Nuclear submarine cruiser 971 "Pike-b" secretive hunter

The nuclear submarine fleet forms the basis of the strategic weapons of the Russian Federation. According to the latest version of military doctrine, Russia may resort to a nuclear strike in response to an attack with nuclear weapons. In addition to nuclear submarines with ballistic missiles, there are submarines in service whose purpose is to combat strategic submarines and enemy ships.

Huge deep-sea cruisers move unnoticed under the thickness of sea water, which makes their service mysterious and enigmatic. Among the multi-purpose missile carriers, Project 971 Shchuka B submarines are on combat watch.

History of creation

In July 1976, the command of the USSR Navy recognized the need for mass production of a series of third-generation submarines with a nuclear reactor. Above all, the military leadership set the task of reducing the noise of movement characteristic of Project 945 Barracuda submarines, which belong to the second generation.

The founder of the project was G. N. Chernyshev, who holds the position of chief designer of SKB-143. The brilliant engineer Gennady Nikolaevich died in 1997, and the project was headed by Yu. I. Fedorov.

According to the new plan, the modern submarine was no different from Project 945, which made it possible to avoid the preliminary design stage. The difference between the Pike and Barracuda projects was the replacement of material in the manufacture of the hull.

To build a new submarine cruiser, it was decided to use low-magnetic steel instead of titanium.

The abandonment of titanium was due to economic considerations. Firstly, there was a significant shortage of paramagnetic and high-strength metal. Secondly, its processing and joining of parts was high-cost and too labor-intensive.

In the Soviet Union there were enterprises specializing in titanium processing, Sevmash and Krasnoye Sormovo, but they did not have sufficient capacity to produce a large batch of submarines in a short time.

The use of steel in the construction of submarine hulls helped to load the Far Eastern factories with new production, which by that time had increased the required capacity to carry out such a serious task.

The approved project 971, dated September 13, 1977, had to be unexpectedly returned for revision. The United States indirectly adjusted the plans of the Soviet military and design engineers by starting the construction of Los Angeles-class submarines.

Modern Western models were equipped with the latest generation sonar systems.

It took two years to finalize the Soviet project, and in 1980 updated drawings of the Shchuka-B submarine were presented. The first stage of submarine construction took place in Komsomolsk-on-Amur; its shipyards had significant potential to complete the task.

At the start of large-scale production, the Soviet Union purchased a batch of high-precision machine tools from Japan. Modern equipment used the latest technology to produce propellers.

Despite the secrecy of the deal, information about the purchase was leaked to the media, which seriously angered the United States. The propellers manufactured on Japanese equipment were distinguished by extremely low operating noise, which was one of the main quality parameters of the technical specifications for this nuclear submarine.

Submarines of the Shchuka-B class of Project 971 were codified by NATO under the designation Akula. Over time, the project was modernized several times, and the modified submarines received a new name from the Western military “Improved Akula”, which means “Improved Shark”.

Fist "Anthea": what the 949A submarines will be like after modernization

Russia intends to increase the size of the active group of surface and submarine guided missile cruisers through the refurbishment and modernization of third-generation nuclear missile carriers of Project 949A “Antey”.

Another confirmation of this was received during the February trip to the Far East by Deputy Minister of Defense Yuri Borisov. According to him, by 2022, the Pacific Fleet (PF) will be able to receive four similar nuclear-powered ships in the version with cruise missiles of the Caliber complex, which showed excellent results during the counter-terrorism operation in the Syrian Arab Republic (SAR).

Speaking with reporters at the ship repair facility, Borisov said: based on the results of the discussion of this project at the enterprise, “we think that 2022 is a realistic deadline,” and the order for the modernization of the Omsk nuclear submarine can be completed this year. The Ministry of Defense is seriously considering the issue of recharging the plant, he added.

Justification for modernization

As the experience of operating third-generation nuclear submarines shows, in case of timely and high-quality maintenance, they, even with intensive operation, are capable of remaining in service for several decades. For example, the service life of eighteen Ohio-class submarines built by General Dynamics Electric Boat between 1981 and 1997 has been extended to 42 years. Although, with the signing of agreements on the reduction of strategic offensive weapons between Moscow and Washington, the US Navy had to remove Trident D5 intercontinental ballistic missiles from four boats of this class (SSBNs 726-729), they, instead of being decommissioned, were withdrawn from the Nuclear Triad and (in period 2002-2008) re-equipped with Tomahawk cruise missiles with conventional warheads. Thus, a precedent arose in the history of naval weapons.

Should we ignore foreign experience when it comes to such complex technology? I think no.

In this sense, the program to re-equip the nuclear submarine cruisers of the Antey project is in line with the experience of the leading naval powers, and marks a departure from the practice of the recent past of early decommissioning of large combat units of the fleet with a large residual life. Let us recall that at the turn of the century our country disposed of about two hundred nuclear submarines, mainly of the first and second generations. But among those cut up for metal were representatives of a later, third generation, which became the reason for a public discussion: are we “throwing ourselves away too much” by scrapping such expensive equipment? Moreover, the industry has not built so many nuclear-powered submarines of the third generation - only 38 ships of five basic projects in the period from 1975 to 2009.

The topic of increasing the service life of domestic third-generation submarines has been discussed for quite some time in the press with the participation of government officials, military leaders, industry leaders and members of the public. We came to a consensus: the vicious practice of decommissioning first-class warships with remaining service life should be stopped, and instead try to introduce a different approach to carefully preserve the property created through hard work for the benefit of the state and the Russian fleet. Among government officials, the first to announce a fundamental decision not to dismantle, but to modernize third-generation nuclear submarines, was Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Olegovich Rogozin. In 2011, he said that after modernization, such nuclear-powered ships could last “another seven years.” Subsequent more thorough analysis allowed the developer's representatives to outline brighter prospects. According to Igor Vladimirovich Vilnit, General Director of the Rubin Central Design Bureau for MT, the service life of Project 949A boats can be doubled.

The following arguments are given to justify the modernization program for the surviving ships. They have a large reserve of resources for energy and other systems, which can still be selected during subsequent operation. To do this, boats must be repaired in a shipbuilding or ship repair plant. During downtime, they can be re-equipped with new weapons, since the Granit complex, adopted for service in 1983, is outdated and has long been out of production. Although the cost of the work is considerable, building completely new boats will cost significantly more and take longer.

In the North and Pacific Ocean

The industry delivered thirteen nuclear submarines with the Granit missile system to the fleet. Among them were a pair of Project 949 ships, built in 1981, served until 1997 and dismantled for metal in 2006 when the service life was 25-30%. In fact, they acted as experimental vessels for testing dozens of the latest systems, which later went into production and were installed on eleven production ships of the improved Project 949A. Of these, "Kursk" was lost in the summer of 2000, and "Krasnodar" and "Krasnoyarsk" were disposed of.

Today, the Russian Navy has eight Project 949A nuclear submarines, including three in the Northern Fleet. During the period from 2011 to 2022. "Voronezh", "Smolensk" and "Eagle" successively underwent repairs and modernization in . Note that in November 2013, the Orel’s entry into Severodvinsk Bay coincided with the ceremony of handing over to the Indian customer the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya, rebuilt in Severodvinsk from the cruiser Admiral Gorshkov according to project 11430. The giant submarine passing at the mouth of the Northern Dvina aroused great interest numerous foreign guests, including the Minister of Defense and his retinue, as well as more than one and a half thousand ship crew members. This development of events gave rise to speculation about the future fate of the "Eagle", such as a possible lease to Russia's partner in military-technical cooperation. Contrary to rumors and speculation, the modernized submarine returned to its home base last summer.

The general progress of work on the boats of the Northern Fleet was covered by the press service of the Zvezdochka Center. In particular, but without details, they spoke about the modernization of missile weapons. Perhaps the innovations introduced here made it possible for the Smolensk nuclear submarine to successfully fire at a “difficult target position” deep in the Severny Island of the Novaya Zemlya archipelago on October 16, 2016. Then, in July 2017, the Tomsk nuclear submarine hit a target at the Kura training ground in the Kamchatka Territory. As far as is known, this was the first firing at coastal targets with anti-ship missiles of the Granit complex from submerged submarines. It turns out that the “aircraft carrier killers,” as Project 949A boats are figuratively called, have recently acquired—and demonstrated in practice—the ability to also operate against ground targets.

The poor condition of the repair base in the Pacific Ocean is reflected in the lower number of operational submarines. The only ship of Project 949A that has recently undergone repairs (2014) is Tomsk. A multifaceted program to revive shipbuilding and ship repair in the Far East is called upon to rectify the situation. The main efforts are focused on the restoration and development of the Zvezda shipyard in the village of Bolshoi Kamen. Today, Irkutsk, Chelyabinsk and Omsk are located here, and Tver is expected later.

Missile weapons

The main “caliber” of Project 949/949A nuclear submarines is the Granit complex with P-700 missiles (GRAU index: 3M-45). They were created by MPO Mashinostroeniya in Reutov, Moscow Region, as anti-ship, fully autonomous in flight (after launch, the carrier’s participation in their guidance is not required). For the seventies of the last century, the P-700 represented a very advanced development, both in terms of aerodynamics and power plant, and thanks to the widespread introduction of digital computing technology. If a group launch is carried out, the missiles exchange data with each other, and, according to algorithms embedded in the electronic memory, automatically distribute targets among themselves, perform complex trajectory maneuvers and jam in order to avoid being hit by enemy air defense systems and hit the most important ships with the highest efficiency. warrant. Everything was aimed at ensuring a high probability of destruction of an enemy aircraft carrier covered by escort ships.

