The largest submarine in the world. Nine-story "Shark": the story of the legend of the Soviet navy

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

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

In September 1980, unusually large soviet submarine the height of a nine-story building and the length of almost two football fields touched the water for the first time. Delight, joy, fatigue - the participants in that event experienced different feelings, but everyone was united by one thing - pride in a great common cause. Mooring and sea trials were carried out in record time. Tests took place not only in the White Sea, but also in the North Pole area. There were no operational failures during the period of missile firing. During construction nuclear submarines class " Typhoon“The latest achievements in the creation of shipborne radio-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 nuclear-powered strategic missile cruiser "Akula"

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 a “water carrier.” This is the price of the transition from liquid hot to solid fuel, which has not been fully thought out for the Russian submarine fleet. As a result, the project Shark" became the largest submarine in the world and is included in the Guinness Book of Records. For the construction of nuclear submarines, a new workshop was specially built at the Northern Engineering Enterprise - the largest indoor boathouse in the world. The first Project 941 submarine code "TK-208" was laid down at the shipyard of the 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 was dismantled in 1990 due to the high cost of the project.

dates of laying, launching and commissioning of Project 941 submarines

Design Project 941 submarine made according to the “catamaran” type: two separate durable 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 center plane, which houses the central post and the radio-technical weapons compartment located behind it. The missile compartment is located between the pressure hulls at the front of the ship. Both housings and capsule compartments are connected to each other by transitions. The total number of waterproof compartments is nineteen. The central post compartment and its light fencing are shifted towards the stern nuclear submarine. The robust hull, central post and torpedo compartment are made of titanium alloy, and the lightweight hull is made of steel (its surface is coated with a special hydroacoustic rubber coating, which increases stealth submarines). Submarine "Shark""has a developed stern tail. 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.

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

According to domestic press reports, existing plans for the development of Russia's strategic nuclear forces provide for 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 convert part of the 941 project into transport nuclear submarines, intended for the transportation of goods along transpolar and cross-polar routes, the shortest route connecting Europe, North America and other countries. The cargo compartment built in place of the missile compartment will be capable of accepting up to 10,000 tons of cargo.

the largest submarine in the world photo

nuclear submarine "Shark" parked

on a barrel

submarine "Shark" on a combat mission

submarine "Shark" on the surface

In the fall of 2011, reports appeared in the domestic media according to which it was planned to decommission and dismantle all remaining Project 941 Akula nuclear submarines by 2014. The next day, Defense Department officials denied this information. As it turns out, these submarines will remain in the fleet in the coming years. Since then, new reports have been received from time to time about the future fate of the Sharks. First of all, the possible modernization of these boats is mentioned. However, the repair and re-equipment of the Sharks is sometimes called impractical, because there are only three such boats left in service. But in the early eighties, the Soviet Union was going to build ten Project 941 submarines. Why, instead of the ten largest submarines in the world, does our country now have only three?

When at the Rubin Central Design Bureau for Medical Sciences under the leadership of S.N. Kovalev, the development of Project 941 began, the fleet command could express quite bold wishes. According to some sources, the possibility of building a series of twelve new submarines was seriously considered. Apparently, for economic reasons, it was subsequently reduced to ten ships. Despite this reduction, the mid-seventies, when the project was created, can be called one of the best periods in the history of the Russian Navy. Therefore, only three and a half years passed from the issuance of tactical and technical specifications to the laying of the lead “Shark”. Four years later, the first boat of the TK-208 project left the stocks and entered service in December 1981. Thus, it took about nine years to create the lead submarine.

Until 1986-87, seven Project 941 submarines were laid down at the Severodvinsk Sevmash plant. However, problems began already in 1988. Due to a number of financial and political problems, the seventh submarine, 35-40 percent complete, was cut into metal. The last three boats of the series generally remained at the stage of preliminary preparation for construction. Perestroika began in the country and funding for defense projects decreased significantly. In addition, the former (?) potential enemy, who was directly interested in the absence of such equipment, learned about the new submarines.

