Project 971

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Project 971
Akula class submarine.JPG
Ship data
country Soviet UnionSoviet Union (naval war flag) Soviet Union / Russia
RussiaRussia (naval war flag) 
Shipyard * Shipyard 199, Amur
Launch of the type ship 1984
Units built 15th
Ship dimensions and crew
length
Akula I: 110.3 m
Akula II: 113.0 m ( Lüa )
width 15.4 m
Draft Max. Akula I: 9.6 m
Akula II: 9.7 m
displacement surfaced: 8,140 t (Akula I) / 8,470 t (Akula II)
submerged: 12,770 t (Akula I) / 13,800 t (Akula II)
 
crew 73 men
Machine system
machine 1 × pressurized water reactor 190  MW th

2 × electric maneuvering drives with 295  kW each

propeller 1 × seven-leaf (main drive)

2 × four-wing (maneuvering drive)

Mission data submarine
Diving depth, normal 450 to 480 m
Immersion depth, max. 600 m
Top
speed
submerged 		33.0 kn (61 km / h)
Top
speed
surfaced 		10.0 kn (19 km / h)
Armament
  • 4 × torpedo tubes ø 53.3 cm
  • 4 × torpedo tubes ø 65.0 cm
  • 2 tubes for decoy ejection (Akula I)
  • 8 tubes for decoy ejection (Akula II and Improved Akula)

Ammunition:

Project 971 Щука-Б , German transcription Shchuka-B , [ ʃtˈuka bɛ ], ( Russian for Hecht-B ), NATO code name Akula , is a class of nuclear -powered submarines that were first used by the Soviet Navy in December 1984 in Service was provided. According to the NATO classification, it is a hunting submarine ( SSN ), according to the Russian classification it is a third generation multi-purpose nuclear-powered submarine . It is currently in service with the Russian and Indian navies .

There are several construction lots from Project 971 , for which the Russian side - despite improved technology - did not assign any new names. In contrast, NATO differentiates between the Akula class , eight of which were put into service between 1984 and 1992; Between 1992 and 2005 several boats with technical innovations followed, which are sometimes described as the Improved Akula class , and finally some fundamentally improved submarines, which are also known as the Akula II class .

development

Based on the plans of Project 945 , the Soviet Navy decided in 1976 to develop a new submarine class as a successor to the boats of Project 671RTM Щука (Victor III class). The commissioned planning office Malachit (Малахит) in Leningrad should, in addition to the best possible noise insulation, also place increased emphasis on a cost-effective construction, so that no titanium should be used for the pressure hull . A direct consequence was that to achieve the same diving depth as in Project 945 (600 m) for the Akula class, more steel had to be built in to withstand the water pressure. The water displacement increased by more than 1000 tons.

After the intelligence service found out about the technical equipment of the US Los Angeles class , improvements to Project 971 were necessary, so that the start of construction of the first boat was delayed until 1983. The Project 971 part-boats U of the Soviet Navy at its entry into the leisesten nuclear powered. The companies Toshiba and Kongsberg are said to have made a significant contribution to reducing the noise level by supplying the Soviet Union with modern machines in disregard of the CoCom guidelines. These should then have enabled the production of extremely precisely manufactured and therefore very quiet propellers.

Two shipyards were commissioned to build the boats : Shipyard 402 in Severodvinsk produced for the Northern Fleet , while Shipyard 199 in Komsomolsk on the Amur built boats for the Pacific Fleet .

Mission profile

The range of tasks of the class includes fighting enemy surface and underwater forces, reconnaissance and laying sea ​​mines .

Another order is the defense of the Soviet and later Russian submarines with ballistic missiles (SSBN). Since these are not even effective against enemy fighter submarines and anti-submarine could protect aircraft such were intended for them "bastions" set - sea areas between the Barents Sea and the Arctic Ocean , where they intersect , waiting for their marching orders. Meanwhile, their own submarines such as the Akula class are said to hunt down enemies on the outskirts of these areas under water who try to penetrate the "bastion" while the ice cover of the Arctic Ocean protects the SSBNs from enemy aircraft and their own surface ships and land-based aircraft in the ice-free areas guarantee this protection.

