By Project 971, there are several building lots , for each of the Russian side, despite improved technology were no new names assigned. NATO is different, however, the Akula-class , from the period 1984-1992 were eight boats entered service between 1992 and 2005 was followed by several boats with advances in technology, sometimes referred to as Improved Akula class are described, and finally some fundamentally improved U -boats, also known as Akula-II class are called.
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Development
Based on the plans of the project, 945 ( Sierra class ) decided the Soviet Navy in 1976, a new submarine class in place for the boats of the project 671РТМ Щука ( Victor III class to develop). The staff responsible for planning office malachite (Малахит) in Leningrad should be next to the best possible noise reduction also place high value on a cost structure so that for the pressure hull no titanium should be used. A direct consequence was that to achieve the same depth as the Sierra class (600 m) for the Akula-class more steel had to be fitted to the water pressure withstand. The displacement thus increased by more than 1000 tons.After secret knowledge about the technical features of the American Los Angeles class were improvements to the Project 971needed, so that the construction of the first boat delayed until 1983. The 971 project was at its entry into the quietest nuclear-powered submarine of the Soviet Navy. Are a significant contribution to reducing the noise level while the companies Toshiba andKongsberg have done that in violation of the CoCom guidelines supplied the USSR with modern machinery. These are said to have then enables the production of extremely precise and thus very quiet propeller.
With the construction of the boats were two shipyards commissioned: 402 Shipyard in Severodvinsk produced for the Northern Fleet , while 199 Shipyard in Komsomolsk-on-Amur boats for the Pacific Fleet built.
Application profile
The scope of duties of the class includes the fight hostile and submarine forces, the intelligence and the laying of mines .Another job is to defend the Soviet and later Russian submarines with ballistic missiles (SSBNs). Since these are not even effective against enemy hunting submarines and anti-submarine could protect aircraft, they were set up for certain "bastions" - Sea areas between Barents Sea and the Arctic Ocean , where they intersect and are waiting for their marching orders. Meanwhile, to own hunting submarines like the Akula-class at the edges of these areas make underwater shooting at enemies that are trying to break into the bastion, while the ice cover of the Arctic Ocean, the SSBNs from enemy planes protects and Soviet surface ships and land-based aircraft in the ice-free areas provide this protection.
By equipping with appropriate cruise missiles , the range of applications has been extended to attacks on point or area targets on land. If nuclear warheads are used for cruise missiles, the boats of the Akula class as second-strike weapon in a nuclear war can be used.
Technology
Design
The boats of the Akula-class have a teardrop-shaped hull, amidships on the one tower is attached. They are known as double-hull boats with a pressure body of high-strength steel with a yield strength of 981 N / mm ². constructedThe pressure hull of the boat is divided into six divisions. In the front part of the pressure hull and the arming most of the sensors are located in the center in Division II follow the crew's quarters, hospital, exhibition, the Centre and the tower of the submarine. In Division III, diesel generators and the installations for water and air treatment. Division IV hosts finally the reactor chamber , the fifth division, the steam turbine and auxiliary equipment. In the last section, the drive shaft and power systems is to reduce noise. Control commands to the rate or depth change are rowing transfer at the rear, in addition to the depth change, the ballast tanks and two retractable rudders are used on the bow.
Drive
With the exception of type ship K-284 are all submarines of project 971 by a pressurized water reactor type OK-650B or OK 650M.01, similar to the Sierra class used type supplied with energy. He does about 190 megawatt thermal power for operating a steam turbine , which about 50,000 WPS to the shaft provenance. This is enough to the submarine via a siebenblätterigen propeller accelerate at underwater trip on up to 33 nodes.A special feature of the Soviet submarine construction is the installation of emergency or Manövrierantrieben for slow speed. The Akula-class features at the bottom of the hull to port and starboard, depending on an extendable impeller with a four-bladed propeller, which are operated by electric motors with 400 horsepower. That is enough in calm waters for a speed of up to 5 knots.
