The largest submarine, the Akula, produced in the Soviet Union, was the pride of the Navy and the horror of its opponents. However, the end of the Cold War and the signing of a number of agreements led to the fact that most of the ships received a tragic continuation of their history.

There is a thunderstorm at the moment underwater world I was left alone.

History of creation

The legend of the world's underwater shipbuilding was first launched in Severodvinsk in 1981. While on land, a shark's grin wrapped around a trident was painted on its hull in the front part. After launching, the image disappeared and was never seen again, but the car had already received its name, which later became official.

Subsequent modifications made under this class were called the same, and the crew received a sleeve patch with a painted predator. Foreign journalists dubbed the boat code name“Typhoon”, and a few years later they began to call it that in the Union.

It was ordered to begin work on the creation of the first submarine with the ability to carry several modern solid-fuel three-stage intercontinental ballistic missiles R-39, superior to the Trident (US missile) in the amount of explosives and flight range.

The weight of the missiles reached 100 tons, and the number required to be placed on the ship was 24 units. Because of this, the length of Soviet ships was almost 2 times longer than their foreign counterparts.

Work on creating the submarine began in the summer of 1976, under the control of general designer Sergei Nikitich Kovalev. After completing the first design documentation, the dimensions of the “Shark” were determined: the length is almost 2 football fields and the height of a 9-story building.

The first official information about the creation of a new project was made at the XXVI Congress of the CPSU, held in the spring of 1981. Leonid Ilyich deliberately named the car “Typhoon” in order to discourage and confuse his rivals in the Cold War, which began almost immediately after the USSR’s victory in the Second World War. Prior to this, all information regarding the latest development remained classified.

Design of the submarine "Shark"

Location energy block on the Akula submarine was produced according to a unique design: it is installed in a durable hull with an automated fire extinguishing system and power cutoff.

This process takes place under the supervision of pulsed equipment designed to monitor the operation and condition of nuclear reactors.

The technical characteristics and design of the machine were created in such a way that the ship had an amazing reserve of buoyancy for that time - more than 40%, since after immersion in water, 50% of the displacement was accounted for by water used as ballast.

Because of this, many called the submarine a “water carrier.”

Such characteristics regarding the buoyancy reserve and the presence of a wheelhouse assembled from a special alloy make it possible for the first time to use the ship for combat duty under the ice of the Arctic Ocean. The ship is capable of breaking through blocks more than 250 cm thick without causing any damage to the hull.

Frame

One of the main features of the Shark 941 project is a multi-layer hull, distinguished by its unique strength. It contains 5 habitable chambers with a diameter of 10 m, placed parallel to each other. The bow accommodates missile silos, which were built for the first time forward of the deckhouse.

Next to it are 3 more compartments:

1. Torpedo.
2. Modular, on which the central post is located.
3. Stern mechanical.

The layout of the internal compartments made it possible to reduce the fire hazard and increase the survivability of the ship.

According to designer Kovalev: “The accident that happened with the Kursk cannot be repeated on the Akula.” Even if a torpedo explodes inside the submarine, due to the fact that it is located inside a separate module, serious destruction of the bow and death of the entire crew will not occur.”

In total, the Shark has 19 waterproof and 2 rescue chambers designed to evacuate the entire crew. They are located under the base of the command post, next to the fence of the retractable device.

Power propulsion system

The movement of a multi-ton submarine occurs using a nuclear energy complex designed on a block principle.

It and a number of other units, connected by the designers into one whole, make the “Shark” mobile:

1. Pressurized water reactor, capacity 190 MW – 2 pcs.
2. Steam turbine system available in each building - 2 pcs.
3. Two-stage installation – 1 pc.
4. Seven-bladed propeller with a fixed pitch with installed ring fairings (fenestrons) – 2 pcs.

In addition, there are 2 backup engines of 190kW each, they can provide continuous work submarine if the main units stop for several hours.

To carry out maneuvers in a closed space, there are 2 separately located 750 kW motors installed in a thruster mechanism with its own rotary propeller located on each side of the ship.

Armament

The Akula submarine is equipped with primary and secondary weapons, which are designed to destroy enemy targets located in line of sight or at a distance of more than 8,000 km.

Basics

This submarine has a D-19 installation with ballistic missiles having a launch weight of 90 tons and a length of 17 m. The combat flight range is 8,300 km with a detachable part for 10 warheads of 100 kilotons each.