The maximum flight range is up to 600 km. At such a distance, it is not easy to detect and classify a surface target using sonar (the nuclear submarine was equipped with the MGK-540 Skat-3 with built-in antennas and towed Pelamida and Lastochka). Tu-95RTs aircraft and Ka-25Ts helicopters with special target designation equipment have long been decommissioned, and the MCRC Legend space constellation with electronic (US-P) and radar (US-A) reconnaissance satellites, deployed in 1983, has since been seriously degraded . Restoring the network of aerospace assets is expensive and unwise due to the large number of components developed and produced in Ukraine and other republics of the former Soviet Union. Awareness of this fact prompted the development of plans for the radical modernization of Antey.

Various plans for the re-equipment of Project 949A nuclear submarines were proposed, first with Bolid and Meteorit-M, later with Oniks and Kalibr. The first information about the R&D work on the completion of previously laid down buildings under Project 949AM with 120 cruise missiles appeared in 2005, but three years later the work was stopped. Four years later, the Belgorod was re-laid as a special purpose ship, and the ones that followed it remain at Sevmash in the form of blocks to this day. Attention finally switched from completion to the modernization of combat ships, and, starting in 2010, various representatives of industry and the Ministry of Defense began to talk about some specifics. The essence of the current plan comes down to modifications to the existing launchers of the Granit complex to accommodate other, more modern types of missiles.

The global trend in recent years has been the unification of launchers to accommodate not one, but several types of missile weapons. In our case, instead of one 3M-45, the modified launcher can, purely geometrically, accommodate three P-800 Onyx and even more - 3M-14/3M-54/91R of the Caliber complex. Fortunately, the dimensions of the first - about nine meters in length, 0.85 meters in body diameter - are superior to those of more modern ones. In this case, it is possible to use the experience accumulated during the development, construction and testing of the Project 885 Yasen nuclear submarine. Let us recall that the lead ship of the project, the nuclear submarine Severodvinsk, is equipped with universal vertical launchers ten meters long and two meters in diameter. True, a complete analogy will not work: on the 949A project, the SM-225A launch containers with a diameter of 1.82 meters are welded into the elements of the power structure of the hull at an angle of 45 degrees, and not vertically, like the SM-346 on Yasen.

The launch weight of the Granit complex rocket is over seven tons, twice the corresponding figure for the PJ-10 of the Russian-Indian joint venture BrahMos Aerospace, which actually represents a commercial version of the Onyx. At the same time, the maximum speed (M = 2.5...2.83) and other flight parameters (minimum height 25 meters, maximum - 14-17 km, etc.), as well as the general principles of attack execution are preserved. According to international agreements, the flight range of export versions of attack cruise missiles is limited to 300 km, and may be higher for the main version. To target a radio-contrast target, the PJ-10 uses an active airborne radar with an advertised detection range of a cruiser-type target of 75 km, similar in principle to operation. You can get a general idea of ​​the Caliber complex from the export version of the Club, which includes three types of missiles: anti-submarine 91R with a homing small-sized torpedo, strike 3M14 and anti-submarine 3M54. The latter is carried out in several versions, with an enlarged warhead, or with a third stage with its own engine, accelerating it to supersonic speeds immediately before attacking the target. All of them are significantly inferior to Granit in length (from 6 to 8.2 meters) and launch weight (1.8-2.3 tons). The launch range of export missiles is up to 300 km, while the 3M14T designed for the main customer is an order of magnitude longer.

The main result of the re-equipment of Project 949A nuclear submarines with new missiles will be the transformation of these ships, designed to solve a very specific task of destroying aircraft carrier formations of the US Navy, into universal “underwater arsenals” capable of successfully solving a wide range of tasks, both in conditions of a global nuclear war and local conflicts, as well as counter-terrorism operations.

Design

The revised project 971 was filled with innovative solutions. An automated system was used in the structure of the submarine to control technical complexes and combat arsenal.

The submarine cruiser was equipped with a propeller with a reduced rotation speed, which helps reduce noise.

The seven blades have reduced noise levels, and the formation of cavitation noise is reduced to a minimum. For the emergency evacuation of the crew from the emergency vessel, a rescue capsule was placed in the hull.

Frame

The Project 971 nuclear submarine has a double hull made of high quality steel. The yield strength parameters of the metal used are 100 kgf/mm2.

The interior space of the submarine is divided into zonal modules in the form of deck compartments. This:

• central post;
• deckhouses and cabins;
• combat duty posts;
• bow equipment (weapons)
• feed equipment
• power point

All zonal modules are equipped with shock absorption, which significantly reduces the acoustic background of the ship, the dynamics of deck spaces during (or) maneuvers, and the influence of a blast wave from the outside. The modular system facilitates the production of the boat itself.

The blocks are built separately in workshops and, upon completion of work, are placed in the submarine hull on a shock-absorbing foundation, where they are then joined together and connected to control and life support systems.

To more effectively reduce noise, Shchuka-B type submarines were equipped with double-stage shock absorption. Between the shock-absorbing foundation and the modules there is another row of rubber-cord pneumatic shock absorbers, which creates a second layer to absorb vibrations.

Integrated automation of ship control made it possible to reduce the crew size to 73 people, including the 31st officer. A similar boat of the US Navy, Los Angeles, has a crew of 141 people. The new ship was significantly different in improved habitability conditions from its predecessor, Project 671R.

Power point

The heart of the submarine is the OK-650B nuclear reactor using thermal, slow neutrons. The nuclear plant produces an impressive power of 190 megawatts. The output power on the shaft is around 50,000 l/s, capable of accelerating a submarine at a depth of 500 meters to 33 knots, which is equal to 61 km/h.

The power plant includes four steam generators with seven circulation pumps: the first, third and fourth circuits, providing heat exchange.

Additionally, a modular steam turbine was installed to reserve the generated power. Two turbogenerators provide the battery station of two modules with alternating current. The battery station consumes and supplies direct current; there are two flyback converters to supply consumers and charge.

Emergency power

If problems are detected in the nuclear power plant, the ship will be able to continue moving due to two emergency engines driven by a propeller with a total power of 820 l/s. Backup electric motors are capable of providing the boat with speeds of up to five knots.

The Shchuka-B nuclear submarine is equipped with two DG-300 generators running on diesel fuel, with a two-way mechanical converter, with a total power of 1500 l/s. The fuel resource is designed for 10-12 days of continuous operation. The main task of the DG-300 generators is to supply power to important consumers of automated ship control, including power to emergency propulsion units.

Hydroacoustics and communications

To track enemy submarines and ships, Shchuka-B is equipped with the MGK-540 Skat-3 sonar system. Incoming information is processed using digital technologies. The sonar and noise direction finding system includes:

• reinforced nose antenna;
• onboard antennas of considerable length;
• aft towed antenna, protruded from the boule/radome on the vertical tail.

When noisy objects are detected, the acoustician reports to the senior commander of the combat post. The watch officer monitors the underwater and surface situation in order to avoid a collision with a submarine or ship upon surfacing. During military exercises or in a combat situation, identifying the target is necessary for the use of appropriate weapons.

The new hydroacoustic system complex is capable of detecting a target at a distance three times higher than similar hydroacoustic systems used in the design of second-generation submarines. Moreover, the time for calculating target dynamics and related parameters has decreased significantly.

In addition to the acoustic system, highly efficient sensors are installed to track submarines and surface vessels along the wake left behind, which remains stable for a long time.

Determining the time of movement of a submarine or ship, high-precision equipment can determine up to 5 hours after the ship passes. In addition, the Shchuka-B nuclear submarine is equipped with the most important equipment for navigation and communications:

• Navigation equipment "Symphony-U";
• Radio station "Molniya-MC";
• Means of space communication "Tsunami".

Armament

The nuclear-powered submarine carries impressive modern weapons on board. The torpedo-missile system includes four torpedo tubes with 12 torpedoes of 533 mm caliber and four torpedo launchers with 28 torpedoes of 650 mm caliber.

Surface targets can be attacked by the S-10 Granat missile system with KS-122 strategic cruise missiles.

According to NATO codification, they are designated SS-N-21 “Sampson”. A missile fired from the Granat complex is capable of carrying a nuclear charge weighing 200 kg to a distance of 3000 km, skirting the terrain at a subsonic altitude.

Such characteristics of the KS-122 have not in vain worried the Western military, because not only naval facilities, but also ground forces facilities may be under threat. Also on the Shchuka-B boat it is possible to use the following systems for shooting:

• Squall;
• Waterfall;
• Wind.

It is worth adding that the submarine has barrage mines for installation during tactical maneuvers.

In the 1990s, the missile submarine's combat arsenal was modernized. A new development of the Research Institute of Marine Thermal Engineering and the State Research and Production Enterprise Region, a universal deep-sea homing torpedo - UGST, has entered service. It replaced the electrically driven torpedoes TEST-71M and high-speed torpedoes 53-65K.

