The shark submarine is the largest submarine in the world. What is the world's largest submarine

The largest Russian submarine "Akula" belongs to the class of heavy strategic missile submarines. The start date for her project is December 1972.

The first "Shark" was built in the USSR at "Sevmash" (Severodvinsk) and launched on September 23, 1980. From 1981 to 1989, a series of six boats of this type was commissioned. The place of their basing was the water area of ​​the Nerpichya Bay in the Northern Fleet.

Structural specifics of the case

The Akula nuclear submarine of project 941 has a very light overall hull, inside which there are 5 inhabited strong hulls. Two of them have the maximum dimensions and are the main ones, they are located on the principle of a catamaran, in a horizontal plane parallel to each other. Such a characteristic layout is determined by the large dimensions of the ammunition load.

Both main durable cases are interconnected by three transitions and are divided into 8 compartments:

• reactor and turbine compartments with a total length of 30 m;
• three bow compartments 54 m long;
• three adjacent to the main command post (GKP) 31 meters long.

The remaining three durable cases are:

• reliably insulated bow hull of the torpedo compartment;
• building for placement of GKP and radio equipment;
• aft transitional body with a total length of 30 meters.

The compartment of the main command post, the torpedo compartment, the main hulls are made of titanium alloy, and the light hull is made of steel with subsequent anti-hydroacoustic coating.

The developers of the submarine (TsKBMT "Rubin") for the first time used in its layout the original layout of the missile silos. They are located forward of the cabin in front of the submarine, between the two main main buildings.

Power point

The large power plant of the 3rd generation has a block design consisting of two echelons located independently on the starboard and port sides. Each block includes:

• water-cooled nuclear reactor with a capacity of 190 MW on thermal neutrons OK-650VV. Reactors of this type are equipped with: pulse equipment for monitoring their condition, a battery-free cooling system (BBR) in case of a power outage;
• turbine with a capacity of 50,000 hp. With;
• propeller in the form of a propeller shaft with a 7-bladed propeller, the diameter of which is 5.55 meters, the rotation speed is 230 rpm. To reduce noise, the propellers are installed in special fenestrons (circular fairings);
• four steam turbine nuclear power plants BPTU 514 with a capacity of 3200 kW.

Reserve means of movement

1. Two diesel generators of the ASDG-800 type, 800 kW each.
2. Lead-acid battery.
3. Two standby electric motors with a capacity of 260 kW.
4. Thrusters with swiveling propellers for maneuvering in a pinched position. They are equipped with electric motors of 750 kW.

The main armament of the "Shark"

The basic weapon "Shark" project 941 consists of:

• ballistic missile system D-19, equipped with 20 solid-propellant three-stage intercontinental missiles of the R-39 "Variant" class (RSM 52 sea-based. Firing range - 8500 km, warhead divided with 10 warheads of 100 kilotons each;
• D-19U missile system with 20 R-39UTTH "Bark" ballistic missiles of intercontinental range with shock-absorbing rocket launch system. The combat range is up to 10,000 km, there is a unique system for passing through the ice.

The launch of the entire missile ammunition of the Shark project can be carried out from a dry mine both underwater (at a depth of no more than 55 meters) and on the surface.

The largest nuclear submarine in Russia is armed with six torpedo tubes (TA) with a caliber of 533 mm, equipped with fast-loading devices and a special Grinda-type TA preparation system. The full ammunition load consists of 22 Shkval class torpedoes (SAET-60M, SET-65, USET-80 types), as well as Blizzard and Vodopad missiles. They use six-torpedo torpedoes for firing rocket-torpedoes, torpedoes and for installing minefields-obstacles.

Air defense is carried out by MANPADS (8 units) of the Igla-1 type. Full ammunition - 48 anti-aircraft guided missiles (SAM).

Radio electronic equipment

On board the Akula-type submarine of project 941 there are several complexes with high-precision equipment of various classes.