By equipping them with appropriate cruise missiles , the range of operations was expanded to include attacks on point or area targets on land. If nuclear warheads are used for the cruise missiles, the Akula-class boats can be used as a second strike weapon in a nuclear war .

technology

design

Schematic external representation of project 971 with designations

Akula-class boats have a teardrop-shaped hull with a tower amidships . They are designed as double-hulled boats with a pressure hull made of high-strength steel with a yield strength of 981 N / mm².

The pressure hull of the boats is divided into six compartments. The armament and most of the sensors are housed in the front part of the pressure hull, while the crew quarters, infirmary, mess, the headquarters and the tower of the submarine follow in Division II in the middle. In Division III there are diesel generators and the water and air treatment systems. Department IV finally houses the reactor room , the fifth department the steam turbine and auxiliary equipment. The last section contains the drive shaft and technical equipment for noise insulation. Control commands to change course or depth are transmitted via the rudder at the stern; the dive cells and two extendable rudders at the bow can also be used to change the depth .

drive

With the exception of the type ship K-284, all submarines of Project 971 are powered by a pressurized water reactor of the type OK-650B or OK-650M.01, similar to the type used in the Sierra class . It generates around 190 megawatts of thermal output to operate a steam turbine that delivers around 50,000 WPS to the shaft . This is enough to accelerate the submarine to up to 33 knots using a seven- blade propeller when underwater.

A special feature of the Soviet submarine construction is the installation of emergency or maneuvering drives for slow travel. The Akula class has on the underside of the hull on the port and starboard sides an extendable impeller with a four-bladed propeller, which are operated by electric motors with around 400 hp. That is enough in calm waters for a speed of up to 5 knots.

Armament

Akulas are equipped with four 533 mm and four 650 mm torpedo tubes. Torpedoes , anti-submarine missiles and cruise missiles can be fired or sea ​​mines ejected through these tubes . The 650 mm tubes can be fitted with compensating bushes so that they can also be used for weapons with a caliber of 533 mm.

The arsenal of possible weapons includes:

  • Torpedoes such as the heavy 650 mm types , which are used exclusively against surface ships, and the smaller 533 mm types USET-80 and UGST , which are used to combat enemy submarines at depths of up to 1000 m and at distances of up to 50 km have been developed. The super cavitation torpedo WA-111 “ Schkwal ” and the APR-3M “Adler-M” should also be able to be used via the 533 mm torpedo tubes. Older torpedo models like the Type 53-65K had already been removed from the boats in the 1990s.
  • Anti-submarine missiles can be carried in place of the 650mm and 533mm torpedoes. The Akula-class is able to use RPK-2 missiles, which were later replaced by more modern systems RPK-6/7 missiles. The missiles carry a torpedo or a nuclear depth charge as a payload . These weapons are primarily used to combat submarines. The nuclear-equipped versions can also be used in a secondary role against ships or coastal targets. However, following an agreement with the United States in 1989, tactical nuclear weapons are no longer carried on submarines.
  • Cruise missiles as an important part of the armament; these can hit distant land targets. In contrast to the American Los Angeles class, the cruise missiles are launched via the torpedo tubes and then rise to the surface of the water at up to 30 m / s. The Akula class can use the cruise missile S-10 "Granat" (SS-N-21 Sampson). Calibrate cruise missiles , with conventional or nuclear warheads, can also be used.
  • Sea mines , of which common Russian and Soviet types such as the MDM-1 basic mine or the PMK-2 torpedo mine designed for hunting submarines can be deployed via the 533 mm torpedo tubes. These types of mines are active for about a year before self-destructing or deactivating.

Around 40 torpedoes, rockets or mines of the types mentioned can be stored in the torpedo room. However, there are only a maximum of twelve storage spaces available for the approximately ten-meter-long 650 mm weapons, as the weapons store is shorter in the upper part and only 28 of the short weapons in 533 mm caliber have space there. In some sources, Igla-1F type MANPADS are also listed, three of which are carried on board in order to be able to use them against ASW helicopters or aircraft from the Akula submarine that has surfaced .