The main task for a modern torpedo was to destroy enemy surface and underwater vessels.

The design features of the UGST made it possible to attack high-speed enemy targets at a considerable distance.

This endurance was ensured by an impressive supply of fuel and a powerful thermal power plant. The UGST propulsion system consists of a water jet unit and an axial piston engine with a small noise range. Granulated unitary fuel is used to power the power unit.

The homing torpedo freely reaches speeds above 50 knots. The water-jet installation and the engine do not have a gear mechanism in connection with each other, which significantly reduces noise and increases the secrecy of the use of UGST.

When a torpedo exits the TA tube, the body of the underwater missile extends two-plane fins to guide its movement.

The acoustic homing system identifies an underwater target in location mode, and surface ships by its wake.

Another torpedo coordination system is carried out from on board a submarine using wire control. The cable reel holds 25,000 meters of wire. When an enemy is detected, the torpedo goes to kill on command and is completely controlled by the on-board processor, which coordinates the direction to the target.

Characteristics of the universal deep-sea torpedo:

• UGST length – 7200 mm;
• warhead weight – 300 kg;
• torpedo weight – 2200 kg;
• speed – 50 knots;
• application depth – 500 m;
• maximum range – 50,000 m.

The weapons control of the Project 971 nuclear submarine uses the “Tablet” guidance system. This type of shooting correction helps to simulate the tactical layout of the water area: bottom topography, depths and fairways. After the attack, the torpedo transmits on board data about the area where it was used, updating the digital terrain map.

The submarine's missile-torpedoes are also undergoing design modernization. Nowadays, the modernized complexes are equipped with an underwater carrier - the MPT-1M(E) torpedo:

• weight – 256 kg;
• warhead weight – 76 kg;
• caliber – 324 mm.

The design of this missile includes hydroacoustic search and homing within a radius of 2,000 meters. The targeting method using adaptive lead angle allows you to hit the target closer to the center of the underwater vessel.

The MPT-1M torpedo is equipped with a turbine water-jet engine running on high-quality fuel, which allows it to develop significant speed on the way to the target, making it much more difficult for the enemy to detect itself.

Based on the signed partial disarmament agreement between the USSR and the USA in 1989, a command was received from senior management to remove tactical nuclear warheads from missile systems:

• Squall;
• Waterfall;
• Pomegranate.

The nuclear submarine Shchuka-B became a pioneer among multi-purpose nuclear submarines, whose serial production began not in Leningrad and Severodvinsk, but in the Far Eastern District, in the city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur. Having entered the ranks of the USSR Navy on December 30, 1984, the ship showed an impressive achievement of hydroacoustic evasion.

According to the original document, the K-284 has become more than four times quieter than the previous generation Project 671RTM submarines. This fact undoubtedly gave the USSR a leading place among competing fleets.

Nuclear torpedo and multipurpose submarines. Project 971

In July 1976, in order to expand the production of third-generation multi-purpose submarines, the military leadership decided to develop, based on the Gorky 945 project, a new, cheaper nuclear submarine, the main difference of which from the prototype was to be the use of steel instead of titanium alloys in the hull designs. Therefore, the development of the submarine, which received the number 971 (code “Shchuka-B”), was carried out according to the previous TTZ, bypassing preliminary design.

A feature of the new nuclear submarine, the development of which was entrusted to SKV Malakhit (Leningrad), was a significant reduction in noise, which is approximately 5 times less compared to the most advanced Soviet second-generation torpedo boats. It was supposed to reach this level through the implementation of early developments of SKV designers in the field of increasing the stealth of boats (an ultra-low-noise nuclear submarine was developed at SKV in the 1970s), as well as research by specialists from the Central Research Institute named after. Krylova.

The efforts of the submarine’s developers were crowned with success: the new nuclear-powered submarine surpassed the best American-made analogue, the third-generation Los Angeles-class multipurpose nuclear submarine, in terms of stealth level for the first time in the history of submarine shipbuilding of the USSR.

The Project 971 submarine was equipped with powerful strike weapons that significantly exceeded (in terms of missile and torpedo ammunition, caliber and number of torpedo tubes) the potential of Soviet and foreign submarines of similar purposes. The new submarine, like the Project 945 ship, was designed to combat enemy ship groups and submarines. The boat can take part in special-purpose operations, carry out mine laying and conduct reconnaissance.

On September 13, 1977, the technical design of “Pike-B” was approved. However, it was later subjected to modifications caused by the need to increase the technological level of the SAC to the level of American submarines (the United States again took the lead in this area). On Los Angeles-class submarines (third generation), the AN/BQQ-5 sonar system was installed, which has digital information processing, ensuring more accurate identification of the useful signal against the background noise. Another new “introduction” that necessitated the need to make changes was the military’s requirement to install the Granat strategic missile defense system on the submarine.

During the modification (completed in 1980), the submarine received a new digital sonar system with improved characteristics, as well as a weapons control system that allows the use of Granat cruise missiles.

In the design of the nuclear submarine of the 971st project, innovative solutions were implemented, such as comprehensive automation of the submarine's technical and combat equipment, concentration of control of the ship, weapons and weapons in a single center - the GKP (main command post), the use of a pop-up rescue chamber (was successfully tested on submarines project 705).

The Project 971 submarine is a double-hulled submarine. The durable body is made of high-strength steel (yield strength is 100 kgf/mm2). The main equipment, wheelhouses and combat posts, the main command post are located in zonal shock-absorbing blocks, which are frame spatial structures with decks. The ship's acoustic field is significantly reduced by shock absorption, which helps protect equipment and crew from dynamic overloads that occur during underwater explosions. Also, the block layout made it possible to rationalize the submarine construction process: the installation of equipment was moved from the conditions of the compartment (quite cramped) to the workshop, to a zone block accessible from various sides. After installation is completed, the zone unit is “rolled” into the nuclear submarine hull and connected to pipelines and main cables of ship systems.

Nuclear submarines use a developed double-stage damping system, which significantly reduces structural noise. The mechanisms are installed on shock-absorbed foundations. All zonal blocks from the nuclear submarine hull are isolated by rubber-cord pneumatic shock absorbers, which form the second cascade of vibration isolation.

Thanks to the introduction of comprehensive automation, the submarine's crew was reduced to 73 people (of which 31 were officers). This is almost half the size of the crew of the Los Angeles-class nuclear submarine (141 people). The new ship has improved habitability conditions compared to Project 671RTM nuclear submarines.

The submarine's power plant includes a 190-megawatt OK-650B water-water reactor on thermal neutrons, which has four steam generators (for the 1st and 4th circuits there are a pair of circulation pumps, for the 3rd circuit - three pumps) and a single-shaft block steam turbine unit with extensive redundancy of mechanization. The power at the shaft was 50 thousand hp.

SSN "Bars" pr.971 at sea

A pair of AC turbogenerators are installed. DC consumers are powered by two groups of batteries and two reversible converters.

The submarine is equipped with a seven-bladed propeller with a reduced rotation speed and improved hydroacoustic characteristics.

In case of failure of the main power plant, for its subsequent commissioning there are auxiliary means of propulsion and emergency energy sources - two thrusters and DC propulsion motors each with a power of 410 hp. Auxiliaries provide a speed of 5 knots and are used for maneuvering in limited water areas.

On board the submarine there are two DG-300 diesel generators with a capacity of 750 horsepower each with reversible converters, a fuel supply for ten days of operation. The generators were intended to generate alternating current to power general ship consumers and direct current to power propulsion electric motors.

SAC MGK-540 "Skat-3", which has a digital data processing system with a powerful sonar and noise direction finding system. The hydroacoustic complex consists of a developed bow antenna, two long-range onboard antennas and a towed extended antenna located in a container mounted on the vertical tail.

Submarine "Vepr" (K-157) pr.971 in Motovsky Bay, June 27, 1998

The maximum target detection range using the new complex has increased by 3 times compared to sonar systems installed on second-generation submarines. The time required to determine the target's motion parameter has also been significantly reduced.

In addition to the hydroacoustic complex, Project 971 nuclear submarines are equipped with a highly effective system for detecting submarines and surface vessels using their wake (the boat is equipped with equipment that allows recording such a wake several hours after the passage of an enemy submarine).

The boat is equipped with the Symphony-U (navigation) and Molniya-MC (radio communication complex) complexes, which have a towed antenna and the Tsunami space communications system.

The torpedo-missile system consists of 4 TAs of 533 mm caliber and 4 vehicles of 650 mm caliber (total ammunition load is 40 units of weapons, including 28 533 mm). It is adapted to fire the Granat missile launcher, underwater missile-torpedoes (Veter, Shkval and Vodopad) and missiles, self-transporting mines and torpedoes. In addition, the submarine is capable of laying conventional mines. Fire control when using Granat cruise missiles is carried out by special hardware. complex.

In the 1990s, nuclear submarines entered service with the UGST (universal deep-sea homing torpedo), developed at the Research Institute of Marine Thermal Engineering and the State Research and Production Enterprise Region. It replaced the TEST-71M electric anti-submarine torpedoes and 53-65K high-speed anti-ship torpedoes. The purpose of the new torpedo was to destroy enemy surface ships and submarines. A significant fuel reserve and a powerful thermal power plant provide the torpedo with a wide range of travel depths and the ability to hit high-speed targets at long distances. A low-noise water-jet propulsion system and an axial piston engine (unitary fuel is used) enable the universal deep-sea homing torpedo to reach speeds of over 50 knots. The propulsion unit, which does not have a gearbox, is connected directly to the engine, which, together with other measures, should significantly increase the stealth of the torpedo.

