Shark submarine drawing. A living witness of the Cold War era - the nuclear submarine "Akula"
“You are a liar, Nam-Bok, for everyone knows that iron cannot float.”
/Jack London/
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, on the days of 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 pr. 941 "Shark"
How does water hold THIS?! Conning tower of the battleship New Jersey
But the cruiser "Moscow" is not the limit - American aircraft carrier The Nimitz has a total displacement of more than 100 thousand tons.
Truly, great is Archimedes, whose immortal law allows these giants to stay afloat!
A big difference
Unlike surface ships and vessels that can be seen in any port, the underwater component of the fleet has an increased degree of stealth. Submarines are 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. About the existence of boats in Peaceful time Can not hear anything. They are not suitable for naval parades and the notorious “flag display”. The only thing these sleek black ships can do is kill.
Baby S-189 against the backdrop of the Mistral
What do “Loaf” or “Pike” look like? How big is the legendary "Shark"? Is it true that it doesn't fit in the ocean?
It is quite difficult to clarify this issue - there are no visual aids on this matter. 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.
*even the relatively “fresh” S-189 built in the 1950s was created on the basis of a captured German “Electrobot”
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 thickest “fish” is the Project 941 heavy strategic missile submarine (code “Shark”).
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 a multi-purpose Russian nuclear submarine of Project 971 (code “Shchuka-B”)
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 “Shark”(aka “Typhoon” according to NATO classification). The boat is truly amazing: the hull length is 173 meters, the height from the bottom to the roof of the deckhouse is equal to a 9-story building!
Surface displacement - 23,000 tons; underwater - 48,000 tons. The numbers clearly indicate a colossal reserve of buoyancy - to submerge the Shark, more than 20 thousand tons of water are pumped into the boat’s ballast tanks. As a result, the “Shark” received the funny nickname “water carrier” in the navy.
Despite all the seeming irrationality of this decision (why does the submarine have such a large reserve of buoyancy??), the “water carrier” has its own characteristics and even advantages: when on the surface, the draft of the monstrous monster is slightly greater than that of “ordinary” submarines - about 11 meters. This allows you to enter any home base without the risk of running aground, and use all available infrastructure for servicing nuclear submarines. In addition, the huge reserve of buoyancy turns the Akula into a powerful icebreaker. When the tanks are blown, the boat, according to Archimedes’ law, “rushes” upward with such force that even a 2-meter layer of solid, like stone, will not stop it. arctic ice. Thanks to this circumstance, the “Sharks” could carry out combat duty in the highest latitudes, right up to the North Pole.
But even on the surface, the “Shark” surprises with its dimensions. How else? – the largest boat in the world!
You can admire the shark’s appearance for a long time:
"Akula" and one of the SSBNs of the 677 family
Modern SSBN Project 955 "Borey" against the backdrop of a gigantic fish
The reason is simple: two submarines are hidden under a light, streamlined hull: the “Shark” is made according to the “catamaran” design with two durable hulls made of titanium alloys. 19 isolated compartments, a duplicate power plant (each of the durable hulls has an independent OK-650 nuclear steam generating unit with a thermal power of 190 MW), as well as two pop-up rescue capsules designed for the entire crew...
Needless to say, in terms of survivability, safety and convenience of personnel accommodation, this floating Hilton was unrivaled.
Loading the 90-ton “Kuzka mother”
In total, the boat's ammunition load included 20 R-39 solid-fuel SLBMs
Ohio
No less surprising is the comparison of the American submarine missile carrier "Ohio" and the domestic TRPKSN project "Shark" - it suddenly turns out that their dimensions are identical (length 171 meters, draft 11 meters) ... while the displacement differs significantly! How so?
There is no secret here - "Ohio" is almost half as wide as the Soviet monster - 23 versus 13 meters. However, it would be unfair to call the Ohio a small boat - 16,700 tons of steel structures and materials inspire respect. The Ohio's underwater displacement is even greater - 18,700 tons.
Carrier Killer
Another underwater monster, whose displacement exceeded the achievements of the Ohio (water and surface - 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.
"Baton" 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 -
Shchuka-B
A series of Soviet nuclear multi-purpose boats of the third generation. The most formidable submarine before the advent of the American Seawolf-class nuclear submarines.
But don’t think that Pike-B is so small and puny. Size is a relative value. Suffice it to say that the baby does not fit on a football field. The boat is huge. Surface displacement - 8100, underwater - 12,800 tons (in the latest modifications it increased by another 1000 tons).