Armament
Akulas are equipped with four 533-mm torpedo tubes and 650-mm torpedo tubes. About these pipes can torpedoes and cruise missiles are fired or sea mines are ejected. The 650-mm tubes can be fitted with balancing bushes, in order to also use weapons of caliber 533 mm can.The arsenal of possible weapons includes:
- Torpedoes like the heavy 650-mm types DST-90 and DT , which are exclusively used against surface ships, as well as the smaller 533-mm types USET-80 and UGST which to combat enemy submarines at depths up to 1000 m and distances up to 50 km have been developed. Superkavitationstorpedo the WA-111 " Schkwal "and the APR-3M" eagle-M " should also can be used on the 533-mm torpedo tubes. Older torpedo models, such as the Type 53-65K had been removed already in the nineties of the boats.
- Cruise missiles as an important part of the armament. They can attack distant targets and ship if needed also meet targets on land. Unlike the American Los Angeles-class , all the missiles launched from the torpedo tubes and then rise up to 30 m / s to the surface. The Akula class was able to RPK-2 deploy missiles which were later replaced by more modern systems. These were the RPK-6/7 - and the RK-55 cruise missiles. These missiles can have a conventional warhead, but also, as an alternative, a tactical nuclear warhead of up to 200 kT wearing explosive force. The RK-55 is yet to be launched from depths of up to 200 m. cruise missiles of the type 3M-54 , which carry conventional warheads, may also be used. After an agreement with the U.S. in 1989, however, no more tactical nuclear weapons to be carried on submarines.
- Mines , of them use common Russian and Soviet types such as the MDM-1-underground mine or to hunt for submarines designed PMK-2-torpedo mine being sold through the 533-mm torpedo tubes. These types of mines are active for about a year before they destroy or disable itself.
About 40 torpedoes, missiles or mines of the types can be stored in the torpedo room. In this case however, only a maximum of twelve bins for about ten meters long 650-mm guns available, as the armory is shorter in the upper part, where only 28 of the short arms of caliber have 533 mm square. In addition, some sources are still flying fists type Strela-3 listed, of which three pieces are carried on board in order to have emerged from the Akula submarine against ASW to use helicopters or aircraft.
Sensors
In addition to a commander's periscope type "Swan" and a Beobachtungsperiskop of the type "3" for aiming or watching over water targets are the submarines of the Akula class with various sensors for finding targets for navigation aid and to detect threats equipped. The main phalanx to search for underwater targets is a digital sonar system MGK-540 Skat-3, the side sonar sensors from the main sensor in the front, below the torpedo tubes, for passive and active search of targets, passive search and a towed sonar for passive search composed. A radio frequency energy working mine avoidance sonar-type MG-519 is when navigating with mines used infested waters.In addition, the Akula-class, with the exception of six boats, with sensors for locating turbulence in the water as on ships and submarines in the wake generated. Measurement antennas of these sensors are installed at the front side of the tower and on the outer envelope. The system carries the codename "СОКС" (sock).
For the locations of radio transmitters on the tower over the boats have an extendable sensor type "Anis" (NATO designation: Park Lamp). Next to it is a radar system of the type MRKP-58 or 59 "Radian" (NATO designation: Snoop Pair) to search for surface contacts and aid to navigation. Finally, a sensor for electronic support measures of the type "zone" (NATO designation: Rim Hat) installed. In order to inserting the radio and radar systems as well as periscopes can be, the boat is at least at periscope depth, or appeared to be .
Communication
To radio communications is a P-790 uses "Tsunami BM" system that the exchange of information over long distances via satellite Molniya-MC allows. For P-790 system, a towed antenna include the radio communication for the U boats from shallow water on VLF allowed. The place where this antenna (type: "Parawan") is incorporated with its winds, but is controversial. Some sources went from a radio antenna in the gondola on the vertical tail rudder, where to actually find the towed sonar. Other suspected even a MHD propulsion in the pod. More recent sources locate the antenna in a two-door hatch aft of the tower above the reactor room.One of the Soviet satellite navigation system GLONASS -based system called PMU "synthesis" provides data for position determination. A friend or foe system of type "nichrome" allowed by radio identification to friendly forces.
