From the moment of its birth, the submarine fleet plays a huge role in the combat capability of states, performing both offensive and defensive tasks, depending on the military operation in which it participates.

Recognized as the largest submarine in the world project 941 "Shark" , work on which began in 1972 in the Soviet Union. Since 1981, submarines of this project have entered service in the Soviet fleet, carrying it up to today. In total, only 6 copies of this submarine were built, the length of which is 172.8 meters, with a hull width of 23.3 meters and an underwater displacement of 48 thousand tons. The submarine serves 160 crew members, who can be in autonomous navigation for up to 180 days.

For the underwater giant of the Shark project, even a 2.5-meter layer of ice is not terrible, which it can easily break through when surfacing, thereby ensuring the possibility of combat service at the North Pole. The submarine has 20 ballistic missiles on board.

2nd place

Shark's direct competitor in the dispute over the largest submarines is Ohio project American designers. The length of the hull is 170.7 meters, the width is 12.8 meters, the underwater displacement is 18,750 tons. The beginning of the service of this submarine dates back to 1981. With a maximum diving depth of 550 meters, the Ohio project outperformed the Shark by 50 meters. The crew of the submarine is 155 people, weapons - 24 ballistic missiles. In total, during the existence of the project, 18 copies were produced, 12 of which are currently in service.

Project 955 Borey ranks third in this ranking, the brainchild of Russian engineers has a length of 170 meters and a hull width of 13.5 meters. The underwater displacement of the submarine reaches 24 thousand tons, and its crew is 107 people.

Borey can stay in autonomous navigation for up to 90 days. The submarine is armed with 16 ballistic missiles. In total, 3 submarines of this project were produced, but 8 more submarines are planned to be laid. The implementation of this engineering solution began in 2013, and at present it is the most promising project in the global underwater shipbuilding.

Project 667 BDRM "Dolphin" - another triumphant embodiment of the idea of ​​​​Russian submarine engineers. The length of the submarine is 167.4 meters, the width of the hull is 11.7 meters with an underwater displacement of 18.2 thousand tons. The crew of the submarine is from 135 to 140 people serving the weapons complex, which includes 16 ballistic missiles. The maximum diving depth of the "Dolphin" reaches 650 meters. Work on the project began in 1984, since then 7 boats have been built. The autonomous navigation time reaches 90 days.

British submarines Wangard ”, created in the amount of four copies, have a hull length of 149.9 meters, a width of 12.8 meters and a mass of underwater displacement of 15.9 thousand tons. The autonomy of navigation is 70 days. The crew of the ship is 134 people. The submarine carries 16 ballistic missiles. The development of the project began in 1986, the first vessel entered service in 1993.

6th place

Project "Triumph" , created by French engineers, as well as the Vanguard, is embodied in four copies. The length of the submarines is 138 meters with a hull width of 12.5 meters and an underwater displacement of 14,335 tons. The crew of the submarine consists of 121 people. Armament "Triumfan" provides for 16 ballistic missiles. Project development began in 1989. The maximum immersion depth is 400 meters with a positive potential of up to 70-100 meters.

Among the various achievements of mankind, there are many records, the authorship of which belongs to our compatriots. One of these is the creation of the largest submarine in the world. The Soviet submarines of the Akula project, built in the 1980s, are still unrivaled in size to this day.

The height of the submarine of the Shark project is approximately equal to the height of a nine-story building. Now imagine a nine-story building confidently moving forward at a depth of several hundred meters - such a picture can shock even a not too impressionable person!

But the Soviet designers who worked on the “941 project” were the last to think about records. The main task was to ensure the preservation of military parity between the USSR and the USA.

By the 1970s, it became apparent that nuclear-armed submarines were playing a very important role in ensuring the security of the state.

From intelligence reports, the leadership of the USSR learned that work had begun in the United States on the creation of nuclear submarines of a new generation. The new Ohio-class missile carriers were supposed to provide the United States with an overwhelming advantage in sea-based nuclear launchers.