1. The combat information and control system of the Omnibus type is used for: collecting, processing and displaying information, calculating the effectiveness of the use of one or another weapon, targeting technical and fire weapons, navigation and combat crews;
2. Hydroacoustic equipment SJSC "Skat-3" MGK-540 consists of:
   • SJSC Skat-KS MGK-500 with 4 antennas and the ability to simultaneously track 12 targets;
   • hydroacoustic station (GAS) mine detection "Arfa-M" MG-519;
   • GAS measurement of cavitation "Screw" MG-512;
   • GAS measuring the speed of sound "Shkert" GISZ MG-553;
   • Echoledometer "North" MG-518.
3. Radar complex "Radian" RLC MRCP-58 with radio-technical intelligence station MRP-21A.
4. The navigation complex has:
   • satellite complex "Symphony";
   • NK class "Tobol";
   • circular and adjustable navigation detector NOK-1 and NOR-1.

The submarine is equipped with special means of communication, retractable periscopes, antenna systems.

Performance characteristics of the submarine "Shark"

Main dimensions: maximum length- 173.1 m, width - 23.3 m, draft in the wake - 11.2-11.5 m.

Full speed and displacement characteristics:

• full surface displacement at a speed of 12/13 knots - 29500 tons,
• full underwater at a speed of 25/27 knots - 49800 tons.

Diving depths:

• limit - 500 m,
• working - 380 m.

The autonomy of navigation is about six months. The total crew size is 163 people, officers and warrant officers are 52/83, respectively.

The total mass of the equipped submarine missile carrier is 50,000 tons.

The world's largest submarine "Shark" 941 has a developed cruciform empennage of the stern and horizontal rudders (front retractable) placed behind the propellers. Thanks to the block system for placing units and mechanisms, as well as rubber-cord two-stage pneumatic shock absorption, the nuclear submarine has low noise levels and improved vibration isolation of all units.

Video about the submarine Akula (Typhoon)

The Akula-class strategic missile submarine has not only solid dimensions, but also a high margin of safety and buoyancy, which allows it to perform maneuvers with breaking through ice up to 2.5 m thick. high latitudes up to the Arctic.

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Class "Shark" is still the undefeated record of the USSR. Being in autonomous navigation for 120 days, she crossed the oceans with ease and unnoticed, she was able to break the thick Arctic ice and hit enemy targets, releasing the entire ammunition load of ballistic missiles in a short time. Today they cannot find a use for it, and its fate is vague.

Our response

Unfolded between the USSR and the USA, it demanded 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, the equipment included equipment that made underwater missile launches from a depth of 15 to 30 meters. In response to Soviet science and the military-industrial complex, the country's leadership demanded the creation of superior technology.

In December 1972, a tactical technical task to create a submarine cruiser with the code "Shark" and the number 941. The work began with a government decree on the start of development, the project was commissioned to carry out 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 time for commissioning the facility. Today this method is used everywhere in all types of shipbuilding, but Submarine class "Shark" was the first in everything.

At the end of September 1980, the first submarine cruiser "Akula" of project 941 was launched from the shipyard of Severodvinsk into the White Sea. trident. After descending into the sea, the drawing disappeared under water and no one else saw the emblem, but the people's memory, greedy for symbols and signs, immediately gave the name to the cruiser - "Shark". All subsequent Type 941 submarines received the same name, and the crew members were given their own symbols in the form of a shark patch on the sleeve. In the United States, the cruiser was given the name "Typhoon".

Design

The Shark-class submarine is similar in design to a catamaran - two hulls, each of which has a diameter of 7.2 meters, are located parallel to each other in a horizontal plane. The sealed compartment with the control module is located between the two main buildings, it contains the control panel and radio equipment of the cruiser. The missile block is located at the front of the boat between the hulls. It was possible to move from one part of the boat to another through three transitions. The entire hull of the boat consisted of 19 watertight compartments.

Project 941 ("Shark") have in the design, at the base of the cabin, two pop-up evacuation chambers with a capacity for the entire active crew. The compartment in which the central post is located is located closer to the stern of the cruiser. Titanium plating covers the two central hulls, the central post, torpedo rooms, the rest of the surface is covered with steel, on which a hydroacoustic coating is applied, which reliably hides the boat from tracking systems.

Front retractable rudders of a horizontal design are located in the bow of the boat. The upper cabin is reinforced and equipped with a rounded roof, capable of breaking through the solid 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 hulls, which reduced the size of the nuclear power plant. At the same time, performance has been improved.

