In the fall of 2011 in domestic media mass media There were reports that by 2014 it was planned to decommission and dismantle all remaining Project 941 Akula nuclear submarines. 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 most best periods in the history of 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 slipway 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 preliminary preparation to 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. Original design boats 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-breaking size of Project 941 boats was due to the dimensions of the missiles. The R-39s were 16 meters long and simply did not fit on submarines old design similar to later versions of Project 667. At the same time, the increase in the size of the boat made it possible to place comfortable cabins and crew quarters on it, small room for relaxation, 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 primarily 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 “Shark” 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 enormous 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, these shootings turned out to be the last 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 for testing 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 will remain in the fleet and will be in operation for 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 in very difficult period 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 spent most of their lives at the pier. Now that it is possible to find opportunities to return the boats to service, the feasibility of this has begun to raise questions. Despite the 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

Dear comrades, many of you have probably visited naval salons and climbed uncomfortable, shaking gangways onto the decks of huge ships. We wandered around the upper deck, looking at missile launch containers, spreading branches of radars and other fantastic systems.

Even such simple things as the thickness of an anchor chain (each link is about a pound of weight) or the radius of sweeping the barrels of naval artillery (the size of a country “six hundred square meters”) can cause sincere shock and bewilderment in the unprepared average person.
The dimensions of the ship's mechanisms are simply enormous. Such things are not found in ordinary life– we learn about the existence of these cyclopean objects only during a visit to the ship on the next Navy Day (Victory Day, during the St. Petersburg International Naval Show, etc.).

Indeed, from the point of view of an individual, small or large ships does not exist. Marine technology is amazing in its size - standing on the pier next to a moored corvette, a person looks like a grain of sand against the backdrop of a huge rock. The “tiny” 2500-ton corvette looks like a cruiser, but the “real” cruiser has generally paranormal dimensions and looks like a floating city.

The reason for this paradox is obvious:

An ordinary four-axle railway car (gondola car), loaded to the brim with iron ore, has a mass of about 90 tons. A very bulky and heavy thing.

In the case of the 11,000-ton missile cruiser Moskva, we have only 11,000 tons of metal structures, cables and fuel. The equivalent is 120 railway cars with ore, densely concentrated in a single mass.

Anchor of the submarine missile carrier project 941 “Shark”

How does water hold THIS?! Conning tower of the battleship New Jersey

But the cruiser "Moscow" is not the limit - the American aircraft carrier "Nimitz" has a total displacement of more than 100 thousand tons. Truly, great is Archimedes, whose immortal law allows these giants to stay afloat!

Big difference

Unlike surface ships and vessels that can be seen in any port, the underwater component of the fleet has an increased degree of stealth. difficult to see even when entering the base - largely due to the special status of the modern submarine fleet.

Nuclear technologies, danger zone, state secrets, objects of strategic importance; closed cities with special passport regime. All this does not add to the popularity of the “steel coffins” and their glorious crews. Nuclear boats quietly nest in secluded coves of the Arctic or hide from prying eyes on the coast of distant Kamchatka. Nothing has been heard of the existence of boats in peacetime. They are not suitable for naval parades and the notorious “flag display”. The only thing these sleek black ships can do is kill.

Baby S-189 against the backdrop of the Mistral

What do “Loaf” or “Pike” look like? How big is the legendary "Shark"? Is it true that it doesn't fit in the ocean?

It is quite difficult to clarify this issue - no visual aids no on this score. The museum submarines K-21 (Severomorsk), S-189 (St. Petersburg) or S-56 (Vladivostok) are half a century old “diesel engines” from the Second World War and do not give any idea about the real size of modern submarines.

The reader will certainly learn a lot of interesting things from the following illustration:

Comparative sizes of silhouettes of modern submarines on a single scale

The fattest “fish” is a heavy strategic missile submarine cruiser.
Below is an American Ohio-class SSBN.
Even lower is the underwater “aircraft carrier killer” of Project 949A, the so-called. “Baton” (it was to this project that the lost “Kursk” belonged).
Hidden in the lower left corner is the multi-purpose Russian nuclear submarine of Project 971 (code).
And the smallest boat shown in the illustration is the modern German diesel-electric submarine Type 212.

