Multipurpose nuclear submarines are rightfully considered the main threat and the main striking force of modern fleets. They glide silently into the depths, ready at any moment to dig their teeth into the bottom of an enemy ship or to rain down a fiery downpour on the enemy's coast, leaving him in complete confusion from his own impotence. Their long bloody trail stretched across land and sea surface, becoming a clear example of the capabilities of modern boats.
Inside a modern submarine it is crowded with mechanisms and weapons. Giant GAS and side-scan sonars that are capable of detecting enemy ships for hundreds of miles. Supercomputers and combat information systems that connected all compartments and subsystems of the submarine. Long-range cruise missiles will reach the enemy, even if they are hiding in an underground bunker thousands of miles from the coast. The submarine is capable of not rising to the surface for months. It extracts distillate and air directly from sea water, and its noise background is close to the natural noise background of the ocean! The multipurpose nuclear-powered ship is armed with purely conventional weapons and can be used without restrictions in local wars, killing everyone in its path.
The attack of the Conquerror submarine sealed the outcome of the Falklands War, simultaneously feeding 323 Argentine sailors to fish. "Demonstration flogging": the sinking cruiser "Admiral Belgrano" with a torn off bow end. A squadron of five British nuclear-powered ships completely paralyzed the enemy's fleet.
Bow missile silos USS Santa Fe (SSN-763). Boats of this type have repeatedly taken part in the shelling of Iraq (1991, 1998, 2003).
Multipurpose nuclear submarine (nuclear submarine). Or, according to NATO's ingenious classification, a fast attack submarine is a high-speed underwater hunter. The year 2014 is on the calendar. At sea - the fourth generation of multipurpose nuclear submarines. What achievements in this area can domestic shipbuilders be proud of? And how will our foreign "blood brothers" "please" us?
Project 0885 "Ash" and 08851 "Ash-M" (Russia)
In the ranks - 1; in the process of construction - 3; the plans are to build 6-8 boats by 2020.
Displacement (surface / underwater) - 8 600/13 800 tons. Diving depth (working / maximum) - 520/600 m. Crew - 90 people, incl. 32 officers.
The largest and heavily armed of all boats in this review. 10 torpedo tubes and 8 silo-type launchers with a total ammunition load of 32 cruise missiles! The Russian "Ash" is a symbiosis of two good traditions of the Russian Navy. The multipurpose torpedo (PLAT) and cruise missile submarine (SSGN) merged into a single submarine project, ideally suited for warfare at sea.
For the first time in the domestic fleet "Ash" received an overall spherical GAS, which occupied the entire bow of the submarine. One-and-a-half-body construction with a robust body made of AK-32 austenitic steel with a yield strength of 100 kgf / mm2. A dual-mode power plant and an updated reactor with primary circuit pipelines integrated into its vessel. New generation automated radiation-chemical environment monitoring system. Torpedo tubes located on board. Hydroacoustic complex "Ajax" with conformal antennas located throughout the hull of the boat. So, in short, the Russian "Ash" has turned out!
Advantages:
- wide range of working depths;
- the most powerful shock weapons;
- unified family of KR "Caliber" for attacking sea and ground targets. ASM with a detachable supersonic warhead and cruise missiles with a launch range of 2000+ km. The anti-ship modification of the Caliber, the ZM-54, is rightfully considered one of the most advanced naval missile systems;
- a rowing electric motor for covert "sneaking up" to the enemy (dual-mode power plant);
- observation TV system MTK-115-2 (allows you to broadcast a "picture" from the surface when you are at depths of up to 50 m);
- high level of automation. To manage such a large boat, 90 sailors are enough.
Disadvantages: "Ash" is criticized for its excessively large size and the level of its own noise, which exceeds that of foreign submarines. An abundance of archaic solutions (for example, GTZA OK-9) inherited from the boats of the 3rd generation. Absence of a jet propulsion unit (a conventional propeller is used). The largest portion of criticism goes to the head boat of the project, the K-560 Severodvinsk, which was built and completed over the course of 20 years. Some of the identified shortcomings of Yasen are promised to be eliminated at the upgraded Yasen-M project.
Test launch of "Caliber" on board K-560 "Severodvinsk"
Virginia (USA)
In the ranks - 11; in the process of construction - 7; plans include 32 submarines until 2030.