But not only this step made legendary submarines of the Akula class. The characteristics of the power plant included two water-cooled nuclear reactors OK-650 and two steam-type turbines. All the 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 sound insulation of the ship. The nuclear plant was put into operation automatically when the power supply failed.

Specifications:

• The maximum length is 172 meters.
• The maximum width is 23.3 meters.
• The height of the hull is 26 meters.
• Displacement (underwater / surface) - 48 thousand tons / 23.2 thousand tons.
• Autonomy of navigation without surfacing - 120 days.
• Immersion depth (maximum / working) - 480 m / 400m.
• Navigation speed (surface / underwater) - 12 knots / 25 knots.

Armament

The main armament is solid-propellant ballistic missiles "Variant" (weight in the hull - 90 tons, length - 17.7 m). The range of the missile is 8.3 thousand kilometers, the warhead is divided into 10 warheads, each of which has a capacity of 100 kilotons of TNT and an individual guidance system.

The launch of the entire arsenal of the submarine's ammunition can be carried out with a single salvo with a short launch interval between missile units. The ammunition load is launched from the surface and underwater position, the maximum depth at the start is 55 meters. The design characteristics provided for an ammunition load of 24 missiles, subsequently reduced to 20 units.

Peculiarities

Project 941 Shark submarines were equipped with a power plant consisting of two modules spaced apart in different, securely fortified hulls. The state of the reactors was monitored by pulse equipment, an automatic response system at the slightest loss of power supply.

When issuing a design assignment by one of the mandatory conditions it was to ensure the safety of the boat and the crew, the so-called safe radius, for which the hull nodes were calculated by the dynamic strength method and experimentally verified (two pop-up modules, container fastening, hull interface, etc.).

The Akula-class submarine was built at the Sevmash plant, where the world's largest covered boathouse, or workshop No. 55, was designed and built specifically 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 of its displacement, which is why the second name appeared - “water carrier”. The decision on such a design was made with a far-sighted eye - to carry out repairs, preventive maintenance will be necessary at existing piers and repair plants.

The same reserve of buoyancy ensures the survival of the ship in the northern latitudes, where it is required to break open a thick ice cover. Project 941 Akula-class submarines coped with the harsh conditions of the North Pole, where ice thickness reaches 2.5 meters with accompanying ice hummocks and swells. the ability to open the ice mass has been repeatedly demonstrated in practice.

Crew comfort

The crew of the submarine cruiser was mainly staffed by officers, midshipmen. The senior officers were accommodated in two- and four-bed cabins equipped with a TV, washbasin, air conditioning, wardrobes, desks, etc.

Sailors and junior officers received comfortable cockpits at their disposal. On the submarine, living conditions 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 get too far away from reality on a long hike, a living corner was created.

Laid up

For the entire period of construction of submarines of type 941, six cruisers were adopted by the Navy:

• "Dmitry Donskoy" (TK - 208). Adopted in December 1981, after modernization, it resumed service in July 2002.
• TK-202. She received her home port and was put into service in December 1983. In 2005, the boat was cut up for scrap.
• "Simbirsk" (TK-12). Admitted to the Federation Council in January 1985. It was scrapped in 2005.
• TK-13. The cruiser entered service in December 1985. In 2009, the hull was cut into metal, part of the submarine (six-compartment unit, 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 since 2006, the issue of disposal has been discussed.
• Severstal (TK-20). Assigned to the Navy in September 1989. In 2004, it went into reserve due to the lack of ammunition, it 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.

Nuclear submarines of the Akula class were consolidated into one division, the base for them is Zapadnaya Litsa (Murmansk region). The reconstruction of Nerpichya Bay was completed in 1981. For basing type 941 cruisers, a mooring line, piers with special capabilities were equipped, a unique crane with a lifting capacity of 125 tons was built for loading missiles (not put into operation).

Current state

To date, all available nuclear submarines of the Akula class are in the home port in mothballed form, their future fate is being decided. Submarine "Dmitry Donskoy" was upgraded for military equipment "Bulava". According to media reports, in 2016 it was planned to dispose of inactive copies. There were no reports on the implementation of the plan.