Of course, the greatest public interest is associated with the “Shark” (aka “Typhoon” according to NATO classification). The boat is truly amazing: the hull length is 173 meters, the height from the bottom to the roof of the deckhouse is equal to a 9-story building!

Surface displacement - 23,000 tons; underwater - 48,000 tons. The numbers clearly indicate a colossal reserve of buoyancy - to immerse the Shark, more than 20 thousand tons of water are pumped into the boat’s ballast tanks. As a result, the “Shark” received the funny nickname “water carrier” in the navy.

Despite all the seeming irrationality of this decision (why does the submarine have such a large reserve of buoyancy??), the “water carrier” has its own characteristics and even advantages: when on the surface, the draft of the monstrous monster is slightly greater than that of “ordinary” submarines - about 11 meters. This allows you to enter any home base without the risk of running aground, and use all the available infrastructure for servicing nuclear submarines.

In addition, the huge reserve of buoyancy turns the Akula into a powerful icebreaker. When the tanks are blown, the boat, according to Archimedes’ law, “rushes” upward with such force that even a 2-meter layer of rock-hard arctic ice cannot stop it. Thanks to this circumstance, the “Sharks” could carry out combat duty in the highest latitudes, right up to the North Pole.

But even on the surface, the “Shark” surprises with its dimensions. How else? - the largest boat in world history!

You can admire the shark’s appearance for a long time:

"Shark" and one of the SSBNs of the 677 family

The boat is simply huge, there is nothing more to add here

Modern SSBN Project 955 "Borey" against the backdrop of a gigantic "fish"

The reason is simple: two submarines are hidden under a light, streamlined hull: the “Shark” is made according to the “catamaran” design with two durable hulls made of titanium alloys. 19 isolated compartments, a duplicate power plant (each of the durable hulls has an independent OK-650 nuclear steam generating unit with a thermal power of 190 MW), as well as two pop-up rescue capsules designed for the entire crew...

Needless to say, in terms of survivability, safety and convenience of personnel accommodation, this floating Hilton was beyond competition.

Loading the 90-ton Kuzka mother. In total, the boat's ammunition load included 20 R-39 solid-fuel SLBMs

"Ohio"

No less surprising is the comparison of the American submarine missile carrier "Ohio" and the domestic TRPKSN of the "Shark" project - it suddenly turns out that their dimensions are identical (length 171 meters, draft 11 meters) ... while the displacement differs significantly! How so?

There is no secret here - "Ohio" is almost half as wide as the Soviet monster - 23 versus 13 meters. However, it would be unfair to call the Ohio a small boat - 16,700 tons steel structures and materials inspire respect. The Ohio's underwater displacement is even greater - 18,700 tons.

Carrier Killer

Another underwater monster, whose displacement surpassed the achievements of the Ohio (surface displacement - 14,700, underwater - 24,000 tons).

One of the most powerful and advanced boats of the Cold War. 24 supersonic cruise missiles with a launch weight of 7 tons; eight torpedo tubes; nine isolated compartments. The operating depth range is more than 500 meters. Underwater speed over 30 knots.

In order to accelerate the “loaf” to such speeds, the boat uses a two-reactor power plant - uranium assemblies in two OK-650 reactors burn day and night with a terrible black fire. The total energy output is 380 Megawatts - enough to provide electricity to a city of 100,000 inhabitants.

"Loaf" and "Shark"

Two "loaves"

But how justified was the construction of such monsters to solve tactical problems? According to a widespread legend, the cost of each of the 11 boats built reached half the cost of the aircraft-carrying cruiser Admiral Kuznetsov! At the same time, the “loaf” was focused on solving purely tactical problems - exterminating AUGs, convoys, disrupting enemy communications...
Time has shown that multi-purpose nuclear submarines are most effective for such operations, for example...

« Pike-B"

A series of Soviet nuclear multi-purpose boats of the third generation. The most formidable underwater weapon before the advent of the American Seawolf-class nuclear submarines.

But don’t think that “Pike-B” is so small and puny. Size is a relative value. Suffice it to say that the baby does not fit on a football field. The boat is huge. Surface displacement is 8100, underwater displacement is 12,800 tons (in the latest modifications it has increased by another 1000 tons).