Protection systems
Her hull with sound absorbing coated tiles, in order to absorb its own noise, or sound waves, and an enemy to aggravate sonar localization.Akula, a still captured from the sonar of an opponent, the boats have to actively defend piped to Täuschkörperausstoß. While at the first boot only two tubes of small diameter for older Täuschkörpermodelle were installed, these launchers were in later contract sections supplemented with six large-caliber tubes. Decoy-type MG-74 corundum (NATO designation: "Impostor" (scammers)) have a self-propelled, follow a pre-programmed course and generate up to 60 minutes submarine noises to enemy torpedoes and sensors distract from the actual submarine.They can be loaded into two pieces in the six additional 533-mm pipes, so that available up to twelve decoys are of this type.
In the event of damage to the ballast tanks or the pressure vessel, the boats of the project, 971 are equipped with a lift coefficient designed, which is about twice as high as that of their American counterparts. You can therefore absorb more water without sinking uncontrollably.
Should the main reactor fail, two diesel generators of the type AT-300 for up to ten days to ensure the energy supply of the ship's systems. The power grid is also on board with redundancy as two separate management systems exist.Even with the failure of the main drive the submarines of the project are 971 maneuverable through its emergency propulsion system is still limited.
If fire break out on board, the affected area sealed off and a fire extinguishing system directs Freon one gas to smother the fire. While the release of the gas can be manually initiated in the departments, the newer boats also have a system that automatically detects a fire and it allows the command center to release the Freon.
If a boat is so badly damaged that it must be abandoned, all Akulas have in the middle of the tower via an escape pod, which is constructed to all crew members, even at the maximum depth of the submarine, sure to bring to the surface.The capsule is an entry inside the boat entered near the center and then through a hatch sealed watertight. After triggering it breaks out of the tower and rises to the surface.
On top of the pressure hull is between the tower and bow - like many Russian submarine-types - an emergency buoy installed. As the beacon buoy constructed of type "ВАУ" can be triggered by the crew in an emergency, in order to ascend to the surface. She then drives freely and continuously transmits wirelessly to the last position of the submarine.
The last boat of the class, the 335 K- , in addition an automatic system was installed, which should, the crew must leave the submarine on the surface, at the touch four liferaft sejects that open automatically.
Crew
The crew of the Akula-boats consists of 73 sailors. All crew members are professional soldiers or longer servants, so that each boat has a substantially solid crew, with over 30 sailors a high proportion of officers has. The exact number of officers varies depending on the source, between 31 and 33 is the crew size, compared to submarines with similar tasks, rather low, as the boats greatly automates are.The units are located in the second section of the Akula submarines. This division is located in the body under pressure of the front half of the tower. It is divided into four decks: On the first deck located next to the headquarters some accommodations and computer systems. The majority of the crew is housed on the second and third deck. There are also the infirmary, the fair , the bathrooms and a small sauna. The quarters of the teams were in the introduction of the Akula-boats, as opposed to older Soviet submarines, as a relatively generous. The watertight bulkheads that this department separate from the living area of the occupation of the adjacent areas of the stern and bow are made curved inward so that they can withstand a water pressure is higher than the rest of the boat used in the bulkheads. This gives the crew in an emergency more time to take damage control measures or to achieve the escape pod before the department is crushed by water pressure.
The duration of use for each boat, as a result of energy supply through the reactor core and the on-board systems for drinking water production, only by the possession of stocks of food and consumer goods limited. It is usually composed of a maximum of 100 days autonomous operating time before these supplies need to be replenished.
Name
The boats of the project, 971 contributed to a corresponding command in October 1990, changed this practice, no names, but only tactical numbers.The first boat that was prior to its delivery to the Navy a name was K-317 "Panther". The at that time already in use boats were provided in April 1993 by the name, the one historical predecessors boats took over, around the time of the First World War had been built.Later, several boats were renamed during their period of service. From the initially assigned animal names were thereby in part city name. This happened after the collapse of the Soviet Union and he apparently seeks to create a bond between a city or region, and the same boat, in order to achieve the support of the then chronically underserved crews through their moniker.
