Project 941 Akula heavy missile strategic submarines (SSBN Typhoon according to NATO codification) are a series of Soviet and Russian submarines, the world's largest nuclear submarines (and submarines in general).
Submarines of project 941 "Shark" - video
The performance specification for the design was issued in December 1972, and S. N. Kovalev was appointed chief designer of the project. The new type of submarines was positioned as a response to the US construction of Ohio-class SSBNs (the first boats of both projects were laid almost simultaneously in 1976). The dimensions of the new ship were determined by the dimensions of the new solid-propellant three-stage intercontinental ballistic missiles R-39 (RSM-52), with which it was planned to arm the boat. Compared with the Trident-I missiles, which the American Ohio was equipped with, the R-39 missile had the best characteristics of flight range, throw mass and had 10 blocks against 8 for the Trident. However, at the same time, the R-39 turned out to be almost twice as long and three times as heavy as its American counterpart. To accommodate such large missiles, the standard SSBN layout did not fit. On December 19, 1973, the government decided to start work on the design and construction of a new generation of strategic missile carriers.
The first boat of this type TK-208 (which means "heavy cruiser") was laid down at the Sevmash enterprise in June 1976, the launch took place on September 23, 1980. Before descending in the bow below the waterline, the image of a shark was applied to the side of the submarine; later, shark stripes appeared on the crew uniform. Despite the later launch of the project, the lead cruiser entered sea trials a month earlier than the American Ohio (July 4, 1981). TK-208 entered service on December 12, 1981. In total, from 1981 to 1989, 6 Shark-type boats were launched and put into operation. The planned seventh ship was never laid down; hull structures were prepared for it.
The construction of "9-story" submarines provided orders for more than 1000 enterprises of the Soviet Union. Only at Sevmash, 1219 people who participated in the creation of this unique ship received government awards. For the first time, the creation of the Shark series was announced by Leonid Brezhnev at the XXVI Congress of the CPSU.
To ensure reloading with missiles and torpedoes, in 1986, a diesel-electric transport-missile carrier "Alexander Brykin" of project 11570 was built with a total displacement of 16,000 tons, it took on board up to 16 SLBMs.
In 1987, the TK-12 "Simbirsk" carried out a long high-latitude voyage to the Arctic with repeated replacement of crews.
On September 27, 1991, during a training launch in the White Sea on the TK-17 Arkhangelsk, a training rocket exploded and burned out in the mine. The explosion blew off the cover of the mine, and the warhead of the rocket was thrown into the sea. The crew was not injured during the incident; the boat was forced to stand up for a small repair.
In 1998, the Northern Fleet underwent tests, during which a "simultaneous" launch of 20 R-39 missiles was carried out.
The design of submarines of the project 941 "Shark"
The power plant is made in the form of two independent echelons located in different robust housings. The reactors are equipped with an automatic shutdown system in case of loss of power supply and pulse equipment for monitoring the condition of the reactors. When designing, the TTZ included a clause on the need to ensure a safe radius; for this, methods for calculating the dynamic strength of complex hull units (mounting modules, pop-up chambers and containers, inter-hull connections) were developed and tested by experiments in experimental compartments.
For the construction of "Sharks" at Sevmash, a new workshop No. 55 was specially erected - the largest covered boathouse in the world. Ships have a large margin of buoyancy - more than 40%. When submerged, exactly half of the displacement falls on ballast water, for which the boats received the unofficial name "water carrier" in the fleet, and in the competing design bureau "Malachite" - "the victory of technology over common sense." One of the reasons for this decision was the requirement for the developers to ensure the smallest draft of the ship to be able to use existing piers and repair bases. Also, it is a large reserve of buoyancy, coupled with a strong cabin, that allows the boat to break through ice up to 2.5 meters thick, which for the first time made it possible to conduct combat duty in high latitudes up to the North Pole.
Frame
A design feature of the boat is the presence of five manned durable hulls inside the light hull. Two of them are the main ones, have a maximum diameter of 10 m and are located parallel to each other, according to the principle of a catamaran. In front of the ship, between the main strong hulls, there are missile silos, which were first placed in front of the wheelhouse. In addition, there are three separate pressurized compartments: the torpedo compartment, the control module compartment with a central post, and the aft mechanical compartment. The removal and placement of three compartments in the space between the main hulls made it possible to increase the fire safety and survivability of the boat.