Sensors

K-480 Барс , 1994, from right: the periscope, two radio antennas and the PMU satellite navigation mast "Synthesis" are extended

In addition to a commander's periscope of the "Swan" type and a "System 3" type of observation periscope for sighting or observation of surface targets, the Akula class submarines are equipped with various sensors for searching for targets, for navigation aid and for detecting threats equipped. The main phalanx for the search for underwater targets is a digital sonar system MGK-540 Skat-3 (), which consists of the main sensor in the bow, below the torpedo tubes, for passive and active search for targets, side sonar sensors for passive search and a towing sonar for passive search . A type MG-519 mine avoidance sonar operating in the high frequency range is used when navigating in mine- contaminated waters.

In addition, with the exception of six boats, the Akula class has sensors for locating turbulence in the water, such as those generated by ships and submarines in their wake . The measuring antennas of these sensors are installed on the face of the tower and on the outer shell. The system is camouflaged as "СОКС" (sock).

For the locations of radio transmitters the boats have the tower to extend a sensor of the type "Anis" (NATO designation: Park Lamp). Next to it is a radar system of the type MRKP-58 or 59 “Radian” (NATO designation: Snoop Pair) for searching for surface contacts and for navigation aid. Finally, a sensor for electronic support measures of the type "Zone" (NATO designation: Rim Hat) is installed. In order to be able to use the radio and radar systems as well as the periscopes, the boat must be at least at periscope depth or be surfaced.

communication

A P-790 “Zunami-BM” system is used for radio communications, which enables information to be exchanged over long distances via the satellite-based Molnija-MC . The P-790 system can include a towed antenna that allows radio communication for the submarines from shallow water using long waves . The place where this antenna (type: "Parawan") is installed with its winch is controversial. Some sources were based on a radio antenna in the nacelle on the vertical tail rudder, where the tow sonar is supposed to be. Others even suspected an MHD drive in the gondola. Newer sources locate the antenna under a two-door hatch aft of the tower above the reactor room.

A system called PMU "Synthesis" based on the Soviet satellite navigation system GLONASS provides data for position determination. A friend-foe recognition system of the "nichrome" type allows identification of friendly forces by radio.

Protection systems

Functional principle of the escape capsule: The crew leaves the submarine (1) and goes into the capsule (2), which then rises to the surface (3)

Their hull is covered with sound-absorbing tiles to absorb their own noises or the sound waves of an enemy sonar and make it difficult to locate.

If an Akula is caught by an enemy sonar, the boats have decoys tubes for active defense. While only two small-diameter tubes were installed in the first boats for older decoy models, these launching devices were supplemented by six large-caliber tubes in later construction lots . MG-74 Korund decoys (NATO designation: "Impostor") are self-propelled, follow a programmed course and generate submarine noises for up to 60 minutes in order to detonate enemy torpedoes and sensors from the actual submarine. Distract boat. Two of them can be loaded into the six additional 533 mm tubes, so that up to twelve decoys of this type are available.

In the event of damage to the diving cells or the pressure hull, the boats of Project 971 are constructed with about twice the static buoyancy of their American counterparts. Accordingly, they can absorb more water without sinking uncontrollably.

Should the main reactor fail, two AT-300 diesel generators can ensure the energy supply to the ship's systems for up to ten days. The on-board power grid is also designed to be redundant, as there are two separate line systems. Even if the main drive fails, the submarines of Project 971 are still limited in maneuverability due to their emergency drive system.

If a fire breaks out on board, the affected area is sealed off and a fire extinguishing system initiates Freon gas to smother the fire. While the release of the gas can be triggered manually in the departments, the newer boats also have a system that automatically detects a fire and allows the command center to release the freon.

If a boat is so badly damaged that it has to be abandoned, all Akulas have an escape pod in the middle of the tower , which is designed to bring all crew members safely to the surface, even when the submarine is at maximum depth. The capsule is entered via an entry inside the boat near the control center and then closed watertight by a hatch . Once triggered, it breaks out of the tower and rises to the surface.

 As with many Russian submarine types, an emergency buoy is installed on the upper side of the pressure hull between the tower and the bow . The buoy of the type "ВАУ" constructed as an emergency beacon can be triggered by the crew in an emergency in order to ascend to the sea surface. It then drifts freely and continuously sends the last position of the submarine by radio.

In the last boat of the class, the K-335 , an additional automatic system was installed, which, if the crew should have to leave the submarine on the surface of the water, ejects four life rafts at the push of a button , which open automatically.

crew

The crew of K-419 lined up on the forecastle during a parade in 2016.

