Project 971 multi-purpose nuclear submarine. Silent Pike-B. Modifications and further development of the project

MOSCOW, September 8 - RIA Novosti, Andrey Stanavov. The nuclear submarine of the Pacific Fleet "Kuzbass" today destroyed a detachment of ships of a mock enemy with torpedoes, the press service of the Eastern Military District reports. The Project 971 Shchuka-B ships developed by the Malachite Design Bureau are today the most numerous multi-purpose nuclear submarines in the Navy - more than 10 such submarines are in the Northern and Pacific Fleets. They are based in Yagelnaya Bay and in the village of Rybachy.

Despite the fact that the first ship of the series entered service back in 1984, the Pike still remains a super-effective underwater weapon with which you can neutralize an entire enemy fleet. According to the NATO classification, the boats were designated Akula and Akula-2 (later versions). Several Project 971 submarines are currently undergoing modernization, which will bring them closer in terms of combat capabilities to the Yasen 4th generation nuclear submarine. About the merits for which the American publication National Interest included "Pikes" in the list of the five most dangerous weapons of Russia and what a meeting with them on the high seas could be fraught with - in the material of RIA Novosti.

Russian nuclear submarine of project 971 "Pike-B"

We've lost her, sir!

Unprecedented low noise is a hallmark of the Schuka-B nuclear submarine. The designers managed to achieve this thanks to a two-stage depreciation system - all "noisy" internal mechanisms are installed on shock-absorbed foundations, blocks and assemblies are separated from the boat hull by special rubber-cord pneumatic shock absorbers. In addition, the improved Vepr, which was put into service in 1996, was already equipped with active systems for reducing the vibration of the power plant, which made the boat even quieter. In NATO, she was nicknamed Akula-2.

According to the calculations of MIPT engineers, even under the most favorable hydrological conditions, "Pikes" can be detected by American boats of the Los Angeles type at a distance of no more than 10 kilometers, and under unfavorable conditions, they can be found modern means hydroacoustics is impossible. The US Navy noted that at speeds of 5-7 knots, Russian submarines make less noise than their own most advanced nuclear submarines of the Improved Los Angeles type. The "Pikes" prowling off the coast of NATO countries more than once became the cause of scandalous headlines in the Western media.

As Admiral Jeremy Burda, Chief of Operations of the US Navy, noted earlier, during contact with the Akula-2 nuclear submarine off the US East Coast, American ships were unable to accompany it at operational speeds of less than 6-9 knots. According to the admiral, the improved third-generation Akula-2 meets the requirements for fourth-generation boats in terms of low noise characteristics.

Interestingly, the penetration of a flock of silent Russian boats into the depths of the World Ocean so alarmed the West that in 1991 this topic was discussed in the US Congress. American legislators wanted to demand that Russia “open up the cards” of submarine shipbuilding, limit the number of multi-purpose submarines, and were even ready to allocate money to re-equip Russian shipyards for the construction of civilian marine equipment.

Armed and very dangerous

Despite the fact that "Pike" to calculate in the ocean is very problematic for the enemy, they themselves "see" and "hear" everything very well. Along with the traditional hydroacoustic station, the submarines are equipped with a unique equipment that has no analogues in the world to search for surface ships and submarines along the wake. Moreover, highly sensitive devices make it possible to recognize the trace of a submarine even several hours after its passage.

As befits a multi-purpose warship, "Pike-B" is armed to the teeth and even alone is able to mess things up when meeting with an enemy convoy. An impressive ammunition capacity and eight torpedo tubes (four 533 mm and four 650 mm calibers) allow her to perform high-quality targets with the help of a whole arsenal of torpedoes, cruise and underwater missiles. In addition, the boat can lay mines.

Despite the fact that, according to the Soviet-American treaties of 1989, the Shkval and Vodopad nuclear torpedo missiles were excluded from the armament of multi-purpose nuclear submarines, the Project 971 submarine, even with conventional weapons, is able to effectively hunt aircraft carriers, destroyers, submarines and land enemy objects.

Earlier it was reported that after the modernization of "Pike" to version 971M, they will be based cruise missiles"Caliber-PL" with the ability to start from under the water. These missiles have already proven themselves well and gained worldwide fame - in December 2015 diesel boat B-237 "Rostov-on-Don" for the first time delivered a powerful blow to the positions of militants in Syria.

Second pike life

The K-328 Leopard, K-461 Volk, K-391 Bratsk and K-295 Samara submarines are currently undergoing modernization at the Zvyozdochka Ship Repair Center of Project 971 ships. It is expected that the updated Leopard will be the first to return to service in 2018. In addition to "Caliber", he will receive a modern radio-electronic complex, a navigation system and an improved hydroacoustic station, which allows you to "hear" enemy ships at an even greater distance than before.

As previously stated in an interview, Russian newspaper"Head of the Zvyozdochka Ship Repair Center Nikolai Kalistratov, the technical potential laid down at
modernization of the ships of the Shchuka-B project, will be comparable to the fourth-generation multi-purpose nuclear submarines Yasen of the Malachite design bureau.