In the entire history of the use of such weapons, the Project 941 submarine and its subsequent modifications were its only carrier; there are no other analogues capable of taking on such an amount of explosive.

The launch of a full load of ammunition is carried out with a single shot or successive salvos, both on the surface and from a submerged state. The maximum diving depth at the start of the D-19 reaches 56 m, without restrictions on weather conditions.

In total, the Akula submarine has 20 units of such missiles on board, although initially Kovalev planned to install 24 units, but the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy S.G. Gorshkov decided to stop at 20.

Secondary

In addition to strategic weapons, the submarine missile carrier has on board a minefield installation system, 6 torpedo cycle devices with a 533mm barrel, used for fire support for missile torpedoes, 8 Igla 1 MANPADS and a whole range of electronic weapons:

1. "Omnibus", a militarized information management complex.
2. "Skat-KS", hydroacoustics system.
3. "Harp MG-519", a hydroacoustic unit for searching for mines.
4. "Sever MG-518", an echo sounder for measuring ice thickness.
5. "BuranMRKP-58", radar device.
6. "Symphony", navigation block.
7. "Molniya L-1", a radio communication device equipped with the Tsunami satellite system.
8. MTK-100, TV block.
9. 2 antennas - buoys, which, when the boat is at a depth of more than 150 m, float up and receive radio signals and information from the satellite.

Started after the Great Patriotic War 1941 – 1945 The cold war, which continued as a long arms race between the two world powers, ended thanks to the partial contribution of the Akula series submarines.

The impressive size of the ship and the huge arsenal on board, allowing it to launch a salvo of 20 missiles at any time anywhere in the world, contributed to the long-term confrontation and ended it with the signing of a peace agreement.

Performance characteristics

As the Head of the Northern Fleet Directorate put it, having visited the Akula for the first time: “By placing it on public display as a monument, you can be sure that humanity who sees it will forever get rid of the idea of ​​​​developing wars.”

This is explained not even by the presence of enormous potential and modern weapons hidden from prying eyes, but appearance the ship and its terrifying dimensions.

You can familiarize yourself with them in the performance characteristics table below:

Name of criterion	Magnitude
Vessel type	TRPKSN
Surface speed, knot	13
Diving speed, knot	26
Displacement (above water), t	23 100
Displacement (underwater), t	49 000
Length, m	172,9
Width, m	23,4
Height, m	23,4
Recommended immersion depth, m	400
Maximum immersion depth, m	500
Crew/officers	160/ 52
Duration of autonomous navigation, days	180

Modifications

As mentioned earlier, the first Akula submarine was launched to the surface of the water in December 1981.

Initially, the plans were to assemble 7 similar ships, but due to an agreement to reduce the number of strategic weapons, the Soviet Union limited itself to 6 copies.

Work on the 7th model TK-210 was stopped, and the frame was dismantled for recycling.

The modifications collected and used are presented below:

• TK-208 "Dmitry Donskoy", construction began on June 17, 1976, launched into the water 4 years later. In 2002 it was withdrawn from service for subsequent modernization. To date, it has been converted for a new type of weapon, “Bulava”.
• TK-202, launched into the water in 1982, introduced into the Navy 1 year later, only in 1983. After 22 years of operation, it was cut into scrap metal.
• TK-12 "Simbirsk" used from 1983 to 1998, then decommissioned. In 2005, the ship was delivered to Severodvinsk and disposed of together with the Americans.
• TK-13, adopted for service in 1985, was used until 2007. Only after its decommissioning work began on its disposal. At the moment, it has been completely disassembled and reprocessed, and the nuclear reactor has been moved to the Arctic for long-term storage.
• TK-17 "Arkhangelsk" and TK-20 "Severstal" in 2006 they were withdrawn from the Russian Navy. The decision on their future fate has not yet been determined.

Almost all subsequent modifications of the Akula created by the Soviet Union are lost. At the moment, there are only 2 copies left, which are in question and 1 active. All others have been dismantled. The main reason was the results of negotiations on reduction nuclear weapons and the end of the Cold War. At the moment, all the ammunition of the D-19 ballistic missiles has been disposed of, and there is no basis or motivation for the production of subsequent ones.

The superficial opinion that Project 971 submarines belong to the Akula is erroneous. This model is individual development general designers Chernyshev and Farafontov and colleagues.

