The Typhoon class (NATO code) is a class of Soviet then Russian ballistic missile nuclear submarines. Developed by the Rubin1 design bureau in St. Petersburg under the official name of project 941 "Akula", literally "heavy ballistic underwater cruiser"). Submarines of this class are by far the largest in the world. More than 170 meters long and 16.50 meters high (without the 9.50 meters of the massif), all for an average weight of more than 25,000 tons when diving2. Typhoon-class submarines were deployed in the 1980s in the Soviet and then Russian Navy. The Typhoon class has six units built and one unit cancelled. They were, during the Cold War period, the nightmare of American submariners:fast (25 knots underwater), they were in their new state of almost perfect silence.
There remains, in 2013, only one copy in working order, the TK-208 Dmitri Donskoy, used for tests of the R-30 Bulava missile. Although formidable at the time of the USSR, this class of Soviet (then Russian) SSBNs is in the process of being replaced by the new Borei class SSBNs.
The genesis of Project 941
In the early 1970s, the United States launched an ambitious research program to acquire a new missile (the Trident) powered by solidified fuel with a range of more than 7,000 km. At the same time, they therefore create a new type of SSBN that can carry 24 copies of this new missile, the Ohio class, 18 copies in total are built out of the 34 planned. These new deterrent vectors far surpass the 667A-AM and 667B-BD projects (Yankee I and II then Delta I and II). The leaders of the Soviet Union then ask their industries to provide an adequate response to this new threat to the Soviet Union.
The technical and tactical data specified in the specifications for the new ballistic missile submarine Project 941 "Akula" were proposed to the party in December 1972. A year later, on December 19, 1973, project 941 was adopted by decree and a new missile is started. The project will be developed by the Central Design Bureau Rubin under the management of the general designer L.D. Spassky, under the direct guidance of the chief designer Sergei Nikitich Kovalev (ru) and the supervision of V. N. Levachov, head of the Navy.
Development of these new naval strategic missiles was assigned to chief designer V. P. Makeeva in 1971. Work on the D-19 (land version) and R-39 (RSM-52) (naval version) began in 1973. The Soviets know that the Americans have a significant technological lead in the construction of solid propellant missiles (many of them are worried about the undeniable lead of American technology in this field).
The specifications for Project 941 are emerging. The future submarine must be able to sneak under the ice of the Arctic, pierce thicknesses of more than 2.5 m of ice, fire its missiles while diving and on the surface, have a significant hydro-acoustic detection capability . The K-153 (Golf class) submarine was modified in 1976 into project 619 GOLF V in order to conduct an intensive series of tests leading to the acceptance, in 1984, by the navy, of the R-39 missile (SS-N -20 Sturgeon).
Comparison of sea-to-surface missiles R-29, R-29RL, R-39, R-29RM, JL-1 and JL-2 (China)
The Soviets know that, for the new 941 project, silence, and therefore invulnerability, is a key factor. Indeed, thanks to the indiscretion on the part of some US Navy sailors and their families, they know that the Americans manage without too many problems to track Soviet Yankee-class SSBNs for long periods. In addition, they also know that the SOSUS barriers have been reinforced and that they allow the Americans to estimate the tactical routes that the submarines will take leaving the ports of the White Sea or the Baltic Sea. It then becomes necessary to make adjustments in the nuclear doctrine of the Soviet Union. Two major axes are proposed:
increase the ranges of strategic missiles in order to bring SSBN patrol areas as close as possible to the territorial waters of the Soviet Union;
launch the third generation of SSBNs and SNAs, which are faster, quieter .
It would seem that the Soviet Union was more interested in a defensive doctrine than the United States would have us believe. Indeed, the number of naval strategic missiles corresponds practically to a ratio of one to three, which brought to more than 3,000 American nuclear warheads embarked in the fleet of their SSBNs at the end of the 1980s.
Some 1,219 people will work on the construction of TK-208, more than 1,000 companies will be involved in the supply of parts, assemblies and design elements for the project.
When the project was decided on, Leonid Brezhnev declared at the XXVI Congress of the CPSU:“The Americans have just launched their Ohio submarines and their Trident missiles! We will answer them with our Typhoon! .
According to some, Brezhnev would have voluntarily named the project "Akula" Typhoon in order to confuse Westerners on the projects of the third generation submarines, for others, the error would come from a bad interpretation of a speech of Brezhnev by the Americans.
General Descriptions
The concept of the Akula/Typhoon class submarines consists of two internal hulls of SSBN class Delta IV (7.2 m in diameter) juxtaposed. This layout is similar to that of a catamaran. There are two escape pods that can accommodate the entire crew and they are installed on each side of the massif. The torpedo room and the PCNO serve as junction areas between the two hulls. Each hull is connected to the other by connecting gangways. With a total of 19 watertight compartments, the living and operational areas are clearly separated. The thick hull of the PCNO and that of the torpedo room are made of titanium alloy for more resistance and magnetic discretion thanks to the know-how accumulated since the 661 and project 705. The forward diving bars retract into the hull while the shape of the rear bars has been studied to increase the stability of the submarine.
