Rating from the magazine "Popular Mechanics"
Most revolutionary: Project 705 "Lyra"
This story is like a legend. But the fact that "Alpha", practically invulnerable to the weapons of that time, literally turned all the Americans' ideas about the submarine fleet and anti-submarine weapons - this is already a pure truth.
The concept of the 705 project was formed in the late 1950s. A small-sized automated boat with a reduced crew was supposed to become a kind of underwater interceptor, capable of catching up and hitting any target. By a special decree of the Central Committee of the CPSU, chief designer Mikhail Rusanov was allowed to deviate from the existing norms and rules of shipbuilding when designing a machine.
The phenomenal speed of more than 40 knots was supposed to be achieved due to the high power of the power plant with the small size and mass of the ship. The body was welded from titanium. To make the boat compact, the number of the crew was drastically reduced. For the first time in history, an integrated automated control system was used on a submarine. All combat and technical means of the ship were controlled and monitored from a central post. Even the galley was mechanized. The highly professional crew of the ship consisted of 24 officers and six warrant officers.
The power plant of the Alpha was more than half a century ahead of its time. The heart of the ship is a liquid metal coolant (LMC) fast neutron reactor. Instead of water, a melt of lead and bismuth flowed in its cooling circuits. Fast reactors are safer than traditional reactors and have a high power density, while liquid metal core technology allows the power plant to be brought to maximum power more quickly.
"Alpha" could accelerate to full speed in just a minute, turn at full speed 180 degrees in just 42 seconds to enter the shadow zone of the enemy ship's sighting systems. A speed of over 40 knots made it possible to evade torpedoes. At full speed, the car made a terrible noise and was easily noticed by acoustics, but its detection plunged the opponent into fear: it was almost impossible to resist Alpha in a duel.
The Soviet fleet was armed with six boats
705th project. The submarine of the future was too complicated
in operation. On the prototype, cracking of the welded seams of the titanium body was revealed. The "Alpha" nuclear plant had to be constantly maintained in working order so that the liquid metal temperature did not drop below 120 ° C. As a result of malfunctions on the K-123 boat, the reactor was shut down, the coolant froze, and the entire power plant turned into a radioactive pile of metal that could not be restored. The work on the disposal of the reactor has not been completed to this day.
The very first: the Holland class
COUNTRY: USA
DOWN INTO THE WATER: 1901
Power plant: gasoline-electric
Length: 19, 46 m
Displacement: 125 t
Maximum immersion depth: 30 m
Submerged speed: 8 knots (14.8 km / h)
Crew: 8 people
Irish immigrant John Philip Holland was the first to think of installing two engines on a submarine: an electric one for underwater propulsion and a gasoline one for surface runs. This allowed Holland boats to successfully prove themselves in the Russo-Japanese War, and on the Russian and Japanese sides.
The very first atomic: SSN-571 "Nautilus"
COUNTRY: USA
Launched: 1954
Power plant: nuclear
Length: 97 m
Displacement: 4222 t
Maximum immersion depth: 213 m
Submerged speed: 23 knots (42.6 km / h)
Crew: 111 people
The first nuclear submarine - that says it all. It differed from diesel-electric boats not only in the power plant, but also in the layout: the location of the ballast tanks, the placement of equipment, and the design of the hull. The Nautilus became the first submarine to reach the North Pole.
The deepest: K-278 "Komsomolets"
COUNTRY: USSR
Launched: 1983
Power plant: nuclear
Length: 110 m
Displacement: 8500 t
Maximum immersion depth: 1250 m
Submerged speed: 31 knots (57.4 km / h)
Crew: 60 people
The world's only submarine of Project 685 Fin, set a world record by submerging to a depth of 1027 m. Both the durable and lightweight hulls of the boat were made of titanium alloy. At a kilometer depth, the Komsomolets was practically invulnerable to any anti-submarine weapons and invisible to hydroacoustic detection devices. The only ship of Project 685 died on April 7, 1989 as a result of a fire.
Most prolific: Project 613
COUNTRY: USSR
Launched: 1951
Power plant: diesel-electric
Length: 76, 06 m
Displacement: 1347 t
Maximum immersion depth: 200 m
Submerged speed: 13 knots (24 km / h)
Crew: 52 people
The Project 613 diesel-electric medium submarine was built by the largest batch of 215 ships in post-war history. On its basis, 21 modifications of submarines were created, including an experimental boat with an air-independent power plant on fuel cells, a boat armed with cruise missiles, a submarine of a radar patrol and experimental boats for launching mock ballistic missiles.
Most popular: U-Boot Klasse VII
Country: Germany
DOWN INTO THE WATER: 1939
Power plant: diesel-electric
Length: 66.6 m
Displacement: 857 t
Maximum immersion depth: 250 m
Submerged speed: 8 knots (14.8 km / h)
Crew: 48 people
The seventh class submarine is known not only for the record number of built copies (during the Second World War, 703 vehicles were commissioned), but also for its remarkable combat effectiveness. The famous U-48 made 12 military campaigns with a total duration of 325 days and sank 51 ships and one warship.
Deadliest: Project 949A Antey
COUNTRY: USSR
DOWN INTO THE WATER: 1985
Power plant: nuclear
Length: 155 m
Displacement: 24,000 t
Maximum immersion depth: 600 m
Submerged speed: 32 knots (59.3 km / h)
Crew: 130 people
In the world, Project 949A submarines are commonly referred to as “aircraft carrier killers”. A huge ship with an underwater displacement of 24,000 tons carries 24 cruise missiles of the anti-ship complex "Granit". One of the 11 ships of the Antey project was the K-141 Kursk, which was lost in the Barents Sea on August 12, 2000.
Most Intimidating: SSBN-598 "George Washington"
COUNTRY: USA
Launched: 1959
Power plant: nuclear
Length: 116.3 m
Displacement: 6888 t
Maximum immersion depth: 270 m
Submerged speed: 25 knots (46.3 km / h)
Crew: 112 people
With its appearance, the first nuclear missile carrier "George Washington" completed the formation of the classic nuclear triad - a modern nuclear deterrent mechanism, in which the state's strategic arsenal is deployed on land, at sea and in the air. The ship carried 16 two-stage UGM-27 Polaris ballistic missiles and could launch them from a depth of 20 m.
The largest: Project 941 "Shark"
COUNTRY: USSR
DOWN INTO THE WATER: 1980
Power plant: nuclear
Length: 172.8 m
Displacement: 49800 t
Maximum immersion depth: 500 m
Submerged speed: 25 knots (46.3 km / h)
Crew: 160 people
The heavy nuclear-powered strategic missile submarine is armed with 20 three-stage solid-propellant missiles with a range of more than 8,300 km with ten MIRVs. The total underwater displacement of the missile carrier is 49,800 tons. Full speed power is 100,000 hp.