In December 1972, the Rubin Central Design Bureau for Marine Engineering received a tactical and technical assignment for the design of a third-generation Soviet missile carrier. The chief designer of the project was Sergey Kovalev, the legendary creator of Soviet submarine missile carriers.

"Shark", view from the right shell. Photo: commons.wikimedia.org

Size matters

On December 19, 1973, the government of the Soviet Union decided to start work on the design and construction of a new generation of strategic missile carriers.

The new Soviet three-stage intercontinental ballistic missile R-39, specially designed to arm the new type of submarines, surpassed in its performance American equivalent"Trident-I". R-39 had the best performance flight range, throwable mass and had 10 blocks against 8 for the Trident.

But you have to pay for everything. High quality R-39s were combined with dimensions unprecedented for sea-based missiles - almost twice as long and three times as heavy as the American counterpart.

This meant that a completely unique submarine cruiser had to be developed, the dimensions of which would be unparalleled.

As a result, the Project 941 missile cruisers had the greatest length - 172.8 meters, the largest width of the hull - 23.3 meters, a surface displacement of 23,200 tons and an underwater displacement of 48,000 tons.

The lead ship of the series, in which it was supposed to build 7 missile carriers, was laid down at the Sevmash plant in 1976. The launch of TK (heavy cruiser) 208 took place on September 23, 1980.

Anchor "Shark" in Severodvinsk. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org / Schekinov Alexey Victorovich

"Sharks" of different types

When the hull of the boat was still in the slipways, on its bow, below the waterline, one could see a painted grinning shark that wrapped around a trident. And although after the descent, when the boat got into the water, the shark with the trident disappeared under the water and no one else saw it, the people have already dubbed the cruiser the “Shark”. All subsequent boats of this class continued to be called the same, and a special sleeve patch with the image of a shark was introduced for their crews.

There is some confusion with domestic underwater "Sharks". The name of the project does not apply to any of the boats included in it. According to NATO codification, this project is called "Typhoon".

In the NATO codification, "Sharks" refers to domestic multi-purpose submarines of project 971 "Pike-B". The lead boat of this project, K-284, bore its own name "Shark", while not having any relation to the "Missile Sharks".

And the first "Shark" in the history of the Russian submarine fleet was a submarine designed engineer Ivan Bubnov launched in 1909. The Shark, which became the first Russian-designed submarine in the Russian Navy, sank in the Baltic during World War I.

But let's get back to the Record Shark. The first boat of the new project, TK-208, entered the Soviet Navy in December 1981, almost simultaneously with its rival Ohio.

"Shark" in the ice. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org / Bellona foundation

High reliability missile carrier

The main armament of the missile carrier is 20 R-39 three-stage solid-propellant ballistic missiles. The missiles have a multiple warhead for 10 individually targetable warheads, each with 100 kilotons of TNT equivalent, the range of the missiles is 8300 km.

From the boats of the Shark project, the entire ammunition load can be launched in one salvo, the interval between missile launches is minimal. Missiles can be launched from the surface and underwater position, in the case of a launch from a submerged position, the immersion depth is up to 55 meters, restrictions on weather conditions no rocket launch.

Unlike American Ohio-class submarines, which were primarily built with a focus on service in tropical waters, Shark-class missile carriers have increased strength, allowing them to break ice 2.5 meters thick. This enables the "Shark" to carry combat duty in the Far North and even directly at the North Pole.

One of the design features of the boat is the presence of five inhabited strong hulls inside the light hull, two of which are the main ones, their largest diameter is 10 meters, they are located according to the catamaran principle - parallel to each other. Missile silos with missile systems are located in front of the ship, between the main pressure hulls. In addition, the boat is equipped with three pressurized compartments: a torpedo compartment, a control module compartment with a central post, and an aft mechanical compartment.

The manufacture of durable cases was carried out from titanium alloys, light body- steel and has a non-resonant anti-radar and soundproof coating, the weight of which is 800 tons.

The unique design of the "Shark" ensures the survival of the crew in the event of emergency on board, similar to the one that happened on the Kursk submarine.