This time, the designers made do with one OK-650 reactor, one turbine, one shaft and one propeller. Excellent dynamics remained at the level of the 949th “loaf”. A modern sonar system and a luxurious set of weapons appeared: deep-sea and homing torpedoes, Granat cruise missiles (in the future - Caliber), Shkval missile-torpedoes, Vodopad anti-missile missiles, thick 65-76 torpedoes, mines... at the same time , the huge ship is piloted by a crew of just 73 people.
Why do I say “total”? Just an example: to operate a modern American boat analogue of the Pike, an unsurpassed underwater killer of the Los Angeles type, a crew of 130 people is required! At the same time, the American, as usual, is extremely saturated with radio electronics and automation systems, and its dimensions are 25% smaller (displacement - 6000/7000 tons).
By the way, an interesting question: why are American boats always smaller? Is it really all the fault of “Soviet microcircuits - the largest microcircuits in the world”?!
The answer will seem banal - American boats have a single-hull design and, as a result, a smaller buoyancy reserve. That is why the “Los Angeles” and “Virginia” have such a small difference in the values of surface and underwater displacement.
What is the difference between a single-hull and a double-hull boat? In the first case, ballast tanks are located inside a single durable housing. This arrangement takes up part of the internal volume and, in a certain sense, negatively affects the survivability of the submarine. And, of course, single-hull nuclear submarines have a much smaller buoyancy reserve. At the same time, this makes the boat small (as small as a modern nuclear submarine can be) and quieter.
Domestic boats are traditionally built using a double-hull design. All ballast tanks and auxiliary deep-sea equipment (cables, antennas, towed sonar) are located outside the pressure hull. The stiffening ribs of the robust body are also located on the outside, saving precious space in the interior. 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 case (the light case has been previously removed)
This scheme also has disadvantages and there is no escape from them: larger dimensions and area of wetted surfaces. The direct consequence 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 space of the light hull.
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, rely on the high quality of manufacturing of hull structures, the reliability of equipment and qualified personnel in the crews of submarines.
These are the key differences between submarine shipbuilding schools on different sides of the ocean. But the boats are still huge.
A whopping big fish. American multi-purpose submarine of the Seawolf class
Another comparison on the same scale. It turns out that the "Shark" is not so large compared to the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier of the "Nimitz" type or the TAVKR "Admiral Kuznetsov" - the size of aircraft-carrying ships is completely paranormal. The victory of technology over common sense
The small fish on the left is the diesel-electric submarine "Varshavyanka"
Transportation of cut out reactor compartments of nuclear submarines
The newest Russian multi-purpose nuclear submarine K-329 "Severodvinsk" (scheduled for commissioning into the Navy in 2013).
Two Sharks being scrapped are visible in the background.
Russia is disposing of the last two Akula-class (NATO Typhoon) nuclear-powered missile submarines from its reserve. This is reported by the country's main media.
“Denuclearization and dismantling of the TK-17 Arkhangelsk and TK-20 Severstal submarines will begin in 2020. Their re-introduction into combat turned out to be unprofitable.”
The two Project 941 Akula submarines (as they are called according to the correct Russian classification) were disarmed and anchored in the port of Severodvinsk awaiting an official decision from the Kremlin. Arkhangelsk and Severstal, built in the eighties, have been in reserve since 2006 and 2004, respectively.
Shark/Typhoon class
The parameters of these boats are 173 meters long, 23 meters high and 23.3 meters wide. They have a displacement of 49,800 tons and are capable of reaching a maximum operational depth of 400 meters. Six double-hull submarines of this class (based on two Delta-class hulls) have been included in the Guinness Book of Records. In 1996-1997, due to lack of funding, after only 13 years of active operation, the Kremlin removed three Akula submarines from service: TK-12 Simbirsk, TK-202 and TK-13.
The Soviet Union designed the Akula submarines to counter the American Ohio-class submarines, they were intended for constant strategic patrol of the territories located north of the Arctic Circle (which is why they received a fortified hull, an additional reserve of buoyancy equal to 35% of displacement, and were equipped with shielded propellers that protected the ship from collisions with ice). An unusual feature of the Sharks was the missile compartment in the tail of the submarine in front of the tower. Each boat was equipped with twenty three-stage R-39 "Reef" (SS-NX-20 Sturgeon) 84-ton ballistic missiles, capable of hitting any point in the continental United States.