The crew of the Akula boats consists of 73 seamen. All crew members are professional soldiers or long-term servants, so that each boat has a largely permanent crew with a high proportion of officers with over 30 seamen . The exact number of officers varies, depending on the source, between 31 and 33. The crew size is rather small compared to submarines with similar tasks, as the boats are highly automated .

The accommodations are in the second compartment of the Akula boats. This compartment is located in the pressure hull under the front half of the tower. It is divided into four decks: On the first deck, next to the headquarters, there are some accommodations and the computer systems. Most of the crew is accommodated on the second and third deck. The infirmary, the exhibition center , the sanitary facilities and a small sauna are also located there. When the Akula boats were introduced, the quarters of the crews were considered to be comparatively generous in contrast to older Soviet submarines. The watertight lockable transverse bulkheads , which separate this compartment with the crew's living area from the adjacent areas at the stern and bow, are curved inwards so that they can withstand higher water pressure than the bulkheads used in the rest of the boat. This gives the crew more time in an emergency to take damage control measures or to reach the escape pod before the department is crushed by the water pressure.

As a result of the energy supply from the nuclear reactor and the on-board systems for drinking water production, the service life for each boat is only limited by the food and consumer goods that are carried. It is common to assume 100 days of maximum autonomous use before these supplies need to be replenished.

Names

The name of the heraldic animal of Tatarstan , "Ак Барс", became the name of K-480 when the republic took over the sponsorship of the submarine in 1997

Until a corresponding order in October 1990 that changed this practice, the boats of Project 971 did not have names, only tactical numbers. The first boat that was given an additional name before it was delivered to the Navy was the K-317 "Panther". The boats already in service at the time were given names in April 1993 that were taken over from historical predecessor boats that were built around the time of the First World War .

Several boats were later renamed in the course of their service. Some of the animal names initially given became city names. This happened after the collapse of the Soviet Union and apparently had the aim of building a bond between a city or region and the boat of the same name in order to obtain support from the namesake for the crews who were chronically undersupplied at the time.

The submarine class received from the American Department of Defense, which until then had identified all newly discovered Soviet submarine classes with names of the NATO alphabet , the code name used in NATO : Akula class

“We have run out of letters to designate their submarines, so we have gone to the names of fish. 'Akula' means shark in russian language ... ”

“… We have run out of letters to name their submarines. So we switched to the names of fish. 'Akula' means 'shark' in the Russian language ... "

- Vice Admiral Ronald Thunman, 1985

Since the American side blamed the spy ring around Navy member John Anthony Walker for betraying the knowledge that had significantly influenced the construction of the Akula class in the Soviet Union, the boats were occasionally ironically called Walker- Class .

Project 971 ("Akula")

The first unit of the project 971, K-284, was established in 1980 in the shipyard 199 of Komsomolsk-on-Amur laid on keel and 1984, the Pacific Fleet passed. The Pacific Fleet received another four units of this type. In Severodvinsk at shipyard 402 , construction began in 1986 with the K-480 and ended in 1992 with the K-461. State-owned shipyard 402 later became a privately owned Sewmash company .

The following Project 971 submarines were put into service by the Soviet Navy between 1984 and 1992:
tact. number Shipyard Name (translation) Keel laying In service since status Remarks
K-284 Shipyard 199 Акула (Akula - Shark) 1983, Sept 1984, Dec out of service since 2001 -
K-263 Shipyard 199 Дельфин (dolphin) 1984, May 1985, Dec out of service since 2011 renamed "Барнаул" ( Barnaul ) 1997
K-322 Shipyard 199 Кашалот (Kaschalot - Sperm whale) 1986, June 1986 active Negotiations with India about leasing the boat
K-391 Shipyard 199 Кит (Kit - Whale) 1988, Feb 1987 active renamed "Братск" ( Bratsk ) on September 1, 1997
K-331 Shipyard 199 Нарвал (narwhal) 1988, Dec 1989 active renamed “ Magadan ” ( Magadan ) in 1997
K-461 Shipyard 402 Волк (Wolk - Wolf) 1987, Jan 1992, Nov active -
K-480 Shipyard 402 Барс (Bars - Leopard) 1985, Feb 1989, Dec out of service since 2002 1997 renamed "Ак Барс" ("White Leopard"); came during disposal operations in Severodvinsk in February 2010 on fire, parts for construction of the Borei-class used
K-317 Shipyard 402 Пантера (Pantera - Panther) 1986, Feb 1990, Dec active repaired and modernized from 2000 to January 2007