The giant Project 941 Shark submarine is still a unique weapon, the only cruiser capable of combat duty in the Arctic. They are almost invulnerable to anti-submarine submarines in service with the United States. Also, not a single potential enemy has the technical aviation means to detect the cruiser under the ice.

The construction of the Project 941 Akula heavy nuclear-powered strategic missile cruisers (Typhoon international classification) was a kind of response to the construction of US nuclear submarines of the class " Ohio", armed with 24 intercontinental ballistic missiles.

In the USSR, the development of a new class submarine project began later than the Americans. The designers faced a difficult technical task - to place on board 24 missiles weighing almost 100 tons each. After many studies, it was decided to place the missiles between two rugged housings. As a result, the first submarine "Shark" was built in record short time- for 5 years.

In September 1980, unusually large soviet submarine as high as a nine-story building and almost two football fields long, he touched the water for the first time. Delight, joy, fatigue - the participants of that event experienced different feelings, but they all had one thing in common - pride in a great common cause. Mooring and sea trials were carried out in record time. The tests took place not only in the White Sea, but also in the area of ​​the North Pole. During the period of rocket firing, there were no failures in work. During construction nuclear submarines class " Typhoon"The latest advances in the creation of shipborne electronic equipment and noise reduction were applied. Submarines of this project are equipped with a pop-up rescue chamber designed for the entire crew.

heavy atomic missile cruiser strategic purpose "Shark"

Interestingly, the total underwater displacement submarine "Shark"» is about 50,000 tons. Moreover, exactly half of this weight is ballast water, which is why it was dubbed the "water carrier". This is the price, not fully thought out for the Russian submarine fleet, of the transition from liquid hot to solid fuel. As a result, the project Shark" became the largest submarine in the world and listed in the Guinness Book of Records. For the construction of nuclear submarines at the Northern Machine-Building Enterprise, a new workshop was specially built - the largest covered boathouse in the world. The first submarine of project 941 code "TK-208" was laid down at the shipyard of a shipbuilding enterprise in 1976, launched on September 23, 1980, and entered service at the end of 1981. Then five more submarines were built, and one of them was nuclear submarine « Dmitry Donskoy». nuclear submarine"TK-210" laid down in 1986 was never put into operation and dismantled in 1990 due to the high cost of the project.

dates of laying, launching and commissioning of Project 941 submarines

Design submarine project 941 made according to the "catamaran" type: two separate strong hulls are located in a horizontal plane parallel to each other. In addition, there are two separate sealed capsule-compartments - a torpedo compartment and a control module located between the main buildings in the diametrical plane, in which there is a central post and an electronic weapons compartment located behind it. The missile compartment is located between the pressure hulls at the front of the ship. Both cases and capsule-compartments are interconnected by transitions. The total number of watertight compartments is nineteen. The compartment of the central post and its light fencing are shifted towards the stern nuclear submarine. Robust hulls, the central post and the torpedo compartment are made of titanium alloy, and the lightweight hull is made of steel (a special hydroacoustic rubber coating is applied to its surface, which increases stealth submarines). Submarine "Shark""has a developed fodder plumage. The front horizontal rudders are located in the bow of the hull and fold. The cabin is equipped with powerful ice reinforcements and a rounded roof, which serves to break the ice during ascent.

For the crew of the boat, conditions of increased comfort have been created. The officers were placed in relatively spacious two- and four-bed cabins with washbasins, televisions and air conditioning, and sailors and foremen - in small cockpits. Submarine « Shark” received a gym, a swimming pool, a solarium, a sauna, a lounge for relaxation, a “living corner” and other premises.

According to the domestic press, the existing plans for the development of Russia's strategic nuclear forces provide for the modernization Project 941 nuclear submarines with the replacement of the D-19 missile system with a new one. If this is true, submarine "Shark"" has every chance of remaining in service until 2010. In the future, it is possible to re-equip part of the project 941 into transport nuclear submarines designed for the transportation of goods on transpolar and cross-polar routes, the shortest route linking Europe, North America and other countries. The cargo compartment built instead of the missile compartment will be capable of receiving up to 10,000 tons of cargo.

largest submarine in the world photo

nuclear submarine "Shark" in the parking lot

on a barrel

submarine "Shark" in combat campaign

Submarine "Shark" on the surface

The largest Soviet submarine Akula, created as a symmetrical response to the United States after they created the Ohio submarine.