"Pikes" are so good that they are abroad. In 2004, the Indian Navy planned to lease two such boats from Russia. The project has already been agreed with the Cabinet of Ministers of India, but nevertheless, in 2007, the new Cabinet of Ministers decided to exercise the option for only one nuclear submarine, called Chakra.

The main performance characteristics of nuclear submarines pr.971:

Nuclear submarine "Tigr", project 971 Dimensions: 110 x 14 x 9 m
Displacement: 8.140 / 12.770 t
NPP: reactor OK-650B (190 MW), 1 turbine with a capacity of 43,000 hp.
Speed: surface 11.6 / underwater 30 knots
Depth of immersion working: 520 m
Depth of immersion maximum: 600 m
Autonomy: 100 days
Crew: 73 people
Armament: 4 x 533 mm TA, 4 x 650 mm TA (28 rockets, torpedoes or mines)
Series:
K-284 "Shark" (1984)
K-263 "Dolphin" (1985)
K-322 "Kashalot" (1986)
K-391 "Bratsk" (1987)
K-331 "Narwhal" (1989)
K-419 "Walrus" (1992)
K-267 "Dragon" (1996)
K-480 "Bars" (1989)
K-317 "Panther" (1990)
K-461 "Wolf" (1992)
K-157 Vepr (1996)
K-328 "Leopard" (1993)
K-154 "Tiger" (1994)
K-335 "Gepard" (1998)
K-337 "Cougar" (2001)
K-333 "Lynx" (2001)
K-152 "Nerpa" (2002)

Multipurpose nuclear submarines, project 971 "Pike-B"