Project 971 ("Improved Akula")

After the first boats of Project 971 had proven themselves, people began to think about improvements and to implement some of them in the first construction lot . K-317 "Panther" and K-480 "Leopard" had already been equipped with sensors for wake location and some boats had received six 533 mm launch tubes for acoustic decoys above the torpedo tubes that could not be reloaded at sea. In the second construction lot all boats now received these improvements. The only exception is the K-328 "Leopard", where the sensors for wake location are missing. In addition, the radar system was converted from the MRKP-58 to the more powerful MRKP-59 and the reactor and cooling system were revised.

While in the Soviet Union no new name was introduced for the submarines modified in this way, the name "improved Akula class" initially prevailed among Western experts.

However, western observers could never agree on an exact definition for the "Improved Akula" boats, so that it is still not clear which boats belong to the "Improved Akula" class and which to the "Akula II" class . Since NATO assumed that the boats still in service from the first batch were largely retrofitted with the technical innovations of the second batch, the boundaries in the definition of the "Improved Akula class" continued to blur. Some sources cite no "Improved Akula" class at all, but are limited to "Akula I" and "Akula II"

The first boat from the second construction lot was laid down in Severodvinsk. Despite the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the very poor financial resources of the military, the construction of new Akula-class submarines remained one of the few armaments projects with high priority that were continued in Russia - albeit with long delays and near standstill .

Three hulls, the construction of which had already started, were not completed. Two bodies were later canceled, to the recovered material two SSBN of the Borei-class finish. The third hull, the construction of which was stopped in 1996, is to be finished for India.

Project 971 ("Akula II")

K-157 "Вепрь" , 2003, a periscope, the massive radar mast "Radian" and a radio antenna are extended behind the sailors of the bridge watch
Port view of K-157 and probably also K-152
Port view of K-335 with a small towed sonar tank

The Akula II class is the third construction lot of Project 971, in which various innovations in electronic equipment and noise insulation have been implemented.

These improved boats are still part of Project 971 according to their Russian registration, although they all have a new noise insulation of the engine compartment, which extends the boats by about two meters. According to the prevailing opinion of Western experts, this extension is the distinguishing feature of the Akula II class.

The exact assignment of the built boats to this class is difficult because the Russian side did not publish exact data on the dimensions of the individual submarines of Project 971. Only K-335 Gepard and K-157 are assigned to the Akula II class, while K-152 is also assigned to the class in some sources as a result of modernization measures.

As a special feature, the K-335 "Gepard" , which outwardly differs from all other Project 971 submarines by a significantly smaller container for the tow sonar on the top of the stern rudder, is sometimes incorrectly called "Project 971M" or "Akula-III -Class ". K-152 “Nerpa” is also known as “Project 971 I” (проекта 971И) because of its use as an export boat for India and some deviations in the technical equipment.

The following submarines from the second and third batch of Project 971 were put into service by the Russian Navy between 1992 and 2001:
tact. number Shipyard Name (translation) Keel laying In service since status Remarks
K-419 Shipyard 199 Морж (Morsch - Walrus) 1991, July 1992, Dec. active Renamed "Кузбасс" ( Kuzbass ) in 1998, Pacific Fleet
K-295 Shipyard 199 Дракон (Drakon - dragon) 1993, Nov 1995, Dec. active Renamed "Самара" ( Samara ) in 1999
K-152 Shipyard 199 Нерпа (Nerpa - Seal) until 01/2012 1993, April 2007, Dec. active, India Accident on November 8, 2008 with 23 dead. Handed over to India in January 2012 to serve as " INS Chakra (2009) " for ten years.
K-328 Shipyard 402 Леопард (Leopard) 1988, Oct 1992, June active -
K-154 Shipyard 402 Тигр (Tigr - Tiger) 1989, Sept 1994, Dec. active -
K-157 Shipyard 402 Вепрь (Wepr - wild boar) 1990, July 1995, Dec. active Rampage with nine dead in September 1998. Maneuvers with French naval forces 2003 Inactive from 2012 to 2020 due to repair work.
K-335 Shipyard 402 Гепард (cheetah) 1991, Sept 2001, Dec. active sometimes referred to as "Akula III class"
Unfinished units, project 971:
tact. number Shipyard Name (translation) Keel laying In service since status Remarks
K-337 Shipyard 402 Кугуар (Cougar - Puma) 1992, Aug - scrapped Components were used for the SSBN K-535 Juri Dolgoruki used
K-333 Shipyard 402 Рысь (Rys - Lynx) 1993, Aug - scrapped Components were for the SSBN K-550 Alexander Nevsky used
K-xxx Shipyard 199 Irbis 1994 - Construction shutdown Should be finished for India