Both main strong hulls are interconnected by three transitions through intermediate strong capsule compartments: in the bow, in the center and in the stern. The total number of watertight compartments of the boat is 19. Two pop-up rescue chambers, designed for the entire crew, are located at the base of the deckhouse under the fence of retractable devices.
Durable hulls are made of titanium alloys, light steel, covered with non-resonant anti-radar and soundproof rubber coating with a total weight of 800 tons. According to American experts, durable boat hulls are also equipped with soundproof coatings. The ship received a developed cruciform stern plumage with horizontal rudders placed directly behind the propellers. The front horizontal rudders are retractable.
In order for the boats to be able to carry out duty at high latitudes, the felling fence is made very strong, capable of breaking through ice 2-2.5 m thick (in winter, the ice thickness in the Arctic Ocean varies from 1.2 to 2 m, and in some places reaches 2.5 m). From below, the ice surface is covered with growths in the form of icicles or stalactites of considerable size. When surfacing, the submarine cruiser, having removed the bow rudders, slowly presses against the ice ceiling with a specially adapted nose and a wheelhouse fence, after which the main ballast tanks are blown sharply.
Power point
The main nuclear power plant is designed according to the block principle and includes two water-cooled reactors on thermal neutrons OK-650 with a thermal power of 190 MW each and a shaft power of 2 × 50,000 l. with., as well as two steam turbine installations, located one at a time in both strong hulls, which significantly increases the survivability of the boat. The use of a two-stage system of rubber-cord pneumatic damping and a block layout of mechanisms and equipment made it possible to significantly improve the vibration isolation of the units and, thereby, reduce the noise of the boat.
Two low-speed, low-noise, seven-blade fixed-pitch propellers are used as propellers. To reduce the noise level, the propellers are installed in annular fairings (fenestrons). The boat has reserve means of propulsion - two DC electric motors of 190 kW each. For maneuvering in cramped conditions, there is a thruster in the form of two folding columns with 750 kW electric motors and rotary propellers. Thrusters are located in the bow and stern parts of the ship.
Habitability
The crew is placed in conditions of increased comfort. The boat has a lounge for relaxation, a gym, a swimming pool measuring 4 × 2 m and a depth of 2 m, filled with fresh or salty outboard water with the possibility of heating, a solarium, a sauna sheathed with oak boards, a “living corner”. The rank and file is accommodated in small cockpits, the command staff - in two- and four-bed cabins with wash basins, TVs and air conditioning. There are two wardrooms: one for officers, the other for midshipmen and sailors. Submarines of the "Shark" type, sailors call the "floating" Hilton "".
Environment regeneration
In 1984, for participation in the work on the creation of TRPKSN pr. 941 "Typhoon" FSUE "Special Design and Technology Bureau for Electrochemistry with a Pilot Plant" (until 1969 - the Moscow Electrolysis Plant) was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labor.
Armament of submarines of project 941 "Shark"
The main armament is the D-19 missile system with 20 R-39 Variant three-stage solid-fuel ballistic missiles. These missiles have the largest launch weight (together with the launch container - 90 tons) and length (17.1 m) of the SLBMs adopted for service. The combat range of the missiles is 8300 km, the warhead is divided: 10 warheads with individual guidance of 100 kilotons of TNT each.
Due to the large dimensions of the R-39, the Akula project boats were the only carriers of these missiles. The design of the D-19 missile system was tested on the BS-153 diesel submarine, specially converted according to project 619, which was based in Sevastopol, but they could only place one mine for the R-39 on it and limited themselves to seven launches of throw models. The launch of the entire Akula missile ammunition load can be carried out in one salvo with a small interval between the launch of individual missiles.
The launch is possible both from the surface and from the underwater positions at depths up to 55 m and without restrictions due to weather conditions. Thanks to the shock-absorbing rocket-launch system ARSS, the launch of the rocket is carried out from a dry mine using a powder pressure accumulator, which makes it possible to reduce the interval between launches and the level of pre-launch noise. One of the features of the complex is that with the help of ARSS, rockets are suspended at the mouth of the mine. When designing, it was planned to place an ammunition load of 24 missiles, but, by decision of the Commander-in-Chief of the USSR Navy, Admiral S. G. Gorshkov, their number was reduced to 20.