In order to expand the front for the construction of third-generation multi-purpose submarines, in July 1976 it was decided to create a new, cheaper ALL based on the Gorky project 945, the main difference of which from its prototype was to be the use of steel in hull structures instead of titanium alloy.
Therefore, the development of the ship, which received design number 971 and the code "Pike-B", was carried out according to the previous tactical and technical requirements, bypassing the preliminary design stage. A feature of the new nuclear submarine, the development of which was entrusted to the Leningrad Design Bureau "Malakhit", was a significant reduction in noise level, approximately five times compared to the most advanced domestic torpedo boat of the second generation. This result was supposed to be achieved through the implementation of earlier developments in the field of increasing stealth, both by the design team of the Special Design Bureau (where the project for an ultra-low-noise nuclear submarine was developed in the early 70s) and by scientists from the Central Research Institute. Academician A.N. Krylov. The efforts of the creators of the ship were crowned with success: for the first time in the history of domestic submarine shipbuilding, the new nuclear-powered ship surpassed the best American analogue, the third-generation multi-purpose nuclear submarine Los Angeles, in terms of stealth.
The Project 971 nuclear submarine received powerful strike weapons, significantly exceeding (in terms of the number and caliber of torpedo tubes, as well as missile and torpedo ammunition) the potentials of domestic and foreign submarines of a similar purpose. Like the project 945 ship, the new boat was supposed to fight enemy submarines and ship groups, carry out minelaying, conduct reconnaissance and participate in operations special purpose. The technical design of "Pike-B" was approved on September 13, 1977. However, later it underwent revision, caused by the need to "pull up" the technological level of the sonar complex to the level of the Americans, who again broke ahead in this area. On their boats of the third generation (type "Los Angeles") was installed GAK AN / BQQ-5 with digital information processing, which provided a much more accurate selection of the useful signal against the background of interference. Another new "introductory", which necessitated changes in the project, was the requirement of the military to equip nuclear submarines of a new generation with Granat strategic cruise missiles.
During the revision, which ended in 1980, the boat received a new digital sonar system with improved performance, as well as a weapons control system that allows the use of cruise missiles.
In the design of the Project 971 nuclear submarine, such innovative solutions were implemented as integrated automation of combat and technical means, the concentration of control of the ship, its weapons and weapons in a single center - the main command post (GKP), the use of a pop-up rescue camera (which was successfully tested on boats of the 705th project). The submarine of the 971st project belongs to the two-hull type. The robust body is made of high-strength steel with a yield strength of 100 kgf/mm. All the main equipment, HKP, combat posts and cabins are located in depreciated zonal blocks, which are spatial frame structures with decks. Depreciation significantly reduces the acoustic field of the ship, and also allows you to protect the crew and equipment from dynamic overloads that occur during underwater explosions. In addition, the block layout made it possible to rationalize the process of building a ship:
the installation of equipment was transferred from the cramped conditions of the compartment directly to the workshop, to a zonal block accessible from all sides. After installation is completed, the zone block is "rolled" into the boat's hull and connected to the main cables and pipelines of the ship's systems.
The nuclear submarine uses an advanced two-stage damping system, which significantly reduces structure-borne noise. All mechanisms are placed on depreciated foundations. Each zonal block is isolated from the nuclear submarine hull by rubber-cord pneumatic shock absorbers, which form the second stage of vibration isolation. Through the implementation integrated automation the crew of the boat was reduced to 73 people (including 31 officers), which is almost two times less than the number of crew of the American nuclear submarine of the Los Angeles type (141 people). In comparison with the nuclear submarine of project 671RTM, the habitability conditions on the new ship are somewhat improved.
The power plant of the ship includes one pressurized water reactor on thermal neutrons OK-650B (190 MW) with four steam generators (two circulation pumps for the first and fourth circuits, three pumps for the third circuit) and a steam single-shaft block steam turbine plant with a wide redundancy of mechanization . Shaft power - 50,000 l. With. Two alternating current turbogenerators are installed. For DC consumers, there are two groups of batteries and two reversible converters. The boat is equipped with a seven-bladed propeller with improved hydroacoustic characteristics and reduced rotational speed.
In the event of a failure of the main power plant, for its subsequent commissioning, emergency sources of electricity and auxiliary means of movement are provided - two thrusters with DC propulsion motors with a capacity of 410 hp each. with., providing a speed of about 5 knots and also serving for maneuvering in limited water areas.
On board the ship there are two DG-300 diesel generators with reversible converters (2 x 750 hp) with a fuel reserve for 10 days of operation. They are designed to generate direct current for propulsion motors and alternating current for general ship consumers.
The hydroacoustic complex MGK-503 "Skat-KS" with a digital information processing system has a powerful system of noise direction finding and sonar. It includes a developed bow antenna, two long-range onboard antennas, as well as a towed extended antenna placed in a container located on the vertical tail (the dimensions of the container are much larger than on the nuclear submarine of project 671RTM). In addition to the SJSC, Project 971 nuclear submarines are equipped with a highly effective, unparalleled world-wide system for detecting enemy submarines and surface ships along the wake (the equipment installed on the boat makes it possible to record such a trail many hours after the passage of the enemy submarine).
The ship is equipped with the Medveditsa-971 navigation complex, as well as the Molniya-M radio communication complex with the Symphony space communication system and a towed antenna.
The torpedo-missile complex includes four 533 mm torpedo tubes and four 650 mm torpedo tubes (the total ammunition load is more than 40 units of weapons, including 28 533 mm caliber). It is adapted to fire Granat cruise missiles, underwater missiles and Shkval, Vodopad and Veter rocket-torpedoes, as well as torpedoes and self-transporting mines. In addition, the boat can carry out the setting of conventional mines. The firing of the Granat cruise missiles is controlled by a special hardware complex.
In the 90s. The universal deep-sea homing torpedo UGST, created by the Research Institute of Marine Thermal Engineering and GNPP Region, entered service with submarines. It replaced the TEST-71M electric anti-submarine torpedo and the 53-65K high-speed anti-ship torpedo.
At the same time, on the basis of the Soviet-American agreements in 1989, weapons systems with nuclear warheads - Shkval and Vodopad rocket-torpedoes with SBCh, as well as Granat-type missile launchers - were excluded from the armament of multi-purpose nuclear submarines.
The lead nuclear-powered ship of the 971st project - K-284 - was laid down on the banks of the Amur in 1980 and entered service on December 30, 1984. Already in the process of its testing, the achievement of a qualitatively higher level of acoustic secrecy was demonstrated. The noise level of the K-284 turned out to be 12-15dB (ie, 4-4.5 times) lower than the noise level of the "quietest" domestic boat of the previous generation - 671RTM. According to the NATO classification, the new nuclear submarines received the designation Akula.
After the first "just Sharks", ships appeared, which in the West were called Improved Akula (probably, boats of Severodvinsk construction, as well as the last "Komsomol" ships) were included among them. Compared to their predecessors, they had better stealth than the improved Los Angeles-class boats (SSN-688-I) of the US Navy.
In 1996, the Vepr submarine built in Severodvinsk entered service. Retaining the old contours, he had a new design of a durable hull and internal "stuffing". Again, a serious leap forward was made in the field of noise reduction. In the West, this ship (as well as subsequent nuclear submarines of the 971 project) was called Akula-2.
According to US Naval Intelligence, rugged body The upgraded "Bars" has an insert 4 m long. The additional tonnage made it possible, in particular, to equip the boat with "active" systems to reduce the vibration of the power plant, almost completely eliminating its effect on the ship's hull. According to American experts, in terms of stealth characteristics, the upgraded boat of the 971st project is approaching the level of the fourth-generation American multi-purpose nuclear submarine SSN-21 Seawolf.
High stealth and combat stability give the "Bars" the opportunity to successfully overcome anti-submarine lines equipped with stationary systems for long-range sonar surveillance, as well as countering anti-submarine forces. They can operate in the zone of enemy domination and inflict sensitive missile and torpedo strikes on him. The armament of the Bars allows them to fight submarines and surface ships, as well as to hit ground targets with cruise missiles with high accuracy.
According to MIPT scientists in the brochure "The Future of Russia's Strategic Nuclear Forces: Discussion and Arguments" (Dolgoprudny, 1995), even under the most favorable hydrological conditions typical for the Barents Sea in winter period(the probability of their occurrence is 0.03) Project 971 nuclear submarines can be detected by American Los Angeles-class boats with AN / BQQ-5 sonar at a distance of no more than 10 km. Under less favorable conditions in this region of the World Ocean, it is practically impossible to detect the "Bars" by hydroacoustic means.
It is appropriate to give a description of the Project 971 submarines given by the prominent American naval analyst N. Polmar at hearings in the National Security Committee of the US House of Representatives: "The appearance of Akula-type submarines, as well as other third-generation Russian nuclear submarines, demonstrated that Soviet shipbuilders closed the noise gap faster than expected." A few years later, in 1994, it became known that this gap had been completely eliminated.
According to representatives of the US Navy, at operational speeds of the order of 5-7 knots, the noise of Improved Akula-class boats, recorded by means of sonar reconnaissance, was less than the noise of the most advanced US Navy submarines of the Improved Los Angeles class.
According to Admiral D. Burda, Chief of Operations of the US Navy, American ships were unable to escort the Improved Akula nuclear submarine at speeds of less than 6-9 knots (contact with the new Russian boat took place in the spring of 1995 off the east coast of the United States). According to the admiral, the improved Akula-2 nuclear submarine meets the requirements for fourth-generation boats in terms of low noise characteristics.
Appearing after the end cold war"as part of Russian fleet new ultra-secret nuclear-powered ships has caused serious concern in the United States. In 1991, this issue was raised in Congress. Several proposals were submitted for discussion by American legislators aimed at correcting the current situation in favor of the United States. In accordance with them, it was supposed, in particular:
- to demand from our country to make public its long-term programs in the field of submarine shipbuilding;
- establish for the Russian Federation and the United States agreed restrictions on the quantitative composition of multi-purpose nuclear submarines;
- to assist Russia in the re-equipment of shipyards building nuclear submarines for the production of non-military products.
The international non-governmental environmental organization Greenpeace also joined the campaign to combat Russian submarine shipbuilding, actively advocating a ban on nuclear-powered submarines (first of all, of course, Russian ones, which, according to the "greens", represent the greatest environmental danger). In order to "avoid nuclear catastrophes", Greenpeace recommended that Western governments put the provision financial assistance Russia, depending on the solution of this issue.
Currently, all multi-purpose nuclear submarines of the 971st project are part of the Northern (Yagelnaya Bay) and Pacific (Rybachy) fleets. They are quite actively (of course, by the standards of the present time) are used for military service.