Displacement underwater - 7900 tons (first sub-series). The immersion depth is classified. Crew - 135 people, incl. 15 SEAL fighters. Armament: 4 onboard TA of 533 mm caliber (27 units of mine and torpedo armament), 12 launchers for Tomahawks, an airlock for the work of SEALs, an external mount for a container with diving equipment, unmanned underwater vehicles. Starting with the fifth sub-series, the Virginias will receive an additional 30-meter weapons compartment, and their total missile ammunition will increase to 40 Tomahawks (+ it will be possible to carry another payload).
American "democratizer", focused on secret missions off the coast of the enemy: covert observation, reconnaissance, sabotage and strikes along the coast with high-precision weapons. It is reported that such boats are ideally suited for operations in the coastal zone, and their capabilities are as close as possible to the current geopolitical situation.
Advantages:
- high tactical flexibility;
- modular design and great modernization potential; at present, Virginias of the third sub-series are already entering service with a completely rebuilt nose section (horseshoe-shaped LAB sonar and two six-shot missile silos instead of 12 single launchers);
- Unmanned underwater vehicles AN / BLQ-11 for reconnaissance and making passages in minefields;
- S9G new generation reactor with natural circulation of the coolant (fewer pumps - lower noise level). The active zone S9G under certain conditions does not require recharging for 30 years;
- high "tactical" underwater speed and low level of intrinsic noise. It is reported that the Virginia detection means are capable of monitoring the situation even at a speed of 20-25 knots, despite the hum of the power plant mechanisms and the noise of the water flowing around the body.
Disadvantages: high cost (~ $ 2.5 billion for each ship), while there are insoluble problems with hydroacoustics for the boats of the first sub-series (the design parameters of the BQQ-10 SJC have not been achieved in practice); a riddle with the life of the reactor: the calculated value (33 years) is achieved only with its economical operation and a limited number of boat trips to the sea. Finally, the crew is too large for such a "baby" (which, however, can be explained by the large number of systems and combat posts on board the American submarine).
Astute (UK)
In the ranks - 2; in the process of construction - 4; plans - 7 submarines until 2024
Displacement (surface / underwater) - 7000/7400 tons. Immersion depth - classified (usually indicated test 300+ meters). Crew 98-109 people. depending on the tasks. Armament: 6 torpedo tubes and 38 units of mine-torpedo and missile weapons, incl. Tomahawk long-range cruise missiles launched through TA. External mount for diving equipment container.
British submarine terminator, claiming to be the most advanced nuclear submarine currently under construction. There are many secrets and secrets hidden behind the stylish angular appearance. It is reported that these are the most secretive nuclear-powered ships in the world, whose fantastic detection means are able to track the Queen Elizabeth II liner along the entire route from London to New York (when the boat itself is off the coast of Foggy Albion). 39 thousand scraps of a special polymer on the outer surface of the body completely absorb the radiation of enemy sonars, creating the illusion "as if this is not a 97-meter Astyut, but a dolphin cub."
Advantages:
- declared high secrecy;
- Amazing capabilities of SJSC "Sonar 2076" manufactured by Thales;
- novelty of the design - a modern project developed practically from scratch; a significant proportion of new tech. solutions never previously used on ships of the Royal Navy;
- like all Anglo-Saxons, the crews of the British "Astute" were able to carry "Axes", which significantly expanded the capabilities of the boats in operations against the oil-producing countries of the "Third World".
Disadvantages:
“HMS Astute’s newest nuclear submarine, which cost the UK £ 9.75 billion to build, leaks, rusts and doesn’t move fast enough to evade pursuit. top speed - (The Guardian, November 16, 2012) Apparently, not everything is in order in the British kingdom.
"Barracuda" (France)
In the ranks - 0; in the process of construction - 3; plans - 6 submarines until 2027
Displacement (surface / underwater) - 4800/5300 tons. Diving depth (working / maximum) - 350/400 m. Crew 60 people, incl. 8 officers. Armament: 4 torpedo tubes and up to 20 units of mine-torpedo and missile weapons, incl. heavy torpedoes of the new generation "Black Shark" and long-range stealth-KR SCALP-Naval. It is possible to accommodate up to 12 "fur seals" on board, as well as an external mount for a container with diving equipment.