It's worth noting that the United States had good reason to fear the Sharks. Project 941 boats were the largest submarines in the world and carried substantial weapons. The original design of the boat with two main strong hulls located at a distance from each other made it possible to fit two dozen missile silos of the D-19 complex with R-39 missiles into the contours of the light hull. The record-breaking size of Project 941 boats was due to the dimensions of the missiles. The P-39 had a length of 16 meters and simply did not fit on submarines of the old design, like the later versions of Project 667. At the same time, increasing the size of the boat made it possible to place on it comfortable cabins and quarters for the crew, a small recreation room, a gym, a swimming pool and even a sauna.

Both main pressure buildings housed one OK-650VV reactor with a thermal power of up to 190 MW. Two steam turbine units with turbo-gear units had a total power of up to 90-100 thousand horsepower. Thanks to this power plant, Project 941 boats with a displacement of 23-28 (surface) or 48-50 thousand tons (underwater) are capable of moving underwater at speeds of up to 25-27 knots. The maximum diving depth is 450-500 meters, autonomy is up to 120 days.

The main payload of the Sharks was R-39 ballistic missiles. These three-stage solid-fuel ammunition could fly to a range of about 8200-8500 kilometers and deliver ten warheads to targets with a capacity, according to various sources, from 100 to 200 kilotons. In combination with the unlimited cruising range and relatively low noise level of the carrier boat, the R-39 missile provided Project 941 submarines with high combat characteristics. It is worth noting that the R-39 missiles were not very easy to use. Problems with them were associated, first of all, with weight and size parameters. With a length of 16 meters and a diameter of 2 meters, the rocket with so-called units. shock-absorbing rocket launch system (ARSS) weighed about 90 tons. After launch, the R-39 shed six tons of ARSS weight. However, despite such mass and size, the R-39 missile was considered suitable for use and put into production.

In general, the potential enemy had every reason to be afraid. In 1987, new cause for concern appeared. The Soviet Union decided to modernize all existing Sharks in accordance with the 941UTTH project. Its main difference from the basic project was the use of upgraded R-39UTTH missiles. Before the collapse of the USSR, Sevmash managed to finalize only one lead boat of the project, TK-208. Other submarines were not modernized - there was simply no money for it. Subsequently, the lack of money constantly affected the fate of the Sharks, and only in a negative way.

According to some sources, maintaining one “Akula” in combat-ready condition cost 1.5-2 times more than operating Project 667BDRM boats. In addition, in the late eighties and early nineties, the leadership of our country was ready to make a variety of concessions in international negotiations, including those that were obviously disadvantageous for its own defense capability. As a result of consultations with, as they began to say, foreign partners, the construction of the seventh submarine of the series was completely forgotten, and half of those manufactured were decided to be gradually written off and disposed of. In addition, in the early nineties, production of R-39 missiles ceased. The submarines risked being left without their main one.

Due to insufficient funding, Project 941 boats sat at the piers almost all the time without any hope of going out. The first submarine to leave the fleet was the submarine cruiser TK-202. Disposal was delayed: instead of the planned start in 1997, work began only in 1999. The cutting into pins and needles was completed by the mid-2000s. In 1997-98, two other boats, TK-12 and TK-13, were excluded from the fleet’s operational strength. They stood at the piers for a very long time, and at the beginning of the 2000s there was hope for their return. The option of returning the TK-12 boat to service was considered. In addition, she was supposed to receive the name “Simbirsk”, since the administration of the city of Ulyanovsk expressed a desire to take patronage over her. But these proposals did not come to fruition. In 2004, the United States achieved the start of recycling the boat. The contract for the destruction of the last TK-13 submarine was signed in 2007. A few months later work began.

As we see, the “foreign partners” were still able to push through a solution that was beneficial to them. The importance of destroying the Sharks is perfectly illustrated by the fact that about 75-80% of the costs of dismantling the boats were paid by the United States and NATO. In total, they spent about $25 million. Probably, due to the danger of Soviet and Russian submarine cruisers, they were ready to once again shell out sums of this order for the disposal of the remaining Russian submarines, including other projects.