Context
What did the Borei borrow from the USA?
Popular Mechanics 12/13/2017What is the Russian “Status-6” capable of?
The National Interest 01/23/2018Imaginary Russian superweapon
The National Interest 11/23/2017Russia is building fifth-generation submarines
The Diplomat 06.12.2017Whose submarines are the largest?
Svenska Dagbladet 11/12/2017 The R-39 system was equipped with ten warheads with individual targeting units (Mirv) of 100 kilotons. The Akula submarine could launch up to 200 thermonuclear warheads—eight more than the Ohio-class submarines. In addition, the submarines were equipped with six Type 53 torpedo tubes and Starfish SS-N-15 cruise missiles.The Akula submarines could reach speeds of 22 knots on the surface and 27 knots when submerged thanks to two 650 OKB pressurized water reactors of 190 MW each, the same ones used in the Lyra, Fin, and Barracuda classes ", "Antey". Of the eight submarines of this class planned Soviet Union, only six were built.
The last Typhoon
The latest Project 941 submarine is used as an experimental platform for the Bulava intercontinental ballistic missile. TK-208 was the first submarine to enter service and will be the last to go to sea as part of the 18th Submarine Division of the Northern Fleet. Significant modifications to which the Dmitry Donskoy underwent turned this boat into the first advanced Akula, the level of which is not inferior to fourth-generation submarines.
Project 941UM was conceived to launch RSM-56 Bulava missiles. The Project 941UM submarine TK-208 “Dmitry Donskoy” will remain in operation until 2020: from 2003 to 2010, it carried out 14 test launches, half of which were cancelled.
"Red October"
The "seventh" Akula-class submarine, nicknamed "Red October", became the main character of Tom Clancy's first novel, published by Naval Institute Press in 1984. In the novel, the Soviet Project 941 Akula submarine had a new type of propulsion system, made using stealth technology without mobile parts, called a “caterpillar propulsion unit.” Clancy imagined a modified Akula submarine armed with 27 ballistic missiles: thanks to the stealth technology of the engine, Red October could proceed unhindered to destroy the upper east coast of the United States. In The Hunt for Red October, Commander Marco Ramius, played by Sean Connery, secretly heads to the US coast with the goal of deserting and turning over the submarine to the US Navy.
K-139 "Belgorod" project 09852
In a year, Russia will receive the world's largest nuclear submarine, and it will be 11 meters longer than the Project 941 Akula submarines. Officially unveiled as the next Antey-class II model of Project 949A, the K-139 Belgorod submarine of Project 09852 will carry out missions related to scientific research as a platform for unmanned vehicles and special equipment. K-139 was redesigned and received a new central compartment 30 meters long, due to which the dimensions of the submarine reached 184 meters. This is 30 meters larger than the original size of the Antey class submarines and 11 meters longer than the Akula class submarines.
InoSMI materials contain assessments exclusively of foreign media and do not reflect the position of the InoSMI editorial staff.
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 characteristics 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 OK-650 pressurized water nuclear reactors 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. 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 “Variant” solid-fuel ballistic missiles (hull 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, one of the mandatory conditions was to ensure the safety of the boat and crew, the so-called safe radius, for which the hull components were calculated using the dynamic strength method and tested experimentally (two pop-up modules, container fastening, hull mating, etc.) .
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 the harsh conditions of the North Pole, where ice thickness reaches 2.5 meters with accompanying ice ridges 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 Dmitry Donskoy submarine was upgraded to carry Bulava combat equipment. 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 enemy has technical aviation means to detect a cruiser under thick ice.
The construction of Project 941 Akula submarine cruisers (according to the international classification "Typhoon") was a kind of response to the construction in the United States of Ohio-class nuclear missile submarines armed with 24 intercontinental ballistic missiles. In the USSR, the development of a new ship began later than the Americans, so design and construction proceeded almost in parallel.
“The designers were faced with a difficult technical task - to place on board 24 missiles weighing almost 100 tons each,” says S.N. Kovalev, general designer of projects at the Rubin Central Design Bureau for MT. “After many studies, it was decided to place the missiles between two durable hulls There are no analogues to such a solution in the world." “Only Sevmash could build such a boat,” says the head of the Department of the Ministry of Defense A.F. Shlemov. The construction of the ship was carried out in the largest boathouse - workshop 55, which was led by I.L. Kamai. We used a fundamentally new construction technology - the aggregate-modular method, which made it possible to significantly reduce the time frame. Now this method is used in everything, both underwater and surface shipbuilding, but for that time it was a serious technological breakthrough.