A feature of the new nuclear submarine, the development of which was entrusted to the Leningrad SKV "Malakhit", was a significant, approximately five times as compared to the most advanced domestic torpedo boat of the 2nd generation, noise reduction. This result was supposed to be achieved through the implementation of earlier developments in the field of increasing secrecy both by the design team of the design bureau (where the project for an ultra-low-noise nuclear submarine was developed in the early 70s) and by scientists from the Central Research Institute. Academician A.N. Krylov.

The torpedo-missile system includes four torpedo tubes with a caliber of 533 mm and four with a caliber of 650 mm TA (the total ammunition load is more than 40 units of weapons, including 28 with a caliber of 533 mm). It is adapted to fire Granat cruise missiles, underwater missiles and rocket-torpedoes (Squall, Waterfall and Wind), as well as torpedoes and self-transporting mines. In addition, the boat can carry out the setting of conventional mines. The firing of the Granat cruise missiles is controlled by a special hardware complex.

In the 1990s, the universal deep-sea homing torpedo UGST, developed by the Research Institute of Marine Thermal Engineering and GNPP Region, entered service with submarines. It replaced the TEST-71M electric anti-submarine torpedo and the 53-65K high-speed anti-ship torpedo. The new torpedo is designed to destroy enemy submarines and surface ships. A powerful thermal power plant and a significant supply of fuel provide it with a wide range of travel depths, as well as the ability to hit high-speed targets at long distances. The unitary fuel axial piston engine and low-noise jet propulsion allow the UGST to reach speeds of more than 50 knots. The propeller without a gearbox is directly connected to the engine, which, along with other measures, has significantly increased the stealth of the torpedo.

The UGST uses two-plane rudders that extend beyond the contours of the torpedo after it exits the TA tube. The combined acoustic homing equipment has the modes of locating an underwater target and searching for a surface ship in its wake. There is a wired remote control system (the length of the torpedo coil is 25 km). The complex of onboard processors provides reliable control of all torpedo systems when searching for and hitting a target. The original solution is the presence in the guidance system of the "Tablet" algorithm, which simulates the tactical picture on board the torpedo at the time of firing, superimposed on the digital picture of the water area (depths, bottom topography, fairways). After the shot, the data is updated from the carrier ship. Modern algorithms give the torpedo the properties of an artificial intelligence system, which makes it possible, in particular, to use several torpedoes simultaneously against one or more targets in a complex target environment and with active opposition from the enemy. The length of the UGST-7.2 torpedo, weight - 2200 kg, explosive mass - 200 kg, travel depth - up to 500 m, travel speed - more than 50 knots, firing range - up to 50 km.

The improvement of the rocket-torpedoes, which are part of the armament of the nuclear submarine of the 971st project, continues. Currently, they are equipped with a new second stage, which is an APR-ZM underwater missile (caliber 355 mm, weight 450 kg, warhead weight 76 kg) with a hydroacoustic homing system with a capture radius of 2 km. The use of the guidance law with an adaptive lead angle made it possible to shift the center of the grouping of missile hits to the middle of the underwater target, hitting it into a strong hull. The torpedo uses an adjustable turbo-jet engine running on mixed high-calorie fuel, providing APR-ZM high speed approaching a target that makes it difficult for the enemy to use means of hydroacoustic countermeasures. The underwater speed of the missile is 18-30 m/s, the depth of target destruction is up to 800 m, the probability of hitting a target with an RMS target designation error of 300-500 m is 0.9.