Ohio-class nuclear submarine. Photo: commons.wikimedia.org

"Floating Hilton"

Unique were not only the combat characteristics of the new submarines, but almost everything connected with them.

The project included the construction of a special training center for submariners in Obninsk near Moscow with all the infrastructure for crew members and their families.

It was assumed that each of the "Sharks" will receive three crews - two main and one technical, who will serve on a rotational basis.

The first crew, having made a military campaign lasting 2-3 months, was supposed to leave the base in the Moscow region, and then go on vacation. At this time, a technical crew was supposed to work on the boat. At the end repair work the technical crew handed over the boat to the second main crew, who had rested, passed additional training in Obninsk and ready to go to sea.

Much attention was paid to the life of submariners on the boat itself. A lounge, a sauna, a solarium, a gym, two wardrooms and even a swimming pool - Soviet submariners had never seen anything like it before. As a result, the Sharks received another nickname - the "floating Hilton".

Own among the whales

The main weakness of the first domestic nuclear submarines was high level noise that unmasks them. The hulls of the Sharks were designed so well that the noise level turned out to be much lower than even the designers expected. For the Americans, the "silence" of the "Shark" was an unpleasant surprise. Indeed, it somehow becomes uncomfortable at the thought that somewhere in the ocean a “nine-story building” is moving silently and imperceptibly, with its salvo capable of turning several American megacities into a radioactive desert.

Submariners claim that the Shark managed to merge with the ocean so much that whales and killer whales often mistook the missile carrier for a relative, thereby creating additional “cover” for it.

The appearance of Project 941 Akula missile carriers in the USSR Navy deprived the US military command of hopes of gaining an overwhelming advantage over the USSR in sea-based nuclear forces.

But big politics intervened in the history of this project. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, US representatives, proposing new disarmament treaties, showed a lively interest in the decommissioning and disposal of the Soviet "Sharks".

TK-202 in 1999, before scrapping. Photo: commons.wikimedia.org

The first one is the last one

Of the seven Sharks planned, six were built, the last of which was accepted into the fleet in September 1989. The hull structures of the seventh boat were dismantled in 1990.

TK-202, TK-12 Simbirsk and TK-13 were scrapped between 2005 and 2009 with US financial support. TK-17 "Arkhangelsk" and TK-20 "Severstal" in 2004-2006 were withdrawn to the fleet reserve due to the lack of ammunition and are now also awaiting disposal.

The only missile carrier of the Shark project that is still in service is the same TK-208 submarine, launched on September 23, 1980.

In 2002, TK-208 was given the name "Dmitry Donskoy". The largest submarine missile carrier in the world has been upgraded according to project 941 UM and is now re-equipped for missile system"Mace". It was from the board of "Dmitry Donskoy" that most of the test launches of the "Bulava" were carried out. It is assumed that the missile carrier will continue to be used as a test platform for sonar systems and weapons systems designed for the latest types of Russian submarines.

Class "Shark" is still the undefeated record of the USSR. Being in autonomous navigation for 120 days, she crossed the oceans with ease and unnoticed, she was able to break the thick Arctic ice and hit enemy targets, releasing the entire ammunition load of ballistic missiles in a short time. Today they cannot find a use for it, and its fate is vague.

Our response

Unfolded between the USSR and the USA, it demanded worthy responses from both sides to mutual challenges. In the 70s, the United States received a ship with a displacement of 18.7 tons. Its speed was 200 knots, the equipment included equipment that made underwater missile launches from a depth of 15 to 30 meters. In response to Soviet science and the military-industrial complex, the country's leadership demanded the creation of superior technology.

In December 1972, a tactical and technical assignment was issued for the creation of a submarine cruiser with the code "Akula" and the number 941. The work began with a government decree on the start of development, the project was commissioned to carry out the Rubin Central Design Bureau. The implementation of the design idea took place in the largest boathouse in the world - at the Sevmash plant, the laying took place in 1976. During the construction of the submarine, several technological breakthroughs were made, one of them was the aggregate-modular construction method, which significantly reduced the time for commissioning the facility. Today, this method is used everywhere in all types of shipbuilding, but the Shark-class submarine was the first in everything.