In 1986, a government decree was adopted on the development of an improved version of the missile - R-39UTTKh Bark. In the new modification, it was planned to increase the firing range to 10,000 km and implement a system for passing through the ice. The re-equipment of the missile carriers was planned to be carried out until 2003 - the expiration date of the warranty resource of the produced R-39 missiles. In 1998, after the third unsuccessful launch, the Ministry of Defense decided to stop work on the 73% ready complex. The development of another solid-propellant SLBM "Bulava" was assigned to the Moscow Institute of Thermal Engineering, the developer of the "land" ICBM "Topol-M".
In addition to strategic weapons, the boat has 6 torpedo tubes of 533 mm caliber, designed to fire torpedoes and rocket-torpedoes, as well as to lay minefields.
Air defense is provided by eight sets of Igla-1 MANPADS.
The missile carriers of the Shark project are equipped with the following electronic weapons:
- combat information and control system "Omnibus";
- analogue hydroacoustic complex "Skat-KS" (on TK-208, in the process of medium repair, a digital "Skat-3" was installed);
- sonar mine detection station MG-519 "Arfa";
- echometer MG-518 "North";
- radar complex MRCP-58 "Buran";
- navigation complex "Symphony";
- the Molniya-L1 radio communication complex with the Tsunami satellite communication system;
- television complex MTK-100;
- two pop-up buoy-type antennas that allow you to receive radio messages, target designation and satellite navigation signals when you are at a depth of up to 150 m and under ice.
Representatives
The first boat of this type, TK-208, was laid down at the Sevmash enterprise in June 1976 and entered service in December 1981, almost simultaneously with the similar US Navy Ohio-class SSBN. Initially, it was planned to build 7 boats of this project, however, under the OSV-1 agreement, the series was limited to six ships (the seventh ship of the series, TK-210, was dismantled on the slipway).
All 6 TRPKSNs built were based on the Northern Fleet in Zapadnaya Litsa (Nerpichya Bay), 45 km from the border with Norway, these are: TK-208 "Dmitry Donskoy"; TK-202; TK-12 "Simbirsk"; TK-13; TK-17 "Arkhangelsk"; TK-20 Severstal.
Disposal
In accordance with the OSV-2 strategic arms limitation treaty, as well as due to the lack of funds to maintain the boats in combat-ready condition (for one heavy cruiser - 300 million rubles a year, for 667BDRM - 180 million rubles) and in connection with the cessation of production of R missiles -39, which are the main armament of the Sharks, it was decided to dispose of three of the six built ships of the project, and not to complete the seventh ship, TK-210, at all. As one of the options for the peaceful use of these giant submarines, they were considered to be converted into underwater transports to supply Norilsk or into tankers, but these projects were not implemented.
The cost of dismantling one cruiser was about $10 million, of which $2 million was allocated from the Russian budget, the rest was funds provided by the United States and Canada.
Modern status
As of 2013, out of 6 ships built under the USSR, 3 ships of project 941 have been disposed of, 2 ships are in reserve, and one has been modernized according to project 941UM.
Due to the chronic lack of funding, in the 1990s, it was planned to decommission all units, however, with the advent of financial opportunities and the revision of military doctrine, the remaining ships (TK-17 Arkhangelsk and TK-20 Severstal) underwent maintenance repairs in 1999-2002. TK-208 "Dmitry Donskoy" was overhauled and upgraded under project 941UM in 1990-2002 and since December 2003 has been used as part of the test program for the latest Russian SLBM "Bulava".
The 18th submarine division, which included all the Sharks, was reduced. As of February 2008, it consisted of TK-17 Arkhangelsk (last combat duty - from October 2004 to January 2005) and TK-20 Severstal ”(last combat duty - 2002), as well as converted to the Bulava K-208 Dmitry Donskoy. TK-17 "Arkhangelsk" and TK-20 "Severstal" for more than three years were waiting for a decision on the disposal or re-equipment with new SLBMs, until in August 2007 the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy, Admiral of the Fleet V.V. it is planned to modernize the nuclear submarine "Akula" under the missile system "Bulava-M".
In March 2012, information appeared from the sources of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation that the strategic nuclear submarines of project 941 Akula would not be upgraded for financial reasons. According to the source, the deep modernization of one Shark is comparable in cost to the construction of two new Project 955 Borey submarines. Submarine cruisers TK-17 Arkhangelsk and TK-20 Severstal will not be upgraded in light of the recent decision, TK-208 Dmitry Donskoy will continue to be used as a test platform for weapons systems and sonar systems until 2019.