At the same time, on the basis of the Soviet-American agreements in 1989, weapons systems with nuclear warheads - Shkval and Vodopad rocket-torpedoes with SBP, as well as Granat-type missile launchers - were excluded from the armament of multi-purpose nuclear submarines.

The efforts of the creators of the ship were crowned with success: in terms of stealth, the new nuclear-powered ship for the first time in the history of domestic submarine shipbuilding surpassed the best American analogue - the 3rd generation multi-purpose nuclear submarine Los Angeles.

The Project 971 nuclear submarine received powerful strike weapons, significantly exceeding (in terms of the number and caliber of torpedo tubes, as well as missile and torpedo ammunition) the potentials of domestic and foreign submarines of a similar purpose. Like the Project 945 ship, the new boat was supposed to fight enemy submarines and ship groups, carry out minelaying, conduct reconnaissance and participate in special operations.

The technical design of "Pike-B" was approved on September 13, 1977. However, later it underwent revision, caused by the need to "pull up" the technological level of the sonar complex to the level of the Americans, who again broke ahead in this area. On their boats of the 3rd generation ("Los Angeles" type) was installed GAK AM / VSYU-5 with digital information processing, which ensured a much more accurate selection of the useful signal against the background of interference. Another new "introductory", which necessitated changes in the project, was the requirement of the military to equip nuclear submarines of a new generation with Granat strategic cruise missiles.

During the revision, which ended in 1980, the boat received a new digital sonar system with improved performance, as well as a weapons control system that allows the use of cruise missiles.

In the design of the Project 971 nuclear submarine, such innovative solutions were implemented as integrated automation of combat and technical means, concentration of control of the ship, its weapons and weapons in a single center - the main command post (MCP), the use of a pop-up rescue camera (which was successfully tested on boats 705 th project).

The submarine of the 971st project belongs to the two-hull type. The strong case is made of high-strength steel with a yield strength of 100 kgf/mm2. All the main equipment, HKP, combat posts and cabins are located in depreciated zonal blocks, which are spatial frame structures with decks. Cushioning significantly reduces the acoustic field of the ship, and also makes it possible to protect the crew and equipment from dynamic overloads that occur during underwater explosions. In addition, the block layout made it possible to rationalize the process of building the ship: the installation of equipment was transferred from the cramped conditions of the compartment directly to the workshop, to a zonal block accessible from all sides. After installation is completed, the zone block is "rolled" into the boat's hull and connected to the main cables and pipelines of the ship's systems.

The nuclear submarine uses an advanced two-stage damping system, which significantly reduces structure-borne noise. All mechanisms are placed on depreciated foundations. Each zonal block is isolated from the nuclear submarine hull by rubber-cord pneumatic shock absorbers, which form the second stage of vibration isolation.

Due to the introduction of integrated automation, the crew of the boat was reduced to 73 people (including 31 officers), which is almost two times less than the number of crew of the American nuclear submarine of the Los Angeles type (141 people). In comparison with the nuclear submarine of project 671RTM, the habitability conditions on the new ship are somewhat improved. The hydroacoustic complex MGK-540 "Skat-3" with a digital information processing system has a powerful system of noise direction finding and sonar. It includes a developed bow antenna, two long-range onboard antennas, as well as an extended towed antenna placed in a container located on the vertical tail.

The target detection range through the new complex has increased three times compared to the sonar installed on second-generation boats. The time for determining the parameters of the movement of the target has also been significantly reduced.

In addition to the SJSC, Project 971 nuclear submarines are equipped with a highly effective, unparalleled world-wide system for detecting enemy submarines and surface ships along the wake (the equipment installed on the boat makes it possible to record such a trail many hours after the passage of the enemy submarine).

The ship is equipped with the Symphony-U navigation complex, as well as the Molniya-MTs radio communication complex with the Tsunami space communication system and a towed antenna.

"Pike-B" became the first type of multi-purpose nuclear submarine, the serial construction of which was organized initially at a plant in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, and not in Severodvinsk or Leningrad, which testified to the increased level of development of shipbuilding in the Far East. The lead nuclear-powered icebreaker of project 971 - K-284 - was laid down on the banks of the Amur in 1980 and entered service on December 30, 1984. Already in the process of its testing, the achievement of a qualitatively higher level of acoustic secrecy was demonstrated. The noise level of K-284 by 12-15 dB (i.e., 4-4.5 times) turned out to be lower than the noise level of the "quietest" domestic boat of the previous generation - 671RTM, which gave reason to talk about our country becoming a world leader in this the most important indicator of submarine shipbuilding. In the process of serial construction, the design of the ship was continuously improved, its acoustic testing was provided. This made it possible to strengthen the achieved position in the field of secrecy, finally eliminating the former superiority of the United States.

According to the NATO classification, the new nuclear submarines received the designation Akula (which introduced some confusion, since the name of another Soviet boat, Alfa (project 705), also began with the letter "A".