The development was labeled based on early work on . At the same time, NATO called it the successor of the Soviet giant and assigned the markings to the submarine “Akula” (Acula).

In addition, there are a number of interesting nuances associated with the submarine:

1. The technical characteristics of the 941 are so impressive that no analogues have been created to date.
2. The length of the ship exceeds the size of the largest by exactly 2 times.
3. A new workshop had to be built in Severodvinsk, which became the largest production facility in the world.
4. Crew members of one of the modifications say that after the first exit into warm waters, an interesting incident happened. At the moment the engines started, a real shark hovered next to the control room. After the submarine's engines had fully gained power, the boat and the shark began to move simultaneously. After this, the submariners were confident that the name of their ship was correct.

The beginning of the history of the construction of such ships stopped suddenly just as it began. As of today, out of 7 submarine models, only the Dmitry Donskoy remains in service.

The ship was modernized and underwent a major overhaul that lasted several years, as a result of which it remains in the country's Navy until at least 2020.

Video

In the fall of 2011, reports appeared in the domestic media according to which it was planned to decommission and dismantle all remaining Project 941 Akula nuclear submarines by 2014. 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 best periods in the history of the 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 stocks 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 Severodvinsk Sevmash plant. 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 of preliminary preparation for 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. The original design of the boat 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 P-39 had a length of 16 meters and simply did not fit on submarines of the old design, like the later versions of Project 667. At the same time, increasing the size of the boat made it possible to place on it comfortable cabins and quarters for the crew, a small recreation room, 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 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, first of all, 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 “Akula” 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 colossal 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, this shooting turned out to be the last one on this moment 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 to test 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 would remain in the fleet and would be in operation over the 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 during a very difficult period in 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 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

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. short time- within 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“The latest achievements in the creation of shipborne radio-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-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, which has not been fully thought out for the Russian submarine fleet. 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 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 center plane, which houses the central post and the radio-technical 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. Officers were placed in relatively spacious two- and four-berth cabins with washbasins, televisions and air conditioning, while sailors and foremen were placed 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 "Shark" 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 Project 941 Akula submarine cruiser was launched into the White Sea from the Severodvinsk shipyard. sea ​​legend or there were, on the bow of the submarine, until it was launched into the water, below the waterline, a shark was drawn baring its teeth, with its tail wrapped around a 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. 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 “Variant” solid-fuel ballistic missiles (hull weight - 90 tons, length - 17.7 m). The missile range is 8.3 thousand kilometers, combat unit is divided into 10 warheads, each of which has a capacity 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 (two pop-up modules, fastening of containers, mating of 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 demolition 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 they are being resolved further fate. 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.

September 23, 1980 at the shipyard of the city of Severodvinsk, on the surface White Sea The first Soviet Akula class submarine was launched. When her hull was still in the stocks, on its bow, below the waterline, a drawn grinning shark could be seen, which was wrapped around a trident. And although after the descent, when the boat got into the water, the shark with the trident disappeared under the water and no one saw it again, the people already dubbed the cruiser “The Shark”.

All subsequent boats of this class continued to be called the same, and a special sleeve patch with the image of a shark was introduced for their crews. In the West, the boat was given the code name “Typhoon”. Subsequently, this boat began to be called Typhoon among us.

Thus, Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev himself, speaking at the 26th Party Congress, said: “The Americans have created a new submarine, the Ohio, with Trident missiles. We also have a similar system - “Typhoon”.

In the early 70s in the USA (as they wrote Western media, “in response to the creation of the Delta complex in the USSR”), the implementation of the large-scale Trident program began, providing for the creation of a new solid-fuel missile with an intercontinental (more than 7000 km) range, as well as a new type of SSBN capable of carrying 24 such missiles and having an increased level of stealth . The ship with a displacement of 18,700 tons had maximum speed 20 knots and could carry out missile launches at a depth of 15-30 m. In terms of its combat effectiveness, the new American weapon system was supposed to significantly surpass the domestic 667BDR/D-9R system, which was in mass production at that time. The political leadership of the USSR demanded that industry provide an “adequate response” to another American challenge.

The tactical and technical assignment for the heavy nuclear submarine missile cruiser Project 941 (code “Shark”) was issued in December 1972. On December 19, 1973, the government adopted a decree providing for the start of work on the design and construction of a new missile carrier. The project was developed by the Rubin Central Design Bureau, headed by general designer I.D. Spassky, under the direct supervision of chief designer S.N. Kovaleva. The main observer from the Navy was V.N. Levashov.

