IN lately Citizens of our country are increasingly interested in the combat effectiveness of the Russian armed forces. Questions related to the army are asked on various Internet portals: “How many submarines and surface ships does Russia have?”, “How many tanks and missiles?” etc. Why did our people suddenly begin to show such interest, what was the reason?
Lyrical digression
Today it is no longer a secret to anyone that the President of the Russian Federation and his team have radically changed direction foreign policy our country. They are increasingly giving Western powers a thumbs down. Russia's policy is becoming more and more firm; it does not bend to the United States, the European Union, or the IMF. Many Western politicians they say that the “Russian Bear” has come out of hibernation and will soon make itself known in full voice. It is difficult to say what has changed in the minds of our president and those around him. Christians tend to say that the final battle of the Apocalypse is coming, and that Russia will become the savior of all humanity. Fans of Vedic teachings claim that the Night of Svarog has ended, the Dawn has come, that is, the time of lies and pretense has passed - the era of the warrior has come. We won’t say which of them is right and who is wrong; perhaps they are all right, and they are talking about the same thing, they just look at the world from their own bell tower. Let's return better to the government, which step by step strengthens our statehood and sovereignty. One of these programs was the reform of the Russian Armed Forces. In this article we will look at the condition submarine fleet of our state, the prospects for its development, we will find out how many submarines Russia has and what their combat capabilities are. After all, every person understands that only those who have an excellent army behind them can pursue a strong policy.
to date?
Despite the economic crisis that befell our country in the 90s of the last century, and the emergence random people in the post of Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation already in the new century, striving with all their might to destroy the defense power of the state, the domestic fleet is still considered one of the largest in the world, with powerful potential for performing combat and reconnaissance missions. One of the main components of the Russian Navy is submarines. The question of how many submarines Russia has is of concern to many, but it is quite difficult to answer. First, let's look at the official statistics of the Ministry of Defense. According to materials presented to the public, the Russian Navy has 70 submarines. Of these:
- 14 nuclear-powered ships with ballistic missiles: 10 for the Northern Fleet (SF) and 4 for the Pacific Fleet (PF);
- 9 nuclear submarines with cruise missiles: 4 for the Northern Fleet and 5 for the Pacific Fleet;
- 19 multi-purpose nuclear-powered ships: 14 for the Northern Fleet and 5 for the Pacific Fleet;
- 8 special-purpose nuclear submarines - all from the Northern Fleet;
- 1 special purpose - for the Northern Fleet.
- 19 diesel submarines: 2 at 2 at the Black Sea Fleet (Black Sea Fleet), 7 at the Northern Fleet, 8 at the Pacific Fleet.
Real numbers differ significantly from statistics
70 units of underwater equipment is quite impressive, but statistics are statistics, and real life- this is completely different. The above figures indicate that the fleet has 50 nuclear-powered ships of various projects in service, however, as it turned out, less than half of them are in a state of combat readiness. The remaining nuclear submarines of the Russian Navy are either in reserve or awaiting repairs, and their return to service is very, very doubtful. In order not to be unfounded, let's look at the state of the submarine fleet in detail, so to speak, getting personal.
Most age group
The most “ancient” representatives of the Russian submarine fleet are four Project 667BDR boats. Today, two of them (K-223 and K-433) are in service, K-44 and K-129 are under repair. The likelihood of their return to service is negligible, because even those that are in use are planned to be written off when new boats arrive.
The most numerous class of submarines are multi-purpose projects. In total, there are 19 units in the Navy in five directions. The oldest of them are four boats 671RTMKK: K-388 and K-414 are in service, and K-138 and K-448 are under repair. The decommissioning of these submarines is scheduled for 2015.
The basis of the submarine fleet
The Navy has three of the largest boats in the world - 941 "Akula": TK-17 and TK-20 are put in reserve, and TK-208 is used for testing Bulava-type ballistic missiles. There are six Project 667BDRM submarines in the ranks of the Northern Fleet: K-18, K-51, K-114, K-117 and K-407 are in service, and K-407 should leave the repair docks this summer.
In addition, nine submarines of the Antey 949A project are in service with the Northern Fleet and Pacific Fleet, but only four of them (K-119, K-410, K-186 and K-456) have undergone scheduled repairs, and five are either in reserve. or under repair, and their prospects are very vague.