On October 10, 1990, an order was issued by the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy V.N. Chernavin about assigning the name "Panther" to the boat K-317. In the future, other nuclear-powered ships received names. this project. The first "Severodvinsk" boat - K-480 - received the name "Bars", which soon became a household name for all Project 971 nuclear-powered ships. Captain 2nd Rank S.V. became the first commander of the "Bars". Efremenko. In December 1997, at the request of Tatarstan, Bars was renamed Ak-Bars.

In 1996, the cruising nuclear submarine (KAPL) Vepr, built in Severodvinsk, entered service. Retaining the old contours, she had a new design of a durable hull and internal "stuffing". Again, a serious leap forward was made in the field of noise reduction. In the West, this ship (as well as subsequent nuclear submarines of the 971 project) was called Akula-2.

According to the late chief designer of the project G.N. Chernyshev (who died in July 1997), "Bars" retains great modernization opportunities. In particular, the backlog available to "Malachite" makes it possible to increase the search potential of the nuclear-powered ship by approximately three times.

According to US naval intelligence, the robust hull of the modernized Bars has a 4 m long insert. The additional tonnage made it possible, in particular, to equip the boat with "active" systems to reduce the vibration of the power plant, almost completely eliminating its effect on the ship's hull. According to American experts, in terms of stealth characteristics, the upgraded submarine of the 971st project is approaching the level of the American multi-purpose nuclear submarine of the 4th generation SSN-21 Sivulf. In terms of speed characteristics, diving depth and armament, these ships are also approximately equivalent. Thus, the improved nuclear submarine of the 971st project can be considered as a submarine close to the level of the 4th generation. In the Northern Fleet, the "Barsy" have been consolidated into a division based in Yagelnaya Bay. In particular, in December 1995 - February 1996. The Volk nuclear submarine (the crew of the Panther nuclear submarine was on board, headed by Captain 1st Rank S. Spravtsev, the senior on board was deputy division commander Captain 1st Rank V. Korolev), while in combat service in the Mediterranean Sea, carried out long-range anti-submarine providing TAKR "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov". At the same time, several NATO submarines were monitored for a long time, including the American nuclear submarine of the Los Angeles type. High stealth and combat stability give the "Bars" the opportunity to successfully overcome anti-submarine lines equipped with stationary systems for long-range sonar surveillance, as well as countering anti-submarine forces. They can operate in the zone of enemy domination and inflict sensitive missile and torpedo strikes on him. The armament of the Bars allows them to fight submarines and surface ships, as well as to hit ground targets with cruise missiles with high accuracy.

In the event of an armed conflict, each boat of the 971 project is capable of creating a threat and tying down a significant grouping of enemy forces, preventing attacks on Russian territory.

According to MIPT scientists in the brochure "The Future of Russia's Strategic Nuclear Forces: Discussion and Arguments" (Dolgoprudny, 1995), even under the most favorable hydrological conditions typical for Barents Sea in winter, Project 971 nuclear submarines can be detected by American Los Angeles-type boats with AM/BQQ-5 sonar at a distance of no more than 10 km. Under less favorable conditions in this region of the world ocean, it is practically impossible to detect the "Bars" by hydroacoustic means.

The appearance of ships with such a high combat potential changed the situation and forced the US Navy to reckon with the possibility of serious opposition from the Russian fleet, even in the face of the complete superiority of American offensive forces. "Bars" can attack both the strike groups of the US Navy themselves and their rear, including coastal control centers, bases and supplies, no matter how far they are. Hidden, and therefore inaccessible to the enemy, the nuclear submarines of the 971 project turn a potential war on the ocean into a kind of offensive through a minefield, where any attempt to move forward threatens with an invisible, but real danger.

It is appropriate to give a description of the submarines of the 971 project given by the prominent American naval analyst N. Polmar at hearings in the National Security Committee of the House of Representatives of the US Congress: "The appearance of submarines of the D / sh / a type, as well as other Russian nuclear submarines 3- 1st generation demonstrated that Soviet shipbuilders closed the noise gap faster than expected." A few years later, in 1994, it became known that this gap was completely eliminated.

According to representatives of the US Navy, at operational speeds of the order of 5-7 knots. the noise of boats of the Improved Akula type, recorded by means of hydroacoustic reconnaissance, was less than the noise of the most advanced US Navy nuclear submarines of the Improved Los-Angelos type. According to Admiral D. Burda, Chief of Operations of the US Navy, American ships were unable to escort the Improved Akula nuclear submarine at speeds of less than 6-9 knots (contact with the new Russian boat took place in the spring of 1995 off the US east coast). According to the admiral, the improved Akula-2 nuclear submarine meets the requirements for 4th generation boats in terms of low noise characteristics. The appearance of new super-secret nuclear-powered ships in the Russian fleet after the end of the Cold War caused serious concern in the United States. In 1991, this issue was raised in Congress. Several proposals were submitted for discussion by American legislators aimed at correcting the current situation in favor of the United States. In accordance with them, it was supposed, in particular: to demand from our country to make public its long-term programs in the field of submarine shipbuilding, to establish agreed restrictions for the Russian Federation and the United States on the quantitative composition of multi-purpose nuclear submarines, to assist Russia in re-equipping shipyards building nuclear submarines for the production of non-military products .