This time the designers made do with one OK-650 reactor, one turbine, one shaft and one propeller. Excellent dynamics remained at the level of the 949th “loaf”. A modern sonar system and a luxurious set of weapons appeared: deep-sea and homing torpedoes, Granat cruise missiles (in the future - Caliber), Shkval missile-torpedoes, Vodopad anti-missile missiles, thick 65-76 torpedoes, mines... at the same time , the huge ship is piloted by a crew of just 73 people.

Why do I say “total”? Just an example: to operate a modern American boat analogue of the Pike, an unsurpassed underwater killer of the type, a crew of 130 people is required! At the same time, the American, as usual, is extremely saturated with radio electronics and automation systems, and its dimensions are 25% smaller (displacement - 6000/7000 tons).

By the way, interesting question: Why are American boats always smaller? Is it really all the fault of “Soviet microcircuits - the largest microcircuits in the world”?! The answer will seem banal - American boats have a single-hull design and, as a result, a smaller buoyancy reserve. That is why the “Los Angeles” and “Virginia” have such a small difference in the values ​​of surface and underwater displacement.

What is the difference between a single-hull and a double-hull boat? In the first case, ballast tanks are located inside a single durable housing. This arrangement takes up part of the internal volume and, in a certain sense, negatively affects the survivability of the submarine. And, of course, single-hull nuclear submarines have a much smaller buoyancy reserve. At the same time, this makes the boat small (as small as a modern nuclear submarine can be) and quieter.

Domestic boats are traditionally built using a double-hull design. All ballast tanks and auxiliary deep-sea equipment (cables, antennas, towed sonar) are located outside the pressure hull. The stiffening ribs of the durable body are also located with outside, saving precious volume interior spaces. From above, all this is covered with a light “shell”.

Advantages: a reserve of free space inside a durable case, allowing for the implementation of special layout solutions. A larger number of systems and weapons on board the boat, increased unsinkability and survivability (additional shock absorption in case of nearby explosions, etc.).

Nuclear waste storage facility in Sayda Bay (Kola Peninsula). Dozens of submarine reactor compartments are visible. The ugly “rings” are nothing more than stiffening ribs of a durable casing (the lightweight casing has been previously removed)

This scheme also has disadvantages and there is no escape from them: large dimensions and area of ​​wetted surfaces. The direct result is that the boat is noisier. And if there is a resonance between the durable and lightweight body...

Don’t be fooled by hearing about the above-mentioned “reserve of free space”. It is still forbidden to ride mopeds or play golf inside the compartments of Russian Shchukas - the entire reserve was spent on installing numerous sealed bulkheads. The number of habitable compartments on Russian boats usually ranges from 7...9 units. The maximum was achieved on the legendary “Sharks” - as many as 19 compartments, excluding sealed technological modules in the light body space.

For comparison, the robust hull of the American Los Angeles aircraft is divided by hermetic bulkheads into only three compartments: central, reactor and turbine (of course, not counting the insulated deck system). Americans traditionally bet on high quality manufacturing of hull structures, reliability of equipment and qualified personnel as part of submarine crews.

A whopping big fish. American multi-purpose submarine of the Seawolf class

Another comparison on the same scale. It turns out that the “Shark” is not so large compared to the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier of the “Nimitz” type or the TAVKR “Admiral Kuznetsov” - the size of aircraft-carrying ships is completely paranormal. Victory of technology over common sense. The small fish on the left is the Varshavyanka diesel-electric submarine

These are the key differences between submarine shipbuilding schools on different sides of the ocean. But submarines are still huge.

The first cases of submarines being used for combat purposes date back to the mid-19th century. However, due to its technical imperfections, the submarine for a long time played only a supporting role in the naval forces. The situation changed completely after the discovery of atomic energy and the invention of ballistic missiles.

Goals and dimensions

Submarines have different purposes. The size of the world's submarines varies depending on their purposes. Some are designed for a crew of only two people, while others are capable of carrying dozens of intercontinental missiles. What tasks do the world's largest submarines perform?

