Russia's naval strategy, as shown by the activities of the Russian Navy, statements by specialists and budgetary funds allocated for the development of the fleet, aligns exactly with the national security strategy of Russia - perhaps as its main military tool … Military power is aimed mainly at preventing war, but in other circumstances it is seen as another element of national power, used mainly to support Russia's economic growth.
- Thomas R. Fedyszyn - Captain (1st Rank Captain), retired US Navy, Director of the Europe-Russia Research Group of the US Naval War College.
“In 2014, Sevmash will lay down two strategic nuclear submarines of the Borey type, one Yasen and a special-purpose submarine,” said Mikhail Budnichenko, General Director of Sevmash (Severodvinsk), speaking at the arms exhibition in Delhi February 7, 2014 Next year, according to him, five more submarines will be laid at Sevmash, among which there will be two Borey and three Ash.
Nine nuclear submarines in two years! The declared rates of construction of the domestic submarine fleet exceed all existing foreign indicators.
Nuclear submarines are the main striking force at sea. They are carriers of the most destructive and deadly weapons. The most formidable ships ever built for naval combat are stealthy, elusive, and deadly effective. For 100 years of the history of the submarine fleet, no one has managed to find a reliable "antidote" to the underwater threat. Every time the news of the appearance of underwater hunters invariably causes tremors and numbness in the enemy, forcing him to change plans and quickly get out of the dangerous square. Finally, boats are a key component of the "nuclear triad": unlike the "elusive / invincible" AUGs, it was lone submarines that were entrusted with the "honorable" role of stokers on the funeral pyre of humanity. Direct evidence of the highest secrecy and combat stability of submarines.
But enough lyrics and loud slogans. The time has come for a sober assessment of the situation, based on existing events and facts. The number of nuclear-powered ships planned for laying down - 9 units - commands respect. However, no less important - what are these ships? How will they be built? In what year will the St. Andrew's flag soar above them and flutter in the wind?
The main plot in the domestic submarine shipbuilding is still the SSBN, project 955 (code "Borey"). There are two important reasons for this.
The first reason. The need for urgent rearmament of Russia's naval strategic nuclear forces.
Until recently, the "youngest" strategic missile carrier was the K-407 "Novomoskovsk" (project 667BDRM "Dolphin"), which was accepted into the Navy back in 1990. However, age is not so terrible here. For comparison, half of the 14 operating American SSBNs were built in the 80s, and the last of the Ohio was commissioned in 1997. It is much more serious that the Russian Navy does not have enough boats for this purpose: with the disappearance of the Sharks, only 7 Dolphins remained in service (including the K-84 Yekaterinburg damaged by the fire) and 3 even more ancient Kalmar (pr. 667BDR built in the early 80s).
In 1996, a new generation SSBN was laid at Sevmash - K-535 Yuri Dolgoruky (project 955 Borey), whose construction and testing lasted for 16 years (!) - until December 2012. Borey has become a cornerstone in the history of the Russian Naval Strategic Nuclear Forces (NSNF). From now on, the focus is on solid-propellant missiles, as they are cheaper to manufacture and safer in operation than the traditional liquid-propellant missiles of the Makeev Design Bureau. The solid-fuel Bulava is more compact, shorter in length, and does not require complicated and dangerous prelaunch preparation procedures. Instead - slightly worse energy characteristics, a decrease in the throwing weight of the warhead and the firing range. But the main problem lies elsewhere - the obvious difficulties associated with the creation of a new missile that has changed the entire development paradigm of domestic NSNF.
The capricious Bulava was gradually taught to fly, and the boats of the Borey project became the main hope of domestic shipbuilders. Recently, they are annually laid, launched and put into operation, constantly improving their design. The layout is as follows: today 2 missile carriers are in service, 1 is under state tests, 1 is under construction (modified project 955A), 2 submarines - "Alexander Suvorov" and "Mikhail Kutuzov" are planned for laying in the spring-summer of 2014. The groundwork has been created for laying another pair of submarines in 2015.
However, the vigorous construction of strategic missile carriers contradicts the situation around multipurpose nuclear submarines. Rather, with their almost complete absence.