The international non-governmental environmental organization Greenpeace also joined the campaign to combat Russian submarine shipbuilding, actively advocating a ban on nuclear-powered submarines (first of all, of course, Russian ones, which, according to the "greens", represent the greatest environmental danger). With the aim of "excluding nuclear catastrophes," Greenpeace recommended that Western governments make the provision of financial assistance to Russia dependent on the solution of this issue.

However, the pace of replenishment of the Navy with new multi-purpose submarines slowed down sharply by the mid-90s, which removed the acuteness of the problem for the United States, although the efforts of "environmentalists" (many of whom are known to be closely connected with NATO intelligence services) directed against the Russian fleet did not stopped to this day.

Currently, all multi-purpose nuclear submarines of the 971st project are part of the Northern (Yagelnaya Bay) and Pacific (Rybachy) fleets. They are quite actively (of course, by the standards of the present time) are used for military service.

Boats of this class have become the main type of multi-purpose nuclear submarines in the Russian Navy: having a set of advantages - primarily low noise levels and the ability to use a whole range of weapons - they successfully perform a wide range of tasks in various areas of the oceans. Zvezda, journalist Alexei Yegorov will continue the story about these unique ships. Viewers will learn about some of their daring campaigns, when our sailors deprived NATO of hopes for invulnerability, they will see how submariners live and serve, how their life works and what it takes to become a real conqueror of the depths. Visit "quietly" This operation was carried out in 1987. Then off the coast of one of the foreign states suddenly appeared whole group submarines from the connection of the submarine forces of our Navy. Photographs taken through the periscope have been preserved, where the coastline of a country located on the opposite side of the planet is visible at a glance. Our boats managed not only to get unnoticed to the North Atlantic, but also to go directly to one of the NATO naval bases. And this despite the fact that an anti-submarine line was set up on the path of the submarines in the form of ships and aircraft cruising the patrol areas, the use of sonar search tools. However, NATO was in for embarrassment: Soviet submarines slipped through their “sieve” like invisible ones. And after all, that trip was carried out on boats of a not yet perfect project. Submarines of the next, 971 series turned out to be much quieter, more powerful, more armed. General designer of the project laureate State Prize Russian Yuri Farafontov recalls how, during the tests of the first ship of this project, boats of foreign states tried to approach ours in order to determine its characteristics. However, search tools immediately detected intruders without giving themselves away. Another strong point of the Pike-B project ships is their impressive arsenal. For example, only four dozen torpedoes can be loaded here, including 650 mm caliber, and these are the most powerful torpedoes in the world. One shot can sink an aircraft carrier. It is no coincidence that when the West found out about the existence of such weapons in our country, they instantly changed the logic of building a marching order, putting destroyers in the wake. Their functions are prosaic: these ships will simply have to take the hit, because there is simply no other defense against such torpedoes. In addition to torpedo weapons, our submarines also have missile armament. In fact, as the commander of the submarine division of the Northern Fleet, Captain 1st Rank Sergei Starshinov, admits, if the task is set to destroy the enemy located in a given area on the coast, this task will also be solved. Perfection Algorithms The Russian design bureau "Malachite" is one of the main centers involved in the design of ships for the domestic submarine fleet. Once it was here that the first nuclear submarine in the country was developed. As the general director of Malachite, Vladimir Dorofeev, recalls, that boat was equipped with one torpedo tube and was intended to destroy coastal infrastructure. Then ships of the second generation, third, fourth appeared. Boats of the 885th series (project "Ash-M", fourth generation) perform the function of strategic deterrence, they have the ability to use cruise missiles from vertical launchers.
Even the process of designing such ships is organized according to the latest technology: for example, 3D technologies are actively used in it, when you can more fully evaluate the parameters of the product. By the way, thanks to this technology, crew members can take a virtual tour of their future ship together with the designers. At the same time, it should be taken into account that third-generation boats (and this is the Pike-B) are not yet supposed to be sent to the reserve. Experts say that the possibilities for upgrading these ships are unlimited. Such procedures are carried out regularly - with the replacement of acoustic systems, communications, updating other elements. On the shipyard"Nerpa", where boats undergo scheduled maintenance, many mechanisms are tested at much higher loads than they are expected to actually be. In their work, specialists use original technologies, machines, tools, including non-standard ones. All this is necessary so that the boat does not fail at depth. With the character of winners commander in chief Navy Russian Admiral Vladimir Korolev is a professional submariner. He calls his craft a real man's work. “More than a hundred years have passed since it appeared, but nothing has changed in it,” the admiral admits. “There are elements of romance and elements of surprise.” The character of the sailors serving in the submarine fleet, Admiral Korolev considers "the character of the winners." “For a submariner, this is very important,” emphasizes the commander-in-chief. In a special situation that can happen at depth, special algorithms are involved. Commander of the Guards nuclear submarine "Gepard" Guards Captain 1st Rank Dmitry Maslov, like no one else, understands his responsibility - both for the life of the crew and for the fulfillment of the assigned task. Finding a target, using a weapon on it - this is one algorithm. Getting out of the retaliatory strike is another.
In an underwater duel, it is extremely important to timely detect the launch of an enemy torpedo. The hydroacoustic complex is responsible for this. And if the strike is fixed, then hydraulic countermeasures are activated - something like heat traps that are used in aviation against MANPADS. “If you hear the sound of a noisy torpedo, you need to apply skill and dodge, but at the same time hit the enemy submarine,” the officer says. “You can’t confuse the sound of a torpedo with anything - it squeals like a pig: the propellers of torpedoes spin very quickly.” A submariner must also have a lightning-fast reaction to other suddenly arising circumstances. For example, ingress of sea water in the event of a hole or a sudden fire. Sailors learn how to counteract these misfortunes in damage control classes, which are held up to twice a week. Equipped training points allow you to recreate the situation of real danger, while the work is carried out in special suits, in sealed masks. Conquerors of the Depths A submarine is a device more complicated than a spaceship. And this is not a sonorous metaphor: this is exactly what the first cosmonaut of the planet Yuri Gagarin said about one of our submarines after an excursion for him. Even the set of uniforms for sailors here is such that you cannot list all its elements offhand. The submariner's equipment includes a uniform tunic, a working suit, warm woolen underwear, a warm pea jacket (in case of an ascent in ice). And also a rescue diving suit (for passing through a torpedo tube), a hydrothermal suit - it is needed to stay on a raft during an emergency ascent. Let's add here a life jacket, an insulating gas mask, a portable breathing apparatus. A set of property and equipment turns out to be decent.
At the same time, life on a boat is not the most demanding. Although everything you need is here. There is even a doctor's office, capable of becoming an operating room if necessary. In autonomous navigation, the ship's doctor performs the functions of a therapist, infectious disease specialist, and surgeon. Maybe he can treat his teeth if he suddenly catches someone. By the way, doctors recognize the benefits of wine, which is given to crew members on a nuclear submarine. The diet of sailors also includes granular caviar, chocolate, prunes, and honey. AT special conditions and the rations must be special.... Excessive sentiments are unknown to the conquerors of the depths. With the exception, perhaps, of one thing - thoughts about relatives, about loved ones, about home. In the wardroom of one of the boats, there are drawings made by the children of the crew members. These touching moments, as well as the pastoral landscapes that also decorate the cabins, are perceived here in a completely different way than on the shore.