At the end of September 1980, the first submarine cruiser "Akula" of project 941 was launched from the shipyard of Severodvinsk into the White Sea. trident. After descending into the sea, the drawing disappeared under water and no one else saw the emblem, but folk memory, greedy for symbols and omens, immediately gave the name to the cruiser - "Shark". All subsequent Type 941 submarines received the same name, and for crew members their own symbols were introduced in the form of a shark patch on the sleeve. In the United States, the cruiser was given the name "Typhoon".

Design

The Shark-class submarine is similar in design to a catamaran - two hulls, each of which has a diameter of 7.2 meters, are located parallel to each other in a horizontal plane. The sealed compartment with the control module is located between the two main buildings, it contains the control panel and radio equipment of the cruiser. The missile block is located at the front of the boat between the hulls. It was possible to move from one part of the boat to another through three transitions. The entire hull of the boat consisted of 19 watertight compartments.

Project 941 ("Shark") have in the design, at the base of the cabin, two pop-up evacuation chambers with a capacity for the entire active crew. The compartment in which the central post is located is located closer to the stern of the cruiser. Titanium plating covers the two central hulls, the central post, torpedo rooms, the rest of the surface is covered with steel, on which a hydroacoustic coating is applied, which reliably hides the boat from tracking systems.

Front retractable rudders of a horizontal design are located in the bow of the boat. The upper cabin is reinforced and equipped with a rounded roof, capable of breaking through the solid ice cover when surfacing in northern latitudes.

Characteristics

Type 941 submarines were equipped with third-generation power plants (their power was 100,000 hp) of a block type, the placement was divided into two blocks in durable hulls, which reduced the size of the nuclear power plant. At the same time, performance has been improved.

But not only this step made legendary submarines of the Akula class. The characteristics of the power plant included two water-cooled nuclear reactors OK-650 and two steam-type turbines. All the assembled equipment made it possible not only to increase the efficiency of the entire operation of the submarine, but to significantly reduce vibration, and, accordingly, improve the sound insulation of the ship. The nuclear plant was put into operation automatically when the power supply failed.

Specifications:

• The maximum length is 172 meters.
• The maximum width is 23.3 meters.
• The height of the hull is 26 meters.
• Displacement (underwater / surface) - 48 thousand tons / 23.2 thousand tons.
• Autonomy of navigation without surfacing - 120 days.
• Immersion depth (maximum / working) - 480 m / 400m.
• Navigation speed (surface / underwater) - 12 knots / 25 knots.

Armament

The main armament is solid-propellant ballistic missiles "Variant" (weight in the hull - 90 tons, length - 17.7 m). The range of the rocket is 8.3 thousand kilometers, warhead It is divided into 10 warheads, each of which has a yield of 100 kilotons of TNT and an individual guidance system.

The launch of the entire arsenal of the submarine's ammunition can be carried out with a single salvo with a short launch interval between missile units. The ammunition load is launched from the surface and underwater position, the maximum depth at the start is 55 meters. The design characteristics provided for an ammunition load of 24 missiles, subsequently reduced to 20 units.

Peculiarities

Project 941 Shark submarines were equipped with a power plant consisting of two modules spaced apart in different, securely fortified hulls. The state of the reactors was monitored by pulse equipment, an automatic response system at the slightest loss of power supply.

When issuing a design assignment, one of the prerequisites was to ensure the safety of the boat and the crew, the so-called safe radius, for which the hull units were calculated by the dynamic strength method and experimentally tested (two pop-up modules, container fastening, hull interface, etc.) .

The Akula-class submarine was built at the Sevmash plant, where the world's largest covered boathouse, or workshop No. 55, was designed and built specifically for it. Project 941 ships are characterized by increased buoyancy - more than 40%. In order for the boat to be completely submerged, its ballast must be half of its displacement, which is why the second name appeared - “water carrier”. The decision on such a design was made with a far-sighted eye - to carry out repairs, preventive maintenance will be necessary at existing piers and repair plants.