A completely fair question may arise: why didn’t the Russian leadership break the agreement on the joint destruction of unique boats? There are reasons for this. During the first years, our country simply did not have the opportunity to fully maintain all six submarines. Without proper maintenance, nuclear power plants could cause colossal environmental disasters. Later, at the beginning of the 2000s, money appeared, but at the same time another problem appeared. By the end of the nineties, the lack of missile production began to take its toll. A little later, the situation with ammunition became fatal: in 2005, reports appeared that there were only ten R-39 missiles for three submarines. In other words, it was not possible to equip even one submarine.

It is worth noting that the command of the navy drew attention to this problem back in the mid-nineties. In 1998, modernization of the TK-208 submarine began in accordance with project 941U (another designation “941M”). Instead of old launchers, several new silos were installed on the boat, designed to use R-30 Bulava missiles. The development of this rocket had just begun at that time, but appropriate measures were already being taken for testing and subsequent operation. After repairs, in 2002, the TK-208 boat received the name “Dmitry Donskoy”, and in 2003 it began to participate in the Bulava tests.

The operation of the Dmitry Donskoy submarine continues to this day. The other two remaining boats were less fortunate: they were not modernized. In 2004, TK-17 Arkhangelsk and TK-20 Severstal were put into reserve. In the fall of 2001, the Severstal boat went on a cruise to conduct two training launches. Together with the sailors, television journalists who were filming the documentary “Russian Shark” went to the place of the combat training mission. Subsequently, the footage was repeatedly used in various films about record-breaking submarines. Ironically, these shootings turned out to be the last in the biography of the TK-20 boat.

After memorable statements from an unnamed source in 2011, the situation with Project 941 boats has repeatedly become the subject of discussion. A couple of months after the official denial of decommissioning, the management of the Sevmash plant confirmed that the Dmitry Donskoy submarine will henceforth be used as an experimental submarine to test technologies and technical solutions intended for promising projects. The further fate of Arkhangelsk and Severstal was not known at that time. At the beginning of 2012, the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy, V. Vysotsky, said that all three existing submarines would remain in the fleet and would be in operation over the next years. The situation with the lack of missiles was not commented on. Since then, there have been no official reports about the fate of the remaining Project 941 submarines. Probably, due to the lack of any clear prospects, Severstal and Arkhangelsk will remain in the fleet for several more years and then will be decommissioned. At least now no one is going to upgrade them to use R-30 missiles. Probably, the fleet command assessed the possibilities and prospects of such modernization and came to the appropriate conclusions.

Project 941 submarines were unlucky to appear during a very difficult period in history. In the midst of their construction, transformations began that ultimately proved fatal for the country. Elimination of their consequences took many more years and as a result, the Sharks spent most of their lives at the pier. Now that it is possible to find opportunities to return the boats to service, the feasibility of this has begun to raise questions. Despite record-breaking characteristics for their time, the Project 941 boats are quite outdated and they will have to invest as much money in updating them as would be spent on creating a completely new project. Does this make sense?

Based on materials from sites:
http://flot.com/
http://rbase.new-factoria.ru/
http://deepstorm.ru/
http://lenta.ru/
http://ria.ru/
http://militaryrussia.ru/blog/topic-578.html

Nerpichya Bay, 2004. Reserve. Photo http://ru-submarine.livejournal.com

During the Cold War, in the 70s, another race began between the USSR and the USA to see who would be the first to master a nuclear submarine fleet. Having something like this would give a significant advantage to one side or the other. And it was precisely thanks to the tenacity of the designers, driven by military forces, that the largest submarine.

The Americans established their position with the help of a nuclear-powered missile cruiser called the Ohio, which had about 24 missiles with nuclear warheads. This forced Russian craftsmen to take on a more powerful project, called 941 “Shark”, but foreign media dubbed it “Typhoon”.