The submarine class received from U.S. Department of Defense, the previously all newly discovered Soviet submarine classes with the NATO alphabet had in those used by the NATO code name : Akula class
“We have run out of letters to designate their submarines, so we have gone to the names of fish. ‘Akula’ means shark in russian language…”
"... We, the letters are expected to name their submarines. So we changed the name of fish. , Akula 'means shark "in Russian ..."
- Ronald Vizeadmiral Thunman, 1985
Since one on the American side of the spy ring to the naval personnel John A. Walker responsible for the betrayal of the findings was that had in the Soviet Union influenced the construction of the Akula-class significantly, the boats were in U.S. Navy circles ironic sometimes called Walker classcalled.
Projekt 971 ("Akula")
The first unit of the project, 971, K-284, was in 1980 in the shipyard 199 of Komsomolsk-on-Amur and in 1984 laid the keel of the Pacific Fleet passed. The Pacific Fleet got another four units of this type. In Severodvinsk on 402 shipyard construction started in 1986 with K-480 and ended in 1992 with the K-461. The State 402 yard later became a private company Sewmash . Project 971 ("Improved Akula")After the first boats of the project had proved 971, began to think about improvements and partially in the first construction lot to implement. K-317 "Panther" and K-480 "Snow Leopard" had already been equipped with sensors to wake location and some boats had received six not at sea rechargeable 533-mm launch tubes for acoustic decoys above the torpedo tubes. In the second building lot now received all boats these improvements. The only exception is K-328 "Leopard", in which the sensors are missing for wake detection.In addition, the radar system has been prepared by MRKP-58 converted to the more powerful MRKP-59, and the reactor and the cooling system revision.
While in the Soviet Union, no new term for the so-modified submarines was introduced, sat down with Western experts initially by "Improved Akula class" (Improved Akula class).
However, Western observers could never agree on a precise definition for "Improved Akula" boats, so that today it is not clear which boats belong at all to the "Improved Akula" class and what the "Akula II" class. As was expected on the NATO side of it that are still in service boats of the first contract section were retrofitted largely with the technical innovations of the second contract section, the boundaries blurred in the definition of "Improved Akula class" section. Some sources even lead to no "Improved Akula" class anymore, but are limited to "Akula I" and "Akula II"
The first boat from the second contract section was placed in Severodvinsk on keel. Despite the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the very poor funding of the military was the construction of new submarines of the Akula-class one of the few defense projects with high priority in Russia, if continued, with large delays, up to beinahen standstill were.
Only two hulls, which commenced its construction had already been completed and no later canceled by the recovered material has two SSBNs the Borei-class finish.
Projekt 971 ("Akula II")
The Akula-II class is the third contract section of the project 971, in which several changes in the electronic equipment and the noise reduction was achieved.These improved boats belong to Russian identity still to project 971, although they all have a new sound insulation of the engine compartment, which extends the boat by about two meters. The prevailing opinion of Western experts that extension is the defining feature of the Akula-II class.
The exact allocation of built boats of this class is difficult because no accurate data on the Russian side to the dimensions of the various submarines of the project were published in the 971st Only K-335 and K-157 in unanimous agreement Akula-II class are assigned as K-152, as a result of modernization also attributed in some sources the class.
A special feature is K-335 "Cheetah" , which differs externally from all other project-971 submarines by a much smaller container for the towed sonar on top of the tail rudder, sometimes erroneously called "Project 971m" or "Akula III -Class ". K-152 "Nerpa" will, because of their use as a boat for India and export to various differences in technical equipment, also known as "Project 971 I" (проекта 971И) called.
Information on operations of submarines of Akula class are not very extensive. First, the number of days that Soviet submarines in the year was spent at sea, is always lower than that of comparable Western counterparts, and secondly, the number of reduced patrols with the end of the Soviet Union even further. Nevertheless, the commander the boats Panther , Leopard and Tiger for services in action with the highest honorary title of Russia, Hero of Russia award.