Calls

An Akula-class boat on the quay of the Gajiyevo Naval Base , home base of the 24th Submarine Division

Information on the use of Akula-class submarines is not very extensive. On the one hand, the number of days that Soviet submarines spent at sea in a year was always lower than their comparable western counterparts, and on the other hand, the number of patrols fell even further with the end of the Soviet Union. Nevertheless, the commanders of the boats Panther , Leopard and Tiger were awarded the highest honorary title of Russia, Hero of the Russian Federation , for their services in action .

In 1995, K-331 Narwal operated on the west coast of the United States. Despite a massive contingent of hunting submarines, ASW planes and ASW ships, the United States Navy was unable to locate the boat.

In December 1995, K-461 Wolf  - on board were the regular crew of K-317 Panther  - penetrated through the Strait of Gibraltar into the Mediterranean and shaded NATO submarines, including a Los Angeles- class boat .

In 1998, the K-317 Panther chased a US SSBN for 150 hours. In this regard, the commander of the Panthers was awarded the title Hero of the Russian Federation .

In 2003, the K-335 Gepard operated on her first patrol off Newfoundland . Neither the US Navy nor the Royal Canadian Navy succeeded in tracking the boat.

In August 2009, two Akula II-class boats penetrated deep into the Atlantic and approached the US coast to within 200 nautical miles .

In late August 2010, the Royal Navy announced that it had discovered an Akula-class boat attempting to record a Vanguard- class noise profile outside the Faslane-on-Clyde Naval Base within the last six months .

In 2012, an Akula boat is said to have stayed undetected in the Gulf of Mexico for around a month .

Noise development

One of the crucial qualities of a military submarine is that it can operate undetected. For this, the lowest possible noise development is necessary. Any irregularities in the outer shell can cause water turbulence; Any noise inside a boat caused by machinery or work noise can be transmitted through the hull as a vibration into the water, so that the boat can still be heard from a great distance away. How far these noises can be heard also depends on factors such as the salinity of the water, the depth of the submarine and the water temperature. There is some information about the noise development about the project 971, which cannot be independently confirmed:

  • According to Russian information, Project 971 is 12-15 decibels quieter than its predecessor, Project 671 .
  • Furthermore, the American AN / BQQ-5 sonar of the Los Angeles class is said to be able to locate an Akula in waters with the conditions of the Barents Sea only within a radius of 10 km. Such a discovery is almost impossible in waters less suitable for the transmission of noises.
  • In 1995, Chief of Naval Operations Jeremy M. Boorda addressed the United States Senate Armed Services Committee . In his speech, he discussed that the Akula boats are quieter than the Los Angeles class boats at crawl speed (5-7 knots).
  • The American expert N. Polmar informed US government representatives in 1997 in the course of a hearing on the NSSN program that the noise development of the "Improved Akula class" was lower than the noise development of the improved Los Angeles class under certain conditions (688 " I "or Flight III). US Admiral JM Boorda announced at the same hearing that he was not sure whether all relevant data on the noise development of the Akula II class were available to make a comparison with the Seawolf class .
  • In a paper from the US Navy from 1996, however, it was stated that the “new” Akula submarines were probably only quieter than the Los Angeles class when it was slow to travel (5-7 knots), under normal operating conditions, i.e. at higher speeds , on the other hand, they would be louder.
  • According to an American article from 2001, the latest development stage, the boat K-335 Gepard, is possibly at the same or better level than the Los Angeles or Seawolf class in terms of noise development .
  • The research community Federation of American Scientists (FAS) classifies an Akula-I boat in terms of broadband noise emissions on the level of the American Sturgeon class . An improved Akula-I should have emissions similar to those of a Los Angeles flight III- execution boat . An Akula II boat moves in the area between the Los Angeles class (Flight III) and the Seawolf or Virginia class.
  • The renowned Jane's Information Group describes an Akula boat as follows: "Quieter than a Victor III", whereby the difference between an Akula-I and Akula-I-Improved is much greater than the difference between an Akula-I-Improved boat and an Akula-II.

