Project 971 - a series of multipurpose nuclear submarines: characteristics

Submarines have long been the main striking force of our fleet and a means of countering a potential enemy. The reason for this is simple: our country has historically failed to develop aircraft carriers, but missiles launched from underwater can guarantee any point on the globe. That is why even in the Soviet Union great importance was attached to the development and creation of new types of submarines. At one time a real breakthrough was the project 971, in the framework of which multipurpose low-noise ships were created.

New "Pike"

In 1976, it was decided to design and build new submarines. The task was entrusted to the notorious enterprise "Malachite", which the nuclear fleet of the country always counted on. The peculiarity of the new project is that in its development the "Barracuda" developments were fully used, and therefore the stage of the preliminary design and many calculations were omitted, which significantly reduced the cost of the project itself and accelerated the work carried out within its framework.

Unlike the "ancestors" of the 945 family, Project 971, at the suggestion of engineers from Komsomolsk-on-Amur, did not anticipate the use of titanium in the production of hulls. This was due not only to the enormous cost and shortage of this metal, but also to the monstrous laboriousness of working with him. In fact, such a project could only be drawn by Sevmash, whose capacities were already fully loaded. On the stocks, the first components were already sent ... as intelligence was provided information about the new American submarine of the type "Los Angeles". Because of this, the 971 project was immediately sent for revision.

Already in 1980 it was completely completed. Another feature of the new "Pike" was that most of the work on their design and creation was conducted in Komsomolsk-on-Amur. Before that, the Pacific shipyards were in the position of a "poor relative" and performed only the functions of the followers.

Other features of the project

Few people know about this historical fact, but in the very beginning of the 1980s our country purchased Toshiba products from Japan - especially precise metal working machines, which made it possible to make new screws that produce minimum noise during operation. The deal itself was very secret, but the US, by that time practically "colonizing" Japan, learned about it almost immediately. As a result, Toshiba was even hit by economic sanctions.

Thanks to the screws and some other features of the design, the 971 project was distinguished by the amazing silence of the voyage. In many respects it is the merit of Academician A. N. Krylov, who for several years worked to reduce the noise of submarines, being involved in the creation of "Barracudas". The efforts of the honored academician and the whole team of the research institute headed by him did not remain without remuneration: Project 971 Shchuka-B boats were several times less noise than the latest American Los Angeles.

Appointment of new submarines

The new submarines were able to adequately meet any adversary, since their strike arms and its diversity amazed even the sea-sailed seamen. The thing is that the "Pike-B" was supposed to destroy surface and submarine vessels, conduct mines, conduct reconnaissance and subversive raids, participate in special operations ... In a word, do everything to justify the description of the "multipurpose submarine of Project 971" Pike- B »».

Innovative solutions and ideas

As we said, the original design of this type of submarines had to be significantly corrected. The only weak link in our submarines in comparison with their American counterparts was the lack of a digital interference filtering complex. But the overall combat characteristics of the new "Pike" they still greatly exceeded. For example, they were armed with the latest anti-ship missiles, "Granat", which, if necessary, greatly weakened any surface ship grouping of the enemy.

But already after the "completion of the file" in 1980, the "Pikes" still got a digital complex for processing the "Skat-3" interference, as well as the newest guidance systems that allowed the use of the most advanced cruise missiles. For the first time, comprehensive automation of combat and weapon control equipment was achieved, and a special pop-up capsule was deployed in the design to save the entire crew, which was successfully tested at Barracuda.

Design features

Like all the main submarines of the USSR of this class, the submarines of Project 971 used a classic two-hull scheme. For the first time in the history of "underwater" shipbuilding, the experience of block articulation of submarine fragments was widely used, which made it possible to perform most of the work in the comfortable conditions of the workshop. Wide use was also made of zonal equipment blocks, which, after completion of the installation, were simply connected to centralized data transmission lines.

How did you reduce the noise level?

In addition to the special screws, which we have already mentioned several times, special damping systems are used. First, all mechanisms are installed on special "foundations". Secondly, each zone block has one more depreciation system. Such a scheme allowed not only to significantly reduce the amount of noise generated by a submarine, but also to additionally protect the crew and submarine equipment from the action of shock waves generated during explosions of deep-sea bombs. So our fleet, whose submarines were almost always the main strike force, received a weighty "argument" for deterring a potential adversary.

Like all modern submarines, "Pikes" have a developed keel plumage with an outstanding boule, which houses a towed antenna of the radar complex. The peculiarity of the plumage of these boats is that it is made, as it were, as a single whole with the power elements of the main body. All this is done in order to minimize the number of vortices as much as possible. The latter can lead to the trail of the ship of the sonar's hydroacoustics. These measures gave their legal fruits: "Pikes" are considered the most subtle vessels to date.

Submarine dimensions and crew

The surface displacement of the ship is 8140 tons, the submarine displacement is 10,500 tons. The maximum length of the hull is 110.3 m, the width does not exceed 13.6 m. The average sludge in the above-water position is close to ten meters.