The basis of multi-purpose boats are the Shchuka-B ships of Project 971. There are eleven of them in the Russian Navy, five of them (K-154, K-157, K-317, K-335 and K-461) are on combat duty in part of the Northern Fleet, two - K-295 and K-331 - in the Pacific Fleet, and the rest are not in a combat-ready state, and their repair is a big question. Four more boats belong to projects 945 and 945A: “Barracuda” and “Condor”, respectively. These ships are distinguished by a heavy-duty titanium hull. Two of them - K-336 and K-534 - are serving as part of the Northern Fleet, and K-239 and K-276 are preparing for modernization and repair.
As you can see, the real number of Russian submarines is much less than presented in the report of the Russian Ministry of Defense.
The most modern submarines of Russia
Modern Russia - Project 955 Borei - entered the Navy only in 2013. Two of them, K-535 and K-550, are on combat duty somewhere in the waters of the world's oceans, K-551 is undergoing mandatory state tests, and another one is under construction. It is planned to release a series of eight submarines of this project.
The most modern submarine of our fleet is the Project 885 Yasen K-560. She joined the Navy on December 31, 2013. According to the plans of the Ministry of Defense, ten such nuclear-powered ships will be produced. As you can see, new Russian submarines continue to enter the Navy, so there is hope that in the coming years the situation will change dramatically, and for the better.
What awaits the Russian submarine fleet?
According to a statement by Russian Defense Minister S. Shoigu, the Navy will receive 24 new submarines by 2020. Similar ships different projects and classes will help to update and improve the quality new level combat potential of the fleet. The Ministry of Defense has a clear plan for the development of the submarine navy over the coming decades. It is divided into three stages, each of which has its own goals and characteristics. The first period is already underway in full swing and will end in 2020, immediately after it will begin the second, which will end in 2030, and the last one will last from 2031 to 2050.
Despite the different plans for each stage, they all have a common goal: updating the technical base of the Russian submarine fleet and bringing it to the level of world leaders. Let's look briefly at each period.
First stage
The main task is the construction of new nuclear-powered ships carrying strategic weapons. After all, old boats are already reaching the end of their service life and will soon need to be replaced. They are planned to be replaced by Project 955 and 955A submarines. As mentioned earlier, by 2020 it is planned to produce 8 boats of this class. Once commissioned, they will be able to simultaneously keep more than 200 R-30 Bulava class missiles on duty. In addition, the Navy command decided to abandon a large number of different types of projects and replace them with fourth-generation Yasen multi-purpose nuclear-powered ships of Project 885.
Second stage
For reasons of secrecy, the details of this period are not made public; it is only known that it is planned to completely replace the outdated fleet with fourth-generation models and create new fifth-generation projects.
Third stage
There is even less information about this period than about the second. We only know about the formation of new requirements for sixth generation submarines. It is possible that a modular assembly project for the submarine fleet will also be implemented, when, depending on the customer’s requirements, one or another module is installed, for example, with anti-ship missiles or ballistic missiles, etc. Depending on the task, the boat will be assembled like a construction kit "Lego."
Historical background
Officially, the history of domestic construction of submarines dates back to the time of Peter the Great (1718). Then a carpenter from a village near Moscow, Efim Nikonov, submitted a petition to the Russian emperor, in which he proposed a project for the so-called “Hidden Vessel”. This was the first submarine in Russia. In 1724, tests of this creation were carried out on the Neva River, but they ended in failure, since the bottom of the vessel was damaged during descent, and the author of the project almost died and was saved only thanks to the personal participation of Peter himself. Nikonov was given the task of correcting the shortcomings, but with the death of the emperor, as often happens, the project was conveniently forgotten. First submarine enlisted in Russian fleet, appeared only at the beginning of the 20th century. A photo of the destroyer "Dolphin", which became the basis for subsequent domestic submarines, is presented below.
Conclusion
Today, Russian and US submarines are the backbone of the world's submarine fleet. To maintain its position, the domestic submarine fleet needs to be developed and modernized. And I would like to end this article with a quote Russian Emperor Alexandra III(1881-1894): “In the whole world we have only two faithful allies - our army and navy. “Everyone else will take up arms against us at the first opportunity.”
Operating principle of the submarine
The submarine's submersion and ascent system includes ballast and auxiliary tanks, as well as connecting pipelines and fittings. The main element here is the main ballast tanks, by filling them with water the main buoyancy reserve of the submarine is extinguished. All tanks are included in the bow, stern and middle group. They can be filled and purged one at a time or simultaneously.