The situation has a simple explanation: structurally, SSBN "Borey" is much simpler and less laborious to build than any multipurpose submarine of the fourth generation. In the design of "Boreev", those are widely used. solutions well proven on the boats of the previous, third generation - up to the use of the shells of the rugged hull of disassembled multipurpose submarines of Project 971 (Yu Dolgoruky - from the unfinished K-137 Cougar, A. Nevsky - K-333 Lynx "," Monomakh "- from the utilized K-480" Ak Bars ").
In fact, the main and only task of the Boreyev is combat patrolling in the depths of the ocean, preferably without going far beyond the patrol lines of the domestic fleet (theoretically, the capabilities of modern SLBMs allow shooting at another continent without leaving the pier in Gremikha).
… The submarine quietly writes out "eights" in complete darkness. The depth is 200 m, the course is six knots, kilometer-long ELF antennas are slowly towed behind the stern. In case of receiving an order - ascent to a shallow depth and launch of the Bulava SLBM. As practical tests have shown: it can be considered an excellent result if the boat is able to release at least half of the available ammunition - without loss of depth, the occurrence of a dangerous roll / trim and other troubles that entail the termination of firing. It is worth noting that it was our submariners who set an inimitable record: after many months of persistent training, the crew of the K-407 Novomoskovsk managed to fire a full load of 16 missiles (Operation Begemot-2, 1991).
But all the difficulties with the launch of an SLBM pale in front of the technical perfection of a modern multipurpose submarine. The "Ash" or the American "Virginia" are faced with completely non-trivial tasks: special requirements for secrecy and situational awareness in the theater of operations, versatility, and a modern complex of weapons. Precision weapons, dozens of cruise missiles, equipment for the work of military divers and "navy seals", unmanned underwater vehicles, mine and torpedo weapons …
Fulfillment of these requirements is unthinkable without new generation sonar systems with giant antennas occupying the entire bow of the ship. Special techniques are required to reduce the background noise: the use of natural circulation of the coolant in the Virginia reactors or the use of a turboelectric power plant on board the Ash with the ability to turn off the GTZA at low speed.
New technologies for noise and vibration isolation, additional side antennas of the SAC, modern computing systems, numerous torpedo tubes and shafts for launching SLCMs, telescopic masts with television cameras instead of conventional periscopes, new tasks and opportunities … This explains such a long and painful process of creating domestic and foreign multipurpose submarines of the fourth generation.
The best nuclear submarine in its class. "Ash" is almost twice the size of its American counterpart - "Virginia". Moreover, unlike the high-tech "American" with diving cameras, underwater drones and tactical SLCM "Tomahawk" (all - tools for local wars), our boat is more focused on serious naval combat - up to 32 heavy anti-ship missiles of the "Caliber" family, 8 torpedo devices, an impressive range of working depths and speeds.
To date, only one new generation multipurpose submarine, K-560 Severodvinsk (project 885 Yasen), is in trial operation in the Russian Navy. Launched in 1993, the boat has been built and refined for 20 years. When all reasonable deadlines were exceeded, and Severodvinsk had the opportunity to get on the pages of the Guinness Book of Records as the most incredible “long-term construction”, the boat was handed over to the Northern Fleet for trial operation, promising to gradually correct 200 defects revealed during long state tests.
However, other "Ash", built on the modernized project 885M promise not to repeat the anti-records set during the construction of the lead ship. To date, there are two boats under construction: K-561 "Kazan" and K-573 "Novosibirsk". Also, according to the statement of the Sevmash general director, four more submarines of project 885M will be laid in the current and next year.
In total, by the beginning of the 2020s, the Russian Navy will include 7 multipurpose submarines of the fourth generation - one project 885 (Severodvinsk) and six project 885M. Excellent result (adjusted for the devastating impact of economic changes in Russia at the turn of the XX-XXI centuries).
Mysterious submarine
The greatest interest among the public was aroused by the mention of the head of "Sevmash" about the upcoming laying of a special-purpose boat. What kind of next Losharik will appear in the Russian Navy? Popular imagination went wild: news forums were full of comments, the authors of which put forward a variety of assumptions about the purpose of the secret ship.