Tactical and technical characteristics of submarines of project 941 "Shark"
Speed (surface) .................... 12 knots
Speed (submerged) .............. 25 knots (46.3 km/h)
Operating immersion depth..............400 m
Maximum immersion depth .................... 500 m
Endurance of navigation ............... 180 days (6 months)
Crew ............... 160 people (including 52 officers)
Overall dimensions of the boats of the project 941 "Shark"
Displacement surface ....................... 23 200 t
Underwater displacement ...............48 000 t
Maximum length (according to design waterline) ............... 172.8 m
Width of the hull max .................... 23.3 m
Average draft (according to DWL) ............... 11.2 m
Power point
2 water-cooled nuclear reactors OK-650VV, 190 MW each.
2 turbines of 45000-50000 hp each
2 propeller shafts with 7-bladed propellers with a diameter of 5.55 m
4 steam turbine NPPs 3.2 MW each
Reserved:
2 diesel generators ASDG-800 (kW)
Lead-acid battery, product 144
Armament
Torpedo-mine armament .................... 6 TA caliber 533 mm;
22 torpedoes: 53-65K, SET-65, SAET-60M, USET-80. Rocket torpedoes "Waterfall" or "Shkval"
Missile armament...................20 R-39 (RSM-52) or R-30 Bulava (project 941UM) SLBMs
Air defense .............. 8 MANPADS "Igla"
TPKSN TK-12 "Simbirsk" project 941 "Shark". The third submarine of this series is being scrapped.
The largest Soviet submarine Akula, created as a symmetrical response to the United States after they created the Ohio submarine.
The largest nuclear submarine (NPS) is the Shark.
The goal of the developers was to create a ship even more powerful and significant in size than the American counterpart.
The real name of the submarine is “Project 941”, in the West it is called “Typhoon”, and the name “Shark” is explained by the fact that a shark drawing is placed on the side of the submarine (although it could only be seen until the ship was launched).
That is how L.I. called the new combat unit. Brezhnev, and later the image of a shark appeared on the uniform of the sailors who served on the submarine.
Shark is a nuclear submarine and is really impressive in size. Its length corresponds approximately to the length of two real football fields, and its height corresponds to a nine-story building. Displacement of the submarine - 48 thousand tons in the state of the submerged.
How and when did the largest submarine in the world appear
The creation of this powerful warship is associated with the period of the Cold War and the arms race. The Akula submarine was supposed to show the superiority of the Soviet navy over the western one. In 1972, scientists were given the task of creating a submarine more powerful, larger, more dangerous than the Ohio (USA).
Work on the Ohio began in the United States in the early 1970s; the submarine was planned to be armed with 24 Trident solid-propellant missiles with a range of more than 7 thousand km, i.e. intercontinental. It significantly exceeded everything that was in service with the USSR, because a huge (with a displacement of 18.7 thousand tons) submarine could launch missiles at a depth of up to 30 m and was quite fast - up to 20 knots.
The Soviet government set the designers the task of creating a Soviet missile carrier, even more powerful than the American one. This work was entrusted to the design bureau "Rubin", which at that time was headed by I.D. Spassky, and to the designer S.N. Kovalev, a leading specialist in this field; 92 submarines were created according to Kovalev's designs.
Interested in
Construction was started at the Sevmash enterprise in 1976; the first cruiser was launched in 1980, and it passed the tests even earlier than the Ohio, on which work began earlier.
In the entire history of the existence of the project, 6 Shark submarines were created, and the seventh, having already begun, was not completed due to the disarmament that had begun. Three of the existing submarines were disposed of with financial assistance from the United States and Canada, two did not have time to be disposed of and now the question is being decided what to do with them next, and one - Dmitry Donskoy - has been modified and is now in service.
Refitting Sharks is too expensive, costing as much as building two new modern submarines.
Design features of the submarine "Shark"
In connection with the need to equip the largest submarine in the world with solid-propellant missiles, designers faced difficult tasks. The missiles were too large and heavy, it was difficult to place them on a conventional cruiser, because even for loading massive weapons an innovative crane was required, and they were transported from them along specially laid rails.
And the capabilities of the shipbuilding plant were limited by the creation of ships that did not exceed the norms for the ship's draft.
The designers adopted a non-standard design solution: the cruiser was given the appearance, so to speak, of a catamaran for swimming under water. It does not consist of two buildings (external and internal), as usual, but five: two main and three additional.