The same reserve of buoyancy ensures the survival of the ship in the northern latitudes, where it is required to break open a thick ice cover. Project 941 Akula-class submarines coped with harsh conditions north pole, where the ice thickness reaches 2.5 meters with accompanying ice hummocks and influxes. the ability to open the ice mass has been repeatedly demonstrated in practice.

Crew comfort

The crew of the submarine cruiser was mainly staffed by officers, midshipmen. The senior officers were accommodated in two- and four-bed cabins equipped with a TV, washbasin, air conditioning, wardrobes, desks, etc.

Sailors and junior officers received comfortable cockpits at their disposal. On the submarine, living conditions were more than comfortable, only ships of this class were equipped with a sports hall, a swimming pool, a solarium and a sauna. In order not to get too far away from reality on a long hike, a living corner was created.

Laid up

For the entire period of construction of submarines of type 941, six cruisers were adopted by the Navy:

• "Dmitry Donskoy" (TK - 208). Adopted in December 1981, after modernization, it resumed service in July 2002.
• TK-202. She received her home port and was put into service in December 1983. In 2005, the boat was cut up for scrap.
• "Simbirsk" (TK-12). Admitted to the Federation Council in January 1985. It was scrapped in 2005.
• TK-13. The cruiser entered service in December 1985. In 2009, the hull was cut into metal, part of the submarine (six-compartment unit, reactors) was transferred to long-term storage on the Kola Peninsula.
• "Arkhangelsk" (TK-17). Date of entry into the fleet - November 1987. Due to the lack of ammunition since 2006, the issue of disposal has been discussed.
• Severstal (TK-20). Assigned to the Navy in September 1989. In 2004, it went into reserve due to the lack of ammunition, it is planned for disposal.
• TK-210. The laying of the hull structures coincided with the demolition economic system. Lost funding and was dismantled in 1990.

Nuclear submarines of the Akula class were consolidated into one division, the base for them is Zapadnaya Litsa (Murmansk region). The reconstruction of Nerpichya Bay was completed in 1981. For basing type 941 cruisers, a mooring line, piers with special capabilities were equipped, a unique crane with a lifting capacity of 125 tons was built for loading missiles (not put into operation).

Current state

To date, all available nuclear submarines of the Akula class are in the home port in mothballed form, their future fate is being decided. Submarine "Dmitry Donskoy" was upgraded for military equipment "Bulava". According to media reports, in 2016 it was planned to dispose of inactive copies. There were no reports on the implementation of the plan.

The giant Project 941 Shark submarine is still a unique weapon, the only cruiser capable of combat duty in the Arctic. They are almost invulnerable to anti-submarine submarines in service with the United States. Also, no potential adversary has technical aviation facilities to detect the cruiser under the ice.

Quiet, almost silent, they lurk in the depths of the sea. They can spend many months underwater. However, they are strong enough to destroy a large part of the planet. Here are the most big submarines in history.

Akula-class submarines, Soviet Union/Russia, 48,000 tons

The largest submarines ever built by man are nuclear-powered submarines of the Akula class (NATO classification Typhoon).

Their length was 175 meters, and the width was extremely large. Submarines of this class weigh twice as much as the next in size.

Typhoon submarines are known as Project 941 Sharks. The project was developed in the Soviet Union in the 1970-1980s.

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These sea ​​monsters were not only huge, but also much quieter than their predecessors. The boats were powered by two nuclear reactors.

They had the ability to destroy most of the world. The arsenal of each included an alarming number of ballistic missiles and nuclear warheads.

The crew members lived on the submarines in relative comfort and could spend up to 120 consecutive days underwater. In the event of an emergency, such as a nuclear war, this period could be extended.

When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, the submarines were taken over by the new Russian fleet. In 1997, two huge submarines were scrapped for financial reasons. Later, the rest of the ships were decommissioned.

Borey-class submarines, Russia, 24,000 tons

The world's second-largest submarines are also Russian, and far more modern than the Akula-class they replace.

These 170 m long nuclear submarines are equipped with R-30 Bulava ballistic missiles.