“The designers were faced with a difficult technical task - to place 24 missiles weighing almost 100 tons each on board,” says general designer projects of Central Design Bureau of Medical Sciences "Rubin" S.N. Kovalev. - 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. Applied in principle new technology construction - an aggregate-modular method, which made it possible to significantly reduce the time. Now this method is used in everything, both underwater and surface shipbuilding, but for that time it was a serious technological breakthrough.

The indisputable operational advantages demonstrated by the first domestic naval solid-fuel ballistic missile R-31, as well as American experience (which was always treated with great respect in Soviet senior military and political circles) determined the customer’s categorical requirement to equip the 3rd generation submarine missile carrier with solid-fuel missiles . The use of such missiles made it possible to significantly reduce the time of pre-launch preparation, eliminate the noise of its implementation, simplify the composition of ship equipment, abandoning a number of systems - gas analysis of the atmosphere, filling the annular gap with water, irrigation, draining the oxidizer, etc.

Preliminary development of a new intercontinental missile system for equipping submarines began at the Mechanical Engineering Design Bureau under the leadership of chief designer V.P. Makeev in 1971. Full-scale work on the D-19 RK with R-39 missiles began in September 1973, almost simultaneously with the start of work on the new SSBN. When creating this complex, an attempt was made for the first time to unify underwater and ground-based missiles: the R-39 and the heavy RT-23 ICBM (being developed at the Yuzhnoye Design Bureau) received a single first-stage engine.

The level of domestic technology in the 70-80s did not allow the creation of a high-power solid-fuel ballistic intercontinental missile in dimensions close to those of previous liquid-propellant missiles. The increase in the size and weight of the weapon, as well as the weight and size characteristics of the new radio-electronic equipment, which increased by 2.5-4 times compared to the previous generation electronic equipment, led to the need to adopt unconventional layout solutions. As a result, an original type of submarine, which has no analogues in the world, was designed with two strong hulls located in parallel (a kind of “underwater catamaran”). Among other things, such a “flattened” shape of the ship in the vertical plane was dictated by draft restrictions in the area of ​​the Severodvinsk Shipyard and repair bases of the Northern Fleet, as well as technological considerations (it was necessary to ensure the possibility of simultaneous construction of two ships on one slipway “string”).

It should be recognized that the chosen scheme was largely a forced, far from optimal solution, which led to a sharp increase in the ship’s displacement (which gave rise to the ironic nickname for the boats of the 941st project - “water carriers”). At the same time, it made it possible to increase the survivability of a heavy submarine cruiser by dividing the power plant into autonomous compartments in two separate durable hulls; improve explosion and fire safety (by removing missile silos from the pressure hull), as well as placing the torpedo compartment and the main command post in isolated durable modules. The possibilities for modernizing and repairing the boat have also expanded somewhat.

When creating a new ship, the task was set to expand its area combat use under the ice of the Arctic up to extreme latitudes due to the improvement of navigation and hydroacoustic weapons. To launch missiles from under the Arctic “ice shell,” the boat had to surface in ice holes, breaking through ice up to 2-2.5 m thick with the wheelhouse fencing.

Flight tests of the R-39 missile were carried out on the experimental diesel-electric submarine K-153, converted in 1976 according to Project 619 (it was equipped with one shaft). In 1984, after a series of intensive tests, the D-19 missile system with the R-39 missile was officially adopted by the Navy.

The construction of Project 941 submarines was carried out in Severodvinsk. To do this, the Northern Engineering Enterprise had to build a new workshop - the largest indoor boathouse in the world.

The first TAPKR, which entered service on December 12, 1981, was commanded by Captain 1st Rank A.V. Olkhovnikov, who was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union for mastering such a unique ship. It was planned to build a large series of Project 941 heavy submarine cruisers and create new modifications of this ship with increased combat capabilities.

However, at the end of the 80s, for economic and political reasons, it was decided to abandon further implementation of the program. The adoption of this decision was accompanied by heated discussions: industry, the developers of the boat and some representatives of the Navy were in favor of continuing the program, while the Main Headquarters of the Navy and the General Staff of the Armed Forces were in favor of stopping construction. main reason was the difficulty of organizing the basing of such large submarines armed with no less “impressive” missiles. The Akula simply could not enter most of the existing bases because of their cramped conditions, and the R-39 missiles could be transported at almost all stages of operation only along a railway track (they were also transported along rails to the pier for loading onto a ship). Loading of missiles had to be carried out by a special heavy-duty crane, which is a unique engineering structure of its kind.

