological methods for gluing.”
The ship adopted the first domestic solid-fuel missile system D-19. The lead cruiser of the series, which later received the name Dmitry Donskoy, carried out a large number of missile launches. “The program for extended testing of missile weapons was more than intense,” recalls the former commander of the warhead-5, captain 1st rank V.V. Kiseev. The tests took place not only in the White Sea, but also in the North Pole region. During the period of missile firing there were no failures in the equipment Everything was very reliable."
After ten years of operation, the world's largest nuclear submarine was lifted onto the slipway for mid-term repairs. This was a difficult task in terms of ensuring radiation and fire safety, since nuclear submarines had not been repaired at the Sevmash workshops before. After average repairs and replacement of a number of complexes in May 2002, “Dmitry Donskoy” was taken out of the workshop. This date is considered the second birth of the ship. The slipway work and the removal of the ship were supervised by the deputy head of the workshop M.A. Abizhanov, and by the actions of the delivery team on the ship - mechanic G.A. Laptev. “The factory sea trials and state tests of various weapons systems are now successfully passing. The Dmitry Donskoy is unique in terms of maneuverability and controllability,” says the submarine commander, Captain 1st Rank A.Yu. Romanov, proudly. “This order has amazing combat capabilities. This is the most fastest of all the ships in the series, exceeding the previous speed record of Project 941 by two knots. The successful testing of the ship is largely due to the responsible delivery person E.V. Slobodyan, his deputies A.V. Larinsky and V.A. specialists in their field, commander of the combat electromechanical unit, captain II rank A.V. Prokopenko, commander of the navigator combat unit, captain-lieutenant V.V. Sankov, commander of the combat communications unit, captain III rank A.R.
A ship, like a person, has its own destiny. This cruiser proudly bears the name of the great Russian warrior, Prince of Moscow and Vladimir Dmitry Donskoy. As the submariners themselves say, their ship is reliable and happy. “Now the fate of this nuclear-powered submarine is clear,” says S.N. Kovalev. “This submarine will for a long time be the most powerful ship of the Navy. Today is a good reason to congratulate all the designers who designed this boat, Sevmash, who built it , many other enterprises that participated in its creation, and, naturally, the Navy on the anniversary of this wonderful ship."
Current status
As of 2007, one Project 941 ship (TK-202) was scrapped. TK-12 "Simbirsk" and TK-13 have been withdrawn from the Russian fleet and are being scrapped.
Due to a chronic lack of funding, in the 1990s it was planned to decommission all units, however, with the advent of financial opportunities and a revision of the military doctrine, the remaining ships (TK-17 Arkhangelsk and TK-20 Severstal) underwent maintenance repairs in 1999-2002. TK-208 "Dmitry Donskoy" underwent major repairs and modernization under Project 941UM in 1990-2002 and since December 2003 has been used as part of the testing program for the latest Russian SLBM "Bulava". When testing the Bulava, it was decided to abandon the previously used test procedure:
throws from a submersible stand in Balaklava,
throws from a specially converted experimental submarine,
at the next stage - a series of launches from a ground stand,
Only after successful launches from a ground stand was the missile allowed to undergo flight testing from a submarine, its standard carrier.
For throw and launch tests, the modernized TK-208 “Dmitry Donskoy” was used. General designer S. N. Kovalev explains the decision as follows:
Today we no longer have Balaclava. An experimental submarine is expensive to build. The ground stand near Severodvinsk is not in the best condition. And it must be adapted and rebuilt for the new missile system. Therefore, at our instigation, a rather bold - from the point of view of the designers - justified decision was made: all tests of the Bulava ballistic missile (BM) were to be carried out from the converted lead submarine of Project 941U Typhoon.
The 18th Submarine Division, which included all the Sharks, was reduced. As of February 2008, it included the TK-17 Arkhangelsk (last combat duty - from October 2004 to January 2005) and the TK-20 Severstal, which were in reserve after the working life of the “main caliber” missiles had expired. "(last combat duty - 2002), as well as the TK-208 Dmitry Donskoy, converted for test purposes. TK-17 "Arkhangelsk" and TK-20 "Severstal" were awaiting a decision on disposal or re-equipment with new SLBMs for more than three years, until in August 2007, the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy, Admiral of the Fleet V.V. Masorin, announced that until 2015 it is planned to modernize the Akula nuclear submarine for the Bulava-M missile system.
On May 7, 2010, Commander-in-Chief of the Navy Vladimir Vysotsky stated that two nuclear submarines of the Akula class will remain in the Russian Navy until 2019 in combat condition. At the same time, a decision has not yet been made on the fate of the submarines; in particular, the issue of the timing of possible modernization has not been resolved. However, the modernization capabilities of submarines of this type are very large, Vysotsky noted.
