Many specialized naval publications, depending on their own loyalty and attitude to the subject and accessory, began to either glorify the Japanese submarines of the "Soryu" type, or carefully promise the coffin to the Russian "Varshavyanka".
It is worth understanding the subject, why would it suddenly.
Japanese manufacturers announced some kind of breakthrough in technology, which made everyone very, very stressed. According to them, boats of the "Blue Dragon" type (the aforementioned type "Soryu"), which is generally quite good, will become generally best in class in its second iteration.
We are talking about a significant increase in some characteristics, after which the Russian "Varshavyanka" will inevitably give up its position in terms of low noise and will fade into the background.
And here it is worthwhile to strain. Russia is starting to really give up its positions and lose tenders for countries that cannot build diesel-electric submarines themselves, but want to have them. And the arms market is like this: if you lose once, no one will let you in the second time. Well, that's common knowledge.
And the Japanese … What about the Japanese? Their insane ambitions to revive the navy are backed up by real deeds. And the "self-defense fleet" is acquiring more and more distinct outlines of a real fleet. This is a fact, and a fact, unfortunately, undeniable.
But back to the Blue Dragon.
The Blue Dragons have served in the Japanese Navy since 2009. There are only 10 of them, but the upcoming modernization, information about which was leaked to the press, suggests that construction will continue.
What is the main advantage of the Blue Dragons? In stock VNEU is an air-independent power plant. Today there is probably no need to explain to anyone that VNEU is a hefty additional chance that the submarine will not be detected by enemy anti-submarine aircraft or ASW ships.
And, besides, the question is not just low noise, but also secrecy, which is not the same thing. A conventional diesel-electric submarine is required to float to recharge the batteries that power the engines and equipment during the underwater journey.
Yes, now is the 21st century, and this should not be done every day, as during the Second World War, but nevertheless. The period of such an operation is 2-3 days. That is, float up and start a diesel generator to charge the batteries.
All methods are good for this: secluded coves where you can disguise yourself, fjords, and so on. It is not very easy to do this on the open sea, especially near the coast. Especially unfriendly.
It would be ideal to start the diesel without rising to the surface. And this was done with the help of "snorkels", but this is good only in perfect calm, and most importantly, it does not save at all from search planes. In addition, a diesel engine under water is capable of, if not poisoning everyone with the exhaust, which is inevitable at launch, then it can suck out all the air inside the boat.
Well, yes, the only way out of the situation is VNEU. The system is based on the so-called Stirling engine. There are enough articles describing the advantages of this engine, it is quite possible to understand how it works. Its principle of operation is to create a temperature difference in the working medium, which is played by gas. The working fluid moving in a closed volume produces work, which is transferred to the rotating shaft.
In the first boats, the efficiency of such a system was very low. The pioneers, the Swedes, who installed a Stirling engine on their Gottwald boats, were able to squeeze out no more than 500 kW of power from the system, and they took it out with the help of batteries.
But over time, the boats at VNEU learned to rise to the surface after 20 or more days. And, apparently, over time, this figure will only increase, as the installations will be improved.
The latest model Blue Dragon has become a very advanced boat in terms of energy. The boat with a displacement of 4,200 tons is equipped with four Stirling engines, generating a power equal to 8,000 hp. Plus, just in case, two conventional diesel engines with a capacity of slightly less than 4000 hp were left. A very good indicator.
And it is planned to place the second generation VNEU on the modernized boat. There are no data, but apparently, the power will be increased by increasing the efficiency of the Stirling system.
But that's not all.
The modernized boats, which pass under the 29SS index, are planned to be changed very much in terms of hydrodynamics. Abandon the deckhouse by transferring the horizontal rudders to the hull of the boat, which will definitely make the boat less noisy. And finally, replace the propellers with water cannons, as the Americans did on their Sea Wolf nuclear attack submarine.
It is clear that the water cannons will work at the nuclear submarine, because at least there is energy there.
However, if Japanese engineers take a real step to increase the power of their VNEU, then the issue with the "registration" of a water cannon on the new submarine will be resolved.
In addition, the Japanese really believe that equipping 29SS submarines with lithium-ion batteries is a settled issue. There is evidence that such batteries are already being produced in Japan and will be installed on the modernized Blue Dragons of older models.
In general, ambitions are ambitions, but when they are backed up by serious developments, this is no longer just ambition, it is a perspective.
Unpleasant for us.
By the way, what do we have there?
And we have … nothing …
We do not have such boats. Moreover, it has become a normal practice to lose tenders for the sale of the most low-noise submarines "Varshavyanka". "Varshavyanka", of course, is really the quietest boat in the class, but here's the problem: its noiselessness has a very short time duration.