The submarine has trim tanks necessary to compensate for the longitudinal displacement of cargo. The ballast between trim tanks is blown using compressed air or pumped using special pumps. Trimming is the name of the technique, the purpose of which is to “balance” the submerged submarine.
Nuclear submarines are divided into generations. The first (50th) is characterized by relatively high noise and imperfect hydroacoustic systems. The second generation was built in the 60s and 70s: the hull shape was optimized to increase speed. The boats of the third are larger, and they also have electronic warfare equipment. The fourth generation nuclear submarines are characterized by an unprecedented low noise level and advanced electronics. The appearance of the fifth generation boats is being worked out these days.
An important component of any submarine is the air system. Diving, surfacing, removing waste - all this is done using compressed air. The latter is stored under high pressure on board the submarine: this way it takes up less space and allows you to accumulate more energy. High-pressure air is in special cylinders: as a rule, its quantity is monitored by a senior mechanic. Compressed air reserves are replenished upon ascent. This is a long and labor-intensive procedure that requires special attention. To ensure that the crew of the boat has something to breathe, air regeneration units are installed on board the submarine, allowing them to obtain oxygen from sea water.
Premier League: what are they?
A nuclear boat has a nuclear power plant (where, in fact, the name comes from). Nowadays, many countries also operate diesel-electric submarines (submarines). The level of autonomy of nuclear submarines is much higher, and they can perform more wide circle tasks. The Americans and British have stopped using non-nuclear submarines altogether, while the Russian submarine fleet has mixed composition. In general, only five countries have nuclear submarines. In addition to the USA and the Russian Federation, the “club of the elite” includes France, England and China. Other maritime powers use diesel-electric submarines.
The future of the Russian submarine fleet is connected with two new nuclear submarines. We are talking about multi-purpose boats of Project 885 “Yasen” and strategic missile submarines 955 “Borey”. Eight units of Project 885 boats will be built, and the number of Boreys will reach seven. The Russian submarine fleet will not be comparable to the American one (the United States will have dozens of new submarines), but it will occupy second place in the world rankings.
Russian and American boats differ in their architecture. The United States makes its nuclear submarines single-hull (the hull both resists pressure and has a streamlined shape), while Russia makes its nuclear submarines double-hulled: in this case, there is an internal, rough, durable hull and an external, streamlined, lightweight one. On Project 949A Antey nuclear submarines, which included the infamous Kursk, the distance between the hulls is 3.5 m. It is believed that double-hull boats are more durable, while single-hull boats, all other things being equal, have less weight. In single-hull boats, the main ballast tanks, which ensure ascent and submersion, are located inside a durable hull, while in double-hull boats, they are inside a lightweight outer hull. Every domestic submarine must survive if any compartment is completely flooded with water - this is one of the main requirements for submarines.
In general, there is a tendency to switch to single-hull nuclear submarines, since the latest steel from which the hulls of American boats are made allows them to withstand enormous loads at depth and provides the submarine with a high level of survivability. We are talking, in particular, about high-strength steel grade HY-80/100 with a yield strength of 56-84 kgf/mm. Obviously, even more advanced materials will be used in the future.
There are also boats with a mixed hull (when a light hull only partially covers the main one) and multi-hulls (several strong hulls inside a light one). The latter includes the domestic missile submarine cruiser Project 941, the largest nuclear submarine in the world. Inside its lightweight body are five durable housings, two of which are the main ones. Titanium alloys were used to make durable cases, and steel alloys were used for lightweight ones. It is covered with a non-resonant anti-location soundproof rubber coating weighing 800 tons. This coating alone weighs more than the American nuclear submarine NR-1. Project 941 is truly a gigantic submarine. Its length is 172 and its width is 23 m. 160 people serve on board.
You can see how different nuclear submarines are and how different their “contents” are. Now let’s take a closer look at several domestic submarines: boats of project 971, 949A and 955. All of these are powerful and modern submarines serving in the Russian Navy. The boats belong to three different types of nuclear submarines, which we discussed above:
Nuclear submarines are divided according to their purpose:
· SSBN (Strategic Missile Submarine Cruiser). As part of the nuclear triad, these submarines carry ballistic missiles with nuclear warheads. The main targets of such ships are military bases and enemy cities. The SSBN includes the new Russian nuclear submarine 955 Borei. In America, this type of submarine is called SSBN (Ship Submarine Ballistic Nuclear): this includes the most powerful of these submarines - the Ohio-class boat. To accommodate the entire lethal arsenal on board, SSBNs are designed taking into account the requirements of a large internal volume. Their length often exceeds 170 m - this is noticeably longer than the length of multi-purpose submarines.
