For any country, this is a powerful geopolitical deterrence mechanism. And the submarine fleet, by its very presence, affects international relationships and escalation of conflicts. If in the 19th century the borders of Britain were determined by the sides of its military frigates, then in the 20th century the navy of the United States of America becomes the leader of the oceans. And the Americans played an important role in this.
paramount importance
The submarine fleet is becoming increasingly important for America. Historically, the territory of the country was limited by water borders, which made it difficult for the enemy to covertly attack. With the advent of modern submarines and submarine-to-air missiles in the world, these borders are becoming more and more illusory for America.
The aggravated confrontation of international relations with Muslim countries makes the threat to the lives of American citizens real. Iranian Islamists are not abandoning their attempts to acquire submarine-to-air missiles, and this is a threat to all coastal centers of America. And in this case, the destruction will be colossal. Only the same opponent can resist the attack already from under the water.
The current President of the United States, Donald Trump, in his first interviews, said that he intends to further increase the US submarine fleet. But on one condition - reducing its cost. This is worth thinking about for corporations that build nuclear American submarines. There is already a precedent. After Donald Trump said he would approach Boeing for a cheaper fighter jet, Lockheed Martin cut the cost of the F-35 fighter jet.
combat power
Today, US submarines are predominantly nuclear powered. And this means that during operations, the limitations in combat capability will be only in the amount of food and water on board. The most numerous class of submarines "Los Angeles". These are boats of the third generation with a displacement of about 7 tons, a diving depth of up to 300 meters and a cost of about $ 1 million. However, America is currently replacing them with fourth-generation Virginia-class boats, which are better equipped and cost $2.7 million. And this price is justified by their combat characteristics.
combat composition
Today it is the leader both in terms of quantity and equipment of naval weapons. The US Navy has 14 strategic nuclear submarines and 58 utility submarines.
The submarine fleet of the US military is equipped with two types of submarines:
- Ocean ballistic boats. Deep-sea submarines, the purpose of which is the delivery of weapons to their destination and the release of ballistic missiles. In other words, they are called strategic. Defensive weapons are not represented by strong firepower.
- Boats are hunters. High-speed boats, the goals and objectives of which are versatile: delivery of cruise missiles and peacekeeping forces to conflict zones, lightning attack and destruction of enemy forces. Such submarines are called multifunctional. their specificity is speed, maneuverability and stealth.
The beginning of the development of underwater navigation in America begins in the middle of the century before last. The volume of the article does not imply such an array of information. Let's focus on the atomic arsenal that was developed after the end of World War II. Short review of the submarine nuclear arsenal of the American Armed Forces, we will carry out, adhering to the chronological principle.
The first experimental atomic
In the shipyard in Groton in January 1954, the first American submarine Nautilus (USS Nautilus) with a displacement of about 4 thousand tons and a length of 100 meters was launched. She went on her maiden voyage a year later. It was the Nautilus that in 1958 was the first to pass the North Pole under water, which almost ended in tragedy - a periscope breakdown due to a failure of navigation systems. It was an experimental and the only multi-purpose torpedo boat with a sonar installation in the bow, and torpedoes in the rear. The submarine "Barracuda" (1949-1950) showed this arrangement to be the most successful.
American nuclear submarines owe their appearance to the naval engineer, Rear Admiral Hyman George Rickover (1900-1986).
The next experimental project was the USS Seawolf (SSN-575), also released in a single copy in 1957. It had a liquid metal reactor as a coolant in the primary reactor circuit.
The first serial atomic
A series of four submarines built in 1956-1957 - "Skate" (USS Skate). They were part of the US armed forces and were decommissioned in the late 80s of the last century.
A series of six boats - "Skipjack" (1959). Until 1964, this is the largest series. The boats had an "albacore" hull shape and top speed to the Los Angeles series.
At the same time (1959-1961), a specialized series of nuclear submarines was launched in the amount of five - "George Washington". These are boats of the first ballistic project. Each boat carried 16 missile silos for Polaris A-1 missiles. The accuracy of shooting was increased by a hygroscopic stabilizer, which reduces the amplitude by a factor of five at a depth of up to 50 meters.