The result is excellent buoyancy (40%).
Almost half of the ballast when the cruiser is under water is water. No matter how scolded the designers of the nuclear submarine for this! Both the “victory of technology over common sense” and the “water carrier” (nickname of the submarine “Shark”), however, it is this feature that allows the cruiser to emerge, breaking through a 2.5-meter layer of ice, so that it can serve almost at the North Pole .
Inside the common body there are five more, two parallel; missile silos are unusually located: they are located in front of the wheelhouse; the mechanical, torpedo and control module are isolated and located in the gap formed by the main hulls, which makes the design safer.
This is also served by a couple of dozen waterproof compartments and two rescue chambers, which can fit the entire crew.
The outer steel hull is covered with special rubber for soundproofing and anti-location purposes, so that the submarine is difficult to detect.
Quite comfortable living conditions for the crew have been created on the huge submarine: cockpits for small groups of sailors, comfortable cabins for officers, TVs, a gym, even a swimming pool, a solarium and a sauna, two mess rooms and a “living corner”.
Armament of the submarine
"Shark" is armed with two dozen R-39 "Variant" (these are ballistic missiles, each of them weighing 90 tons). There are also torpedo tubes (6 pieces) and MANPADS "Igla-1". Interestingly, even from a depth of up to 55 meters, a submarine can launch these missiles almost in one gulp.
Quite comfortable living conditions for the crew have been created on the huge submarine: the sailors live in small, for several people, cabins, while the officers occupy double cabins.
In addition to the gym and two cabins, there is a sauna and a small pool on board, there is even a solarium and a "living corner".
The commander's seat in the wheelhouse can only be used by the captain; even Defense Minister P. Grachev, who visited the submarine in 1993 and violated tradition, was unanimously condemned by all those present.
One of the most formidable military weapons in some countries of the world are submarines. All of them differ in many ways, but in this article we will look at the largest submarines.
Among the smallest submarines there are those with a crew of only 1 - 2 people. They are designed to perform only a limited number of military tasks. But there are other classes of submarines with a displacement of up to 50,000 tons and a length of more than 170 meters. These monsters can surf the seas and oceans autonomously for years, and during this entire period they will never surface.
Submarine "Navaga" with a length of 128 meters:
The Soviet submarine 667A or "Navaga" carries ballistic missiles on board. Due to its huge size, it got into our rating: its length is 128 meters, its width is almost 12 meters.
On board, it can accommodate about 16 R-27 missiles with a flight range of about 2.4 thousand kilometers. There are also torpedoes, and two of them are even nuclear.
Submarine "Triumphant" has a length of 138 meters:
This submarine is made in France. Its design began in 1986. After the collapse of the USSR, instead of the planned 6 submarines, only 4 were launched. In size, it surpassed the previous submarine in our rating only in width. It carries 16 ballistic missiles on board.
Submarines of project 885 "Ash" with a length of 139 meters:
Russian multi-purpose nuclear submarines with cruise missiles (SSGN) of the fourth generation. As of 2015, the lead ship of the Severodvinsk project became part of the Northern Fleet. The length is 139 meters, the width is 13 meters, and the displacement is 13.8 thousand tons.
Submarine "Jin" 140 meters long:
The Chinese-made Project 094 Jin submarine began to be built 17 years ago. All military developments in China were classified - therefore, not much is known about these submarines: length - 140 meters, width - almost 13, displacement - 11.5 thousand tons. There are twelve missiles on board. They are capable of hitting targets at a distance of up to 12,000 kilometers. China owns 4 Jin.
Submarine "Kalmar" has a length of 155 meters:
The Soviet-made Kalmar submarine was designed specifically for the R-29R missiles. These two-stage ballistic missiles, with a flight range of about 6 thousand kilometers, it can accommodate 16 pieces. This is all thanks to the size of the submarine: length - 155 meters, width - almost 12. Some of them were disposed of, but all the remaining submarines of this type plow the Pacific Ocean as part of the Russian fleet.
Submarine "Murena-M" with a length of 155 meters:
Another Soviet submarine "Murena-M", the predecessor of which is "Murena". That one could carry 12 ballistic missiles, and the new one - 16, and is 10 meters longer. R-29D class missiles placed aboard this submarine can hit targets at a distance of up to 9,000 kilometers.
Submarine "Ohio" reaches a length of 170 meters:
This third generation submarine is made in the United States of America and can carry 24 Trident ballistic missiles. Their main advantage is that they are able to homing on a target.