· PLAT (nuclear torpedo submarine). Such boats are also called multi-purpose. Their purpose: the destruction of ships, other submarines, tactical targets on the ground and the collection of intelligence data. They are smaller than SSBNs and have better speed and mobility. PLAT can use torpedoes or high-precision cruise missiles. Such nuclear submarines include the American Los Angeles or the Soviet/Russian MPLATRK Project 971 Shchuka-B.
The American Seawolf is considered the most advanced multi-purpose nuclear submarine. Her main feature – highest level stealth and deadly weapons on board. One such submarine carries up to 50 Harpoon or Tomahawk missiles. There are also torpedoes. Due to the high cost, the US Navy received only three of these submarines.
· SSGN (nuclear submarine with cruise missiles). This is the smallest group of modern nuclear submarines. This includes the Russian 949A Antey and some American Ohio missiles converted into cruise missile carriers. The SSGN concept has something in common with multi-purpose nuclear submarines. Submarines of the SSGN type, however, are larger - they are large floating underwater platforms with high-precision weapons. In the Soviet/Russian navy, these boats are also called “aircraft carrier killers.”
Inside a submarine
It is difficult to examine in detail the design of all main types of nuclear submarines, but it is quite possible to analyze the design of one of these boats. It will be the Project 949A submarine “Antey”, a landmark (in every sense) for the Russian fleet. To increase survivability, the creators duplicated many important components of this nuclear submarine. These boats received a pair of reactors, turbines and propellers. The failure of one of them, according to the plan, should not be fatal for the boat. The submarine's compartments are separated by intercompartment bulkheads: they are designed for a pressure of 10 atmospheres and are connected by hatches that can be sealed if necessary. Not all domestic nuclear submarines have so many compartments. The Project 971 multi-purpose nuclear submarine, for example, is divided into six compartments, and the new Project 955 SSBN is divided into eight.
The infamous Kursk belongs to the Project 949A boats. This submarine sank in the Barents Sea on August 12, 2000. All 118 crew members on board became victims of the disaster. Many versions of what happened have been put forward: the most likely of all is the explosion of a 650 mm torpedo stored in the first compartment. According to the official version, the tragedy occurred due to a leak of a torpedo fuel component, namely hydrogen peroxide.
The Project 949A nuclear submarine has a very advanced (by the standards of the 80s) apparatus, including the MGK-540 Skat-3 hydroacoustic system and many other systems. The boat is also equipped with an automated Symphony-U navigation system that has increased accuracy, increased range and a large volume of processed information. Most of the information about all these complexes is kept secret.
Compartments of the Project 949A Antey nuclear submarine:
First compartment:
It is also called bow or torpedo. This is where the torpedo tubes are located. The boat has two 650 mm and four 533 mm torpedo tubes, and in total there are 28 torpedoes on board the submarine. The first compartment consists of three decks. The combat stock is stored on racks designed for this purpose, and torpedoes are fed into the apparatus using a special mechanism. There are also batteries located here, which are separated from the torpedoes by special flooring for safety reasons. The first compartment usually houses five crew members.
Second compartment:
This compartment on submarines of projects 949A and 955 (and not only on them) plays the role of the “brain of the boat”. This is where the central control panel is located, and this is where the submarine is controlled. There are consoles for hydroacoustic systems, microclimate regulators and navigation satellite equipment. There are 30 crew members serving in the compartment. From it you can get into the control room of the nuclear submarine, designed for monitoring the surface of the sea. There are also retractable devices: periscopes, antennas and radars.
Third compartment:
The third is the radio-electronic compartment. Here, in particular, there are multi-profile communication antennas and many other systems. The equipment of this compartment allows receiving target indications, including from space. After processing, the received information is entered into the ship's combat information and control system. Let us add that the submarine rarely makes contact, so as not to be unmasked.
Fourth compartment:
This compartment is residential. Here the crew not only sleeps, but also spends free time. There is a sauna, gym, showers and a common area for communal relaxation. In the compartment there is a room that allows you to relieve emotional stress - for this, for example, there is an aquarium with fish. In addition, in the fourth compartment there is a galley, or, in simple terms, a nuclear submarine kitchen.