The UGST uses two-plane rudders, which extend beyond the contours after the torpedo exits the torpedo tube. The combined acoustic homing equipment has modes for locating underwater targets and searching for surface ships using the vessel's wake. There is a wired telecontrol system (torpedo coil 25 thousand m long). A complex of onboard processors ensures reliable control of torpedo systems during search and destruction of targets. The original solution is the presence of an algorithm in the guidance system. The “tablet” simulates a tactical picture at the moment of firing on board torpedoes, which is superimposed on a digital picture of the water area (depths, fairways, bottom topography). After the shot, the data is updated from the carrier. Modern algorithms give torpedoes the properties of a system that has artificial intelligence, allowing the simultaneous use of several torpedoes against several or one target during active enemy counteraction or in a complex target situation.

SSN "Wolf" (K-461) and "Bars" (K-480) of the 24th Northern Fleet Division in Gadzhievo

The length of the universal deep-sea homing torpedo is 7200 mm, weight is 2200 kg, explosive weight is 200 kg, speed is 50 knots, travel depth is 500 meters, firing range is 50 thousand m.

The improvement of missile-torpedoes included in the armament of Project 971 nuclear submarines also continues. Today, missile-torpedoes are equipped with a second stage, which is an APR-3M underwater missile (weight 450 kg, caliber 355 mm, warhead weight 76 kg), which has a hydroacoustic a homing system with a capture radius of 2 thousand m. The use of the guidance law with an adaptive lead angle made it possible to shift the center of the missile group to the middle of underwater targets. The torpedo uses an adjustable turbo-water jet engine running on high-calorie mixed fuel, which provides the APR-3M with a significant approach speed to the target, which makes it difficult for the enemy to use hydroacoustic countermeasures. The underwater speed is from 18 to 30 meters per second, the maximum depth of hitting targets is 800 meters, the probability of hitting a target is 0.9 (with a root mean square error of target designation from 300 to 500 meters).

At the same time, on the basis of treaties between the USSR and the USA signed in 1989, nuclear-armed weapons systems - the Shkval and Vodopad missile-torpedoes, as well as Granat-type cruise missiles - were excluded from the armament of multi-purpose nuclear submarines.

The Shchuka-B submarine is the first type of multi-purpose nuclear submarine, the serial construction of which was initially organized not in Leningrad or Severodvinsk, but in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, which testified to the increased level of development of this industry in the Far East. The lead nuclear-powered vessel of the 971st project, K-284, was laid down in 1980 on the banks of the Amur River and entered service on December 30, 1984. Already during the testing of this vessel, the achievement of a higher level of acoustic stealth was demonstrated. The noise level of the K-284 was 4-4.5 times (12-15 dB) lower than the noise level of the “quiest” Soviet submarine of the previous generation - 671RTM. This made the USSR a leader in this most important indicator of submarines.

Characteristics of the Project 971 nuclear submarine:

Maximum length – 110.3 m; Maximum width – 13.6 m; Average draft – 9.7 m; Normal displacement – ​​8140 m3; Total displacement – ​​12770 m3; Working diving depth – 520 m; Maximum diving depth – 600 m; Full submerged speed – 33.0 knots; Surface speed - 11.6 knots; Autonomy - 100 days; Crew – 73 people.

During serial construction, continuous improvement of the submarine's design was carried out, and acoustic testing was carried out. This made it possible to strengthen the achieved position in the field of secrecy, eliminating US superiority.

According to the NATO classification, the new nuclear submarines received the designation Akula (which caused confusion, since the name of another USSR submarine, Project 705 Alfa, began with the letter “A”). After the first “Sharks”, ships appeared that were called Improved Akula in the West (these probably included submarines built in Severodvinsk, as well as the last “Komsomol”-built ships). The new submarines, compared to their predecessors, had better stealth than the improved SSN-688-I submarines (Los Angeles type) of the US Navy.

SSGN pr.949-A and PLA pr.971 in the database

Initially, Project 971 boats carried only tactical numbers. But on October 10, 1990, an order was issued from the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy, Chernavin, to assign the name “Panther” to the K-317 submarine. Subsequently, other nuclear-powered ships of the project received names. K-480, the first “Severodvinsk” boat, received the name “Bars”, which soon became a common name for all submarines of the 971st project. The first commander of Barca is captain of the second rank Efremenko. At the request of Tatarstan, in December 1997, the Bars submarine was renamed Ak-Bars.

The cruising nuclear submarine (KAPL) Vepr, built in Severodvinsk, entered service in 1996. While maintaining the same contours, the submarine had new internal “filling” and a durable hull design. Another major leap forward has also been made in the area of ​​noise reduction. In the West, this submarine ship (as well as subsequent ships of Project 971) was called Akula-2.

According to the chief designer of the project, Chernyshev (who died in July 1997), Bars retains significant modernization capabilities. For example, the reserve that Malachite has makes it possible to increase the search potential of the submarine by approximately 3 times.

According to American naval intelligence, the durable hull of the modernized Barca has a 4-meter-long insert. The additional tonnage made it possible to equip the submarine with “active” systems for reducing vibration of the power plant, almost completely eliminating the impact of vibration on the ship’s hull. According to experts, the upgraded Project 971 boat, in terms of stealth characteristics, approaches the level of the fourth-generation multi-purpose nuclear submarine SSN-21 Seawolf of the US Navy. In terms of diving depth, speed characteristics and armament, these submarines are approximately equivalent. Thus, the advanced Project 971 nuclear submarine can be considered a submarine close to the fourth generation level.

Project 971 submarines manufactured in Komsomolsk-on-Amur:

K-284 “Shark” – laying – 1980; launching - 10/06/82; commissioning - 12/30/84. K-263 “Dolphin” – laying – 1981; launching - 07/15/84; commissioning - December 1985. K-322 "Sperm Whale" - laying - 1982; launching - 1985; commissioning – 1986. K-391 “Kit” – laying – 1982; launching - 1985; commissioning - 1987 (in 1997 the boat was renamed KAPL K-391 "Bratsk"). K-331 “Narwhal” – laying – 1983; launching - 1986; commissioning - 1989. K-419 "Walrus" - laying - 1984; launching - 1989; commissioning - 1992 (In January 1998, by order of the Navy Civil Code, K-419 was renamed K-419 “Kuzbass”). K-295 “Dragon” – laying – 1985; launching - 07/15/94; commissioning - 1996 (May 1, 1998, the submarine "Dragon" was given the Guards St. Andrew's flag of the nuclear submarine K-133, and the nuclear submarine K-152 "Nerpa" under construction was given the Guards St. Andrew's flag K-56. K-295 in August 1999 renamed the cruising nuclear submarine K-295 "Samara"). K-152 “Nerpa” – laying – 1986; launching - 1998; commissioning - 2002. Project 971 submarines manufactured in Severodvinsk: K-480 "Bars" - laying - 1986; launching - 1988; commissioning - December 1989. K-317 "Panther" - laying - November 1986; launching - May 1990; commissioning - 12/30/90. K-461 “Wolf” – laying – 1986; launching - 06/11/91; commissioning - 12/27/92. K-328 “Leopard” – laying – November 1988; launching - 10/06/92; commissioning - 01/15/93. (In 1997, the cruising nuclear submarine "Leopard" was given the Order of the Red Banner of Battle. Some publications say that on April 29, 1991, it inherited the Red Banner Naval Flag from the nuclear submarine K-181 of Project 627A). K-154 “Tiger” – laying – 1989; launching - 07/10/93; commissioning - 05.12.94. K-157 “Vepr” – laying – 1991; launching - 12/10/94; commissioning - 01/08/96. K-335 “Cheetah” – laying – 1992; launching - 1999; commissioning - 2000 (since 1997 - Guards KAPL). K-337 “Cougar” – laying – 1993; launching - 2000; commissioning – 2001. K-333 “Lynx” – laying – 1993; withdrawn from construction due to lack of funding in 1997.

“Leopards” in the Northern Fleet have been consolidated into a division based in Yagelnaya Bay. In particular, the nuclear submarine "Wolf" in December 1995 - February 1996 (on board was the crew of the nuclear submarine "Panther" under the command of Captain First Rank Spravtsev, the senior on board was the deputy division commander, Captain First Rank Korolev), while in the Mediterranean sea ​​in combat service, provided long-range anti-submarine support for the heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov. At the same time, they carried out long-term tracking of several NATO submarines, including the American Los Angeles-class nuclear submarine.

Combat stability and high stealth give the Bars the ability to overcome anti-submarine lines, which are equipped with stationary long-range hydroacoustic surveillance systems and are countered by anti-submarine forces. "Leopards" can operate in the enemy's zone of dominance, delivering sensitive torpedo and missile strikes against him. The submarine's armament allows it to fight surface ships and submarines, as well as hit ground targets with high precision using cruise missiles.