future

Project 971 is to be replaced by Project 885 in the long term . However, the time when the last Akula boat will be decommissioned cannot be foreseen. The Project 971 boats of the Northern Fleet, which were no longer in service, were mothballed at the Gadschijewo submarine base , while those of the Pacific Fleet were mothballed in Vilyuchinsk .

At the beginning of 2013 it was announced that the Russian Navy wanted to extend the useful life of the class through a modernization program, which in particular should improve the protection of the boats against detection. The revision of the first boat had already started at the time of the report and should take about two years.

fiction

Evidence and references

Remarks

  1. ↑ 43,000 HP in underwater shield of the USSR - multi-purpose nuclear submarines. 2003, p. 50.
  2. ↑ actually: АПР-3М "Орёл-М"
  3. ↑ Sometimes the analog "MGK-503" is also mentioned as equipment in boats of the first construction lot, for example in Russian submarines. 2006, p. 86.
  4. ↑ actually: МГ-74 "Корунд" or "Корунд 2"
  5. ↑ ВАУ = всплывающее автономное устройство - for example: floating autonomous unit
  6. ↑ Occasionally the designation “Project 971 U” is found for the second construction lot, but this cannot be officially confirmed.
  7. ↑ “ … There is some non-trivial disagreement between authoritative sources as to launch and commission dates for all units, as well as which units are 'Improved Akula' vs. 'Akuka-II' [sic]… ”(German:“ There are certain non-trivial discrepancies between the relevant sources, such as the exact launch and commissioning dates of all units and also which units' Improved Akula 'vs.' Akula-II 'are ... ") fas.org accessed in September 2008

literature

  • J. Apalkow: Корабли ВМФ СССР. Многоцелевые ПЛ и ПЛ спецназначания. (For example: Ships of the naval war fleet of the USSR. Multipurpose submarines and special submarines. ) Saint Petersburg 2003, ISBN 5-8172-0069-4 (Russian).
  • V. Ilyin, A. Kolesnikow: Подводные лодки Росси. (For example: Russian submarines. ) AST, Moscow 2006, ISBN 5-17-037644-8 (Russian).
  • Vladimir Demjan, Alexander Kotlobowski: Подводный щит СССР - Атомные многоцелевые подводные лодки. (For example: Underwater shield of the USSR - multi-purpose nuclear submarines. ) Part 1, Major publishing house, 2003 (Russian).
  • Wayne Frey: Russian Submarines: Guardians of the Motherland. 2006, ISBN 978-0-7414-3447-0 (English).