Contrary to what the Americans thought, the Soviets developed a sonar listening technique similar to that present on the Ohios thanks to the ALR (Linear towed antenna) thus allowing the Typhoon to track down submarines beyond the disturbances caused by its wake (bafle), making this submarine much less deaf than previous generation SSBNs.
In this submarine, the living quarters have been designed for the well-being of the crew (no more rustic installations of the 658 projects). Spacious cabins for officers, banya (traditional Russian bath consisting of a steam bath and a small pool), relaxation room with television and air conditioning, smoking room, sauna, solarium, small shop, gyms, etc The 949A project also benefited from this same type of accommodation for the crew. This allows it to retain its full effectiveness during long-term missions (more than 90 days).
Although the Soviet specifications provided for long-duration missions (more than 120 days), missions of more than two months were rare, probably for logistical reasons. Nevertheless, the operational cycles of Typhoon-class submarines are remarkable. It should be noted, however, that at least one Typhoon carried out a mission of more than three months at sea without interruption, a crew exchange and resupply having been carried out from an icebreaker which had joined the submarine. sailor.
They carry 20 R-39 (RSM-52) ballistic missiles (NATO code:SS-N 20 Sturgeon) with a range of 11,000 km. The R-39 (RSM-52), sea-to-ground missile, has 10 independent warheads (each warhead can hit a different target). The unit power of these heads is 100 kilotons (about six times the Hiroshima atomic bomb, Little Boy).
The missiles are housed at the front of the massive, which makes it a unique submarine, because all the other types of SSBN carry their missiles on the back.
Changes
Many modifications were made during the operational life of the six submarines:modifications to the acoustic systems, installation of an astral correction device on the missiles, modification of the firing lines, improvement of the GLONASS satellite navigation system for multi-target shooting (Project 941-U).
The last major modifications were made by the 941-UM version which only the TK-208 Dmitry Donskoy will have benefited from. At the beginning of 2010, it is planned that the Boreys will definitively replace the last Typhoons in 2017.
Weapons and systems
Even today, the 941 project is equipped with systems that do not have to be ashamed of their Western equivalents (this is even more true following the redesign of the TK-208 Dmitri Donskoy). In order to make the nuclear part of the submarine more compact and facilitate its maintenance, it was decided to use two VM-5 pressurized water reactors from the -650 nuclear reactor with a unit power of 190 MW.
Two steam turbines ensure the propulsion of the submarine. The entire structure supporting the machines was placed on jacks and cradles to reduce noise and vibrations transmitted to the hull. The reactor safety protocol has been revised upwards, at the request of the authorities (control of the energy level, triple backup system, anti-radiation shield). Four autonomous 3,200 kW unit turbo-generators ensure the supply of electrical energy, and two DG-750 diesel generators can take over in the event of a breakdown. Two 750 kW electric thrusters, one at the center aft and one at the starboard bow, provide lateral movement. When Project 941 was created, a lot of effort was made to increase its acoustic discretion, in particular through increased soundproofing of all parts of the submarine (including galleys and toilets). The result, according to some analysts, is a noise level similar to American Ohios.
Project 941 is equipped with an Omnibus-941 tactical combat system, allowing the fusion of data from the various sensors on board. It also has a new Simfonya inertial unit, an active/passive MGK-500 Skat KS hull sonar including four side antennas, and capable of tracking 12 tracks simultaneously, an MG-518 ice sounder Arfa, an MG-519 Sever anti-mine sonar, an MRKP-58 Buran surface surveillance radar, an MTK-100 external video surveillance system, two periscopes (attack and surveillance), two ALRs (towed linear antenna) of more than 150 m each allowing radio reception under the surface. This equipment is completed by two towed linear sonar antennas (only on the TK-208, TK-17 and TK-20).
The submarine carries 20 R-39 missiles that can be launched up to a depth of 55 meters, with a very short interval (less than 70 seconds according to some analysts), without limitation caused by the state of the sea or the weather report. The range exceeds 10,000 km. Each missile carries 10 nuclear warheads of 100 kt each, with an inertial atmosphere entry system. They have a Circle of Probable Error (CEP) of 500 m. The armament of the Typhoon class submarines also includes 6 torpedo tubes of 533 mm, with a rapid loading system. Most underwater weapons of this diameter can be launched (torpedoes, ASM missiles, etc.).
Building program
The manufacture of Typhoon-class submarines took place at the No. 402 Sevmach yard in Severodvinsk. It could only be done after the construction of the largest covered dock in the world, established more than 800 meters from the access to the sea in order to mislead satellite espionage. At the end of the construction of the first Typhoon, an armada of earth-moving machines dug a channel in record time through which the submarine was towed to the port itself.