The submarine itself has a displacement of 18.7 thousand tons, a length of about 171 meters, a width of 13 meters. Submarines of this type took up duty in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans 36 years ago.
Submarine "Borey" 170 meters long:
The Russian-made submarine of project 955 or "Borey" is in service with the Russian Federation. With a displacement of 24 thousand tons, a length of 170 meters and a width of 13.5 meters, she deserved to take second place in our ranking of the largest submarines. On board, it is capable of carrying Bulava solid-propellant ballistic missiles.
Submarine "Shark" has a length of 173 meters:
The leader in our rating is the Soviet submarine 941 "Shark". Due to its huge scale, it can be called a submarine cruiser. As tall as a nine-story building and as long as two football fields, it terrifies all countries. It began to be designed in 1976, and after 4 years it became part of the USSR naval flotilla.
The construction of the Project 941 Akula heavy nuclear missile cruisers (Typhoon international classification) was a kind of response to the construction of US nuclear submarines of the "Akula" class. Ohio", armed with 24 intercontinental ballistic missiles.
In the USSR, the development of a new class submarine project began later than the Americans. The designers faced a difficult technical task - to place on board 24 missiles weighing almost 100 tons each. After many studies, it was decided to place the missiles between two strong hulls. As a result, the first submarine "Shark" was built in record time - in 5 years.
In September 1980, unusually large soviet submarine as high as a nine-story building and almost two football fields long, he touched the water for the first time. Delight, joy, fatigue - the participants of that event experienced different feelings, but they all had one thing in common - pride in a great common cause. Mooring and sea trials were carried out in record time. The tests took place not only in the White Sea, but also in the area of the North Pole. During the period of rocket firing, there were no failures in work. During construction nuclear submarines class " Typhoon"The latest advances in the creation of shipborne electronic equipment and noise reduction were applied. Submarines of this project are equipped with a pop-up rescue chamber designed for the entire crew.
heavy nuclear missile cruiser of strategic purpose "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 the "water carrier". This is the price, not fully thought out for the Russian submarine fleet, of the transition from liquid hot to solid fuel. As a result, the project Shark" became the largest submarine in the world and listed in the Guinness Book of Records. For the construction of nuclear submarines at the Northern Machine-Building Enterprise, a new workshop was specially built - the largest covered boathouse in the world. The first submarine of project 941 code "TK-208" was laid down at the shipyard of a 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 dismantled in 1990 due to the high cost of the project.
dates of laying, launching and commissioning of Project 941 submarines
Design submarine project 941 made according to the "catamaran" type: two separate strong hulls are located in a 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 diametrical plane, in which there is a central post and a radio-technical armament compartment located behind it. The missile compartment is located between the pressure hulls at the front of the ship. Both cases and capsule-compartments are interconnected by transitions. The total number of watertight compartments is nineteen. The compartment of the central post and its light fencing are shifted towards the stern nuclear submarine. Robust hulls, the central post and the torpedo compartment are made of titanium alloy, and the lightweight hull is made of steel (a special hydroacoustic rubber coating is applied to its surface, which increases stealth submarines). Submarine "Shark""has a developed fodder plumage. 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.
For the crew of the boat, conditions of increased comfort have been created. The officers were placed in relatively spacious two- and four-bed cabins with washbasins, TVs and air conditioning, and the sailors and foremen - in small cockpits. Submarine « Shark” received a gym, a swimming pool, a solarium, a sauna, a lounge for relaxation, a “living corner” and other premises.
According to the domestic press, the existing plans for the development of Russia's strategic nuclear forces provide for the 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 re-equip part of the project 941 into transport nuclear submarines designed for the transportation of goods on transpolar and cross-polar routes, the shortest route linking Europe, North America and other countries. The cargo compartment built instead of the missile compartment will be capable of receiving up to 10,000 tons of cargo.
largest submarine in the world photo
nuclear submarine "Shark" in the parking lot
on a barrel
submarine "Shark" in combat campaign
Submarine "Shark" on the surface
The first cases of the use of submarines for combat purposes date back to the middle of the 19th century. However, due to their technical imperfection, submarines 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 purpose. Some are designed for a crew of only two people, others are capable of carrying dozens of intercontinental missiles on board. What tasks do the largest submarines in the world perform?