A mass series of third-generation nuclear submarines with reduced noise and a multifunctional weapon system.

Refer to nuclear boats third generation, entered the fleet from 1984 to replace their predecessors (mainly the boat family). A total of 15 such boats were built, currently 12 are in service, one has been leased to India.

The creation of the boat was launched in the summer of 1976, in September 1977 it was ready technical project, which was finalized until 1980. In 1983, the first boat of the series was laid down. The developer is the Leningrad SKB-143 Malachite. Chief designer Georgy Chernyshev.

When designing this type of submarine Special attention silence was given. The measured acoustic parameters of Project 971 were a very unpleasant surprise for Americans who are used to the fact that Russian submarines are very noisy. To reduce noise, I had to go to a number of tricks - for example, Soviet Union bypassing the tight export control of the West, he imported metalworking centers of the Japanese corporation Toshiba, on which propellers for these boats were then made.

The design of the boat is double-hull, standard for the Soviet fleet, the material is high-strength steel (the competitor, the Project 945 boat, was built from titanium alloys, which increased the cost of production and complicated the technology).

Surface displacement over 8,000 tons, underwater - about 13,000 tons. The working depth of immersion is 480-520 meters for different versions of the project. Crew 73 people.

Installed combat Information system"Omnimbus", the hydroacoustic complex MGK-540 "Skat-3" and the navigation complex "Symphony-U" are associated with it.

Armament - eight bow torpedo tubes (four caliber 533 mm and four caliber 650 mm). Ammunition load up to 40 missiles, rocket torpedoes or torpedoes, of which 12 are 650 mm caliber (type 65-76 torpedoes, 86R missiles of the RPK-7 Veter anti-submarine complex). In caliber 533 mm, the boat could use UGST and USET-80 torpedoes, Shkval missiles, 83R anti-submarine missiles of the RPK-6 Vodopad complex, as well as S-10 Granat strategic cruise missiles.

Some of the boats are equipped with 533-mm launchers REPS-324 "Barrier" for sonar countermeasures - active jamming stations that simulate the acoustic portrait of the boat. Also, SOKS equipment was installed on some of the boats - the MNK-200-1 Tukan detection station, which makes it possible to detect enemy ships and submarines along the wake.

One of the boats laid down under the Soviet Union, the K-152 Nerpa, was completed according to the Irbis project 971I and leased to India. The export version of Shchuk-B is devoid of some critical systems, including Granat missiles and SOKS equipment, the basic systems are coarsened in export performance. At the moment, an agreement has been signed on the completion of this project with the subsequent transfer of another boat to India - the so-called. "Order 519" (the degree of readiness is about 60 percent).

At the moment, boats of this type are sent for modernization. During the planned modernization of the boat of the Russian fleet, as far as can be judged from open sources, the submarines will be completely replaced with avionics, as well as the weapon system will be changed, in particular, they will equip the submarines with the new Kalibr-PL universal missile system, which allows the use of anti-ship missiles, anti-submarine missiles and missiles for striking ground targets.