Despite its diminutive size, the little "Barracuda" is able to show its sharp "teeth" and for a long time discourage the enemy from getting involved with such a threat. The smallest of the 4th generation multipurpose nuclear submarines is extremely interesting with t. constructive solutions. The combat patrol time has almost doubled compared to the previous French nuclear submarines of the "Ruby" type (from 45 to 70 days). Updated reactor K-15, which does not require recharging for 10 years (basic version - every 7 years). A water cannon instead of a conventional propeller, a cruciform tail, a high level of automation and A3SM (MICA) anti-aircraft missiles capable of hitting anti-submarine helicopters from a submerged position!
Advantages:
- small size and, as a result, increased secrecy. Difficulty detecting the boat by magnetic detectors;
- air defense weapons! For the first time in the history of a nuclear submarine fleet, a submarine was able to shoot down enemy anti-submarine aircraft from a submerged position;
- Uranium with a low degree of enrichment intended for civil nuclear power plants is used as fuel;
- small crew, low operating costs in comparison with other nuclear submarines of the 4th generation.
Disadvantages:
- low energy capabilities due to the small size of the boat itself. The speed of its underwater course will not exceed 23 … 25 knots, but, what is much more important, the capabilities of the Barracuda detection equipment will also be limited in comparison with full-fledged nuclear-powered ships of other fleets;
- relatively weak weapons and small ammunition.
Sea Wolf (USA)
In the ranks - 3; the construction program for a series of 29 submarines has been canceled.
Displacement (surface / underwater) - 7500/9100 tons. Immersion depth (working) - 580 meters. Crew - 126 people, incl. 15 officers. Armament: 8 torpedo tubes with a "secret".
To put it bluntly, "Sea Wolf" is able to smash the face of any of the young "frayers" who like to flaunt words like "high-tech", "situational flexibility" and "modular design". Unlike the Virginias and Barracudas, which were the result of compromises in cutting military budgets, the Volchara was a hellish product of the Cold War era. The ultimate underwater hunter for Russian submarines under the ice shell of the Arctic.
Maximum speed 35 knots, tactical speed - 25. Increased hull diameter, which made it possible to implement unprecedented measures of acoustic isolation and shock protection. The sound-insulating coating of the hull was a solid mass of polymer mass (in contrast to the thousands of tiles on ordinary boats). The declared noise level of Sea Wolf was 10 times lower than that of its predecessors, the Superior Los Angeles class submarine. Its super-SAC consisted of 11 antennas for various purposes, incl. six wide-aperture antennas AN / BQG-5D on the outer surface of the hull (the total number of sensors and hydrophones has increased by an order of magnitude, in comparison with the "conventional" submarines of the Los Angeles type). The working depth of the immersion reached 580 meters. A water jet propeller appeared. A huge ammunition load of 50 units of mine-torpedo and missile weapons. Like any self-respecting killer, the Sea Wolfe had a weapon "with a silencer" - in its 660-mm torpedo tubes the principle of self-release of torpedoes was realized. As a result, the acoustics of the enemy submarine did not suspect until recently that the Sea Wolf was nearby and had already opened fire.
Tin, tin, tin! To date, no boat has been created that can "compete" in combat capabilities with the "Sea Wolf". As for the buzzwords like "high-tech", he had optocoupler masts instead of periscopes 20 years ago.
Advantages:
Sea Wolf is the most advanced in terms of a set of characteristics among the 4th generation multipurpose nuclear submarines.
Disadvantages:
Its cost! Already in those days, the Sea Wolfe cost $ 3 billion - 4 times more expensive than the usual "Improved Los Angeles." With the disappearance of the Soviet Navy, the program for the construction of "Wolves" was gradually closed. another one ("Carter") was completed in 2003 in the form of a submarine for special operations (ie with limited combat characteristics as an underwater hunter).
The supership was designed for all types of threats, but was clearly not ready for such a battle. In 2003, while surfacing in the North Pole, the Connecticut submarine (of the Sea Wolf class) was attacked by a polar bear. The beast scratched the steering wheel sticking out of the ice and fled into the icy desert.