© RIA Novosti, Ildus Gilyazutdinov

Borey class boats are already predecessors, their dimensions are smaller and therefore they are cheaper to manufacture. However, the first copy still cost $770 billion.

The first Borey submarine went to sea in 2009, and in January 2013 the Russian Pacific Fleet accepted it into service.

Now Russia has three such submarines, but it is planned to purchase several more.

Putin's submarine fleet continues to grow.

Ohio-class submarines, USA, 18,750 tons

The third largest class of submarines is produced in the USA.

In the early 1970s, the American submarine fleet was deemed obsolete and new submarines were needed. At the same time, the Soviet Union, the sworn enemy of the Americans in the Cold War, improved the means of finding and combating submarines.

© flickr.com, Submarine Group Ten

The United States responded with Ohio-class boats, which differed from their predecessors in increased combat potential and improved stealth.
The US currently has 18 of these submarines.

In one respect, Ohio-class boats are superior to Russian counterparts - they can carry more missiles on board than both Sharks and Boreas.

The design is designed to ensure that submarines can spend as much as possible on the high seas. for a long time, patrolling the oceans with their deadly cargo of missiles. A number of measures have been taken to shorten the time they need to stay in port, to simplify repairs and the resupply process.

Murena-class submarines, Soviet Union/Russia, 18200 tons

The Moray class (Delta according to NATO classification) is the fourth largest type of submarine in the world. These submarines were created at the time cold war, their task was considered to be attacks on American industrial and military facilities, as well as cities, in the event of a nuclear war.

The Delta class is divided into four subclasses. Project 667B Murena (Delta I) entered service in 1972. A total of 18 such submarines were built, the last decommissioned in 1998. Project 667BD "Murena-M" (Delta II) became a modification of "Murena" with additional missile compartments. Project 667BDR "Kalmar" (Delta III) - the first submarines capable of firing the entire set of ballistic missiles in one salvo, which for the Soviet Union was big step forward. Project 667BDRM "Dolphin" (Delta IV) differs from its predecessors in noiselessness.

Vanguard-class submarines, UK, 15,900 tons

Four nuclear submarines of the Royal Vanguard navy stationed at the base of the Clyde in Scotland.

If the world - God forbid - breaks out nuclear war, these ships will play a huge role in the fate of the UK.

Since 1998, they have carried only strategic ballistic missiles, one of which, with 128 warheads, must be at sea at any given time. At the same time, the country has absolutely no tactical and aviation nuclear weapons.
Submarines of this class are planned to be decommissioned no earlier than 2028.

The largest submarine "Shark", produced in the Soviet Union, was the pride of the Navy and the horror of opponents. However, the end of the Cold War and the signing of a number of agreements led to the fact that most of the ships received a tragic continuation of their history.

Currently the storm underwater world remained alone.

History of creation

The legend of the world underwater shipbuilding was first launched in Severodvinsk in 1981. While on the ground, a shark grin wrapped around a trident was painted on its hull in front. After launching, the image disappeared and no one ever saw it again, but the car had already received its name, which later became official.

Subsequent modifications made to this class were also called, and the crew received sleeve patch with a painted predator. Foreign journalists dubbed the boat the code name "Typhoon", and a few years later they began to call it that in the Union.

It was instructed to begin work on the creation of the first submarine with the ability to carry several modern solid-propellant three-stage intercontinental ballistic missiles R - 39, surpassing the "Trident" (US missile) in the number of explosives and flight range.

The weight of the missiles reached 100 tons, and the number required to be placed on the ship was 24 units. Because of this, the length Soviet ships almost 2 times superior to foreign counterparts.

Work on the creation of the submarine began in the summer of 1976, under the supervision of General Designer Sergei Nikitich Kovalev. After the first design documentation was completed, the dimensions of the Shark were determined: the length is almost 2 football fields and the height is a 9-storey building.

The first official information about the creation of a new project was made at the XXVI Congress of the CPSU, held in the spring of 1981. Leonid Ilyich deliberately called the car "Typhoon", in order to discourage and confuse rivals in the Cold War, which began almost immediately after the victory of the USSR in the Second World War. Until then, all information regarding the latest development, remained classified.