The largest nuclear submarine (NPS) is the Shark.

The goal of the developers was to create a ship even more powerful and significant in size than the American counterpart.

The real name of the submarine is “Project 941”, in the West it is called “Typhoon”, and the name “Shark” is explained by the fact that a shark drawing is placed on the side of the submarine (although it could only be seen until the ship was launched).

That is how L.I. called the new combat unit. Brezhnev, and later the image of a shark appeared on the uniform of the sailors who served on the submarine.

Shark is a nuclear submarine and is really impressive in size. Its length corresponds approximately to the length of two real football fields, and its height corresponds to a nine-story building. Displacement of the submarine - 48 thousand tons in the state of the submerged.

How and when did the largest submarine in the world appear

The creation of this powerful warship is associated with the period " cold war and the arms race. The Akula submarine was supposed to show the superiority of the Soviet navy over the western one. In 1972, scientists were given the task of creating a submarine more powerful, larger, more dangerous than the Ohio (USA).

Work on the Ohio began in the United States in the early 1970s; the submarine was planned to be armed with 24 Trident solid-propellant missiles with a range of more than 7 thousand km, i.e. intercontinental. It significantly exceeded everything that was in service with the USSR, because a huge (with a displacement of 18.7 thousand tons) submarine could launch missiles at a depth of up to 30 m and was quite fast - up to 20 knots.

The Soviet government set the designers the task of creating a Soviet missile carrier, even more powerful than the American one. This work was entrusted to the design bureau "Rubin", which at that time was headed by I.D. Spassky, and to the designer S.N. Kovalev, a leading specialist in this field; 92 submarines were created according to Kovalev's designs.

Interested in

Construction was started at the Sevmash enterprise in 1976; the first cruiser was launched in 1980, and it passed the tests even earlier than the Ohio, on which work began earlier.

In the entire history of the existence of the project, 6 Shark submarines were created, and the seventh, having already begun, was not completed due to the disarmament that had begun. Three of the existing submarines were disposed of during financial assistance The United States and Canada, two did not have time to dispose of and now the question is being decided what to do with them next, and one - "Dmitry Donskoy" - has been modified and is now in service.

Refitting Sharks is too expensive, costing as much as building two new modern submarines.

Design features of the submarine "Shark"

In connection with the need to equip the largest submarine in the world with solid-propellant missiles, designers faced difficult tasks. The missiles were too large and heavy, it was difficult to place them on a conventional cruiser, because even for loading massive weapons an innovative crane was required, and they were transported from them along specially laid rails.

Yes and opportunities shipyard were limited to the creation of ships that did not exceed the norms for the draft of the vessel.

The designers adopted a non-standard design solution: the cruiser was given the appearance, so to speak, of a catamaran for swimming under water. It does not consist of two buildings (external and internal), as usual, but five: two main and three additional.

The result is excellent buoyancy (40%).

Almost half of the ballast when the cruiser is under water is water. No matter how scolded the designers of the nuclear submarine for this! And “the victory of technology over common sense”, and “water carrier” (nickname of the submarine “Shark”), however, it is this feature that allows the cruiser to emerge, breaking through a 2.5-meter layer of ice, so that it can serve almost at the North Pole .

Inside the common body there are five more, two parallel; missile silos are unusually located: they are located in front of the wheelhouse; the mechanical, torpedo and control module are isolated and located in the gap formed by the main hulls, which makes the design safer.

This is also served by a couple of dozen waterproof compartments and two rescue chambers, which can fit the entire crew.

The outer steel case is coated special rubber for soundproofing and counterlocation purposes, so that the submarine would be difficult to detect.

Quite comfortable living conditions for the crew have been created on the huge submarine: cabins for small groups of sailors, comfortable cabins for officers, TVs, a gym, even a swimming pool, a solarium and a sauna, two mess rooms and a “living corner”.

Armament of the submarine

"Shark" is armed with two dozen R-39 "Variant" (these are ballistic missiles, each of them weighing 90 tons). There are also torpedo tubes (6 pieces) and MANPADS "Igla-1". Interestingly, even from a depth of up to 55 meters, a submarine can launch these missiles almost in one gulp.