"Triumfan"

French strategic nuclear submarine. Its name means "triumphant". The length of the boat is 138 meters, displacement - 14 thousand tons. The ship is armed with three-stage M45 ballistic missiles with multiple warheads, equipped with individual guidance systems. They are capable of hitting targets at a distance of up to 5,300 kilometers. At the design stage, the designers were tasked with making the submarine as invisible as possible to the enemy and providing it with effective system early detection of enemy anti-submarine defense systems. Careful study and numerous experiments have shown that the main reason for revealing the location of an underwater vessel is its acoustic signature.

When designing the Triumphan, all known noise reduction methods were used. Despite the impressive size of the submarine, it is a rather difficult object to detect acoustically. The specific shape of the submarine helps reduce hydrodynamic noise. The sound level produced during operation of the ship's main power plant has been significantly reduced thanks to a number of non-standard technological solutions. "Triumphan" has on board an ultra-modern sonar system designed for early detection of enemy anti-submarine weapons.

"Jing"

Strategic nuclear-powered missile submarine built for the Chinese Navy. Due to the increased level of secrecy, much of the information about this ship comes not from the media, but from the intelligence services of the United States and other NATO countries. The submarine's dimensions were determined based on a photograph taken in 2006 by a commercial satellite designed to take digital images of the earth's surface. The length of the vessel is 140 meters, displacement - 11 thousand tons.

Experts note that the dimensions of the Jin nuclear submarine are larger than the dimensions of previous, technically and morally obsolete Chinese Xia-class submarines. The new generation vessel is adapted to launch Julan-2 intercontinental ballistic missiles equipped with multiple nuclear warheads. Their maximum flight range is 12 thousand kilometers. The Julan-2 missiles are an exclusive development. When designing them, the dimensions of the Jin class submarines, intended to become carriers of these formidable weapons, were taken into account. According to experts, the presence of such ballistic missiles and submarines in China significantly changes the balance of power in the world. Approximately three-quarters of the territory of the United States is in the zone of destruction of the Jin boats located in the Kuril Islands area. However, according to information available to the US military, test launches of Julan missiles often end in failure.

"Vanguard"

British strategic nuclear submarine, the size of which allows it to compete with the largest submarines in the world. The length of the vessel is 150 meters, displacement - 15 thousand tons. Boats of this type have been in service with the Royal Navy since 1994. Today, Vanguard-class submarines are the only carriers of British nuclear weapons. They carry Trident-2 ballistic missiles. This weapon deserves special mention. It is produced by the famous American company for the US Navy. The British government took on 5% of the cost of developing the missiles, which, according to the designers' plans, were supposed to surpass all their predecessors. The Trident-2's kill zone is 11 thousand kilometers, and the accuracy of the hit reaches several feet. Missile guidance does not depend on the American global positioning system. Trident 2 delivers atomic warheads to a target at a speed of 21 thousand kilometers per hour. The four Vanguard boats carry a total of 58 of these missiles, representing the UK's "nuclear shield".

"Murena-M"

Soviet submarine built during the Cold War. The main goals of creating the boat were to increase the range of missiles and overcome American sonar detection systems. The expansion of the affected area required a change in the dimensions of the underwater vessel compared to previous versions. The launch silos are designed for D-9 missiles, the launch mass of which is twice the usual. The length of the ship is 155 meters, displacement is 15 thousand tons. According to experts, Soviet designers managed to complete the initially set task. The range of the missile system has increased approximately 2.5 times. To achieve this goal, the Murena-M submarine had to be made one of the largest submarines in the world. The size of the missile carrier did not change the level of its stealth for the worse. The design of the boat included vibration damping mechanisms, since at that time the US sonar tracking system became a serious problem for Soviet strategic submarines.

"Ohio"

"Borey"

The development of this nuclear submarine began in the Soviet Union. It was finally designed and built in Russian Federation. Its name comes from the name of the ancient Greek god of the north wind. In accordance with the plans of the creators, the Borey boat in the foreseeable future should replace the Akula and Dolphin class submarines. The length of the cruiser is 170 meters, displacement - 24 thousand tons. Borei was the first strategic submarine built in the post-Soviet era. First of all new Russian boat serves as a platform for launching Bulava ballistic missiles equipped with multiple nuclear warheads. Their flight range exceeds 8 thousand kilometers. Due to problems with financing and disruption of economic ties with enterprises located on the territory of the former Soviet republics, the completion date of the ship's construction was repeatedly postponed. The Borey boat was launched in 2008.