Until now, the submarine, which has become the largest in the world, is considered the most successful and large-scale project that has ever been implemented on the territory of the USSR. It had 19 compartments, each of which was accessible to visitors. It was even possible to ascend in incredibly cold conditions, that is, from under the ice, which explains the powerful sealing of the cabin and its well-thought-out protection.

It is not for nothing that the largest nuclear submarine received such a title, because its length is over 173 meters. The most striking example given for size ratio is a football field. In length, "Typhoon" occupies two such sports grounds. But she also managed to impress with her displacement - more than 50 thousand tons, which is twice as much as that of the Ohio, created by American craftsmen.

They were comparable only in speed - both submarines could develop 24 knots at their maximum efforts. There is no exact data regarding the autonomy of the Ohio, but the Russian creation could remain in the waters of the world’s oceans for at least six months, without refueling or the need to replenish provisions. Everything was included and provided.

The Typhoon was set in motion only thanks to two nuclear reactors, which generated the necessary energy for the turbines corresponding to each of them. The crew serving the ship consisted of 150 people, a significant part of whom were officers. The best conditions were created for them - spacious cabins for two or four people. The sailors had their own small cubicles and rooms. It is worth considering that even in them, each had its own washbasins and televisions. The crew spent most of their time on watch, and during free periods they had the opportunity to go to the gym, visit the sauna or swimming pool, which was equipped inside the submarine.

In the event of an alarm and an indication that hostilities are authorized, the enemy could feel the successive explosion of two dozen nuclear missiles, which could easily turn several coastal American states into one continuous scorched place. It is because of this that the “Shark” was once renamed “Typhoon”. It is worth considering that in addition to missiles, the steel-clad boat also had at its disposal about three dozen torpedoes.

Exactly six such underwater structures were manufactured within the framework of Project 941, from 1976 to 1988, each of which is still suitable for action. Three are in use, two are in reserve and one allows testing of new weapons being developed.

Submarines are part of the navies of many states. Some of them are so small that the crew consists of only two people, and some are simply huge. The list of the latter is contained in this article. The largest submarines are underwater cruisers with a displacement of up to forty-eight thousand tons and a length of 172 meters.

10th place. Navaga 128 meters long

The rating of the world's largest submarines opens with Soviet submarines called Navaga of Project 667A. They carry ballistic missiles. The length of the submarine reaches 128 meters, with a width of 11.7 m. This project is equipped with installations carrying R-27 missiles, which are capable of hitting targets at a distance of up to 2,400 km. The submarine’s general combat kit also includes twenty-two torpedoes, including two that carry a nuclear charge. Work began on the development of submarines of this series in 1958.

9th place. Triomphant – 138 meters

Among the largest submarines in the world are French-made Triumphant-class submarines. Construction of the first submarine of this project began in 1986. Due to the collapse of the Soviet Union, an adjustment was made and instead of the planned six units, only four were built. The underwater displacement is 14,335 tons. The length of the body is 138 meters, and its width is 12.5 meters. There are sixteen M45 class missiles in service.

8th place. Jin – 140 meters

A stunning impression remains from the size of the Project 094 Jin submarine from China. These submarines replaced the 092 Xia class boats that were in service. Construction of the underwater giants began in 1999. Since China has a policy that does not allow talking about their developments, there is very little information about these boats. The length of the boat is 140 meters, with a width not exceeding thirteen meters. The volume of underwater displacement is estimated at 11,500 tons. The submarine is armed with twelve ballistic missiles capable of hitting targets at a distance of up to 12,000 km. The first boat of the Jin series. Launched in 2004. As follows from the information voiced by the Chinese military, this country’s navy currently has six submarines. In 2014, they were supposed to begin combat patrols.

7th place. Vanguard – 150 meters

British Vanguard-class submarines are also among the largest submarines in the world. These submarines replaced the Resolution class boats at the combat post. England was prompted to create a new boat by the production of new types of submarines by the military industries of the Soviet Union and America, in order to give it identical combat characteristics. The strategic plans included the production of at least seven submarines, but the collapse of the Soviet Union made such a solution to the issue irrelevant, and the number of missile carriers was reduced to four, which entered the British Navy. Construction of the first boat began in 1986. Its underwater displacement was 15,900 tons, its hull length was 150 meters, and its width was 12.8 meters. Vanguard carried sixteen Trident-2 D5 ballistic missiles on board.