SSN "Gepard"

Each Project 971 boat in the event of an armed conflict can create a threat and also pin down a significant enemy group, preventing attacks on Russian territory.

According to scientists from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, given in the brochure “The Future of Russia’s Strategic Nuclear Forces: Discussion and Arguments” (1995, Dolgoprudny), even in the case of the most favorable hydrological conditions, which are typical for the Barents Sea in winter, nuclear submarines of the project 971 can be detected by American Los Angeles-class submarines with the AN/BQQ-5 sonar system at a range of up to 10 thousand meters. In the case of less favorable conditions in this area, it is almost impossible to detect the Bars GAS.

The appearance of submarines with such high combat qualities changed the situation and forced the US Navy to reckon with the possibility of significant opposition from the Russian fleet, even under the condition of complete superiority of US offensive forces. “Leopards” can attack not only strike groups of American naval forces, but also their rear areas, including supply and basing points, coastal control centers, no matter how far away they are located. Stealthy, and therefore inaccessible to the enemy, Project 971 nuclear submarines turn a potential war in the vast ocean into a kind of offensive through a minefield, where any attempt to move forward threatens with an invisible, but real danger.

It is appropriate to cite the characteristics of Project 971 submarines given by N. Polmar, a prominent US naval analyst, during hearings in the National Committee. Security of the House of Representatives of the United States Congress: “The appearance of Akula-class submarines and other Russian third-generation nuclear submarines demonstrated that Soviet shipbuilders were closing the noise gap faster than expected.” In 1994 it became known that this gap had been completely eliminated.

According to representatives of the US Navy, at operational speeds of about 5-7 knots, the noise of the Improved Akula class boats, which was recorded by hydroacoustic reconnaissance, was lower than the noise of the most advanced nuclear submarines of the US Navy, the Improved Los Angeles class. According to Admiral Jeremy Boorda, chief of operations for the US Navy, US ships were unable to accompany the Akula submarines at speeds less than 9 knots (contact with the new Russian submarine took place in the spring of 1995 off the east coast of the United States). The advanced nuclear submarine Akula-2, according to the admiral, meets the requirements for fourth-generation boats in terms of low noise characteristics.

The appearance of new super-stealthy submarines in the Russian fleet after the end of the Cold War has caused serious concern in the United States. This issue was raised in Congress in 1991. Several proposals were put forward for discussion by US legislators that were aimed at correcting the current situation in favor of the United States of America. In particular, in accordance with them it was supposed: - to demand from Russia to make public long-term programs in the field of submarine construction; — establish agreed upon limits for the United States and the Russian Federation on the number of multipurpose nuclear submarines; — provide Russia with assistance in re-equipping shipyards that build nuclear submarines for the production of non-military products.

The non-governmental international environmental organization “Greenpeace” also joined the campaign to combat Russian underwater shipbuilding, which actively advocated for the prohibition of submarines with nuclear power plants (of course, this concerned primarily Russian submarines, which, according to the “greens”, represent greatest environmental hazard). Greenpeace, in order to “exclude a nuclear catastrophe,” recommended that Western governments provide financial assistance. assistance from Russia depending on the resolution of this issue.

However, the rate of replenishment of the navy with new multi-purpose submarines by the mid-1990s sharply decreased, which removed the urgency of the problem for the United States, although the efforts of the “greens” (as is known, many of which are closely associated with NATO intelligence services) directed against the Russian Navy , have not stopped even today.

Currently, Project 971 multi-purpose nuclear submarines are part of the Pacific (Rybachy) and Northern (Yagelnaya Bay) fleets. They are quite actively used for combat service.

Characteristics with comparative analysis

Project 971 Shchuka-B submarines were able to outperform similar-class deep-sea cruisers. The Russian third-generation K-284 submarine has been repeatedly compared to the fourth-generation American-made Virginia and Seawolf submarines, rather than to the competing type, the Improved Los Angeles.

One of those who claimed that the Shchuka-B nuclear submarine corresponded to a higher class was Admiral Jeremy M. Boorda.

While in the leadership position of the US Navy from 1994-1996, he emphasized that the ships of the American fleet admitted their powerlessness to detect the Russian Project 971 nuclear submarine; it moved so silently at a speed of 7-9 knots that it can be safely ranked among the fourth generation submarines.

The third generation of Project 971 can quietly bypass the SOSUS submarine locating system.

Cruiser submarines Project 949, code "Granit" Project 949A, code "Antey" Project 949U, code "Atlant"

Special purpose nuclear cruising submarine Project 09852

Quantity

13 + 6 units

Construction

Project 949 – Severodvinsk, “Northern Machine-Building Enterprise” – 2 units

Name

Project 949A – Severodvinsk, “Northern Machine-Building Enterprise” – 11+2 units

Project 09852 – Severodvinsk, “Northern Machine-Building Enterprise” – 0+1 unit

Project 949U – Severodvinsk, “Northern Machine-Building Enterprise” – 0+3 units

From 06/30/1992 they were classified as nuclear submarine cruisers.
Tactical and technical data

General form

Project 949 cruising submarine - General view

Project 949A cruising submarine - General view

History of the project

—

Modernization of the project

Project 949AM: Severodvinsk “Zvezdochka” - K-266 plan from 2013, Bolshoy Kamen Far Eastern - K-132 2013-plan 2022, K-442 plan from 2022, plan K-456. 72 PU RK "Kalibr-PL" (PKR 3M54K, KR 3M14K), RK 3K22 "Zircon" (KR 3M22), information receiving complex and control center 3Ts-30.0M "Banknot-M" are installed, SAC MGK-540M "Kizhuch-949AM" ", BIUS MVU-132 "Omnibus-M", NK "Symphony-3.2-949AM" Unimplemented modifications: project 949B - with the Bolid anti-ship missile system, project 949M - replacement of the 3K45 Granit anti-ship missile system with the Meteorit-M missile launcher (PKR P-750 (3M25)) 4 uninhabited underwater vehicles 2M39 “Poseidon” - project 09852

Distribution by fleet

SF

: K-119, 132 (from 10/29/1990
Pacific Fleet
), 141, 148, 173 (from 09/24/1991 Pacific
Fleet
), 186 (from 09/14/1994
Pacific Fleet
), 206, 266, 410, 442 (from 09/24/1991 Pacific
Fleet
) , 456 (from 09/28/1993
Pacific Fleet
), 525
Pacific Fleet
: K-150

Side numbers

K-119: 629(1991), 812(1995) K-132: 601(1990), 929(2000) K-141: 608(1995), 850(1999) K-148: 632(1990) K-150 : 902(2000), 932(2008) K-173: 612(1990), 919(2000) K-186: 947(2000) K-206: 615(1990) K-266: 847(2000) K-410 : 816(1999) K-442: 660(1990), 904(2000) K-456: 971?, 920(1997) K-525: 621(1990)

Write-off

1996 - K-525 (31.07) 1998 - K-206 (7.01) 2000 - K-141 (12.08, sank in the Barents Sea as a result of an ammunition explosion) 2010 - K-173

Export

—

Exploitation

1996 The Bosnian war is in full swing. Serbia is subject to aggression from NATO led by the United States. The Project 971 “Wolf” nuclear boat was on combat watch in the waters of the Mediterranean Sea. The British managed to find direction to the Russian submarine while crossing the Strait of Gibraltar. Coming out of the strait, the submarine disappeared and appeared off the coast of Yugoslavia.

project 971 in winter

The combat mission of the multi-purpose boats "Wolf" and "Panther" of Project 971 was to protect the aircraft-carrying cruiser "Admiral Kuznetsov" from enemy submarines. Performing a protection function, Russian submarines conducted technical surveillance of several foreign submarines, including Los Angeles-class nuclear submarines.

In the same 1996, the Shchuka-B submarine was sent to carry out a combat watch in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Unexpectedly, a Russian missile carrier discovered a strategic submarine cruiser of the US Navy. The combat task was set to keep secret surveillance of the combat duty of the American submarine.

This decision was made by the captain himself. The commander of the submarine, A. V. Burilichev, was awarded the title of Hero of the Russian Federation for secretly conducting an operation to spy on SSBNs in the waters of the Atlantic in 1996.

Modern multi-purpose nuclear submarines of Soviet and Russian construction

In parallel with the expansion of work on the creation of fundamentally new nuclear submarines in the USSR, a very successful attempt was made to “squeeze” the maximum possible out of the design of boats of projects 671 “Ruff” and 671RT “Salmon”. The modernized project 671R was based on studies to deploy a new generation of electronic weapons, as well as measures to reduce the ship’s unmasking fields.

Kvasha Nikolai Iosifovich (1929–2007) - chief designer of the central design bureau "Lazurit"

The task for the development of a 3rd generation nuclear multi-purpose submarine was issued to Gorkovsky (now Nizhny Novgorod) TsKB-112 Lazurit in March 1972. N. I. Kvasha 1 . At the same time, the Navy was tasked with limiting the displacement within the limits that would ensure the construction of ships at the country’s domestic factories (in particular, in the city of Gorky). The main purpose of the new Project 945 Barracuda nuclear submarines was to be tracking missile submarines and aircraft carrier strike groups of a potential enemy, as well as the guaranteed destruction of these targets with the outbreak of hostilities. Compared to the previous generation nuclear submarines, the torpedo-missile system of the new boat was supposed to have twice the ammunition capacity, increased due to the use of new ammunition and an improved target designation system, firing range (three times for missile-torpedoes and 1.5 times for torpedoes ), as well as increased combat readiness (the preparation time for firing the first salvo was halved). Displacement 9,600 / 6,300 tons, length 107.16 m, beam 12.28 m, draft 9.62 m, maximum diving depth 600 m, speed 36/19 knots, crew 65 people (31 officers). Armament: torpedo tubes - 4 x 533 mm; 4 x 650 mm anti-ship systems - 3 M80 Mosquito; anti-aircraft installations - eight "Igla"; anti-submarine systems - eight “Waterfall”, “Shkval”.

