Giant submarine of the "Akula" class of the project 941: review, characteristics

Submarine class "Shark" is stillis an undefeated USSR record. Being in the autonomous navigation for 120 days, she crossed the oceans with ease and unnoticed, she is able to break the thick Arctic ice and hit the enemy's targets, releasing the whole ballistic missile's ammunition in a short time. Today, it can not be used, and its fate is vague.

Our answer

The arms race that unfolded between the USSR andUSA, demanded from both sides worthy answers to mutual challenges. In the 1970s, the United States received a ship with a displacement of 18.7 tons. Its speed was 200 knots, equipment included equipment that made underwater rocket launches from a depth of 15 to 30 meters. In response to Soviet science and the military-industrial complex, the country's leadership demanded the creation of superior technology.

In December 1972 it was issuedtactical and technical task for the creation of a submarine cruiser with the code "Akula" and number 941. Work began with the government's decree on the development, the project was commissioned to carry out the Central Design Bureau "Rubin". The realization of the design idea took place in the largest world slip - at the Sevmash plant, the laying took place in 1976. During the construction of the submarine, several technological breakthroughs were made, one of which was the modular-modular method of construction, which significantly shortened the deadlines for the delivery of the facility. Today this method is applied everywhere in all types of shipbuilding, but the submarine of the class "Shark" was the first in everything.

At the end of September 1980 from the shipyard SeverodvinskThe first underwater cruiser "Akula" of Project 941 was launched in the White Sea. According to a naval legend, or, on the prow of the submarine, until it was launched, below the waterline, a teeth-sharpened shark was drawn, with a tail wrapped in a trident. After descent into the sea, the pattern disappeared under the water and nobody saw the emblem, but the people's memory, which was avid for symbolism and signs, immediately gave the name to the cruiser - "Shark". All the following submarines of the 941 type received the same name, and for the crew members, their own insignia was introduced in the form of a patch on the sleeve with the image of a shark. In the United States, the cruiser was given the name "Typhoon".

Design

Submarine of the class "Shark" by designresembles a catamaran - two hulls, each of them has a diameter of 7.2 meters, are parallel to each other in a horizontal plane. Sealed compartment with a control module is located between the two main buildings, it contains the control panel and radio-technical weapons of the cruiser. The rocket block is in the front of the boat between the hulls. It was possible to move from one part of the boat to another in three transitions. The entire hull of the boat consisted of 19 watertight compartments.

Project 941 submarines ("Shark") haveconstruction, at the base of the felling, two floating 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 plating covers two central bodies, a central post, torpedo spaces, the rest of the surface is sewn with steel, on which a hydroacoustic coating is applied, reliably hiding the boat from the tracking systems.

Front retractable rudders horizontalThe structures are in the bow of the boat. The upper deckhouse is reinforced and equipped with a roof of a round structure capable of breaking a solid ice cover when it emerges in the northern latitudes.

Characteristics

For submarines of type 941 were installedpower plants of the third generation (their capacity was 100,000 hp) of the block type, the deployment was divided into two blocks in strong cases, which reduced the size of the nuclear power plant. At the same time, the performance was improved.

But not only this step made the legendarysubmarines of the class "Shark". GEM characteristics included two OK-650 water-cooled nuclear reactors and two steam-type turbines. All the equipment collected allowed not only to increase the efficiency of the entire operation of the submarine, but to significantly reduce the vibration, and, accordingly, improve the noise insulation of the ship. The nuclear installation was activated automatically when the electric power was lost.

Specifications:

• The maximum length is 172 meters.
• The maximum width is 23.3 meters.
• The height of the case is 26 meters.
• Displacement (underwater / surface) - 48 thousand tons / 23,2 thousand tons.
• Autonomy of swimming without ascent - 120 days.
• The depth of immersion (maximum / working) is 480 m / 400 m.
• The speed of navigation (surface / underwater) is 12 knots / 25 knots.