Fifth compartment:
There is a diesel generator that generates energy here. Here you can also see an electrolysis installation for air regeneration, high-pressure compressors, a shore power supply panel, diesel fuel and oil reserves.
5 bis:
This room is needed for decontamination of crew members who worked in the reactor compartment. We are talking about removing radioactive substances from surfaces and reducing radioactive contamination. Due to the fact that there are two fifths of the compartment, confusion often occurs: some sources claim that the nuclear submarine has ten compartments, others say nine. Even though the last compartment is the ninth, there are ten of them in total on the nuclear submarine (including 5-bis).
Sixth compartment:
This compartment, one might say, is located in the very center of the nuclear submarine. It is of particular importance, because it is here that two OK-650V nuclear reactors with a capacity of 190 MW are located. The reactor belongs to the OK-650 series - a series of water-water nuclear reactors using thermal neutrons. The role of nuclear fuel is played by uranium dioxide, highly enriched in the 235th isotope. The compartment has a volume of 641 m³. Above the reactor there are two corridors that allow access to other parts of the nuclear submarine.
Seventh compartment:
It is also called turbine. The volume of this compartment is 1116 m³. This room is intended for the main distribution board; power plants; emergency control panel for the main power plant; as well as a number of other devices that ensure the movement of the submarine.
Eighth compartment:
This compartment is very similar to the seventh, and is also called the turbine compartment. The volume is 1072 m³. The power plant can be seen here; turbines that drive nuclear submarine propellers; a turbogenerator that provides the boat with electricity, and water desalination plants.
Ninth compartment:
This is an extremely small shelter compartment, with a volume of 542 m³, with an escape hatch. This compartment, in theory, will allow crew members to survive in the event of a disaster. There are six inflatable rafts (each designed for 20 people), 120 gas masks and rescue kits for individual ascent. In addition, the compartment contains: steering system hydraulics; high pressure air compressor; electric motor control station; lathe; combat post for reserve rudder control; shower and food supply for six days.
Armament
Let us separately consider the armament of the Project 949A nuclear submarine. In addition to torpedoes (which we have already discussed), the boat carries 24 P-700 Granit anti-ship cruise missiles. These are long-range missiles that can fly along a combined trajectory of up to 625 km. To aim at a target, the P-700 has an active radar guidance head.
The missiles are located in special containers between the light and durable hulls of nuclear submarines. Their arrangement roughly corresponds to the central compartments of the boat: containers with missiles go on both sides of the submarine, 12 on each side. All of them are turned forward from the vertical at an angle of 40-45°. Each of these containers has a special lid that slides out during a rocket launch.
P-700 Granit cruise missiles are the basis of the arsenal of the Project 949A boat. Meanwhile real experience There is no evidence for the use of these missiles in combat, so it is difficult to judge the combat effectiveness of the complex. Tests have shown that due to the speed of the missile (1.5-2.5 M), it is very difficult to intercept it. However, not everything is so simple. Over land, the missile is not capable of flying at low altitude, and therefore represents an easy target for enemy air defense systems. At sea, the efficiency indicators are higher, but it is worth saying that the American aircraft carrier force (namely, the missile was created to fight them) has excellent air defense cover.
This type of weapon arrangement is not typical for nuclear submarines. On the American boat "Ohio", for example, ballistic or cruise missiles are located in silos running in two longitudinal rows behind a fence of retractable devices. But the multi-purpose Seawolf launches cruise missiles from torpedo tubes. In the same way, cruise missiles are launched from the domestic Project 971 Shchuka-B MPLATRK. Of course, all these submarines also carry various torpedoes. The latter are used to destroy submarines and surface ships.
The most important part navy are its submarines. Modern submarines can perform a wide range of missions to detect and destroy enemy ships, submarines or ground targets. In addition, the naval component of the strategic nuclear forces is built entirely on submarines. Currently, as part of the renewal of the Navy, new submarines of various types are being built. In the foreseeable future, the fleet should receive several dozen submarines, both strategic or multi-purpose, and diesel-electric or special. However, for now, the basis of the submarine fleet in quantitative terms are submarines built earlier, including before the collapse of Soviet Union.
The four fleets of the Russian Navy (with the exception of the Caspian Flotilla) currently serve a total of 76 submarines different types. Strategic missile submarines (SSBNs), nuclear attack submarines, diesel submarines, as well as a number of special purpose nuclear and diesel submarines are in service and in reserve.