Project 945 nuclear submarine "Barracuda"

The Project 945 Barracuda submarine is designed with a double-hull design. The lightweight hull has an ellipsoidal bow and spindle-shaped aft end. The outboard openings are closed using scupper valves and seacocks on all main ballast tanks. The durable body, made of titanium alloy, has relatively simple shapes - a cylindrical middle part and conical ends. The titanium design made it possible to sharply reduce the ship's magnetic field (in this parameter, Project 945 nuclear-powered submarines remain the world leader among submarines to this day). However, the use of titanium led to a significant increase in the cost of nuclear submarines and, for technological reasons, limited the number of ships being built, as well as the number of shipbuilding enterprises participating in the program (the technology for constructing titanium hulls was not mastered in Komsomolsk-on-Amur). Main power plant with a rated power of 43,000 hp. With. includes one OK-650A water-cooled reactor (180 mW) and one gear-steam unit. In addition, there are two groups of batteries, two diesel generators DG-300 of 750 liters each. With. with a fuel reserve for 10 days, two trolling electric motors of 370 kW each, one main propeller, two trolling propellers. In the bow of the hull there are four 533 mm and two 650 mm caliber TAs. The ammunition load includes up to 40 weapons - missile-torpedoes and torpedoes. Alternative option - up to 42 minutes. The boat's crew is 65 people, including 31 officers and 28 midshipmen, for whom very good living conditions have been created. On the Project 945 nuclear submarine, the durable hull is divided by transverse bulkheads into six compartments, each of which is divided into three or four tiers (decks) by platforms, a total of 20 separate isolated rooms, usually for a specific purpose. For example, the 2nd compartment: the upper deck is the main command post (main command post), the middle deck is the living cabins, the lower deck is the galley and refrigeration machines, the provision hold and tanks. The nuclear submarine is equipped with a pop-up rescue chamber capable of accommodating its entire crew.

Diagram of the Project 945 Barracuda nuclear submarine

The lead boat of the series - K-239 "Karp" - was laid down at Sormovo on May 8, 1982, launched on July 29, 1983 and entered service on September 21, 1984. Withdrawn from the fleet on May 30, 1998. In 2013, repairs and modernization to the level of 4th generation boats began at the Zvezdochka Shipbuilding Center. As of February 24, 2015, repairs have been suspended.

The second boat of the series - K-276 "Crab" 2 - was laid down in August 1983, launched in April 1984 and put into operation in the fall of 1987. In 1996, the "Crab" received a more euphonious name - "Kostroma " In April 1993, both boats were “demoted” from “cruising” to “large”, respectively, and their side tactical numbers changed from the letter “K” to “B”.

Project 945A boats in the database

A further development of the Project 945 boat was the Project 945A nuclear submarine (code “Condor”). Its main difference from the ships of the previous series was the changed composition of the armament, which included six 533-mm torpedo tubes. The boat's ammunition included strategic Granat cruise missiles, designed to destroy ground targets at a range of up to 3,000 km. The boat was also equipped with eight sets of Igla self-defense MANPADS. The number of waterproof compartments increased to seven, the length to 110.5 m, and the underwater displacement to 10,400 tons. The boat received an improved power plant with a capacity of 48,000 liters. With. with OK-650B reactor (190 mW).

The first improved ship - K-534 "Zubatka" - was laid down in "Sormovo" in June 1986, launched in July 1988 and entered service on December 28, 1990. In 1986, "Zubatka" was renamed "Zubatka" Pskov".

The second such ship - K-336 "Okun" - was laid down in May 1990, launched in June 1992 and entered service in 1993. In 1995, "Okun" was renamed "Nizhny Novgorod".

• K-239, from 04/06/1993
• K-276, from 04/06/1993
• B-239 "Karp", 1984
• B-276 “Crab”, from 11/15/1996
• "Kostroma", 1987
• K-534 “Zubatka”, 1990
• K-336 “Perch”, 1993
• K-123 "Mars", 1990/1993

The fifth nuclear submarine K-123, built according to the improved project 945B and its characteristics practically meeting the requirements for 4th generation boats, laid down in March 1990 under construction number 305, was cut on the slipway in 1993 at 30% degree of readiness.

All boats are part of the 7th Submarine Division of the Northern Fleet (Vidyaevo), but Karp has been at the ship repair facility since 1998, awaiting restoration. The final decision to restore the boat was made in January 2013 at a meeting with the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy, Viktor Chirkov.

“This was not a spontaneous decision, we carefully calculated it and came to the conclusion that restoring the boats was more economically feasible than dismantling them,” said the Navy headquarters.

To increase the pace of construction of third-generation multi-purpose submarines, in July 1976 it was decided to create a cheaper nuclear submarine based on the Gorky project 945 Barracuda, the main difference from its prototype was to be the use of steel in the hull structures instead of an expensive titanium alloy . The development received project number 971 and the code "Pike-B". Displacement - 10,000 tons, length - 108 m, hull diameter - 13 m, diving depth - 600 m, speed - 33 knots, crew - 73 people. Armament: torpedo tubes - 4 x 533 mm, 4 x 650 mm; anti-submarine systems - “Waterfall”, RPK-2 “Vyuga”.

Diagram of the Project 971 Shchuka-B nuclear submarine

The efforts of the ship’s creators were crowned with success: in terms of stealth level, the new nuclear-powered submarine for the first time in the history of domestic submarine shipbuilding surpassed the best American analogue, the third-generation nuclear submarine Los Angeles. It received powerful strike weapons, significantly superior (in the number and caliber of torpedo tubes, as well as missile and torpedo ammunition) to the potential of domestic and foreign submarines of similar purposes. Like the Project 945 Barracuda ship, the new boat was supposed to fight enemy submarines and naval groups.

Thanks to the introduction of comprehensive automation, the boat’s crew was reduced to 73 people (including 31 officers), which is almost half the size of the crew of the American Los Angeles-class nuclear submarine (141 people). Compared to the Project 671RTM nuclear submarine, the habitability conditions on the new ship are somewhat improved. The entire crew is housed in the 2nd living compartment in cabins. In the remaining compartments, personnel only stand watch and perform their official duties.

The Project 971 Shchuka-B submarine is of the double-hull type. The durable body is made of high-strength steel. All main equipment, main command post, combat posts and wheelhouses are located in shock-absorbing zone blocks, which are spatial frame structures with decks. The ship's power plant includes one water-cooled thermal neutron reactor OK-650B (190 mW) with four steam generators. The missile-torpedo system includes four torpedo tubes with a caliber of 533 mm and four torpedo tubes with a caliber of 533 mm (the total ammunition load is more than 40 units of weapons, including 28 with a caliber of 533 mm). It is capable of firing cruise missiles, underwater missiles and torpedo missiles, as well as torpedoes and self-transporting mines. In the 1990s. The UGST universal deep-sea homing torpedo entered service with submarines. Shchuka-B became the first type of multi-purpose nuclear submarine, serial construction of which was initially organized at a plant in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, and not in Severodvinsk or Leningrad.

Project 971 nuclear submarine "Shchuka-B"

Initially, Project 971 boats carried only tactical numbers. However, on October 10, 1990, an order was issued by the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy V.N. Chernavin 3 to assign the name “Panther” to the K-317 nuclear submarine. Subsequently, other nuclear-powered ships of this project received names (a total of 17 units were built). The first "Severodvinsk" boat - K-480 - received the name "Bars", which soon became a common name for all nuclear-powered ships of Project 971. In the Northern Fleet, "Bars" were consolidated into a division based in Yagelnaya Bay.

According to even American experts, in terms of stealth characteristics, the modernized Project 971 Shchuka-B boat is quite comparable to the American fourth-generation multi-purpose nuclear submarine Seawolf. In terms of speed characteristics, diving depth and armament, these ships are also approximately equivalent.

Currently, all multi-purpose nuclear submarines of Project 971 are part of the Northern (Yagelnaya Bay) and Pacific (Rybachy) fleets. They are quite actively (of course, by the standards of the present time) used for combat service.

• K-284 "Puma", 1985
• K-263 "Dolphin", 1986
• K-322 "Sperm Whale", 1987
• K-480 "Bars", 1988
• K-391 "Whale", 1989
• K-317 "Panther", 1990
• K-331 "Narwhal", 1990
• K-419 "Walrus", 1992
• K-461 "Wolf", 1992
• K-328 "Leopard", 1993
• K-154 "Tiger", 1994
• K-157 "Vepr", 1995
• K-267 "Dragon", 1996
• K-335 "Cheetah", 2001
• K-337 "Caguar", n/a 2001
• K-333 “Lynx”, n/a 2001
• K-152 “Nerpa”, 2008, leased to India in 2012.