"Shark"

According to NATO classification, this vessel is designated "Typhoon". The dimensions of the Akula submarine exceed everything that has been created throughout the history of submarines. Its construction was the answer Soviet Union American project"Ohio". The huge size of the heavy submarine cruiser "Akula" was due to the need to deploy on it R-39 missiles, the mass and length of which significantly exceeded those of the American Trident. Soviet designers had to come to terms with large dimensions in order to increase the flight range and weight of the warhead. The Akula boat, adapted for launching these missiles, has a record length of 173 meters. Its displacement is 48 thousand tons. Today, the Akula remains the largest submarine in the world.

Creation of an era

The USSR also occupies the first place in the ranking. This is understandable: superpowers involved in cold war, believed in the possibility of delivering a pre-emptive strike. They saw their main task as quietly placing nuclear missiles as close to the enemy as possible. This mission was assigned to submarines large sizes, which became the legacy of that era.

The construction of heavy nuclear-powered strategic missile cruisers of Project 941 "Shark" (international classification "Typhoon") was a kind of response to the construction of US class nuclear submarines Ohio", armed with 24 intercontinental ballistic missiles.

In the USSR, the development of a project for a new class of submarines began later than the Americans. The designers were faced with a difficult technical task - to place 24 missiles weighing almost 100 tons each on board. After many studies, it was decided to place the missiles between two durable hulls. As a result, the first Akula submarine was built in record time - in 5 years.

In September 1980, unusually large soviet 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. Tests took place not only in the White Sea, but also in the North Pole area. There were no operational failures during the period of missile firing. During construction nuclear submarines class " Typhoon"were applied latest achievements in the creation of shipborne radio-electronic equipment and noise reduction. Submarines of this project are equipped with a pop-up rescue chamber designed for the entire crew.

heavy nuclear-powered strategic missile cruiser "Akula"

Interestingly, the total underwater displacement submarine "Shark""is about 50,000 tons. Moreover, exactly half of this weight is ballast water, which is why it was dubbed a “water carrier.” This is the price of the transition from liquid hot to solid fuel. As a result, the project Shark" became the largest submarine in the world and is included in the Guinness Book of Records. For the construction of nuclear submarines, a new workshop was specially built at the Northern Engineering Enterprise - the largest indoor boathouse in the world. The first Project 941 submarine code "TK-208" was laid down at the shipyard of the shipbuilding enterprise in 1976, launched on September 23, 1980, and entered service at the end of 1981. Then five more submarines were built and one of them was nuclear submarine « Dmitry Donskoy». Nuclear submarine"TK-210", laid down in 1986, was never put into operation and was dismantled in 1990 due to the high cost of the project.

dates of laying, launching and commissioning of Project 941 submarines

Design Project 941 submarine made according to the “catamaran” type: two separate durable hulls are located in horizontal plane parallel to each other. In addition, there are two separate sealed capsule compartments - a torpedo compartment and a control module located between the main buildings in the center plane, which houses the central post and the electronic weapons compartment located behind it. The missile compartment is located between the pressure hulls at the front of the ship. Both housings and capsule compartments are connected to each other by transitions. Total number There are nineteen waterproof compartments. The central post compartment and its light fencing are shifted towards the stern nuclear submarine. The robust hull, central post and torpedo compartment are made of titanium alloy, and the lightweight hull is made of steel (its surface is coated with a special hydroacoustic rubber coating, which increases stealth submarines). Submarine "Shark""has a developed stern tail. The front horizontal rudders are located in the bow of the hull and fold. The cabin is equipped with powerful ice reinforcements and a rounded roof, which serves to break the ice during ascent.

Conditions of increased comfort have been created for the boat crew. The officers were placed in relatively spacious two- and four-berth cabins with washbasins, televisions and air conditioning, while the sailors and petty officers were housed in small cockpits. Submarine « Shark“received a gym, swimming pool, solarium, sauna, relaxation room, “living corner” and other premises.