Quite comfortable living conditions for the crew have been created on the huge submarine: the sailors live in small, for several people, cabins, while the officers occupy double cabins.

In addition to the gym and two cabins, there is a sauna and a small pool on board, there is even a solarium and a "living corner".

The commander's seat in the wheelhouse can only be used by the captain; even Defense Minister P. Grachev, who visited the submarine in 1993 and violated tradition, was unanimously condemned by all those present.

The Soviet Union and the United States maintained nuclear parity with respect to each other until the early 1970s. Neither side possessed an overwhelming superiority over the other in the number of nuclear warheads and delivery vehicles. In the USSR, they staked on the mine installations of nuclear intercontinental missiles and nuclear submarine fleet. Strategic aviation was small in number and did not possess the qualities that would have provided it with air superiority over the enemy. In the United States, on the contrary, at that time there already existed a nuclear triad, in which the main emphasis was on strategic aviation and ICBM silo launchers.

However, even this a large number of nuclear warheads and delivery vehicles, capable of repeatedly destroying all life on the planet, could not satisfy either the Soviet or the American side. In both countries there was a search for a way to create a first strike advantage. The rapidly developing arms race in this direction led to the emergence of the largest submarines in the history of mankind, the Soviet nuclear submarines of Project 941 of the Akula type.

Reasons for the appearance of the steel monster

A huge steel monster with the size of a 9-storey building was the answer to the appearance in the United States of the Ohio-class nuclear submarines in the Navy. This submarine could carry 24 intercontinental missiles on board. Not a single submarine in the USSR possessed such firepower. The presence of such submarines in the enemy nullified the existing balance in the means of delivery, achieved with such difficulty by this time. Project 941, developed in the Soviet Union, could not only deprive the Americans of superiority in the naval component of the nuclear triad, but also give a certain advantage.

This is what caused the next round of the naval arms race. In the Soviet design bureaus and across the ocean, work began to boil. Each of the countries tried to be the first to create a strategic submarine missile carrier.

The reasons for the appearance of a ship of this size are explained technical side question. The thing is that the Soviet nuclear submarine was created with the expectation to get ahead of the Americans in terms of the power of a missile salvo. The Project 941 nuclear submarine was supposed to carry on board the new R-39 intercontinental ballistic missiles, which were superior to the American Trident-1 intercontinental missiles deployed on Ohio-class submarine missile carriers. The Soviet nuclear baton could carry 10 nuclear warheads, instead of 8 on the American missile, and the R-39 missile flew much further than its American counterpart. The new Soviet rocket had three stages and was supposed to weigh up to 70 tons according to the project. Having such specifications the main weapon, Soviet designers had to solve the difficult task of creating an appropriate launch platform.

In addition, it was planned to immediately install 20 such missiles on the new nuclear submarine missile carrier. The commissioning of new Soviet nuclear-powered ships was supposed to cool the militant ardor of overseas strategists. As noted by foreign sources, the Soviet Typhoon-class Shark submarine, according to NATO classification, could wipe out the entire US West Coast from the face of the earth with one salvo. The presence of 3-4 missile carriers of this type in the Soviets would endanger the entire territory of the United States, not to mention the vulnerability of the territories of the allied countries in the NATO bloc.

The enormous destructive power akin to a typhoon strike, which the Soviet submarine possessed, became the reason for it to be given the appropriate name "Typhoon" in the West. According to the classification, the boats of project 941 had the cipher "Typhoon".

For reference: According to the NATO classification, Akula submarines were Soviet multi-purpose submarines of the Shchuka-B type of project 971, built already in the mid-80s. The NATO code "Akula" was assigned to these ships by the name of the lead ship of the K-284 "Shark" nuclear submarine project, which entered service with the Pacific Fleet in 1984.

Birth of a record holder

In the Soviet Union, there have already been cases of creating models of equipment - champions. This is the world's largest transport aircraft AN-22 "Antey" and the world's first nuclear icebreaker"Lenin". Militarily, the USSR also gave the US military a lot of trouble, creating an excellent military equipment. Soviet intercontinental ballistic missiles of the latest generation terrified across the ocean. The navy did not lag behind in this regard, so the world's largest nuclear submarine "Akula" did not come as a surprise to the Soviet country.