In total, the project planned to build 25 ships: 13 in Komsomolsk-on-Amur and 12 in Severodvinsk. In 1983–1993 20 submarines were laid down, of which 14 were completed (seven at each plant); and are part of the Russian Navy, on the last of them - K-335 "Gepard" - the flag was raised on December 4, 2001 in the presence of the President and Supreme Commander-in-Chief V. Putin. Two submarines - Lynx and Cougar - were not completed, and their hulls were used at Sevmash in the construction of Project 955-955A SSBNs, like the K-535 Yuri Dolgoruky and K-550 Alexander Nevsky; another one, K-152 “Nerpa”, was launched only in 2006 and was intended to be leased to India, as a result of which it had differences in the installed equipment.

Nuclear submarine "Nerpa" before transfer to the Indian Navy

In January 2004, during the visit of Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov to India, an agreement was signed on the construction and lease of two nuclear submarines. Initially, the transfer of the first K-152 Nerpa boat to the Indian Navy was planned on August 15, 2007, but the Amur Shipyard delayed the construction of the ship for 10 months and asked to increase the price to $785 million. The Indian side only agreed to a delay. A new leasing date was announced - from June 15, 2008, for $650 million for a period of 10 years. But later it was adjusted to December 2009, without changing the cost and term of the leasing agreement.

No one doubted that in the Indian Navy the Nerpa would be named INS Chakra. Previously, this name was borne by the Soviet atomic submarine K-43 of project 670 "Scat", which was part of the Indian fleet on leasing terms in 1988–1992. And although a group of Soviet sailors kept watch at the nuclear reactor, over the years it became a good base for training Indian submariners, so many sailors who served on the first Chakra subsequently took important positions in the country's navy, including eight rose to the rank of admiral.

Indian sailors aboard the nuclear submarine Chakra

The terms of the contract with India also provided for the completion and lease to the Indian side of the fourth of the unfinished boats in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, the readiness of which as of 2002 was 42%, but later the number of submarines was reduced to one. On June 11, 2008, testing began on the K-152 before entering into service. At the end of October, the submarine sailed from the pier of the delivery base of Amur Shipyard OJSC into the open sea. On October 31, the boat made its first dive.

After the accident 5 , which occurred during testing on November 8, 2008, Nerpa became the focus of media attention. Various assumptions have been made about her future fate. However, after numerous postponements of the leasing deadline, an acceptance certificate was signed on December 30, 2011. On January 23, 2012, a ceremony was held to transfer the nuclear submarine to the Indian Navy for a period of 10 years. The ceremony took place on the territory of the ship repair plant in the city of Bolshoi Kamen. The total contract value was $900 million. As expected, the submarine was named INS Chakra.

At the beginning of July 2014, new messages appeared on this topic. The Indian edition Indian Express published some statements by the General Director of the St. Petersburg Mechanical Engineering Design Bureau "Malakhit" (SPKBM "Makhalit") V. Dorofeev. According to the head of the design organization, Russia and India are already ready to begin negotiations regarding the completion and transfer of the new nuclear submarine. It is proposed to build a second nuclear submarine for the Indian Navy using the existing reserves left over from the times of the Soviet Union 6 . Representatives of the Indian Navy have not yet commented on the statements of the general director of the Malachite SPKBM. At the same time, the leadership of the Indian Navy has previously repeatedly stated the possibility of signing a new agreement on the leasing of multi-purpose submarines. The hulls of the K-337 Cougar and K-333 Lynx were used in the construction of the Borei-class missile submarines.

In comparison with third-generation boats, Shchuka-B is superior to all similar projects in both stealth and armament. In 1991, drafts of reaction to the creation of Project 971 nuclear submarines in Russia were submitted to the US Congress, proposing, among other things:

• demand that Russia make public its long-term submarine shipbuilding programs;
• establish for Russia and the United States agreed restrictions on the quantitative composition of multi-purpose nuclear submarines;
• provide assistance to Russia in re-equipping shipyards building nuclear submarines to produce non-military products.

The creation of the appearance of the fourth generation nuclear submarine began back in 1977. To replace several types of boats at once, it was planned to create a single multi-purpose boat capable of solving the widest possible range of tasks. The actual design of the boat began in the late 1980s. The designer of the new type of submarine was the Malachite Marine Engineering Bureau, which already had experience in creating multi-purpose submarine projects. Vladimir Pyalov 7 . Project 885 "Ash" was developed on the basis of projects 705(K) "Lira", 971 "Shchuka-B" and is intended to replace both them and project 949A "Antey". The project uses many technical solutions that have not previously been used in domestic underwater shipbuilding. The appearance in the US Navy in 1985 of Los Angeles-class multi-purpose nuclear submarines with Tomahawk vertical silo launchers in the bow of the hull explains the fleet's desire to receive a boat with similar combat capabilities. This led to the fact that in 1989 it was decided to retrofit the Project 885 nuclear submarine with standardized silo launchers for the Oniks anti-ship missile system and the Granat anti-ship missile system, and later for advanced models of missile systems. By that time, the Yasen was in the final stage of the technical project, and its complete redesign was completed only in 1991. The laying of the lead ship of the Yasen class, named Severodvinsk, took place on December 21, 1993 at Sevmash under serial number 160 .

Pyalov Vladimir Nikolaevich - Russian designer of multi-purpose nuclear submarines

Unlike all previous projects of Soviet nuclear submarines, Yasen was designed using a one-and-a-half-hull architecture, with a light hull only in the bow and a superstructure in the area of ​​the missile silos, which was required to reduce the level of its own noise. The Project 885 nuclear submarine is made according to a single-shaft design, with one 7-bladed low-noise fixed-pitch propeller. To reduce noise at low speeds, a propulsion electric motor is used; the main turbo gear unit is connected via a coupling only in high-speed modes. The nuclear reactor is made using a new technology, in which the primary coolant pipelines are located in the reactor vessel, which significantly reduces the likelihood of accidents and radiation exposure of the crew. The body is made of high-strength steel. A rubber coating is applied to the hull, which reduces the noise of the boat and reduces the reflection of sonar signals. Displacement 8,600 / 13,800 tons. Main dimensions 119 x 13.5 x 9.4 m. Speed ​​16 / 31 knots. Dive depth up to 600 m. Crew of 90 people, including 32 officers. The main weapons are long-range cruise missiles, torpedoes, missile-torpedoes and mines.

Project 885 nuclear submarine "Ash"

The sonar antenna, which occupied the entire bow, did not allow the traditional placement of torpedo tubes in the bow. Ten 533 mm caliber TAs are located at an angle on the sides in the area of ​​the retractable device fencing. Ammunition - 30 torpedoes. Behind the fence are eight vertical missile silos, each containing four missiles. The ability to combine missile weapons provides flexibility in performing a wide range of combat missions - from hitting stationary ground targets with ZM-14 "Caliber" missiles to fighting enemy submarines and destroying all types of surface ships with 3M-54 "Biryuza" and P-800 "Oniks" anti-ship missiles "

Launch of a ZM-14 "Caliber" missile from a submarine

Due to a fire on the boat, its launch was finally scheduled for 2010. On June 15, 2010, the lead ship of the Severodvinsk project was launched. On September 12, 2011, the nuclear submarine went to sea for sea trials for the first time. Almost the entire 2012, the ship was at sea and tested missile weapons, electronic weapons and its own systems. On October 10, 2013, the boat successfully completed factory tests and on November 5, 2013 it was transferred to state tests. On December 30, the acceptance certificate was signed. The boat was first transferred to the Navy for trial operation, and on June 17, 2014 it was accepted into the Russian Navy.

The boat itself performed very well as a weapon carrier. The main weapon of the new nuclear submarine is the P-800 Oniks anti-ship operational-tactical complex with the 3M-55 missile, developed since 1983 at NPO Mashinostroeniya under the leadership of General Designer G. A. Efremov 8 . The missile is equipped with inertial and active radar (at the final stage of flight) guidance systems and provides a “fire and forget” principle of use. It is designed to engage both single and group surface targets at distances of more than 300 km (combined trajectory) or up to 120 km (low trajectory) in conditions of strong fire and electronic countermeasures using a penetrating warhead weighing 200 kg. The algorithm for using Onyx missiles is best used in a group attack, when the missiles are independently capable of recognizing targets using a digital classifier database, distributing them among themselves by level of importance, avoiding repeated hits of the same ship by two missiles. The missile is made according to a classic aerodynamic design with a trapezoidal folding wing and tail. Length - 8.0 m, wingspan - 1.7 m, body diameter - 0.7 m, launch weight - 3,000 kg.

Russian and foreign experts most often compare the Yasen with the Seawolf, without giving a clear preference to either boat. The noiselessness of the Ash is expected to be comparable to the Seawolf, but the Yasen is designed for a wider range of tasks. In terms of functions, the Yasen will also partially correspond to the American Ohio submarines, converted to armament with cruise missiles.