Web links

Commons : Project 971  - Collection of Images

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ p. 89
  2. ↑ p. 83
  3. ↑ p. 85
  4. ↑ p. 89
  5. ↑ p. 86
  6. ↑ p. 90
  • Underwater shield of the USSR - multipurpose tom submarines. Major publishing house, 2003.
  1. ↑ p. 50
  2. ↑ p. 50
  3. ↑ p. 51
  4. ↑ p. 48
  5. ↑ p. 48
  6. ↑ p. 49
  7. ↑ p. 48
  8. ↑ p. 49
  9. ↑ p. 49
  • J. Apalkow: Ships of the naval navy of the USSR. Multipurpose submarines and special purpose submarines. 2003, ISBN 5-8172-0069-4 .
  1. ↑ p. 36
  2. ↑ p. 35
  3. ↑ p. 35
  4. ↑ p. 39
  5. ↑ p. 39
  1. ↑ Technical data: length
  2. ↑ Technical data: displacement (surfaced)
  3. ↑ Technical data: displacement (submerged)
  4. ↑ rescue systems
  5. ↑ name issue
  • Other sources:
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  2. ↑ a b c d after "Долгопрудный 1995" ( Memento of October 4, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) on the former website of submarine.id.ru, accessed in September 2008
  3. ↑ a b c d Norman Polmar, Kenneth J. Moore: Cold War submarines: the design and construction of US and Soviet submarines 1945-2001. Potomac Books Inc, 2003, ISBN 1-57488-594-4 , p. 284.
  4. ↑ Shot across the bow . In: Die Zeit , No. 29/1987
  5. ↑ Pavel Podvig, Oleg Bukharin, Frank von Hippel: Russian Strategic Nuclear Forces. The MIT Press, 2004, ISBN 0-262-66181-0 , pp. 265, 266.
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  10. ^ A b Eric Wertheim: Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World: Their Ships, Aircraft. Naval Institute Press, 2007, ISBN 1-59114-955-X , p. 605.
  11. ^ Norman Friedman: Seapower and space: from the dawn of the missile age to net-centric warfare. Chatham Publication, 2000, ISBN 1-86176-004-3 , p. 164.
  12. ^ A b Stan Zimmerman: Submarine Technology for the 21st Century. Trafford Publishing, 2000, ISBN 1-55212-330-8 , pp. 105, 115.
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  18. ^ Former page from submarine-tof ( Memento from December 6, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) (Russian) accessed in September 2008
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  20. ↑ Defense Department authorization and oversight: hearings on HR , Volume 3, 1985, United States, Congress, Committee on Armed Services, p. 148.
  21. ^ John F. Lehman : Command of the Seas. Blue Jacket Books, 2001, p. 133.
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  23. ↑ RIA Novosti: Russian nuclear submarine catches fire when scrapped. Retrieved February 19, 2010
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  26. ^ Department of Defense appropriations for 1996: hearings before a subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations. Volume 3, 1996, United States, Congress, Subcommittee on National Security, Admiral T. Joseph Lopez, p. 15.
  27. ↑ Harper Collins: Jane's Warship Recognition Guide. ISBN 0-00-472211-6 .
  28. ^ A b Ronald O'Rourke: The United States Navy: current issues and background. Nova Science, 2003, ISBN 978-1-59033-661-8 , p. 78 ff.
  29. ^ India in talks with Russia on lease of second nuclear submarine
  30. ^ A b Run Silent, Run Deep . Federation Of American Scientists; Retrieved September 7, 2008
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  32. ↑ "Приказом ГК ВМФ в январе 199В переименована в К-419" Кузбасс ".." ( Memento of the original from October 6, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , accessed September 2008 @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.navycollection.narod.ru
  33. ^ Three Russian Nuke Subs to Be Recommissioned in 2013 . Ria Novosti, May 1, 2013; Retrieved May 1, 2013
  34. ↑ snariad.ru accessed April 6, 2009
  35. ↑ Misfortune during test drive . Spiegel Online ; Retrieved September 9, 2008
  36. ^ Rajat Pandit: India becomes 6th nation to join elite nuclear submarine. on indiatimes.com, January 24, 2012; Retrieved January 24, 2012
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  39. ↑ https://tass.ru/armiya-i-opk/9126445
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  41. ^ New York Times , accessed November 4, 2009
  42. ↑ Thomas Harding: “ Russian subs stalk Trident in echo of Cold War ” . telegraph.co.uk, August 27, 2010; Retrieved September 30, 2010
  43. ^ A b Peter Lobner: Marine Nuclear Power 1939–2018. 2018. p. 133.
  44. ^ Statement by Norman Polmar , at globalsecurity; accessed in September 2008
  45. ↑ Budgeting For Naval Forces: Structuring Tomorrow's Navy At Today's Funding Level . ( Memento of the original from September 10, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF) Congressional Budget Office @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.cbo.gov
  46. ↑ " [...] The Akulas now reportedly have sound levels equal to or lower than US Los Angeles and possibly the future Virginia-class submarines. […] ”From globalsecurity.org accessed on May 27, 2008
  47. ↑ Jane's Major Warships 2003-2004. P. 218.
  48. ↑ Russia to Modernize Akula Class Attack Submarines. Ria Novosti , March 20, 2013; Retrieved March 20, 2013