This was followed by projects of nuclear submarines for one experimental copy of the Triton, Halibut, Tullibe series. American designers experimented and improved navigation systems and energy systems.
The large series of multifunctional boats that replaced Skipjack consists of 14 Treaher nuclear submarines. The last one was decommissioned in 1996.
The Benjamin Franklin series are Lafayette-class missile submarines. At first they were armed with ballistic missiles. In the 70s, they were re-equipped with Poseidon missiles, and then Trident-1. Twelve boats of the Benjamin Franklin series in the 1960s became part of the fleet of strategic missile carriers, called "41 Guards for Freedom". All ships of this fleet were named after figures in American history.
The largest series - USS Sturgeon - of multifunctional nuclear submarines includes 37 submarines created between 1871 and 1987. A distinctive feature is the reduced noise level and sensors for under-ice navigation.
Boats serving in the US Navy
From 1976 to 1996, the Navy was equipped with multi-purpose boats of the Los Angeles type. A total of 62 boats of this series were produced, this is the most numerous series of multi-purpose submarines. Torpedo armament and vertical launchers of Tomahawk-type missiles with homing systems. Nine Los Angeles class boats participated in the 26 MW GE PWR S6G reactors developed by General Electric. It is from this series that the tradition of naming boats after American cities begins. Today, as part of the US Navy, 40 boats of this class are in combat service.
A series of strategic nuclear submarines, produced from 1881 to 1997, consists of 18 submarines with ballistic missiles on board - the Ohio series. The submarine of this series is armed with 24 individually guided intercontinental ballistic missiles. For protection, they are armed with 4 torpedo tubes. Ohio is a submarine that forms the basis of the offensive forces of the US Navy, 60% of the time it is at sea.
The last project of the third generation multi-purpose nuclear submarines "Sivulf" (1998-1999). This is the most secret project of the US Navy. It was called "improved Los Angeles" for its special noiselessness. He appeared and disappeared without being noticed by radar. The reason is a special soundproofing coating, the rejection of a propeller in favor of a water jet type engine and the widespread introduction of noise sensors. The tactical speed of 20 knots makes it as noisy as the Los Angeles moored. There are three boats in this series: Seawolf, Connecticut and Jimmy Carter. The latter entered service in 2005, and it is this boat that the terminator drives in the second season of the television series Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. This once again confirms the fantastic nature of these boats, both externally and in content. "Jimmy Carter" is also called the "white elephant" among submarines for its size (the boat is 30 meters longer than its counterparts). And according to its characteristics, this submarine can already be considered a submarine.
latest generation
The future in submarine shipbuilding began in the 2000s and is associated with a new class of boats, the USS Virginia class. The first boat of this class SSN-744 was launched and put into operation in 2003.
The US Navy submarines of this type are called the armory because of their powerful arsenal, and the "ideal observer" because of the most complex and sensitive sensor systems ever installed on a submarine.
Movement even in relatively shallow water is provided by an atomic engine with a nuclear reactor, the plan of which is classified. It is known that the reactor is designed for a service life of up to 30 years. The noise level is reduced due to the system of isolated chambers and modern design power block with a "silencing" coating.
General performance characteristics USS Virginia class boats, of which thirteen have already been commissioned to date:
- speed up to 34 knots (64 km/h);
- diving depth is up to 448 meters;
- from 100 to 120 crew members;
- surface displacement - 7.8 tons;
- length up to 200 meters, and width about 10 meters;
- nuclear power plant type GE S9G.
In total, the series provides for the production of 28 Virginia nuclear submarines with the gradual replacement of the Navy arsenal with fourth-generation boats.
Michelle Obama's boat
In August last year at the military shipyard in Groton (Connecticut) commissioned 13 USS Virginia-class submarines with tail number SSN -786 and the name "Illinois" (Illinois). It is named after the home state of then First Lady Michelle Obama, who took part in her launch in October 2015. The initials of the first lady, according to tradition, are stamped on one of the details of the submarine.