As a result, it was decided to limit ourselves to the construction of a series of six ships of Project 941 (i.e., one division). The unfinished hull of the seventh missile carrier - TK-210 - was dismantled on the slipway in 1990. It should be noted that somewhat later, in the mid-90s, the implementation of the American program for the construction of Ohio-class submarine missile carriers ceased: instead of the planned 30 SSBNs, the US Navy received only 18 nuclear-powered submarines, of which it was decided to remain in service by the early 2000s only 14.

The design of the Project 941 submarine is of the “catamaran” type: two separate durable hulls (each 7.2 m in diameter) 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 center plane, which houses the central post and the radio-technical 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. The total number of waterproof compartments is 19.

At the base of the wheelhouse, under the retractable device fence, there are two pop-up rescue chambers capable of accommodating the entire crew of the submarine.

The central post compartment and its light fencing are shifted towards the stern of the ship. 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 the stealth of the boat).

The ship has a developed stern tail. The front horizontal rudders are located in the bow of the hull and are retractable. 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's crew (mostly consisting of officers and midshipmen). 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. The ship received a gym, swimming pool, solarium, sauna, relaxation lounge, “living area”, etc.

Power plant of the 3rd generation with a nominal power of 100,000 hp. With. made according to the block layout principle with the placement of autonomous modules (unified for all boats of the 3rd generation) in both durable hulls. The adopted layout solutions made it possible to reduce the dimensions of the nuclear power plant, while increasing its power and improving other operational parameters.

The power plant includes two water-cooled thermal neutron reactors OK-650 (190 MW each) and two steam turbines. The block layout of all units and component equipment, in addition to technological advantages, made it possible to apply more effective vibration isolation measures that reduce the noise of the ship.

The nuclear power plant is equipped with a batteryless cooling system (BCR), which is automatically activated when the power supply is lost.

Compared to previous nuclear submarines, the reactor control and protection system has changed significantly. The introduction of pulsed equipment made it possible to control its condition at any power level, including in a subcritical state. The compensating elements are equipped with a “self-propelled” mechanism, which, in the event of a power failure, ensures that the grilles are lowered onto the lower end switches. In this case, the reactor is completely “damped”, even when the ship capsizes.

Two low-noise fixed-pitch seven-blade propellers are installed in ring nozzles. As backup propulsion, there are two 190 kW DC electric motors, which are connected to the main shaft line via couplings.

Four 3200 kW turbogenerators and two DG-750 diesel generators are installed on board the boat. To maneuver in cramped conditions, the ship is equipped with a thruster in the form of two folding columns with propellers (in the bow and stern). The thruster propellers are driven by 750 kW electric motors.

When creating the Project 941 submarine, great attention was paid to reducing its hydroacoustic signature. In particular, the ship received a two-stage rubber-cord pneumatic shock absorption system, a block layout of mechanisms and equipment was introduced, as well as new, more effective soundproofing and anti-hydrolocation coatings. As a result, in terms of hydroacoustic stealth, the new missile carrier, despite its gigantic size, significantly surpassed all previously built domestic SSBNs and probably came close to its American counterpart - the Ohio-class SSBN.

The submarine is equipped with a new navigation complex "Symphony", a combat information and control system, a hydroacoustic mine-detecting station MG-519 "Arfa", an echo ice meter MG-518 "Sever", a radar complex MRKP-58 "Buran", and a television complex MTK-100. On board there is a radio communication complex "Molniya-L1" with a satellite communication system "Tsunami".

A digital sonar system of the Skat-3 type, integrating four sonar stations, is capable of simultaneously tracking 10-12 underwater targets.

Retractable devices located in the wheelhouse enclosure include two periscopes (command and universal), a radio sextant antenna, radar, radio antennas for the communication and navigation system, and a direction finder.

The boat is equipped with two buoy-type pop-up antennas, which allow receiving radio messages, target designations and satellite navigation signals when located at great depths (up to 150 m) or under ice.

The D-19 missile system includes 20 solid-fuel three-stage intercontinental ballistic missiles with multiple warheads D-19 (RSM-52, Western designation SS-N-20). The entire ammunition load is launched in two salvos, with minimal intervals between missile launches. Missiles can be launched from a depth of up to 55 m (without restrictions on weather conditions on the sea surface), as well as from a surface position.