As a result, the ship was built in record time - in 5 years. Behind this small number is a huge amount of work by the entire team of the enterprise and its numerous contractors. “The construction of the submarine supported more than a thousand enterprises throughout the country,” recalls A.I. Makarenko, at that time the chief engineer of the Sevmash enterprise. “Our “Shark” was ready a year earlier than the American “Ohio.” Naturally, the government highly appreciated the merits participants in the creation of this unique ship." By order of the Minister of the Shipbuilding Industry, Anatoly Innokentyevich was appointed personally responsible for the construction. For the creation of the nuclear submarine of project 941 A.I. Makarenko and KSP assembler A.T. Maksimov was awarded the title of Hero of Socialist Labor. Responsible deliverer A.S. Belopolsky was awarded the Lenin Prize, N.G. Orlov, V.A. Borodin, L.A. Samoilov, S.V. Pantyushin, A.A. Fishev - State Prize. 1219 employees of the enterprise were awarded orders and medals. Among those who distinguished themselves were shop managers G.A. Pravilov, A.P. Monogarov, A.M. Budnichenko, V.V. Skaloban, V.M. Rozhkov, chief specialists M.I. Shepurev, F.N. Shusharin, A.V. Rynkovich.
In September 1980, an unusually large nuclear submarine, the height of a nine-story building and the length of almost two football fields, touched the water for the first time. Delight, joy, fatigue - the participants in that event experienced different feelings, but everyone was united by one thing - pride in a great common cause. Mooring and sea trials were carried out in record time for a nuclear submarine of such a design. And this is a great merit of the delivery team, such excellent specialists as G.D Pavlyuk, A.Z. Elimelach, A.Z. Raikhlin, and the ship’s personnel under the command of Captain 1st Rank A.V. Olkhovikova. Despite the tight deadlines for the construction and testing of the newest nuclear submarine, situations arose when engineers were required to urgently develop new design solutions. “As you know, the outer hull of the boat is covered with a thick layer of rubber,” continues Anatoly Innokentyevich. “On the Shark, each sheet weighed 100 kilograms, and the total weight of the glued rubber was 800 tons. When the boat first went to sea, part of this "The coating came off. We had to quickly invent new gluing techniques."
The ship adopted the first domestic solid-fuel missile system D-19. On the lead cruiser of the series, which later received the name "Dmitry Donskoy", a a large number of missile launches. “The program for extended testing of missile weapons was more than intense,” recalls the former commander of the BC-5, Captain 1st Rank V.V. Kiseev. “The tests took place not only in the White Sea, but also in the North Pole region. During the missile firing period, no There were technical failures. Everything was very reliable."
After ten years of operation, the world's largest nuclear submarine was raised to the slipway for mid-term repairs. This was a difficult task in terms of ensuring radiation and fire safety, since nuclear submarines had not been repaired at the Sevmash workshops before. After average repairs and replacement of a number of complexes in May 2002, “Dmitry Donskoy” was taken out of the workshop. This date is considered the second birth of the ship. The slipway work and the removal of the ship were supervised by the deputy head of the workshop M.A. Abizhanov, and by the actions of the delivery team on the ship - mechanic G.A. Laptev. “The factory sea trials and state tests of various weapons systems are now successfully undergoing. “Dmitry Donskoy” is unique in its maneuverability and controllability,” says the commander of the nuclear submarine, Captain 1st Rank A.Yu. Romanov, with pride. “This order has amazing combat capabilities. This is the fastest of all the ships in the series, exceeding the previous speed record of Project 941 by two knots. The successful testing of the ship is largely due to the responsible deliverer E.V. Slobodyan, his deputies A.V. Larinsky and V.A. Semushin and, naturally, the crew nuclear submarine, specialists in their field, commander of the combat electromechanical unit, captain II rank A.V. Prokopenko, commander of the navigator combat unit, captain-lieutenant V.V. Sankov, commander of the combat communications unit, captain III rank A.R. Shuvalov and many others.”