The Illinois nuclear submarine, 115 meters long and with 130 crew members on board, is equipped with an uninhabited mine-detecting underwater vehicle, a diving lock and other additional equipment. The purpose of this submarine is to carry out coastal and deep-sea operations.
Instead of a traditional periscope, the boat has a telescopic system with a TV camera, and a laser infrared surveillance sensor is installed.
The firepower of the boat: 2 revolver-type installations of 6 missiles and 12 Tomahawk-class vertical cruise missiles, as well as 4 torpedo tubes and 26 torpedoes.
The total cost of the submarine is $2.7 billion.
The prospect of military submarine potential
The senior officials of the US Navy insist on the gradual replacement of diesel-fueled submarines with boats that have practically no restrictions in the conduct of combat operations - with nuclear propulsion systems. The fourth generation of the submarine "Virginia" provides for the production of 28 submarines of this class. The gradual replacement of the arsenal of naval forces with fourth-generation boats will increase the rating and combat capability of the American army.
But design bureaus continue to work and offer their projects to the army.
Amphibious American submarines
A covert landing of troops on enemy territory is the goal of all landing operations. After World War II, America had such a technological opportunity. The Bureau of Shipbuilding (Bureau of Ships) received an order for a landing submarine. Projects appeared, but the landing troops did not have financial support, and the fleet was not interested in the idea.
Of the seriously considered projects, one can mention the project of the Seaforth Group, which appeared in 1988. The landing submarine S-60 designed by them involves descent into the water at a distance of 50 kilometers from the coast, diving to a depth of 5 meters. At a speed of 5 knots, the submarine reaches the coastline and lands 60 paratroopers on retractable bridges at a distance of up to 100 meters from the coast. So far no one has bought the project.
Time-tested reliability
The oldest submarine in the world that is still in service today is the Balao SS 791 Hai Shih (Sea Lion) submarine, which is part of the Taiwanese Navy. The American submarine of the Second World War, built at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, joined the US military submarine fleet in 1945. On account of her one military campaign in August 1945 in the Pacific Ocean. After several upgrades, in 1973 she was transferred to Taiwan and became the first operating boat in China.
In January 2017, information appeared in the press that within 18 months of scheduled repairs at the shipyards of the Taiwan International Shipbuilding Corporation, the Sea Lion will carry out a general repair and replacement of navigation equipment. These works will extend the service life of the submarine until 2026.
The one-of-a-kind American-made submarine veteran plans to celebrate his 80th anniversary in combat formation.
Exceptionally tragic facts
There are no open and public statistics on losses and accidents in the US submarine fleet. However, the same can be said about Russia. Those facts that have become public knowledge will be presented in this chapter.
In 1963, a two-day test campaign ended with the death of the American submarine Thresher. The official cause of the disaster is the ingress of water under the hull of the boat. The muffled reactor immobilized the submarine, and it went into the depths, taking the lives of 112 crew members and 17 civilian specialists. The wreckage of the submarine is at a depth of 2,560 meters. This is the first technological accident of a nuclear submarine.
In 1968, the multi-purpose nuclear submarine USS Scorpion disappeared without a trace in the Atlantic Ocean. The official version of death is the detonation of ammunition. However, even today the mystery of the death of this ship remains a mystery. In 2015, US Navy veterans once again appealed to the government with a demand to create a commission to investigate this incident, clarify the number of victims and determine their status.
In 1969, the USS Guitarro submarine with tail number 665 curiously sank. It happened at the quay wall and at a depth of 10 meters. The inconsistency of actions and the negligence of the instrument calibration specialists led to flooding. Raising and restoring the boat cost the American taxpayer about $20 million.
On May 14, 1989, a Los Angeles-class boat, which took part in the filming of The Hunt for Red October, hooked a cable connecting a tugboat and a barge off the coast of California. The boat made a dive, pulling a tugboat behind it. Relatives of one tug crew member who died that day received $1.4 million in compensation from the Navy.