The three-stage R-39 ICBM (length - 16.0 m, hull diameter - 2.4 m, launch weight - 90.1 tons) carries 10 individually targeted warheads with a capacity of 100 kg each. Their guidance is carried out using an inertial navigation system with full astro-correction (a CEP of about 500 m is provided). The maximum launch range of the R-39 exceeds 10,000 km, which is greater than the range of its American counterpart, the Trident C-4 (7,400 km) and approximately corresponds to the range of the Trident D-5 (11,000 km).

To minimize the size of the rocket, the engines of the second and third stages have retractable nozzles.

An original launch system has been created for the D-19 complex with the placement of almost all elements launcher on the rocket itself. In the silo, the R-39 is suspended, supported by a special shock-absorbing rocket launch system (ARSS) on a support ring located in the upper part of the silo.

The launch is carried out from a “dry” shaft using a powder pressure accumulator (PAA). At the moment of launch, special powder charges create a gas cavity around the rocket, which significantly reduces the hydrodynamic loads on the underwater portion of the movement. After exiting the water, the ARSS is separated from the missile using a special engine and moved to the side at a safe distance from the submarine.

There are six 533-mm torpedo tubes with a fast loading device, capable of using almost all types of torpedoes and missile-torpedoes of this caliber in service (typical ammunition - 22 USET-80 torpedoes, as well as Shkval missile-torpedoes). Instead of part of the missile and torpedo armament, mines can be taken on board the ship.

For self-defense of a surfaced submarine from low-flying aircraft and helicopters, there are eight sets of Igla (Igla-1) MANPADS. The foreign press reported on the development of Project 941 for submarines, as well as a new generation SSBN, a self-defense anti-aircraft missile system capable of being used from a submerged position.

All six TAPRCs (received the Western code name Typhoon, which quickly “took root” in our country) were consolidated into a division that was part of the 1st flotilla of nuclear submarines. The ships are based in Western Litsa (Nerpichya Bay). The reconstruction of this base to accommodate new heavy-duty nuclear-powered ships began in 1977 and took four years. During this time, a special berth line was built, specialized piers were manufactured and delivered, capable, according to the designers, of providing TAPKR with all types of energy resources (however, at present, for a number of technical reasons, they are used as ordinary floating piers). For heavy missile submarine cruisers, the Moscow Transport Engineering Design Bureau has created a unique complex of missile loading facilities (KSPR). It included, in particular, a double-cantilever gantry crane-loader with a lifting capacity of 125 tons (it was not put into operation).

There is also a coastal ship repair complex in Zapadnaya Litsa, which provides maintenance for Project 941 boats. Especially to provide a “floating rear” for boats of the 941st project in Leningrad at the Admiralty Plant in 1986, the sea transport-missile carrier “Alexander Brykin” (project 11570) was built with a total displacement of 11,440 tons, having 16 containers for R-39 missiles and equipped with 125 -ton crane.

However, a unique coastal infrastructure that provides servicing for Project 941 ships was created only in the Northern Fleet. The Pacific Fleet did not manage to build anything like this until 1990, when the program for further construction of the Sharks was curtailed.

The ships, each manned by two crews, were (and probably continue to be) constantly on alert even while at the base.

The combat effectiveness of the "Sharks" is largely ensured by the constant improvement of the communications system and combat control of naval strategic nuclear forces countries. To date, this system includes channels using various physical principles, which increases reliability and noise immunity in the most unfavorable conditions. The system includes stationary transmitters that transmit radio waves in various bands of the electromagnetic spectrum, satellite, aircraft and ship repeaters, mobile coastal radio stations, as well as hydroacoustic stations and repeaters.

The huge reserve of buoyancy of heavy submarine cruisers of the 941st project (31.3%) in combination with powerful reinforcements of the light hull and wheelhouse provided these nuclear-powered submarines with the ability to surface in solid ice up to 2.5 m thick (which has been repeatedly tested in practice). Patrolling under the ice shell of the Arctic, where there are special hydroacoustic conditions that reduce the detection range of an underwater target using the most modern sonar systems to just a few kilometers even with the most favorable hydrology, the Sharks are practically invulnerable to US anti-submarine nuclear submarines. The United States also does not have aircraft capable of searching for and destroying underwater targets through polar ice.