Intrigued. Now I will not sleep. What kind of ship? Scout? Laboratory?
- comment from rugor, www.topwar.ru.
Also, among the versions, there were: a nuclear deep-sea station, a carrier of ultra-small submarines, a rescue bathyscaphe, transport for combat swimmers, an underwater landing ship (such a project was once developed in the USSR), an underwater tanker / ammunition transport for supplying ocean groupings of Navy ships, etc. … technical masterpieces capable of revolutionizing the world's shipbuilding!
As you know, in Russia they say one thing, think another, do the third, and how it will actually be will become known only at the last moment. Nevertheless, I would venture to share some thoughts regarding the purpose of the mysterious submarine ship.
1) Nuclear submarine hydroacoustic patrol and lighting of the underwater environment (GAD OPO).
Development of the legendary Soviet project 958 "Afalina" - an underwater analogue of the AWACS aircraft designed for information support and target designation to naval groups and attack submarines of the Navy. Sound propagates in water almost 5 times faster than in air, and the attenuation of sound vibrations is ten times slower. The noise of ship propellers and the clinking of blades of anti-submarine helicopters loitering at low altitude above the water can spread over many hundreds of kilometers. And if so, it is worth creating a special boat-"hearing" that will slowly crawl in the depths, collecting and analyzing the sounds of the ocean.
Model pr. 958 "Afalina" from the SPMBM "Malachite" museum. Pay attention to the cross-shaped antennas on the sides of the case. The project was never implemented in practice, but became the starting point for project 945 (multipurpose submarine with a titanium hull) and project 971 "Schuka-B", which became the main type of domestic multipurpose submarines of the 3rd generation
The resumption of work on the GAD OPO topic was again talked about in March 2013. An assumption was made about the creation of improvisation on the basis of one of the existing submarines or those withdrawn into the reserve (like the project 09780 "Axon-2"). It is assumed that the new "Sea Gad" will detect the location of moving AUGs at a distance of up to 600 km! The collection of information will be carried out in a passive mode: the submarine itself at such a distance will remain invisible to the enemy's anti-aircraft weapons.
Experimental submarine KS-403 "Kazan" on the basis of the outdated strategic missile carrier, converted according to the project 09780 "Axon-2", 1996. The ship underwent tests of the Irtysh-Amphora SJSC for the 4th generation submarines
2) The following story is connected with the unfinished submarine K-139 "Belgorod" ("killer of aircraft carriers" pr. 941A, similar to the deceased SSGN K-141 "Kursk"). Life has prepared this "baby" a difficult fate: being laid in 1992, "Belgorod" by the beginning of the 2000s had about 80% readiness. However, on July 20, 2006, during a visit to Sevmash, Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov announced a decision not to introduce the obsolete cruiser into the Russian Navy. For six years "Belgorod" rusted on the slipway, while the leadership of the fleet was deciding for what tasks to adapt the ship that had become unnecessary.
And then, finally, it happened: on December 20, 2012, the Belgorod was re-mortgaged and is now being completed according to the modified project 09952 in the form of a special purpose nuclear submarine (PLASN) - the carrier of deep-sea vehicles and ultra-small submarines.
Perhaps it was the story with the "Belgorod" that the head of PO "Sevmash" had in mind when he spoke about the special-purpose submarine.
K-139 "Belgorod"
In the end, the whole story with the "mysterious submarine" may be associated with the creation of a new nuclear deep-water station of project 10831 "Kalitka" or a similar design for performing special tasks on the shelf and in the depths of the ocean. Something very durable, deep sea and secret.
Well, wait and see. The main thing is that all the laid down ships are handed over to the fleet on time!
P. S. In total, from 1991 to 2013, 10 nuclear submarines for various purposes were built in the Russian Federation. Also, 7 submarines from the "Soviet reserve" were completed and put into operation, including: the deep-sea nuclear power plant AS-12 "Losharik", three nuclear missile submarines and three multipurpose submarines (including the K-152 "Nerpa ", Transferred to the long-term lease of the Indian Navy).