Representatives of the US Navy do not like to talk about their submarines. Of the approximately 70 American submarines, the Seawolf, as well as its two other boats of the same class, Connecticut and Jimmy Carter, are the most secret. These sides are the least understood aspects of US naval power.
The official site of boats of this class is blocked. Last image appearance the submarine Seawolf appeared among the photographs of the naval department in 2009.
This is because the Seawolf and other submarines of this class are something special. They are the newest, largest, fastest, and carry more powerful weapons than standard attack submarines. Each Seawolf class submarine costs $3 billion and is equipped with unique equipment worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
Creation of Seawolf:
The concept of the Seawolf-class multi-purpose nuclear submarine project is connected with the US Navy's "Maritime strategy", developed in the early 80s. In accordance with this strategy, multi-purpose nuclear submarines were supposed to penetrate Soviet bastions, and not serve as deterrence for the enemy at the lines of anti-submarine defense.
According to Western strategists, these waters, lying near Soviet naval bases, serve as a deployment site for strategic missile carriers, guarded by all the forces of the fleet and, in particular, by multi-purpose submarines. These "bastions" include the seas of the Arctic Ocean and the Sea of Okhotsk.
Officially working on nuclear submarine project type "Seawolf" was started in 1983 with the formation of the working group "Tango", which formulated 6 main qualities that needed to be implemented in a new project:
-high travel speed;
-low noise level;
- large depth of immersion;
-large ammunition;
- a large number of torpedo tubes;
-ability to operate in the Arctic.
During this period, nuclear submarines of the USSR Navy were considered as the most likely adversary of the multi-purpose nuclear submarines of the US Navy.
Actually, "Seawolf" was developed as a response to the new Soviet nuclear submarine pr. 971 "Pike-B". Therefore, the main purpose of the Seawolf-class nuclear submarine was anti-submarine, which required a significant reduction in the noise level of the submarine and, at the same time, an increase in the ability to detect enemy submarines.
In addition to a significant reduction in the noise level of nuclear submarines at low noise, it was necessary to significantly increase the search speed. The only solution in this direction was the use of a new propulsion-water jet, which was first used on the British nuclear submarine "Turbulent" (the second nuclear submarine of the "Trafalgar" series).
In this nuclear submarine, the number of torpedo tubes was increased to 8 pieces, and the total number of ammunition was increased to 50 units.
The submarine's ammunition included missiles - "Tomahawk" and "Harpoon".
Missiles "Tomahawk" in the anti-ship version have a range of up to 450 km, in the version against the coast - up to 2500 km. Missiles go to the target at subsonic speed at a height of 20-100 m from the water. It is also possible to equip Tomahawk missiles with nuclear warheads.
Harpoon anti-ship missiles have a speed close to sonic and are capable of attacking a target at a distance of up to 130 km. The Gould Mk-48 torpedoes included in the Seawolf nuclear submarine ammunition can be used both against surface targets and fast submarines. They carry a warhead weighing 267 kg. These torpedoes are capable of operating in active or passive homing mode. The torpedo launch range in active mode is 50 km, in passive mode - 38 km.
An increase in the number of torpedo tubes to 8 units made it possible to significantly increase the power of a volley, which increased the likelihood of confident hitting a low-noise target. In addition, a salvo of 8 cruise missiles provided high chances of hitting a surface ship and provided coverage for several coastal targets. The design of the torpedo tubes also changed, which was caused by an increase in their caliber from 533 (21 inches) to 660 mm (26 inches). This solution makes it possible to fire torpedoes of caliber 533 mm using the "self-exit" method, which potentially makes it possible to increase the stealth of nuclear submarines when using. In the future, with the appearance of ammunition with a caliber of more than 533 mm, they can be used without changing the design of torpedo tubes, as well as launch combat uninhabited underwater vehicles through TA.
The Seawolf electronic warfare equipment includes decoys for WLY-1 and WLQ-4 torpedoes and a system for combating enemy radio reconnaissance and electronic countermeasures (ECM). The Lockheed Martin BSY-2 fire control system includes about 70 Motorola processors. Guidance of nuclear submarine weapons is carried out by the Raytheon Mk 2 system.