Armament

The main armament is solid fuelballistic missiles "Variant" (weight in the body - 90 tons, length - 17.7 meters). The range of the missile is 8.3 thousand kilometers, the combat part is divided into 10 warheads, each of which has a capacity of 100 kilotons in TNT and an individual guidance system.

Start of the whole arsenal of the submarine's ammunition cana single volley with a short start interval between missile units. Running ammunition is made from above and underwater position, the maximum depth at the start is 55 meters. Design characteristics included ammunition in 24 missiles, later reduced to 20 units.

Features

Submarines of project 941 "Akula" were equipped withpower plant, consisting of two modules, spaced in different, securely fortified buildings. The state of the reactors was monitored by pulse equipment, an automatic response system with the slightest loss of power.

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

Submarine class "Shark" was built onSevmash plant, where the largest in the world indoor boathouse, or workshop No. 55 was designed and built specifically for it. The ships of Project 941 are characterized by an increased buoyancy of more than 40%. To the boat completely submerged, its ballast should be half of its displacement, which gives the second name - "water carrier". The decision about this design was taken with a visionary sight - to carry out repairs, preventive maintenance will be necessary at existing piers and repair plants.

The same buoyancy reserve providesthe survival of the ship in the northern latitudes, where it is required to crack a thick ice cover. Submarines of the "Akula" type of project 941 cope with the severe conditions of the north pole, where the thickness of the ice reaches 2.5 meters with the accompanying ice hummocks and rushes. the ability to open the ice thickness was repeatedly demonstrated in practice.

Comfort for the crew

The crew of the submarine cruiser is mainlywas completed with officers, midshipmen. Senior officers were accommodated in double and four-bed cabins equipped with TV, washbasin, air conditioning, wardrobes, desks, etc.

The sailors and junior officers receivedorder comfortable cockpits. On the submarine, conditions for life were more than comfortable, only ships of this class were equipped with a hall for sporting activities, a swimming pool, a solarium and a sauna. To not too break away from reality in a long campaign, a living place was created.

On the joke

During the entire period of the construction of the submarine type 941, six cruisers were adopted for the Navy:

• "Dmitry Donskoy" (TK - 208). Adopted in December 1981, after modernization, it again began to conduct service in July 2002.
• TK-202. Received a port of registry and adopted in December 1983. In 2005, the boat was cut for scrap.
• Simbirsk (TK-12). Adopted in the SF in January 1985. Was disposed of in 2005.
• TK-13. The cruiser was recruited in December 1985. In 2009, the hull was cut into metal, part of the submarine (six-unit block, reactors) transferred to long-term storage on the Kola Peninsula.
• "Arkhangelsk" (TK-17). Date of receipt for the fleet - November 1987. In connection with the lack of ammunition since 2006, the issue of recycling is being discussed.
• Severstal (TK-20). Attached to the Navy in September 1989. In 2004, left for the reserve because of the lack of ammunition, it is planned to be disposed of.
• TK-210. The laying of the hull structures coincided with the breakdown of the economic system. Has lost funding and was dismantled in 1990.

Atomic submarines of the class "Akula" wereone division, the base for them is the Western Face (Murmansk region). The reconstruction of Nerpichya Bay was completed in 1981. For the basing of the cruisers of type 941, a berth line, piers with special capabilities were equipped, a unique crane with a carrying capacity of 125 tons for rocket loading (not commissioned) was built.

Current state

To date, all availablenuclear submarines of the class "Akula" are in the port of registration in a conserved form, their future destiny is being decided. The submarine "Dmitry Donskoy" was upgraded to the combat equipment "Bulava". According to media reports, in 2016 it was planned to dispose of inactive copies. There were no reports on the implementation of the plan.

Giant submarine project 941 "Shark"is still a unique weapon, the only cruiser capable of carrying combat duty in the Arctic. They are almost invulnerable to anti-submarine submarines in the US arsenal. Also, no potential enemy has technical aircraft to detect the cruiser under the ice.