The design of the submarine "Shark"

The location of the power unit on the submarine "Shark" is made according to a unique scheme: it is installed in a robust hull with automated system fire fighting and power cuts.

This process takes place under the supervision of impulse equipment designed to monitor the operation and condition of nuclear reactors.

The technical characteristics and design of the machine were created in such a way that the ship had an amazing buoyancy margin for that time - more than 40%, since after immersion in water, 50% of the displacement accounted for the water used as ballast.

Because of this, many called the submarine "water carrier".

Such characteristics regarding the reserve of buoyancy and the presence of a wheelhouse assembled from a special alloy make it possible for the first time to use the ship for combat duty under the ice of the Arctic Ocean. The ship is able to break through blocks more than 250 cm thick without causing any damage to the hull.

Frame

One of the main features of the Shark 941 project is a multi-layer body, distinguished by its unique strength. It contains 5 habitable chambers with a diameter of 10 m, placed parallel to each other. The bow contains missile silos, built for the first time in front of the wheelhouse.

Next to it are 3 more compartments:

1. Torpedo.
2. Modular, on which the central post is located.
3. Feed mechanical.

The layout of the internal compartments made it possible to reduce the fire hazard and increase the survival rate of the ship.

According to designer Kovalev: “The accident that happened with the Kursk cannot be repeated on the Akula. Even if the torpedo explodes inside the submarine, due to the fact that it is inside a separate module, there will be no serious destruction of the bow and death of the entire crew.”

In total, the Shark has 19 waterproof and 2 rescue chambers designed to evacuate the entire crew. They are located under the base of the command post, next to the fence of the retractable device.

Power propulsion system

The movement of a multi-ton submarine takes place using a nuclear power complex designed by the block principle.

He and a number of units connected by designers into one make the "Shark" mobile:

1. Pressurized water reactor with a capacity of 190 MW - 2 pcs.
2. Steam-turbine system available in each building - 2 pcs.
3. Two-stage installation - 1 pc.
4. Fixed-pitch seven-blade propeller with installed annular fairings (fenestrons) - 2 pcs.

In addition, there are 2 standby engines of 190 kW each, they can ensure the continuous operation of the submarine in the event of a shutdown of the main units for several hours.

Maneuvering in an enclosed space There are 2 separate 750 kW motors installed in the thruster with its own rotary screw located on each side of the ship.

Armament

The Akula submarine is equipped with primary and secondary weapons, which are designed to destroy enemy targets located in line of sight or at a distance of more than 8,000 km.

Main

This submarine has a D-19 installation with ballistic missiles having a launch weight of 90 tons and a length of 17 m. The flight range in combat performance is 8,300 km with a detachable part for 10 warheads of 100 kilotons each.

In the entire history of the use of such weapons, the Project 941 submarine and its subsequent modifications were its only carrier; there are no other analogues capable of taking on such an amount of explosive.

The launch of a full ammunition load is carried out by a single shot or regular volleys, both on the surface and from a submerged state. The maximum diving depth at the start of the D-19 reaches 56 m, without restrictions on weather conditions.

In total, the Akula submarine has 20 units of such missiles on board, although Kovalev originally planned to install 24 units, but the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy S. G. Gorshkov decided to stop at 20.

Minor

In addition to strategic weapons, the submarine missile carrier has an installation system on board. minefield, 6 torpedo cycle devices with a 533mm barrel used for fire support for missile torpedoes, 8 Igla 1 MANPADS and a range of electronic weapons:

1. "Omnibus", militarized information control complex.
2. Skat-KS, hydroacoustic system.
3. "Harp MG-519", sonar installation to search for mines.
4. "Sever MG-518", an echo sounder for measuring the thickness of ice.
5. "BuranMRKP-58", a radar device.
6. "Symphony", navigation block.
7. Molniya L-1, a radio communication device equipped with the Tsunami satellite system.
8. MTK-100, TV block.
9. 2 antennas - buoys, which, when the boat is at a depth of more than 150 m, emerge and receive a radio signal and information from the satellite.