The Soviet ship, built in the early 80s of the XX century, remains today an unsurpassed achievement of design thought. In many technical parameters, the new nuclear submarine is rightfully considered the most ambitious Soviet military project. Even the technical measurements of the ship are amazing, not to mention the cost of building a vessel of this magnitude. The length of the ship is 173 meters and the width of the hull is 23 meters. The hull of the boat is a steel cigar the size of a 9-story building. Only the draft of the boat was 12 meters. Such dimensions corresponded to a huge displacement. The Soviet submarine missile carrier had a displacement of a battleship during the Second World War - 50 thousand tons.

In terms of displacement, the Akula nuclear submarine was three times superior to its opponent, the Ohio-class submarine. If we talk about the name of the ship, then the Soviet version is of folk origin. Even on the slipways, the boat began to be called a shark. This comparison was so successful that it subsequently took root in military and political circles. For the first time in the general public, the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU, L. I. Brezhnev, called the "Shark" a new nuclear-powered missile cruiser.

For reference: In the domestic fleet, the first submarine, called the Shark, was created back in 1909. Ivan Bubnov became the designer of the submarine. The boat was lost in the First World War during a military campaign.

The designers of the Rubin Central Design Bureau for Marine Engineering, the flagship of the Soviet shipbuilding industry, did an excellent job of developing a project for a Soviet submarine super-cruiser. In 1972, the Leningraders received a technical assignment for the development of an underwater nuclear boat strategic purpose III generation. Design work headed by a talented Soviet designer S.N. Kovalev, who had already completed and successful projects behind him. His offspring plied the seas and oceans, remaining a reliable shield of the Soviet state. Since 1973, after the decision of the Soviet government, work on the creation of the project began to boil within the walls of the Rubin Central Design Bureau.

The site for the construction of new vessels of this size was the Sevmash enterprise. For the construction of new ships on the territory of the shipyard, a new boathouse of enormous size was specially erected. In the water area of ​​the shipyard, dredging was carried out for the passage of ships of such a large displacement.

Three years later, the first lead submarine of project 941 was laid on the stocks of Sevmash. The ship received the factory index TK-208 (heavy cruiser - 208). In total, it was planned to build this project 7 courts over the next 10-15 years. It should be noted that Soviet designers managed to overtake their American counterparts, having previously created finished project new submarine missile carrier. The launching of a new colossal Soviet submarine in September 1980 came as a real shock to the Americans. The first boat of the Ohio type went into the water in December 1981, when the Soviet missile carrier became part of the active fleet.

For 8 years, from 1981 to 1989, 6 ships of the same type were built in the Soviet Union. The seventh ship planned for construction remained on the stocks, even taking into account the fact that the main hull structures were ready for the submarine. The construction of the Soviet nuclear missile carriers of project 941 was provided by more than 1000 allied enterprises. At the Sevmash shipyard alone, 1200 people worked on the construction of the ship.

An interesting detail: of the 6 ships built according to the project, the very first one turned out to be a long-liver. Submarine KT-208, launched back in 1981, continues to be in service today. Now it is TPRKSN (heavy strategic missile submarine) "Dmitry Donskoy", boat KT-208 of project 941.

Design features of the submarine missile carrier project 941

For the uninitiated, the boat is a huge whale-shaped steel cigar. However, for specialists Special attention cause not so much the size of the ship as its layout. The submarine has a two-hull scheme. Behind the outer shell of the light body, made of steel, is a double main strong body. In other words, there are two separate hulls inside the boat, located parallel to each other according to the catamaran scheme. Durable housings are made of titanium alloy. The torpedo compartment, the central post and the aft mechanical compartments on the ship are placed in closed compartments, capsules.

The space between the two strong hulls is filled with mine launchers in the amount of 20 pieces. The conning tower is shifted to the tail of the boat. The entire front deck is one large launch pad. This arrangement of launchers suggests the possibility of simultaneous launch of the entire ammunition. In this case, the launch of missiles should be carried out with a minimum time interval. The Soviet missile carrier is capable of launching missiles from the surface and from the underwater position. The working depth of immersion for launching is 55 meters.

