4 types of powerful submarines of the Russian Navy: Ocean “Killer”

In the race to master the ocean, Russia has invested huge amounts of money to build many new diesel-electric and nuclear submarines, with stealth capabilities, extremely low noise levels and possessing many advanced weapons.

Submarine Kilo

Project 877 Paltus (NATO designation: Kilo) and Project 636 Varshavyanka (improved Kilo) are diesel-electric attack submarines with anti-ship and anti-submarine warfare duties. The vessel has an operating depth of about 240 m and a maximum diving depth of 300 m. This class of submarines operate very well in shallow seas, being able to move closer to the seabed than other attack submarines.

The Rubin Design Institute has applied many modern technologies to reduce the noise level of the Kilo class, making them invisible to modern sonar devices. The hull is designed in a teardrop shape to reduce resistance when moving in the sea.

The Kilo submarine is called an “ocean black hole” because of its near-perfect hiding ability. The ship’s engine is isolated on a rubber pedestal and does not touch the hull, reducing vibrations and eliminating noise. The submarine’s outer shell is covered with a special rubber layer, capable of soundproofing from the inside and absorbing sound waves from the outside. This rubber cover reduces target detection from active and passive enemy sonar.

The improved Kilo class is equipped with six 533 mm torpedo tubes. The ship’s weapons base includes 18 Type-53-65 torpedoes, TEST-71, VA-111 Shkval super-cavity torpedoes, Kalibr/Klub-S cruise missile complexes or 24 torpedoes. The Kalibr missile has anti-ship, anti-submarine and surface-to-surface versions, with a maximum range of 2,500 km for the domestic version and 300 km for the export version.

Project 971 ‘Shchuka-B’

The Project 971 “Shchuka-B” nuclear-powered attack submarine was commissioned by the Soviet Union in 1986. The upgraded version is equipped with an OK-650M nuclear reactor, allowing the ship to move at high speed. Maximum temperature up to 65 km/h when diving.

Shchuka-B can dive to a maximum depth of 600 m, twice as much as similar US submarines. The ship is equipped with 4 533 mm torpedo tubes (28 results) and 4 650 mm torpedo tubes (12 shells), 3 Igla-M anti-aircraft missile launchers and 28 RK-55 Granat cruise missiles with range fired 3,000 km.

Russia operates eight submarines of different versions of the Shchuka-B class, with two leased to the Indian Navy. The K-335 “Gepard” of Project 971M is the most modern submarine in the Russian Navy before the Borei and Yasen classes were completed.

Project 955 ‘Borei’

The Borei-class nuclear-powered submarine is 170 m long, 13.5 m wide and has a displacement of 24,000 tons, the maximum speed when diving reaches 56 km / h, unlimited range. Borei’s stock of supplies allows it to operate continuously for more than a year without resupply.

The main armament of the Borei class is 16 to 30 R-30 (RSM-56) Bulava intercontinental ballistic missiles, as well as other cruise missiles. Each Bulava intercontinental ballistic missile can carry 10 nuclear warheads, reaching a maximum range of about 8,000 km. The missile’s compact size, solid-fuel engine, high flight speed and maneuverability allow it to overcome many of today’s most advanced ballistic missile shields.

The power of a Borei-class submarine is considered to surpass a large army. Nuclear submarines are the most effective, autonomous, and easy-to-hide component of Russia’s nuclear triad. They can operate thousands of kilometers from shore and are independent of weather conditions.

By 2020, the fleet of eight Borei submarines will carry a total of 148 Bulava missiles with about 1,480 warheads. Each nuclear warhead has an explosive power of 100-150 kilotons, equivalent to 10 atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima. In addition to ballistic missiles, Borei-class submarines are also equipped with eight launch tubes with 40 torpedoes or submarine-launched cruise missiles.

In addition to powerful weapons systems, Borei-class submarines are also equipped with modern technologies. The compact and efficient design helps to reduce the noise level significantly compared to previous generations of strategic nuclear submarines. Borei is also the first Russian class of strategic submarines to use a pump-jet propulsion system. The ship is equipped with many escape compartments, helping the crew to leave the ship in an emergency situation even while diving under the sea.

The sonar system allows Borei-class submarines to detect the enemy from a distance 1.5 times greater than the US Virginia-class submarine. The ship is also equipped with a complex combination of electronic equipment, which allows it to communicate, receive information about targets and many other functions.

In addition to the Borei and Borei-A versions, Russia started developing the Borei-M version in 2011. This project increases submarine stealth capabilities, as well as adds weapons control systems. state-of-the-art.

Project 885 ‘Yasen’

Russian naval warfare doctrine considers Yasen as a future generation of multi-purpose nuclear submarines. At least eight Yasen submarines carrying cruise missiles will be built and commissioned for the Russian Navy by 2020.

The Russian Navy is operating a Yasen-class ship named Severodvinsk. The ship is 119 m long, has a displacement of 13,800 tons, a maximum speed of 57 km / h and is capable of diving to a depth of 600 m. The Yasen class is equipped with a variety of modern weapons such as torpedoes, P-800 Oniks anti-ship missiles or Kalibr multi-purpose missiles, as well as a variety of heavy torpedoes and some Kh-101 cruise missiles.

Military expert Viktor Mamaykin said that Soviet-era multi-purpose nuclear submarines were often inferior to the US in their ability to limit noise. However, a completely new design Yasen-class submarine, applying many modern technologies, has a noise level on par with Western submarines, which may pose a new threat to US aircraft carrier fleets.