According to domestic press reports, existing plans for the development of Russia's strategic nuclear forces provide for modernization Project 941 nuclear submarines with the replacement of the D-19 missile system with a new one. If this is true, submarine "Shark""has every chance of remaining in service until 2010. In the future, it is possible to convert part of the 941 project into transport nuclear submarines designed for the transportation of goods along transpolar and cross-polar routes, the shortest route, connecting Europe, North America and other countries. The cargo compartment built in place of the missile compartment will be capable of accepting up to 10,000 tons of cargo.

the largest submarine in the world photo

nuclear submarine "Shark" parked

on a barrel

submarine "Shark" on a combat mission

submarine "Akula" on the surface

The "Shark" class is still the undefeated record of the USSR. Sailing autonomously for 120 days, she crossed the oceans with ease and undetected; she was able to break thick Arctic ice and hit enemy targets, firing the entire ammunition load of ballistic missiles in a short time. Today they cannot find a use for it, and its fate is unclear.

Our answer

The war that unfolded between the USSR and the USA required worthy responses from both sides to mutual challenges. In the 70s, the United States received a ship with a displacement of 18.7 tons. Its speed was 200 knots, and the equipment included equipment for underwater missile launches from a depth of 15 to 30 meters. In response, the country's leadership demanded the creation of superior technology from Soviet science and the military-industrial complex.

In December 1972, a tactical and technical specification was issued for the creation of a submarine cruiser with the code “Shark” and number 941. Work began with a government decree on the start of development; the project was assigned to the Rubin Central Design Bureau. The implementation of the design idea took place in the largest boathouse in the world - at the Sevmash plant; the laying took place in 1976. During the construction of the submarine, several technological breakthroughs were made, one of them was the aggregate-modular construction method, which significantly reduced the delivery time of the facility. Today this method is used everywhere in all types of shipbuilding, but the Akula class submarine was the first in everything.

At the end of September 1980, the first submarine cruiser “Akula” of Project 941 was launched into the White Sea from the Severodvinsk shipyard. According to a maritime legend, or were, on the bow of the submarine, until it was launched into the water, below the waterline, a shark was drawn baring its teeth, wrapping its tail around trident. After descending into the sea, the drawing disappeared under water and no one saw the emblem again, but popular memory, fascinated by symbolism and signs, immediately gave the name to the cruiser - “Shark”. All subsequent submarines of type 941 received the same name, and their own symbols were introduced for crew members in the form of a sleeve patch with the image of a shark. In the USA, the cruiser was given the name "Typhoon".

Design

The Akula class submarine is designed like a catamaran - two hulls, each with a diameter of 7.2 meters, are located parallel to each other in a horizontal plane. A sealed compartment with a control module is located between the two main buildings; it contains the control panel and radio equipment of the cruiser. The rocket unit is located in the front of the boat between the hulls. It was possible to move from one part of the boat to another using three passages. The entire hull of the boat consisted of 19 waterproof compartments.

Project 941 (“Shark”) has in its design, at the base of the wheelhouse, two pop-up evacuation chambers with a capacity for the entire operating crew. The compartment in which the central post is located is located closer to the stern of the cruiser. Titanium casing covers two central hulls, a central post, torpedo rooms, the rest of the surface is covered with steel, on which a hydroacoustic coating is applied, reliably hiding the boat from tracking systems.

The front retractable rudders of a horizontal design are located in the bow of the boat. The upper deckhouse is reinforced and equipped with a rounded roof that is capable of breaking through strong ice cover when surfacing in northern latitudes.

Characteristics

Type 941 submarines were equipped with third-generation power plants (their power was 100,000 hp) of a block type; the placement was divided into two blocks in durable housings, which reduced the dimensions of the nuclear power plant. At the same time performance have been improved.

But it was not only this step that made the Akula class submarines legendary. The characteristics of the power plant included two water-water nuclear reactor OK-650 and two steam turbines. All assembled equipment made it possible not only to increase the efficiency of the entire operation of the submarine, but to significantly reduce vibration and, accordingly, improve the noise insulation of the ship. The nuclear installation was put into operation automatically when the electrical power disappeared.

Specifications:

• Maximum length - 172 meters.
• Maximum width - 23.3 meters.
• The height of the body is 26 meters.
• Displacement (underwater/surface) - 48 thousand tons/23.2 thousand tons.
• Autonomy of navigation without ascent - 120 days.
• Immersion depth (maximum/working) - 480 m/400 m.
• Navigation speed (surface/underwater) - 12 knots/25 knots.