1995 K-331 operated Narwal on the west coast of the United States. Despite massive call-up of hunting submarines, ASW aircraft and ASW ships succeeded in the United States Navy not to locate the boat.
In December 1995 came K-461 Wolf , was on board the crew of K-317 Panther , through the Straits of Gibraltar before the Mediterranean and shaded NATO submarines, including a boat the Los Angeles-class .
1998 followed K-317 Panther a U.S. SSBN 150 hours. The commander of the Panther was in this context of the titleHero of the Russian Federation awarded.
In 2003, the K-335 was operating cheetah on her first patrol before Newfoundland . Nevertheless, neither the U.S. Navy nor the Canadian Navy to track the boat.
In August 2009, two boats of the Akula-II class went deep in the Atlantic before and approached the coast of the United States up to 200 nautical miles at.
End of August 2010, the Royal Navy announced that within the last six months prior to the naval base at Faslane-on-Clyde had discovered a boat of the Akula class, which attempted a noise profile of the Vanguard -class record.
Noise
One of the key characteristics of a military submarine is to operate undetected to. To the lowest possible noise level is necessary. Any irregularity on the outer shell can form water turbulence, every noise in the interior of a boat, caused by machinery or industrial noise, can be transmitted through the hull as a vibration in the water, so that the boat can still be heard at a great distance. How far this is noise also depends on factors such as water salinity, depth of the submarine and water temperature. About the Project 971 for noise, there is some information that is not independently confirm:- According to Russian Information Project 971 is around 12-15 decibels quieter than the previous class Project 671 .
- Furthermore, should the American AN/BQQ-5- sonar of the Los Angeles-class one Akula in waters where the conditions of the Barents Sea are able to locate only within a radius of 10 km. When the transmission of noise less suitable waters such a discovery is almost impossible.
- The American expert N. Polmar told U.S. officials in 1997 in the course of a hearing on the NSSN program with that noise on the "Improved-Akula-class" under certain conditions, was less than the noise of the improved Los Angeles-class (688 "I" or Flight III ). U.S. Admiral JM Boorda told the same hearing that he was not sure whether we would have all the relevant data for the noise of the Akula-II class, a comparison to Seawolf class make.
- In a paper in the U.S. Navy from 1996 stated, however, the "new" Akula submarines are probably only at slow speed (5-7 knots) less than the Los Angeles-class, under normal operating conditions, ie, at higher speeds they were, however pure.
- The latest development step, the boat Cheetah K-335, is based on U.S. products by 2001 in view of the noise may be the same or better level than the Los Angeles or Seawolf class .
- The Research Council Federation of American Scientists (FAS) files Akula-I-boat in terms of broadband noise at the level of American Sturgeon-class one. An improved Akula-I should have similar emissions as a Los Angeles-boat in the Flight III version. An Akula II boat moves in the region between the Los Angeles-class (Flight III) and the Seawolf-and Virginia -class.
- The prestigious Jane's Information Group describes an Akula-boat as follows: "quieter than a Victor III ", the difference between an Akula-I and Akula-I Improved the round will be much greater than the difference between an Akula-I Improved Boot and one Akula-II.
Future
The project is 971 long by 885 project will be replaced. The date on which the last Akula-boat is to be decommissioned, but is not in sight. Already no longer in use project-971-boats the Northern Fleet were on the U-boat base Gadschijewo that the Pacific Fleet in Wiljutschinsk mothballed.Fiction
- U-BOOTE Akula-Klasse der kommen in Tom Clancys Romanen SSN und Das Echo aller Furcht vor.
- In Tony Scott's film Crimson Tide - Crimson Tide from 1995 is the USS Alabama was attacked by a submarine of the Akula class.
- In many other novels mention authors such as Larry Bond , Patrick Robinson , Del Dowdell , Mark Joseph , Charles D. Taylor or Bill Bigelow Akula-class submarines.
- The computer games industry has produced several simulations , in which the player can control submarines of Akula class. Including Sub Command (2001) and Dangerous Waters (2005).
- The video sequences in the computer game Command & Conquer: Red Alert illustrated Soviet submarines of the Akula class are modeled.
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