In general, the layout of the Seawolf-class nuclear submarine remained close to that of the previous Los Angeles class. In the bow of the submarine there is a spherical antenna GAK, weapons, habitable and warehouses, bow ballast tanks; in the central - the reactor compartment; in the stern - an energy compartment and stern ballast tanks. The largest length of the hull is 107.6 m, width - 12.2 m. The crew of the submarine is 126 people, including 15 officers.
The power plant consists of one nuclear reactor type S6W of the Westinghaus company, two turbo-gear units with two steam plants and a water jet propulsion. Power power plant is 45,000 hp It allows the submarine to develop top speed 18 knots on the surface, 35 knots underwater.
The surface displacement of the Seawolf-class nuclear submarine is 7460 tons, the underwater displacement is 9137 tons, which is about 25% more than the displacement of the previous Los Angeles class submarines. The average draft is 11 m. The increase in the displacement of the Seawolf-class nuclear submarine was determined by the need not only to significantly increase their combat capabilities (speed, diving depth, amount of ammunition, autonomy, stealth in physical fields), but also the need to provide significant modernization reserves, which allowed to guarantee the superiority of the boats of this series in relation to the promising nuclear submarines of the USSR Navy. The operating depth of the Seawolf is 480 m, the maximum is 600 m. ).
All missions performed by Seawolf submarines are absolutely secret, but we can appreciate the excellent work done by the awards that the crew of these submarines received.
In 2007, 140 members of the Seawolf team were awarded the Armed Forces Meritorious Unit Commendation—roughly equivalent to the Bronze Star awarded for military merit—and in 2009, the Meritorious Unit Commendation » navy(Navy Unit Commendation), comparable to the "Silver Star" (Silver Star).
In March 2011, a Connecticut-class submarine was given the rare honor of testing under Arctic ice.
The Connecticut submarine, as well as the brand new Virginia-class New Hampshire submarine, were in the waters north of Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, where they participated in a rare exercise called "ICEX".
The Connecticut submarine has worked with the U.S. Navy Arctic Submarine Laboratory and the University of Washington Applied Physics Laboratory to test new equipment and conduct under-ice training in arctic conditions.
The new equipment included "a high-frequency sonar for safe operations, as well as a Deep Siren acoustic communication system developed by Raytheon," the Navy said.
We know that the Seawolf has spent nearly three years in dry dock since September 2009. Contractors completed work worth $280 million. And when the Seawolf returned to the frigid waters of the Pacific in April 2012, “her capabilities and her effectiveness were greater than at any other time in her 15-year service,” said Capt. Dan Packer, who was then her commander.
"We have very fundamental interests in the Arctic - security interests," Admiral Gary Roughead, then the highest-ranking officer in the navy, said in 2009.
The American nuclear submarine of the US Navy "Hartford" emerges from under the thickness of the Arctic ice (The thickness of the ice was about 50 cm.)
Russian nuclear submarines:
Project 955 Borey nuclear submarines.
Strategic missile submarine cruiser 955 "Borey", at the moment there are three such submarines on guard of our shores: the lead ship "Yuri Dolgoruky", "Alexander Nevsky" and "Vladimir Monomakh".
The boat is notable for its durable steel hull up to 48 mm thick, which is covered with an anti-hydroacoustic coating. This layer, coupled with low-noise engines, will make the Borey virtually invisible to enemy tracking and detection systems.
But even if the submarine was discovered and damaged, nothing threatens the lives of people on the submarine. The entire crew of 107 can be saved by evacuating into a 5-story pop-up rescue chamber that operates on the principle of a float. The military will drift until help arrives. This capsule has a mandatory supply of such important things as: warm clothes, water and dry rations.
Theoretically, the boat can be under water for decades without rising to the surface, the water purification, conversion and air supply systems will work smoothly.
The "Borey" is equipped with a nuclear power plant of the fourth generation KTM-6.