We will not talk about all the other parameters of the project, for the 70s of the last century and the Soviet Union it really was a space project and a crazy development, but today the "black hole" does not look so confident, primarily because of the existing weakness in the form absence of VNEU.
The Japanese believe that if everything goes as it should, then their boat may well lower the Varshavyanka to second place. Or below.
In any case, the past century will lose to the present century, no matter how sad it would be to realize.
Meanwhile, we could well have a submarine submarine "Lada", which the Japanese and everyone else would not have the opportunity to reach. If not for one "but".
It is already clear that "but" is a complete inability to build VNEU for "Lada".
Project 677 was not developed at the Rubin Central Design Bureau yesterday either. Again, Soviet work, which has already been reified in Russia. The lead boat Saint Petersburg was laid down in 1997 and launched in 2004. From 2010 to the present time it has been in trial operation in the Northern Fleet.
What does it mean? Only that the submarine is not used for its intended purpose. Some tests are underway, debugging of individual systems, possibly training of crews.
Yes, Lada is a breakthrough design in its own way. The boat is equipped with an original navigation system with enhanced orientation capabilities. A very high degree of automation - the crew consists of 35 people (the "Varshavyanka" - 52).
At the Rubin Central Design Bureau, they say that the boat's noise is almost two times lower than that of the Varshavyanka …
And here is our "but". There is no VNEU, without which everything else simply loses its meaning.
As a VNEU for Lada, the Rubin designers decided to use the principle of an electrochemical generator, in which oxygen and hydrogen are converted into water and electricity. This type of VNEU is very effective - the complete absence of moving parts, compactness, high efficiency. And yes, complete silence.
Actually, the Germans have not only invented such installations, they are using them with might and main in type 212 boats. There are already 6 of them in the German Navy. And six were sold to other countries.
We also started to create something like that for "Lada" … and did not create it.
The boat was laid, built, launched, but the promised VNEU did not work out.
For testing, it seems, they temporarily installed a conventional diesel engine and an electric motor with batteries. And the so-called "trial operation" began, in fact, it looks more like a disgrace, since the "Lada" could not develop more than 20 knots under water.
It turned out that our Navy does not need such a "Lada" at all, since there is already a boat with such characteristics. All the same "Varshavyanka". Does it make sense to have two boats for the same application?
In general, taking into account all the innovations and developments, something like the "brains" of the Tu-160, installed on the Tu-2, came out.
In fact, they decided to abandon the "Lada", however, having completed the construction of two already laid boats in the usual diesel-electric configuration - "Kronstadt" and "Velikie Luki", the assembly of which began in 2004-2005. Do not cut into metal, right?
And in 2017, quietly and behind the scenes, it was decided to stop funding the development of VNEU. Because it became clear to everyone in the Ministry of Defense: if for 25 years in Rubin they could not create something even remotely similar to VNEU for a modern submarine, then there is no point in further spending money on this.
So, we will no longer have a submarine with a non-nuclear power plant of the new generation. Apparently never. It is unlikely that the Swedes, Germans or Japanese will sell us their developments so that they could at least be scrapped.
And it’s not a fact that we can assemble it so that it works. Wrong country, wrong opportunities.
But here is the fact that surprised and shook to the depths of the soul.
Returning to the results of our miracle forum "Army-2019", something very strange happened there. At the forum (it is clear that it was simply unrealistic to do this before or after him, it was necessary to trumpet the whole world about the greatest reversal) a contract was signed for the construction of two more boats of Project 677, the fourth and fifth.
And this is strange. It is very strange.
Why does our fleet need 5 (FIVE !!!) diesel-electric submarines, which are worse than the Varshavyanka? Five submarines that will not be able to fulfill the assigned tasks?
In this case, the logic of the Ministry of Defense cannot be deciphered. We have one boat, "St. Petersburg", which is not good for anything, except for some kind of test work. Two more pledges, "Kronstadt" and "Velikie Luki", will be completed, ordinary diesels and electric motors will be crammed there, so as not to throw out the hulls. Okay, they'll serve sometime.
But why do we need two more "somehow"? Apparently, yes, we have a lot of money. And we can spend them on it is not clear what, but with pomp and special effects.
Strange, but it turns out sheer nonsense. Having stopped work on VNEU two years ago, build such boats …
In the meantime, the Japanese will improve their Blue Dragons. With all that it implies.
I would not like to become a prophet in my Fatherland (once again), but for some reason the thought that in the future the Japanese fleet will be able to make a very good leap forward does not leave.
And God forbid that the Russian fleet in 20 years does not look against the background of the Japanese fleet, as the Ukrainian Navy looks against the background of the Russian Black Sea Fleet today.