The ship has 19 compartments, each of which communicates with the others. Horizontal rudders are installed in the light body of the bow of the boat. The conning tower has a reinforced structure, specially designed for emergency ascent of the ship in the presence of a solid ice sheet on the surface. Increased strength is the main distinctive feature Soviet missile carriers III generation. If the American nuclear submarines of the Ohio type were built to patrol in the clear waters of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, then Soviet submarines mainly operated in the waters of the Northern Arctic Ocean, therefore, the design of the ship was created with a margin of safety capable of overcoming the resistance of an ice shell of 2 meters thick.

Outside, the boat has a special anti-radar and soundproof coating, the total weight of which is 800 tons. Another feature of the ship's design is the presence of life support systems in each individual compartment. The internal layout of the boat is planned and equipped in such a way as to ensure the survival of the ship's crew in the most unforeseen situations.

The heart of the nuclear-powered ship is two OK-650VV nuclear reactors with a total capacity of 380 MW. The submarine is already set in motion through the operation of two turbines with a capacity of 45-50 thousand l / s each. Such a huge ship also had propellers of the appropriate size - 5.5 m in diameter. Two 800W diesel generators were installed on the boat as backup engines.

A nuclear-powered missile carrier on the surface could develop a speed of 12 knots. Under water, a submarine with a displacement of already 50 thousand tons could move at a speed of 25 knots. The working diving depth was 400 m. At the same time, the boat had a certain margin of critical diving depth, which was an additional 100 m.

A ship of such large dimensions and with such performance characteristics was controlled by a crew of 160 people. Of this number, a third accounted for the officers. The interior living quarters on the submarine were equipped with everything necessary for a long and comfortable stay. Officers and midshipmen lived in 2 and 4-bed comfortable cabins. Sailors and foremen lived in specially equipped cockpits. All living quarters on the boat were served by an air conditioning system. During long trips, the crew of the ship, free from the combat shift, could spend time in the gym, visit the cinema and the library. It should be noted that the autonomy of the ship exceeded all standards that existed until that time - 180 days.

The main comparative characteristics of the project 941 ship

The Soviet nuclear-powered ship, which entered service in 1981, had a significant advantage in comparison with other foreign-built ships of the same type. The probable opponents of the Soviet third-generation missile carrier were:

• U.S. Ohio-class nuclear submarine with 24 Trident ICBMs, 18 built;
• English nuclear submarine Vanguard with 16 Trident ICBMs, 4 built;
• French nuclear submarine "Triumphant" with 16 M45 ICBMs, 4 ships were also built.

The Soviet nuclear submarine exceeded all the listed ships in terms of displacement by three times. It had a total weight of a volley of 20 R-39 ICBMs - 51 tons. British and French submarines in this parameter significantly lost to the Soviet missile carrier. English and French nuclear submarines could fire warheads at the enemy with a total weight of 44 tons. Only American Ohio-class submarines, of which less than two dozen were launched, could compete with the Soviet submarine giants.

No other ship, domestic missile carriers of projects 667BDRM and 955, could compare in terms of displacement and combat power with submarines of the Akula type. Soviet nuclear submarines, launched in the 1980s, formed the basis of the USSR's nuclear missile power and became the basis for the nuclear marine component of modern Russia.

The nuclear-powered ship KT-208 "Dmitry Donskoy" remains the only operating ship of this class in the Russian Navy. Two vessels, KT-17 "Arkhangelsk" and KT-20 "Severstal" were put into reserve in 2006 and 2004. respectively. The final decision on the fate of these two legendary ships has not yet been made. The nuclear submarine KT-208 received a new name in 2002 - KT-208 "Dmitry Donskoy". The boat is the only one of all ships of this type that has retained its technological resource. This, in turn, made it possible to carry out on the ship in 1999-2002. modernization project 941M. The purpose of the modernization was to re-equip the ship for the new Bulava SLBM.

Equipping the ship with new ballistic missiles is not planned. The submarine is used as a self-propelled floating test facility for new types of rocket technology. The decision of the high government commission was to extend the life of the ship until 2020. The nuclear-powered missile carrier is based at the Zapadnaya Litsa naval base and is part of the Northern Fleet of the Russian Federation.