Due to the fact that in the design of the boat massively applied various solutions for the integrated automation of control of it, the crew managed to reduce to 73 people in comparison with the American 143 crew members (at the "Los Angeles"). If we compare the new "Pike" with the previous species of this family, then the conditions of life and work of the crew were significantly improved. Due to the reduction in the number of the latter, it also became possible to locate people in the two most sheltered compartments (residential).

Power point

The heart of the ship is a reactor with a capacity of 190 mW. It consists of four steam generators and one turbine, the means of control and mechanization of which are repeatedly duplicated. The power delivered to the shaft is 50,000 liters. from. Screw - seven-bladed, with a special section of the blades and a reduced speed of rotation. The maximum speed of a ship under water, if translated into "land" values understandable, exceeds 60 km / h! Simply put, the boat can move in a dense environment faster than many sports yachts, not to mention heavy warships. The thing is that the hulls of boats were developed by a whole "battalion" of academics who have numerous works in the field of hydrodynamics.

Means of detecting enemy ships

The real highlight of the new "Pike" was the complex MGK-540 "Scat-3". He is able not only to eliminate the interference, but also to independently detect the bearing of noise from the screws of any ship. In addition, the "Scat" can be used as a conventional sonar when passing unfamiliar channels. Detection range of enemy submarines increased threefold in comparison with the submarines of previous generations. In addition, "Scat" much faster determines the characteristics of the objectives pursued and gives a forecast for the time of combat contact.

A unique feature of any submarine of Project 971 is the installation, which allows to detect any surface ship on the wake left by it. The equipment calculates the waves diverging from it even a few hours after the passage of the vessel in this square, which makes it possible to covertly track the ship's enemy groupings at a safe distance from them.

Armament Characteristics

The main striking force are four missile torpedo caliber 533 mm. But there are even more impressive four more installations of caliber 650 mm TA. A total of up to 40 missiles and / or torpedoes can be on board the submarine. "Pike" can fire with rockets "Granat", as well as "Squalls", equally effective in the underwater and above-water positions. Of course, it is possible to shoot conventional torpedoes and to let out from torpedo tubes automatic mines, which are independently put in combat position.

In addition, with the help of this submarine it is possible to expose and conventional minefields. So the range of weapons is very wide. When launching cruise missiles, their guidance and tracking take place in a fully automatic mode, without distracting the attention of the crew from performing other combat missions. Alas, in 1989, after the conclusion of agreements that were extremely unfavorable for our country with the Americans, the 971 submarines go on combat duty without the "Grenades" and "Vortices", since these weapons can carry a nuclear charge.

The significance of "Pike" for domestic shipbuilding

As we said, these submarines became the first independent project of the shipyards of the Far East, which for the first time received a state order of such complexity and importance. Boat K-284, which became the flagship of the series, was laid in 1980 and after four years entered the armament of the fleet. During the construction, minor corrections were operatively made into the design, which were regularly used to create all subsequent submarines.

Already in the first trials, the sailors and members of the Ministry of Defense were delighted with how low the submarine was. These indicators were so good that they allowed us to speak with full confidence about the withdrawal of Soviet shipbuilding to a fundamentally new level. Western military advisers agreed with this in full, who recognized the "Pike" as a weapon of the new class and assigned them the Akula cipher.

Due to their peculiarities, Project 971 submarines can overcome deep-seated anti-submarine defense equipped with standard acoustic detection means. Given the powerful armament, the submarine can well stand up for itself even in case of its detection.

Even in the zone of enemy dominance, quiet and inconspicuous Project 971 submarines can cause sensitive losses to the enemy, up to and including the shelling of coastal targets with nuclear weapons. "Pike" is quite capable of surface and submarine ships, as well as the destruction of strategically important command centers, even if located at a significant distance from the coastal zone.

The significance of the "Pike-B" project for our country

The appearance of the Project 971 submarine confused the Americans with all the cards. Before that, they quite rightly believed their offensive surface forces were the strongest in the world, and the Soviet fleet, which had significantly fewer surface ships, was estimated by their experts rather low. "Pikes" also reached a whole new level of the game. They can safely work even in the deep rear of the enemy, going behind the lines of anti-submarine defense. In the case of a full-scale war from a nuclear strike, not a single command center is insured from under water, and it's not worth talking about a full-scale cut of sea routes.

Any offensive operation of a potential adversary in such circumstances turns into an analogue of the dance in the minefield, and the surprise of the attack can be forgotten. The US leadership "Pikes" (especially modernized ones) are very concerned. Already in 2000, they repeatedly made attempts to break through the legislation on a contract to severely restrict their use, but the interests of the Russian Federation in such "mutually beneficial" agreements do not have.