Strategic missile cruisers
The basis of the naval component of the nuclear forces are the Project 667BDRM Dolphin nuclear submarines. Currently, the Russian Navy has six such submarines: K-51 "Verkhoturye", K-84 "Ekaterinburg", K-114 "Tula", K-117 "Bryansk", K-118 "Karelia" and K-407 "Novomoskovsk". The submarine "Ekaterinburg" is currently undergoing repairs. Completion of work and delivery of the boat is scheduled for the end of this year. Another submarine of the Dolphin project, K-64, was withdrawn from the fleet in 1999 and soon went for refurbishment. All six Project 677BDRM submarines serve in the Northern Fleet.
The second largest type of SSBN in the Russian Navy is Project 667BDR “Squid”. Submarines of this type were built from the mid-seventies to the early eighties. Most of the Kalmar submarine cruisers have now been decommissioned and disposed of. Currently, the fleet has only three submarines of this type: K-433 “St. George the Victorious”, K-223 “Podolsk” and K-44 “Ryazan”. The latter is the newest of the existing Project 667BDR submarines and was delivered to the fleet in 1982. All three Kalmars serve in the Pacific Ocean.
Until the mid-nineties, nuclear deterrence tasks were performed by the K-129 Orenburg submarine, built according to project 667BDR. In 1996, it was decided to convert it into a carrier for deep-sea vehicles. Currently, Orenburg belongs to project 09786 and is designated BS-136.
The Northern Fleet has three nuclear submarines of projects 941 and 941UM “Akula” in service and in reserve. The heavy missile cruiser TK-208 “Dmitry Donskoy” continues to serve. This was facilitated by repairs and modernization in accordance with Project 941UM, during which the submarine received equipment for the Bulava missile system. Two other Akulas, the TK-17 Arkhangelsk and the TK-20 Severstal, were put into reserve in the middle of the last decade due to the lack of R-39 missiles. Their further fate not yet determined.
In January 2013, a flag-raising ceremony took place on the lead SSBN of the new Project 955 Borei. The submarine K-535 Yuri Dolgoruky, under construction since 1996, passed all tests and was handed over to the fleet. At the end of December of the same year, the submarine cruiser K-550 Alexander Nevsky was accepted into the Navy. The lead submarine of the Borei project became part of the Northern Fleet, and the first production submarine joined the Pacific Fleet.
Multipurpose nuclear submarines
The tasks of destroying various surface, underwater and coastal targets are assigned to multi-purpose nuclear submarines armed with cruise missiles and torpedoes. The most popular nuclear submarines of this class are the Project 971 Shchuka-B submarines. The Russian Navy has 11 submarines of this type, distributed between the Northern and Pacific fleets. Five Shchuka-B submarines serve in the Pacific Fleet, six are in the Northern Fleet. On at the moment Five Project 971 submarines are undergoing repairs or are being prepared for them. To date, the Navy has lost three submarines of this type. The K-284 "Akula" boat has been in storage since 2002, the K-480 "Ak Bars" was handed over for disposal at the end of the last decade, and the dismantling of the K-263 "Barnaul" started last year.
The fate of the K-152 “Nerpa” boat is worth special consideration. It was laid down in 1991 for the domestic fleet, but financial difficulties led to the failure of all work deadlines. In 2004, a contract was signed, according to which the submarine was planned to be completed and transferred to the Indian Navy. After a number of difficulties, all work was completed, and in January 2012 the submarine was accepted by the customer.
The second largest multipurpose nuclear submarines in the Russian Navy are Project 949A Antey submarines. There are 5 and 3 submarines of this type in service in the Pacific and Northern fleets, respectively. It was originally planned that the Navy would receive 18 of these submarines, but financial possibilities The fleet was allowed to build only 11. To date, three boats of the Antey project have been out of action. In August 2000, the K-141 Kursk submarine tragically died, and since the end of the 2000s, work has been underway to dismantle the K-148 Krasnodar and K-173 Krasnoyarsk submarines. Of the remaining submarines, four are currently undergoing repairs.
From the late seventies to the early nineties, four submarines of projects 945 Barracuda and 945A Condor were built. According to project 945, the ships B-239 “Karp” and B-276 “Kostroma” were built, according to project 945A - B-534 “ Nizhny Novgorod" and B-336 "Pskov". All these submarines are part of the Northern Fleet. Last year, work began on the repair and modernization of the Karp submarine. After it, Kostroma will undergo repairs. "Pskov" and "Nizhny Novgorod" continue to serve.