"Triumph"
French strategic nuclear submarine. Its name means "triumphant" in translation. The length of the boat is 138 meters, the displacement is 14 thousand tons. The vessel is armed with three-stage ballistic missiles M45 with multiple warheads, equipped with individual guidance systems. They are capable of hitting targets at a distance of up to 5300 kilometers. At the design stage, the designers were tasked with making the submarine as invisible to the enemy as possible and equipping it with an effective system for early detection of enemy anti-submarine defense systems. Careful study and numerous experiments have shown that the main reason for disclosing the location of a submarine is its acoustic signature.
When designing the Triumfan, all known methods for reducing noise 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 to reduce hydrodynamic noise. The level of sound produced during the operation of the ship's main power plant has been significantly reduced due to a number of non-standard technological solutions. Triumfan has on board an ultra-modern sonar system designed for early detection of enemy anti-submarine weapons.
"Jin"
A strategic nuclear-powered missile submarine built for the Chinese Navy. Due to the heightened level of secrecy, much of the information about this ship does not come from the media, but from the intelligence services of the United States and other NATO countries. The dimensions of the submarine are based on a photograph taken in 2006 by a commercial satellite designed to digitally image the earth's surface. The length of the ship is 140 meters, the displacement is 11 thousand tons.
Experts note that the dimensions of the nuclear submarine "Jin" are larger than the dimensions of the previous, technically and morally obsolete Chinese submarines of the "Xia" class. The ship of the new generation is adapted to launch Juilang-2 intercontinental ballistic missiles equipped with multiple nuclear warheads. The maximum range of their flight is 12 thousand kilometers. Missiles "Juilang-2" are an exclusive development. Their design took into account the dimensions of the Jin-class submarines intended to carry this formidable weapon. 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. However, according to information available to the US military, test launches of Julang missiles often end in failure.
"Vangard"
A British strategic nuclear submarine that rivals the largest submarines in the world. The vessel is 150 meters long and has a displacement of 15,000 tons. Boats of this type have been in service with the Royal Navy since 1994. To date, the Vanguard-class submarines are the only carriers of British nuclear weapons. They are equipped with 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 missiles, which, according to the designers, were supposed to surpass all their predecessors. The Trident-2 hit zone is 11 thousand kilometers, the accuracy of hitting reaches several feet. Missile guidance is independent of the US Global Positioning System. "Trident-2" deliver to the target atomic warheads at a speed of 21 thousand kilometers per hour. 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 the creation of 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 submarine compared to previous versions. The launch silos are designed for D-9 missiles, the launch weight of which is twice the normal one. The length of the ship is 155 meters, the displacement is 15 thousand tons. According to experts, the Soviet designers managed to complete the original task. The range of the missile system has increased by about 2.5 times. In order to achieve this goal, the Murena-M submarine had to be made one of the largest submarines in the world. The dimensions of the missile carrier did not change for the worse the level of its secrecy. The design of the boat was designed to dampen the vibration of the 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 the 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 boat "Borey" in the foreseeable future should replace the submarines of the "Shark" and "Dolphin" classes. The length of the cruiser is 170 meters, the displacement is 24 thousand tons. Borey became the first strategic submarine built in the post-Soviet era. First of all, the new Russian boat serves as a platform for launching Bulava ballistic missiles equipped with multiple nuclear warheads. The range of their flight exceeds 8 thousand kilometers. Due to funding problems and the disruption of economic ties with enterprises located on the territory of the former Soviet republics, the deadlines for completing the construction of the ship were repeatedly postponed. The boat "Borey" was launched in 2008.
"Shark"
According to NATO classification, this ship has the designation "Typhoon". The dimensions of the submarine "Shark" surpass anything that has been created throughout the history of the existence of submarines. Its construction was the answer of the Soviet Union to the American Ohio project. The huge size of the Akula heavy submarine was due to the need to place R-39 missiles on it, the mass and length of which significantly exceeded those of the American Trident. Soviet designers had to put up with large dimensions in order to increase the flight range and weight of the warhead. The Shark boat, adapted to launch these missiles, has a record length of 173 meters. Its displacement is 48 thousand tons. To date, the Shark remains the largest submarine in the world.
Generation of an era
The first lines of the rating are also occupied by the USSR. This is understandable: the superpowers involved in the Cold War believed in the possibility of delivering a preemptive strike. They saw their main task in quietly placing nuclear missiles as close to the enemy as possible. This mission was entrusted to large submarines, which became the legacy of that era.
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