Modifications and further development of the project

Subsequently, "Pike" (Project 971) has repeatedly improved, especially in the part of sonar low-visibility. Particularly different from other vessels are the "Vepr" and "Dragon", built on an individual project 971U. They are immediately visible on the modified body contours. The latter was extended at once by four meters, which allowed the regular placement of additional equipment for direction finding and the use of new design solutions aimed at reducing noise levels. For more than 1.5 tons displacement in surface and underwater positions increased.

The power plant that the OK-650B3 model reactor feeds has also changed significantly. The changes were so obvious that the new atomic multipurpose submarine in foreign media was immediately baptized Improved Akula. The same project was to build four more submarines, but as a result, only two of them were laid and built at the shipyards. The first of them, K-335 "Cheetah", in general was built on the special project 971M, which provided for the use in the design of the latest achievements of the electronic industry.

This boat was generally known to the Western military sailors as Akula II, since its differences from the basic project were striking. The second completed submarine, the same K-152 "Nerpa", was also created under a special project 971I, originally intended for the leasing of the Indian Navy. In general, "Nerpa" differs from its "brethren" with the most simplified radio electronic stuffing, in which there are no secret components.

The continuity of generations

Initially, all boats of this series had only an index, not being indicated by their own names. But in 1990, the K-317 received the name "Panther". It was given in honor of the submarine of the Russian Empire, which was the first to open a combat account. Subsequently, the name-bearing submarine was the Tiger submarine of Project 971. Soon all the submarines of this family also received their own names, echoing the designations of the ships that were part of the Imperial and Soviet Navy. The only exception that the project 971, "Kuzbass" has. Previously, this vessel was called "Walrus". First it was named in honor of one of the first submarines of the Empire, but later they honored the memory of Soviet sailors.

But the most significant were the nuclear submarines produced on Sevmash. All their series received the code name "Leopard". For this, all the project's submarines were nicknamed "cats" in the west.

"Half-baked" work

During the NATO aggression against Serbia in 1996, the K-461 "Wolf" carried combat duty in the Mediterranean. American hydroacoustics managed to spot its location during the passage of the Strait of Gibraltar, but our submariners managed to escape from them. Repeatedly, the "Wolf" was only managed right off the coast of Yugoslavia. In this battle campaign the nuclear submarine was covered by the domestic aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov from potential aggressive actions of the "Western partners". At the same time, the "Wolf" secretly monitored six NATO submarines, including one "competing" Los Angeles type boat.

In the same year, another "Pike-B," which was under the command of A. V. Burilichev, carried combat duty in the waters of the Atlantic. There, the crew discovered the US Navy SSBN, and then secretly escorted the ship throughout its combat alert. If the matter were in the conditions of war, the American missile carrier would have gone to the bottom. The command understood all this perfectly, and therefore Burylichev immediately after the "business trip" was awarded the title of Hero of the Russian Federation. This is another indication of the high combat qualities and stealth of any project boat 971.

About cases of appendicitis in the sea ...

At the end of February of the same year, 1996, an anecdote occurred altogether. Then just conducted large-scale exercises of the fleet of NATO. The order of antisubmarine ships only managed to get in touch with the command and report on the absence of potential enemy submarines at the rate of the convoy's follow ... A few minutes later the commander of the Russian submarine contacted the British ships. And soon, before the frenzied British sailors, the very "culprit of the triumph" surfaced.

The crew reported that one of the seamen is in serious condition because of the burst appendicitis. In the conditions of the submarine, the success of the operation was not guaranteed, and therefore the captain made an unprecedented decision to contact his foreign counterparts. The patient was quickly immersed in an English helicopter and sent to a hospital. What felt at this moment the British sailors, who just reported about the absence of enemy submarines, it is difficult to imagine. What is even more interesting, they could not then mark the boat of Project 971 of the old series! Since then, Project 971 "Shark" enjoys deep respect from the British Navy.

Current state of affairs

Currently, all the submarines of this series are in service, serve as part of the Pacific and Northern Fleets. The "Nerpa" mentioned above is in the service in the Indian Navy and, under the terms of the contract, will stay there until 2018. It is possible that after this the Indians will prefer to extend the contract, as they highly appreciate the combat qualities of the Russian submarine.

By the way, in the Indian fleet, "Nerpa" was called Chakra. It is interesting that earlier the same name was worn by boat 670 "Skat", which also served as a lease on India in the period from 1988 to 1992. All the sailors who served there became real professionals in their field, and some officers from the first Chakra already managed to reach the admirals. Whatever it was, but the Russian "Pike" is now actively used in the difficult business of carrying out combat duty and serve as one of the guarantors of the state sovereignty of our country.

Today, when the fleet begins to recover gradually after the 1990s, there is already talk that fifth-generation nuclear submarines should be based precisely on the development of the 971 project, as the vessels of this series have repeatedly proved their prospects. Themselves "Pikes" correspond in their parameters to submarines of the fourth generation. Indirect confirmation of this is the fact that they repeatedly deceived the sonar detection system SOSUS, which at one time created a lot of problems for Soviet sailors.