In particular, the “Sharks” carried out combat service under the ice of the White Sea (the first of the “941s” to make such a trip was made in 1986 by TK-12, on which the crew was replaced during patrols with the help of an icebreaker).

The growing threat from the predicted missile defense systems of a potential enemy required an increase in the combat survivability of domestic missiles during their flight. In accordance with one of the predicted scenarios, the enemy could try to “blind” the optical celestial navigation sensors of the ballistic missile using space nuclear explosions. In response to this, at the end of 1984, under the leadership of V.P. Makeeva, N.A. Semikhatov (rocket control system), V.P. Arefiev (command devices) and B.C. Kuzmin (astrocorrection system), work began on creating a durable astrocorrector for submarine ballistic missiles, capable of restoring its functionality after a few seconds. Of course, the enemy still had the opportunity to carry out nuclear cosmic explosions at intervals every few seconds (in this case, the accuracy of the missile's guidance would have been significantly reduced), but such a solution was difficult to implement for technical reasons and pointless for financial reasons.

The improved version of the R-39, which in its main characteristics is not inferior to the American Trident D-5 missile, was put into service in 1989. In addition to increased combat survivability, the modernized missile had an increased disengagement zone for warheads, as well as increased firing accuracy (the use of the GLONASS space navigation system in the active phase of the missile’s flight and in the MIRV guidance section made it possible to achieve an accuracy no less than that of silo-based Strategic Missile Forces ICBMs). In 1995, TK-20 (commanded by Captain 1st Rank A. Bogachev) carried out missile firing from the North Pole.

In 1996, due to lack of funds, TK-12 and TK-202 were withdrawn from combat service, and in 1997 - TK-13. At the same time, additional funding for the Navy in 1999 made it possible to significantly speed up the protracted major renovation the lead missile carrier of the 941st project - K-208. Over the ten years during which the ship was in the State Center for Nuclear Submarine Shipbuilding, the main weapons systems were replaced and modernized (in accordance with Project 941 U). It is expected that in the third quarter of 2000 the work will be fully completed, and after completion of the factory and sea acceptance tests, at the beginning of 2001, the updated nuclear-powered ship will again enter service.

In November 1999, two RSM-52 missiles were fired from the Barents Sea from one of the Project 941 TAPKRs. The interval between launches was two hours. The missile warheads hit targets at the Kamchatka test site with high accuracy.

As of 2013, out of 6 ships built under the USSR, 3 ships of Project 941 “Akula” have been scrapped, 2 ships are awaiting disposal, and one has been modernized according to Project 941UM.

Due to a chronic lack of funding, in the 1990s it was planned to decommission all units, however, with the advent of financial opportunities and a revision of the military doctrine, the remaining ships (TK-17 Arkhangelsk and TK-20 Severstal) underwent maintenance repairs in 1999-2002. TK-208 "Dmitry Donskoy" underwent major repairs and modernization under Project 941UM in 1990-2002 and since December 2003 has been used as part of the testing program for the latest Russian SLBM "Bulava". When testing the Bulava, it was decided to abandon the previously used test procedure.

The 18th Submarine Division, which included all the Sharks, was reduced. As of February 2008, it included the TK-17 Arkhangelsk (last combat duty - from October 2004 to January 2005) and the TK-20 Severstal, which were in reserve after the working life of the “main caliber” missiles had expired. "(last combat duty - 2002), as well as the K-208 Dmitry Donskoy converted to the Bulava. TK-17 "Arkhangelsk" and TK-20 "Severstal" were awaiting a decision on disposal or re-equipment with new SLBMs for more than three years, until in August 2007, the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy, Admiral of the Fleet V.V. Masorin, announced that until 2015 it is planned to modernize the Akula nuclear submarine for the Bulava-M missile system.

Interesting Facts:

For the first time, the placement of missile silos in front of the wheelhouse was carried out on boats of the Akula project.

For the development of a unique ship, the title of Hero of the Soviet Union was awarded to the Commander of the first missile cruiser, Captain 1st Rank A. V. Olkhovnikov in 1984

The ships of the Shark project are included in the Guinness Book of Records

The commander's seat in the central post is inviolable; there are no exceptions for anyone, not for the commanders of a division, fleet or flotilla, and even the Minister of Defense. P. Grachev, who broke this tradition in 1993, was rewarded with the hostility of the submariners during a visit to the Shark.