Armament

The main armament is solid-fuel ballistic missiles "Variant" (body weight - 90 tons, length - 17.7 m). The missile's range is 8.3 thousand kilometers, the warhead is divided into 10 warheads, each of which has a power of 100 kilotons of TNT and an individual guidance system.

The entire submarine's ammunition arsenal can be launched in a single salvo with a short launch interval between missile units. The ammunition load is launched from surface and submerged positions; the maximum depth at launch is 55 meters. The design characteristics provided for an ammunition load of 24 missiles, which was later reduced to 20 units.

Peculiarities

Project 941 Akula submarines were equipped with a power plant consisting of two modules located in different, securely fortified hulls. The condition of the reactors was monitored by pulse equipment, an automatic response system at the slightest loss of power supply.

When issuing a design assignment by one of mandatory conditions was to ensure the safety of the boat and crew, the so-called safe radius, for which the hull components (two pop-up modules, fastening containers, mating hulls, etc.) were calculated using the dynamic strength method and tested experimentally.

The Akula class submarine was built at the Sevmash plant, where the world's largest indoor boathouse, or workshop No. 55, was designed and created especially for it. Project 941 ships are characterized by increased buoyancy - more than 40%. In order for the boat to be completely submerged, its ballast must be half its displacement, which is why the second name appeared - “water carrier”. The decision on such a design was made with a far-sighted aim - repairs and preventive maintenance will be necessary at existing piers and repair plants.

The same reserve of buoyancy ensures the survival of the ship in northern latitudes, where it is necessary to break through thick ice coverings. Project 941 Akula-class submarines cope with harsh conditions north pole, where the ice thickness reaches 2.5 meters with accompanying ice hummocks and swells. the ability to break through ice has been repeatedly demonstrated in practice.

Crew comfort

The submarine cruiser was crewed mainly by officers and midshipmen. Senior officers were accommodated in two- and four-berth cabins equipped with a TV, washbasin, air conditioning system, wardrobes, desks etc.

The sailors and junior officers had comfortable quarters at their disposal. Living conditions on the submarine were more than comfortable; only ships of this class were equipped with a sports hall, a swimming pool, a solarium and a sauna. In order not to be too distracted from reality on a long hike, a living corner was created.

laid up

Over the entire period of construction of Type 941 submarines, six cruisers were adopted by the Navy:

• "Dmitry Donskoy" (TK - 208). Adopted in December 1981, after modernization it began service again in July 2002.
• TK-202. Received home port and entered service in December 1983. In 2005, the boat was cut into scrap metal.
• "Simbirsk" (TK-12). Admitted to the Northern Fleet in January 1985. Was disposed of in 2005.
• TK-13. The cruiser was commissioned in December 1985. In 2009, the hull was cut into metal, and part of the submarine (six-compartment block, reactors) was transferred to long-term storage on the Kola Peninsula.
• "Arkhangelsk" (TK-17). Date of entry into the fleet - November 1987. Due to the lack of ammunition, the issue of disposal has been discussed since 2006.
• "Severstal" (TK-20). Enlisted in the Navy in September 1989. In 2004, it went into reserve due to lack of ammunition and is planned for disposal.
• TK-210. The laying of the hull structures coincided with the breakdown of the economic system. Lost funding and was dismantled in 1990.

The Akula class nuclear submarines were consolidated into one division, with Zapadnaya Litsa (Murmansk region) serving as their base. The reconstruction of Nerpichya Bay was completed in 1981. To accommodate type 941 cruisers, a mooring line and piers with special capabilities were equipped, and a unique crane with a lifting capacity of 125 tons was built for loading missiles (not put into operation).

Current state

Today, all available nuclear submarines of the Akula class are in their home port in mothballed form, and their future fate is being decided. The submarine "Dmitry Donskoy" was modernized for combat equipment "Bulava". According to media reports, in 2016 it was planned to dispose of inoperative copies. There were no reports of the plan being implemented.

The giant Project 941 Akula submarine is still a unique weapon, the only cruiser capable of carrying out combat duty in the Arctic. They are almost invulnerable to anti-submarine submarines in US service. Also, not a single potential adversary has technical aviation assets to detect a cruiser under ice.