Until now, four multi-purpose nuclear submarines of Project 671RTMK “Pike” remain in the Northern Fleet. Two submarines, B-414 Daniil Moskovsky and B-338 Petrozavodsk, continue to serve, while the other two, B-138 Obninsk and B-448 Tambov, are under repair. In accordance with current plans, all the Shchukas in the fleet will end their service in the foreseeable future. It was previously reported that all of them will be written off by the end of 2015. They will be replaced by new types of multi-purpose submarines.
On June 17, 2014, a flag-raising ceremony took place on the K-560 Severodvinsk submarine, the lead and so far only ship of Project 885 Yasen. The first Yasen was laid down at the end of 1993 and launched only in 2010. By 2020, it is planned to build 8 Yasen-class submarines armed with missile weapons. Due to the long construction time for the lead submarine, all other submarines in the series will be built according to the updated 885M project. Currently, there are three new type submarines on the stocks of the Sevmash enterprise: Kazan, Novosibirsk and Krasnoyarsk.
Non-nuclear submarines
Since the early eighties, several domestic shipyards have been engaged in serial production of Project 877 Halibut diesel-electric submarines. For last decades Several versions of this project were created, thanks to which the Halibuts of various modifications became the most popular submarines in the Russian Navy.
The Baltic Fleet has two submarines of the Halibut project: B-227 Vyborg and B-806 Dmitrov (Project 877EKM). The Black Sea Fleet has only one Project 877B boat - the B-871 Alrosa. The Northern Fleet has the second largest group of Halibuts - five Project 877 diesel-electric submarines and one Project 877LPMB. Finally, eight Project 877 Halibut diesel-electric submarines serve at the bases of the Pacific Fleet.
A further development of Project 877 is Project 636 “Varshavyanka” and its versions. On August 22, 2014, the lead submarine of Project 636.3, the B-261 Novorossiysk, was accepted into service with the Black Sea Fleet. By the end of the decade, the Black Sea Fleet will receive five more submarines of this type. Two of them, B-237 Rostov-on-Don and B-262 Stary Oskol, have already been launched.
Until recently high hopes assigned to diesel-electric submarines of Project 677 Lada, which are further development"Halibuts". Previously, there were plans to build a series of several Project 677 boats, but tests of the lead ship forced serious adjustments to be made to them. As a result, the first submarine of the project, B-585 St. Petersburg, is in trial operation by the Northern Fleet. Two production ships of Project 677 are under construction. Due to problems with the lead submarine, the construction of serial submarines was suspended for some time.
Special equipment
In addition to combat submarines, the Russian Navy has a number of special submarines and underwater vehicles designed to perform specific tasks of various kinds. For example, the Baltic, Northern and Pacific fleets operate four Project 1855 Priz deep-sea rescue vehicles.
According to open data, the Northern Fleet has 10 special-purpose nuclear and diesel-electric submarines designed to perform various tasks. This equipment is intended to carry out research work, conduct rescue operations and ensure combat duty of submarine missile cruisers. Most well-known representative This class of equipment is the special AS-12 Losharik submarine, capable of diving to depths of several kilometers. It was reported that in September 2012, Losharik participated in research work in the Arctic, during which its crew collected soil samples at a depth of more than 2 kilometers.
In the future, the Russian Navy should receive a number of new special-purpose submarines. Thus, since 2012, the Belgorod submarine of Project 949A has been completed according to a special project, thanks to which it will be able to become a carrier of deep-sea research vehicles. Last spring, representatives of the Navy claimed that the military department plans to build a special hydroacoustic patrol submarine, the task of which will be to detect underwater targets at a distance of up to several hundred kilometers.
Prospects
At the moment, in total, the Russian Navy has more than seven dozen submarines and devices for various purposes. The vast majority of this equipment was built before the collapse of the Soviet Union, which accordingly affects both the condition and capabilities of the submarine fleet. However, within recent years a number of measures were taken to update it. In accordance with current plans, by 2020 the Navy should receive relatively large number new submarines.