As of 2015, the lead ship of the Severodvinsk project became part of the Northern Fleet, the second - Kazan, the third - Novosibirsk and the fourth ship - Krasnoyarsk - are being built according to the improved project 885M (08851) Yasen-M. The fifth submarine - K-564 "Arkhangelsk" - was laid down on March 19, 2015. The main difference of the improved project was the almost complete rejection of contractor supplies from foreign manufacturers, which, as mentioned above, along with a long-term lack of financing, became one of the main reasons for almost The 17-year stay of the nuclear submarine Severodvinsk on the slipway. In addition, a series of minor improvements in the contours of production boats is expected.

• K-560 “Severodvinsk” has been in service since 2014.
• K-561 "Kazan" was laid down on July 24, 2009 (launch 2022 - plan)
• K-573 “Novosibirsk was laid down on July 26, 2013.
• K-571 "Krasnoyarsk" was laid down on July 27, 2014.
• K-564 "Arkhangelsk" was laid down on March 19, 2015.

Project 885 became the first truly multi-purpose underwater combat ship in the Russian Air Force, capable of solving almost any tasks facing our submarine fleet, including the fight against aircraft carrier groups and nuclear submarines of a potential enemy. It is expected that in the future, Severodvinsk-class submarines equipped with high-precision stealth cruise missiles will take on a significant share of non-nuclear deterrence tasks, while remaining a very serious threat to enemy submarines, warships and transport vessels.

Diagram of nuclear submarines of projects 885 and 885M

The Severodvinsk nuclear submarine is designed to become the most powerful ship in our fleet, and its appearance will significantly strengthen Russia’s position in the World Ocean. The number of ships ordered has changed several times. Initially, it was planned to build a series of 30 submarines, then the number of planned ships was reduced to five, then plans were announced for the construction of six or seven boats, then it was announced that at least eight units would be put into operation by 2022. In the spring of 2011, plans were presented to commission up to 10 such submarines, counting those already laid down and built. According to data at the beginning of 2014, there will be eight Yasenyas by 2022. In 2015, a fundamental decision was made to build two more such boats. We'll wait and see what the final figure will be...

***

1. Nikolai Iosifovich Kvasha (1929–2007) - chief designer of the Lazurit central design bureau, chief designer of several submarine projects, of which the main ones are Project 945 submarines. Nikolai Kvasha was born on December 8, 1929 in the family of a railway worker, heir to the Zaporozhye Cossacks. On June 27, 1953, he defended his graduation project with honors at the Kharkov Polytechnic Institute, and received a referral from the USSR Ministry of Transport and Heavy Engineering to the city of Gorky on the Volga. In 1957, a special design bureau SKB-112 was formed as part of the plant. Then still a young engineer, he participated in the design of the world's first experimental rescue submarine, Project 666. At the age of 33, he already became the chief engineer of a large design bureau and worked in this position for no less than 22 years. Beginning in 1971, Chief Engineer N.I. Kvasha simultaneously became the chief designer of the project for the newest titanium multi-purpose nuclear submarine of Project 945. To test design solutions in practice and find ways to improve the Barracuda, the general designer went on a long autonomous passage on the lead boat over 100 days. After completing the autonomous voyage of the lead ship of Project 945, the chief designer was the first among the country's shipbuilders to be awarded the title of Hero of the Russian Federation, as succinctly noted in the Decree - “For courage and heroism shown during the performance of a special task...”. In 1994, the Lazurit Central Design Bureau was privatized with the distribution of shares in the enterprise's workforce and reorganized into the Lazurit Central Design Bureau OJSC. N.I. Kvasha was elected president of OJSC, and later general director and general designer of OJSC Central Design Bureau Lazurit. In 1999, President of the Russian Federation V.V. Putin awarded him the Order of Merit for the State, III degree.
2. On February 11, 1992, near the island of Kildin, in the territorial waters of Russia, K-276 (commander - captain 2nd rank I. Lokot) collided with the American nuclear submarine Baton Rouge (Los Angeles type), which was trying to covertly monitor Russian ships in the exercise area. As a result of the collision, the “Crab” escaped with damage to the wheelhouse. The situation of the American nuclear-powered ship turned out to be much more difficult. After the collision, a fire broke out on the boat, there were casualties among the personnel, but it still, albeit with difficulty, managed to reach the base. After which it was decided not to repair the boat, but to withdraw it from the US Navy.
3. Chernavin Vladimir Nikolaevich (born April 22, 1928, Nikolaev) - Soviet military leader, Hero of the Soviet Union, admiral of the fleet, the last Commander-in-Chief of the Navy - Deputy Minister of Defense of the USSR. He graduated from 10 classes of the Baku Naval Preparatory School. In the Navy since 1947. In 1951 he graduated from the Higher Naval School named after M.V. Frunze, in 1954 - Higher classes of underwater diving officers at the 1st Higher Naval School of Underwater Diving, in 1965. - Command Faculty of the Naval Academy, in 1989 - Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the USSR. Captain 3rd Rank Vladimir Chernavin was among the pioneers who mastered nuclear submarines. The nuclear submarine K-21 under the command of V.N. Chernavin in March - May 1962 was the first of the Soviet nuclear submarines to make a trip to the Arctic completely autonomously, covering 10,124 miles in 51 days of sailing, including 8,646 miles under the water.
4. Ivanov Sergey Borisovich (born January 31, 1953, Leningrad) - Russian statesman, First Deputy Chairman of the Government of Russia (2007–2008), Deputy Chairman of the Government of Russia (2005–2007, 2008–2011), Minister of Defense Russia (2001–2007), Head of the Administration of the President of Russia (since December 22, 2011), retired Colonel General. He graduated from the translation department of the philological faculty of Leningrad State University and the military department there (1975), the higher courses of the KGB of the USSR in Minsk (1976), and the Red Banner Institute of the KGB of the USSR (1981). He worked until 1985 in residency in Finland, and then in Kenya. In 1991–1998 continued to work in the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service. He finished his service as first deputy director of the European Department of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service.
5. The accident was surrounded by many rumors, some media outlets persistently searched for a “Western trace,” but everything turned out to be simpler and... worse. It turned out that instead of the tetrafluorodibromoethane (a low-toxic substance, hazard class IV) specified in the technical specifications, tetrachlorethylene was pumped into the fire extinguishing system - a toxic compound, poisoning with which can lead to death. The supplier of the mixture is the company from St. Petersburg “ServisTorgTekhnika”, the Amur Shipyard worked with it for the first time. The fire extinguisher mixture arrived at the Vostok enterprise with documents (who would doubt it?) confirming its compliance with the technical specifications. Before refilling, it seemed that the refrigerant was re-checked, but a full analysis of the composition was not carried out - the laboratory only confirmed that it was indeed freon (I felt sorry for the money for a full analysis). In 2011, it was announced that such a mixture of freon with tetrachlorethylene is 5.5 million rubles cheaper than freon with tetrafluorodibromoethane. Remember, Marx in Capital: “Give him 100% of the profit and there is no crime that he would not commit, even if he faces the gallows.”
6. According to the latest data, India plans to lease another nuclear submarine after the nuclear submarine Chakra (Nerpa), transferred to the Indian Navy in 2012. But before that, the Indian side will have to pay for the completion of the submarine. We are talking about the completion of the second hull of the Project 971 Shchuka-B nuclear submarine at the Amur Shipyard,” RIA Novosti quotes a representative of the military-industrial complex. To begin work on completing the submarine, it is necessary to conclude an intergovernmental agreement between India and Russia. “And this issue is being studied. As in the first case, it may not be a sale, but a lease,” said a source in the military-industrial complex. According to some reports, the second nuclear submarine is already being built at the Amur plant according to the same design as the first - this is the Irbis (line number 519), laid down in 1994.
7. Pyalov Vladimir Nikolaevich (1934 - 2017) - head and general designer of the State Unitary Enterprise "St. Petersburg Marine Engineering Bureau "Malachite"" since 1998; born in the village of Kosh-Agach, Gorno-Altai region; graduated from the Leningrad Shipbuilding Institute in 1959; since 1959 he has been working at SKB-143 (now the State Unitary Enterprise SPMBM Malakhit) in positions from ordinary designer to chief designer of the project, general designer of new generation submarines, chief - general designer of the enterprise; Academician of the International Academy of Informatization and the International Energy Academy; member of the Scientific Councils of the Russian Academy of Sciences on hydrodynamics and hydrophysics; awarded the Order of the Badge of Honor, medals; laureate of the State Prize of the Russian Federation.
8. Efremov Herbert Aleksandrovich (born 1933) is a designer of rocket and rocket-space technology. Honorary General Director, Honorary General Designer of JSC VPK NPO Mashinostroeniya. Professor MSTU named after. N. E. Bauman, Candidate of Technical Sciences (1986). Author of more than 80 inventions, numerous scientific works on special topics. He graduated from the Leningrad Military Mechanical Institute with a degree in instrument engineering, and in April 1956 he was assigned as an engineer to V.N. Chelomey Design Bureau (OKB-52) in the city of Reutov. Since 1964, head of the design bureau, since 1971, deputy chief designer and head of TsKBM, since 1984, general designer, from 1989 to 2007. — General Director, General Designer of the enterprise. Hero of Socialist Labor (1963). Laureate of the Lenin Prize (1982) and the USSR State Prize (1974). Laureate of the Russian Government Prize (2002). Awarded Padma Bhushan, the highest order of the Republic of India for foreign citizens (2003).

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