A ship, like a person, has its own destiny. This cruiser proudly bears the name of the great Russian warrior, Prince of Moscow and Vladimir Dmitry Donskoy. As the submariners themselves say, their ship is reliable and happy. “Now the fate of this nuclear submarine is clear,” says S.N. Kovalev. “This submarine will for a long time be the most powerful ship of the Navy. Today is a good reason to congratulate all the designers who designed this boat, Sevmash, who it was built by many other enterprises that participated in its creation, and, naturally, Navy Happy anniversary to this wonderful ship."
“Dmitry Donskoy” has been faithfully serving the Motherland for 25 years. The crew and delivery team change, but the cruiser remains dear to everyone. Today the ship, like a quarter of a century ago, is the first - it is at the forefront of testing new naval missile technology. Happy anniversary and happy sailing to you, "Dmitry Donskoy"!
By the beginning of the 70s, the main participants in the nuclear race, the USSR and the USA, quite rightly placed their bets on the development of a nuclear submarine fleet equipped with intercontinental ballistic missiles. As a result of this confrontation, the world's largest submarine was born.
The warring parties began to create nuclear-powered heavy missile cruisers. The American project, the Ohio-class nuclear submarine, envisaged the deployment of 24 intercontinental ballistic missiles. Our answer was the Project 941 submarine, provisionally named “Akula”, better known as “Typhoon”.
History of creation
Outstanding Soviet designer S. N. Kovalev The development of Project 941 was entrusted to the team of the Leningrad TsKBMT Rubin, which was led by the outstanding Soviet designer Sergei Nikitovich Kovalev for several decades in a row. The construction of the boats was carried out at the Sevmash enterprise in Severodvinsk. In all respects, it was one of the most ambitious Soviet military projects, still stunning in its scale.
Typhoon on the stocks of the Sevmash plant “Shark” owes its second name - “Typhoon” to the General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee L. I. Brezhnev. This is how he presented it to the delegates of the next party congress and to the rest of the world in 1981, which fully corresponded to its all-destructive potential.
Layout and dimensions
The size and layout of the nuclear underwater giant deserve special attention. Under the shell of the light hull there was an unusual “catamaran” of 2 strong hulls located in parallel. For the torpedo compartment and the central post with the adjacent radio-technical weapons compartment, sealed capsule-type compartments were created.
All 19 compartments of the boat communicated with each other. The horizontal folding rudders of the “Shark” were located in the bow of the boat. In case it surfaced from under the ice, provisions were made to significantly strengthen the conning tower with a rounded lid and special reinforcements.
“Shark” amazes with its gigantic size. It is not for nothing that it is considered the largest submarine in the world: its length - almost 173 meters - corresponds to two football fields. As for the underwater displacement, there was also a record here - about 50 thousand tons, which is almost three times higher than the corresponding characteristic of the American Ohio.
And one more comparison - the average length of a football field is 105-110 meters. Now it’s clear:
Characteristics
The underwater speed of the main competitors was the same - 25 knots (just over 43 km/h). The Soviet nuclear submarine could remain on duty autonomously for six months, diving to a depth of 400 meters and having an additional 100 meters in reserve.
To propel this monster, it was equipped with two 190-megawatt nuclear reactors, which drove two turbines with a power of about 50 thousand hp. The boat moved thanks to two 7-bladed propellers with a diameter of more than 5.5 meters.
The “combat vehicle crew” consisted of 160 people, more than a third of whom were officers. The creators of the “Shark” showed truly fatherly concern for the living conditions of the crew. For officers, 2- and 4-berth cabins were provided. Sailors and foremen were located in small cubicles with washbasins and televisions. All living areas were supplied with air conditioning. In their free time off duty, crew members could visit the pool, sauna, gym or relax in the “living” corner.
Combat potential
Launch silos of the nuclear submarine "Typhoon" In the event of a nuclear conflict, the Typhoon could simultaneously unleash 20 R-39 nuclear missiles on the enemy, each with ten 200-kt multiple warheads. Such a nuclear “typhoon” could turn the entire east coast of the United States into a desert in a matter of minutes.
In addition to ballistic missiles, the boat’s arsenal included more than two dozen conventional and jet torpedoes, as well as Igla MANPADS. The Alexander Brykin transport ship, with a displacement of 16 thousand tons and designed to carry 16 SLBMs, was developed specifically to equip the Typhoons with missiles and torpedoes.
In service
In just 13 years from 1976 to 1989, 6 Typhoon nuclear submarines rolled off the Sevmash slipways. Today, 3 units continue to serve - two in reserve and one - "Dmitry Donskoy" is used as the main object for testing the new Bulava missile system.