By the end of this decade, the fleet will receive eight Project 955 Borei strategic missile carriers, the same number of Project 885 Yasen multi-purpose nuclear submarines and six Project 636.3 Varshavyanka diesel-electric submarines. Nuclear-powered Borei and Yasen missiles will be distributed between the Northern and Pacific fleets. “Varshavyanka”, in turn, will serve at Black Sea bases. Previously it was reported about plans regarding the future project 677 Lada. In the near future, it is planned to develop an updated version of this project, which will use a new power plant. The successful completion of this project will expand plans for the construction of non-nuclear submarines.
In parallel with the construction of new submarines, the old ones will be decommissioned. For example, by 2015-16 it is planned to cease operation of the remaining Project 671RTMK Shchuka nuclear submarines. Almost all submarines of this type have already been withdrawn from the fleet and disposed of, and only four remain in service. Over time, similar processes will occur with other types of submarines, which will be replaced by the new Yasen, Borei, Varshavyanka and, possibly, Lada. However, a complete renewal of the submarine fleet will take a long time and will be one of the most expensive projects in the entire Russian Navy.
Based on materials from sites:
http://ria.ru/
http://rg.ru/
http://flot.sevastopol.info/
http://flotprom.ru/
http://flot.com/
Our country's submarine fleet has always represented a force that could not be ignored. After the collapse of the USSR, the program for the development of the submarine fleet in Russia known reasons slowed down. However, since the 2000s, such a breakthrough has been made in this regard that even many foreign experts were surprised by the changes taking place. At the same time, the Russian leadership is not going to stop there. We will not reveal all the secrets of modernization and the creation of new submarine projects; we will only talk about those Russian submarines that, according to our overseas partners, are the main threat to them.
"Pike-B"
The first place in this list is occupied by nuclear submarines of Project 971 “Shchuka-B” (aka “Akula” according to NATO classification). They belong to the third generation boats and began entering service with the fleet in 1984. The latest advanced modifications pose a particular danger. Multi-purpose "Pikes" are designed to intercept enemy submarines, protect their own and destroy other surface ships. In addition to eight torpedo tubes capable of firing torpedoes, missile-torpedoes, as well as installations for launching cruise missiles (including those with nuclear warheads), no less important “weapons” of the “Akula” are its stealth and low noise.
"Halibut" and "Varshavyanka"
The second and third positions are occupied by the sister submarines Halibut (Project 877) and Varshavyanka (Project 636). Both types are the quietest in their class; the Varshavyanka even received the nickname “Black Hole” in NATO. The designers initially (the main project was created in the 70s of the last century) were given the task of creating a submarine that was guaranteed to emerge victorious in a duel situation. That is, she had to detect and destroy the enemy submarine before it understood anything. And this task was completed. "Halibut" is armed with six torpedo tubes, and "Varshavyanka" (these submarines latest version today being built for the Black Sea Fleet) also has launchers for firing Kalibr cruise missiles. Both types of submarines are readily purchased abroad. Our Halibuts and Varshavyankas are already serving in Algeria, Vietnam, India, and China.
"Borey"
The Project 955 strategic submarine missile carrier Borei was also included in the list of storms of the seas. This is the first submarine entirely designed and built in post-Soviet Russia. The Borei is armed with ballistic missiles with nuclear warheads and torpedo tubes capable of firing an entire arsenal of weapons to destroy surface and submarine ships. The nuclear reactor provides the submarine with an underwater speed of up to 30 knots; it is capable of diving to a depth of 480 m and staying under water for 90 days. Three boats of this class are already in service with the Russian Navy and are capable of performing their assigned mission anywhere in the World Ocean. By 2020, the Russian Ministry of Defense plans to put eight more Boreevs into service.
"Ash"
Well, the latest nuclear submarine of Project 885 “Ash” closes the list of “thunderstorms from under the water”. This is the most modern and most expensive Russian nuclear-powered multi-purpose submarine of the fourth generation. The first ship "Severodvinsk" entered the Northern Fleet in 2014. Sufficiently powerful weapons (homing torpedoes and cruise missiles with a firing range of up to 400 miles) allow the Yasen to hit targets underwater, on water and on land equally effectively.
The boat's hull is made of low-magnetic steel and covered with rubber, which makes it invisible to the enemy. The huge spherical antenna of the hydroacoustic complex, located in the bow of the submarine, allows sailors to hear the enemy ship long before it detects them. An underwater speed of 35 knots, the ability to dive to 600 m and stay under water for up to 100 days make the Yaseni a very powerful and modern weapon.