Started after the Great Patriotic War 1941 - 1945 cold, which continued with a long arms race between the two world powers, ended thanks to the partial contribution of the Shark series submarines.

The impressive size of the ship and the huge arsenal on board, allowing you to launch a volley of 20 missiles at any point at any time the globe, contributed to the longstanding confrontation and ended it by signing a peace agreement.

Tactical and technical characteristics

As the Head of Department put it Northern Fleet, having visited the "Shark" for the first time: - "By placing it on public display as a monument, you can be sure that the humanity that saw it will forever get rid of the idea of ​​developing wars."

This is not even due to the presence of a huge potential and modern weapons hidden from prying eyes, but appearance ship and its terrifying dimensions.

You can get acquainted with them in the TTX table below:

Criterion name	Value
Vessel type	TPKSN
Surface speed, knot	13
Dive speed, knot	26
Displacement (above water), t	23 100
Displacement (under water), t	49 000
Length, m	172,9
Width, m	23,4
Height, m	23,4
Recommended immersion depth, m	400
Maximum immersion depth, m	500
Crew / officers	160/ 52
Duration of autonomous navigation, days	180

Modifications

As mentioned earlier, the first submarine "Shark" was pitted on the surface of the water in December 1981.

Initially, the plans were to assemble 7 similar ships, however, according to an agreement to reduce the number of strategic weapons, the Soviet Union limited itself to 6 copies.

Work on the 7th model TK-210 was stopped, and the skeleton was dismantled for processing.

Assembled and used modifications are presented below:

• TK-208 "Dmitry Donskoy", construction started on 06/17/1976, launched 4 years later. In 2002, it was withdrawn from service for subsequent modernization. At the moment, it has been converted for the new type of weapon "Bulava".
• TK-202, launched in 1982, introduced into the Navy 1 year later, only in 1983. After 22 years of operation, it was sawn into scrap metal.
• TK-12 "Simbirsk" used from 1983 to 1998, then decommissioned. In 2005, the ship was delivered to Severodvinsk and disposed of together with the Americans.
• TK-13, put into service in 1985, was used until 2007. Only after decommissioning, work began on its disposal. To date, it has been completely disassembled and reworked, and the nuclear reactor has been moved to the Arctic for long-term storage.
• TK-17 "Arkhangelsk" and TK-20 "Severstal" in 2006 they were withdrawn from the Russian Navy. decision about them future fate not defined yet.

Almost all subsequent modifications of the "Shark", created by the Soviet Union, are lost. To date, there are only 2 copies that are in question and 1 is valid. All others have been dismantled. The main reason was the results of negotiations on the reduction of nuclear weapons and the end of the Cold War. To date, the entire ammunition load of D-19 ballistic missiles has been disposed of, and there are no grounds and motivations for the production of subsequent ones.

The superficial opinion that Project 971 submarines belong to the Shark is erroneous. This model is an individual development of the general designers Chernyshev and Farafontov with colleagues.

Development marking received based on early work above . At the same time, NATO named it the successor to the Soviet giant and assigned the marking of the submarine "Akula" (Acula).

In addition, there are a number of interesting nuances associated with the submarine:

1. The technical characteristics of the 941 are so impressive that no analogues have been created to date.
2. The length of the ship exceeds the dimensions of the largest exactly 2 times.
3. In Severodvinsk, a new workshop had to be built, which became the largest production facility in the world.
4. Crew members of one of the modifications say that after the first exit to warm waters, happened interesting case. At the time of starting the engines, a real shark hovered next to the wheelhouse. After the submarine's engines were fully powered up, the boat and the shark began to move at the same time. After that, the submariners were sure of the correct name of their ship.

The history of the construction of such ships, which had begun, stopped abruptly, just as it began. As of today, out of 7 models of submarines, only Dmitry Donskoy remained in service.

The ship has been modernized and overhaul, which lasted several years, as a result of which, he remains in the country's Navy at least until 2020.

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