6th place. Squid – 155 meters

Kalmar submarines produced at Russian shipyards occupy sixth place in the ranking of the largest submarines in the world. Development of the submarine project began in 1972, in connection with the need to deploy R-29R ballistic missiles. With an underwater displacement of 13,050 tons, its length reaches 155 meters, with a width of 11.7 meters. It is armed with sixteen R-29R intercontinental liquid missiles, the range of which exceeds six thousand kilometers. The bulk of boats of this type were scrapped, and the remaining ones continue to serve as part of the Russian Pacific Fleet.

5th place. Murena-M – 155 meters

Submarines of the Murena-M project occupy the fifth line of the rating. It is a modernized version of the Murena project boat. The main difference is the increase in the number of missiles to sixteen, instead of twelve on the previous project. To make this possible, the hull was increased by sixteen meters, the length of which became 155 meters. Its underwater displacement reached 15,750 tons. The width of the boat reached 11.7 meters. Sixteen R-29D missiles placed on board are capable of hitting targets at a distance of 9,000 km.

4th place. Dolphin – 167 meters

A continuation of the development of the Kalmar project was the submarine Dolphin. The first submarine was laid down in 1981. Ultimately, seven submarines were built. Currently, they are all serving as part of the Russian submarine fleet. According to its physical characteristics, the Dolphin is among the largest submarines in the world. With an underwater displacement of 18,200 tons, its length reaches 167 meters, with a width of 11.7 meters. The submarine is armed with sixteen R-29RM class ballistic missiles.

3rd place. Ohio (Ohio class SSBN/SSGN) – 170 meters

These American submarines are of the third generation. On board they carry twenty-four Trident-class ballistic missiles. Their feature is the ability to divide the head into several parts that can cause damage according to an individual pattern. Currently, Ohio-class submarines play the role of the core of America's nuclear forces. The location of their combat duty is the waters of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Having a width of 12.8 meters, the length of the submarine reaches 17.7 meters. When submerged, the boat's displacement is 18,750 tons. It is capable of diving to a depth of 550 meters. The first representative of this class was commissioned in 1981. This interesting fact is known: in 2009, the crew of the USS Rhode Island submarine, which was on combat duty, rescued four men and one boy who were shipwrecked and had lost all hope of their salvation.

2nd place. Borey – 170 meters

In second place in the ranking of the largest submarines in the world is the Russian Borey-class submarine. To date, the construction and commissioning of three submarine cruisers have been completed, and three more are on the stocks in the process of construction. The last one was laid in 2015. The military plans to build eight Borei submarines by 2018. The start of development was due to the need to replace submarines belonging to the Dolphin and Akula classes. The underwater displacement of Borey class boats is 24,000 tons. The length of their hull is 170 meters and the width is 13.5 meters. Sixteen Bulava class missiles are used as weapons.

1 place. Shark – 173 meters

The leader of the TOP 10 is rightfully the Akula submarine. Man has never built a larger submarine than this one. It is difficult to imagine a nine-story building rushing underwater, stretching the length of two football fields. Such dimensions, of course, raise some doubts about its combat effectiveness, but one simply cannot help but admire it. Construction of the submarine began in 1976. It was assumed that it would serve as a response to the construction of the Ohio class boat by the Americans. The first submarine missile carrier was delivered to the Navy in 1980. Its underwater displacement is 48,000 tons. The length of the hull stretched to 172.8 meters, and the width was 23.3 meters. The missile cruiser is armed with twenty three-stage R-39 Variant ballistic missiles. Excellent conditions have been created for the submarine crew. They can use the small swimming pool, solarium, sauna, gym and even relax in the living corner. This means that the Shark is quite capable of carrying out combat patrols in the waters of the Arctic latitudes. In total, six Akula-class submarine cruisers currently serve in the Russian Navy.