The first Typhoon-class submarine was launched on December 12, 1981. Each new unit received technological improvements. Their exorbitant cost has generated very heated discussions. It was therefore decided to limit the number of units to 7 and then 6 copies. The cost of the program was not the only element that jeopardized the future of the 941 project:its gigantic and unusual size also created very serious organizational and stewardship difficulties. This size prevented it from reaching the strategic ports of the White Sea. Maintaining and managing these machines and their armament is very delicate and required the creation of colossal infrastructures that many considered useless.
Current status
The six Typhoon-class submarines have been consolidated into one of the Northern Fleet's submarine divisions. Their base is at Nerpichia Bay at the Zapadnaya Litsa naval base:it was completely reconfigured in 1977 to accommodate the strategic command center of the Typhoon division. New docks have been installed and the base has also been equipped with an R-39 missile transport vehicle, as well as a current maintenance complex (floating dock) and buildings housing maintenance teams ashore. /P>
Like Western submarines, each Typhoon-class submarine is manned by two crews. Typhoons have the highest yield in the Northern Fleet. Indeed at the time when the six Typhoons were operational, there were always two of them permanently at sea and each made an average of three to four three-month patrols per year.
In 1989, the construction of the seventh Typhoon, the TK-210, was canceled and it was dismantled before its completion. For some, Russia's financial problems were decisive in this choice, for others it is the bilateral disarmament treaties SALT I and SALT II. It is true that the political situation in the Russian Federation between 1990 and 2000 left the Northern Fleet in a deplorable state, with an insufficient operating budget to ensure the operational maintenance of the fleet.
For the same reasons, the TK-202 then TK-12 and finally TK-13 were removed from the list of active buildings of the navy. Especially since their missile, the R-39 had reached the end of its operational life. Currently, two of them have been completely dismantled and the third has now been dismantled since March 2009 with American and Canadian funds.
On May 21, 2013, Russia announced the withdrawal and dismantling of the TK-17 Arkhangelsk and the TK-20 Severstal. Only the TK-208 Dmitri Donskoy will remain in service, the only modernized example for ballistic missile testing purposes.
Between 2000 and 2010 approximately, in anticipation of the disarmament of the Typhoons, the Rubin shipyards worked on their redesign to make them underwater ore carriers which would have made it possible to open up mining or steel sites whose ports are blocked by the ice for several month a year, by developing accessible terminals under the surface of the sea. These projects are no longer relevant.
List of ships
TK-208 Dimitri Donskoy:entered service in 1981, modified in 2003 to Project 941-UM, since 2005 SS-N-30 Bulava test platform
TK-202:entered in service 1983 and retired 1999
TK-12 Simbirsk:entered service 1984 and retired 1996
TK-13:entered service 1985 and retired 2004
TK-17 Arkhangelsk:entered service 1987 and retired in 2013
TK-20 Severstal:entered service 1989 and retired in 2013
TK-210:never completed.
Anecdotes
This class of submarines was made popular by the film In Pursuit of Red October based on a novel by Tom Clancy.
This class is also found in the fifth installment of the saga Resident Evil.
President V. Putin invited the crew of the TK-17 for his 57th birthday (October 7, 2007).
The water of both swimming pools is pumped directly from the sea to a minimum depth of 250 m and it is renewed every six hours.
Project 941 “Akula”
Technical characteristics
Type Ballistic missile nuclear submarine
Length 170m (TK-208, Tk-202, TK-13)
172.6m (TK-12, TK-17)
173.1m (TK-20)
Master-bau 23.3 m
Draft 11 m
Air draft 17 m
Displacement 21,500 t on the surface, 48,000 t underwater
Propulsion 2 OK-650b reactors of 190 MW each.
2 VM-5 steam turbines with a total power of (73,500 kW) for two propellers 5.40 m in diameter
Power 100,000 hp
Speed TK-13:28 knots diving
TK-17:26.6 knots diving
TK-:27.1 knots diving 13 to 14 knots diving surface
Depth 400 m (operational) 600 m (destruction)
Military features
Armament 20 R-39 (SS-N-20 Sturgeon) strategic ballistic sea-to-surface missiles
8 9K310 / 9K38 surface-to-air missiles (SA-14 Gremlin / SA-16 Gimlet)
6 533 mm torpedo tubes
22 ASM missiles 533 mm 83-R Vodopad torpedo carriers and 533 mm torpedoes
40 mines marines
Range of action 120 days at sea, extendable to 160
Other features
Electronics 4 turbo-alternators of 3,200 kW each 2 DG-750 emergency diesel-alternators of 800 kW each
Tactical Battle System :Omnibus-941
Surface watch radar :MRKP-58 "Buran" Two ALR VLF
Crew Routine patrol:168 men (171 men on TK-17 and TK-20)
Maximum:179 men
Manufacturers Sevmash-Severodvinsk
Served in Soviet Navy Russian Navy
Construction period 1976 - 1989
Period of service 1981 - current
Ships built 6
Planned ships 7
Cancelled ships 1
Ships in operation 1 in service in 2013
Vessels broken up 3