Project 955 "Borey" contains 16 Bulava-30 solid-propellant ballistic missiles, the radius of destruction of which is at least 8,000 kilometers. The rocket consists of 10 nuclear blocks against 6 conventional ones. There is a system of individual guidance, also on the "Bulava" they used the principle of "grape bunch", which allows you to hit several fire targets with warheads at the same time.
Project 885 "Ash" submarines
According to journalist Dave Majumdar, US Rear Admiral Dave Johnson ordered his subordinates to put a model of the lead ship of the Project 885 "Ash" at the entrance to his office. The admiring officer explained that this was done so that each of his colleagues could imagine what they would have to face in the event of a possible conflict. Now a smaller replica of the submarine, it acts as a motivator for the US military, who are trying to create something similar.
SSGN (nuclear submarine equipped with cruise missiles) of project 885 "Ash", like "Borey", belongs to the fourth generation of submarines. It is extremely versatile in application, so for a long time foreign experts could not find a competitor for it. comparative analysis. For example, the American submarines "Seawolf" and "Virginia" are more or less similar to the "Ash", but have a much narrower possible application, besides, in terms of its noiselessness and stealth, the 885 project still has no analogues. And if you believe to CEO Marine Engineering Bureau "Malachite", whose brainchild was "Ash", Vladimir Dorofeev, the Russian boat is also more economically profitable than its foreign counterparts.
The Yasen's hull is made of low-magnetic steel with a special rubber coating that reduces the visibility of the submarine in the infrared and radio frequency ranges. At the same time, Yasen itself has the most sensitive "ears" among submarines and is able to detect underwater and surface targets at a distance of more than 230 km.
This is the first ship in which it was possible to place vertical take-off cruise missiles. There are ten torpedo tubes in service, which fire self-guided and remote-controlled torpedoes USET-80, the ammunition consists of 30 torpedoes. Any surface ships, submarines, naval bases and even ground facilities can become potential victims of this arsenal.
"Ash" is equipped with a unique system for monitoring the level of radioactive radiation. In case of damage to the reactor, the system will immediately take the first steps to rescue the crew and eliminate the accident.
Rating of nuclear submarines of Russia and the USA. Who is stronger?
The Americans say that in the event of even a non-nuclear war, Russian submarines will be destroyed in 12-15 days. Like, they are all noisy, they are easy to detect and sink even with ordinary torpedoes or bombs. Is it a bluff?
We invited readers to dive into the depths of the oceans. And see who is stronger under water - American submarines or Russian submarines. And who has more powerful weapons. Today, military expert Colonel Mikhail POLEZHAEV and KP columnist Colonel Viktor BARANETS continue to compare the submarine forces of the two superpowers.
Who makes the loudest noise?
Mikhail Alexandrovich, how many nuclear submarines do Russia and the USA have now?
We only count ballistic missile submarines, right? Russia has only 12 of these in service, and the average "age" is 26 years. There are no boats carrying more than 16 missiles. the basis Russian fleet make up only 6 submarine missile carriers of the Dolphin project (according to the NATO classification Delta-IV). The United States has 18 Ohio-class submarines, 4 of which are undergoing medium repairs and modernization. Each boat carries 24 missiles.
The Americans say that in the event of even a non-nuclear war, Russian submarines will be destroyed in 12-15 days. Like, they are all noisy, they are easy to detect and sink even with ordinary torpedoes or bombs. Is it a bluff?
The most vulnerable submarine is its noise. Everything is noisy: mechanisms, devices, propellers and water flowing around the boat. Noise is different for every type of boat. Who first heard, discovered, he won. And the first one to find out who has a lower noise level and more sensitive acoustics. Therefore, one of the main tasks in submarine shipbuilding is to reduce noise. The development programs of US nuclear submarines are subordinated precisely to achieving superiority in detection range and less noise. And in this the Americans have succeeded.
But the debate about "who is stronger, who is weaker" is theoretical. The correctness of one side or the other can be proved only by practice, that is, war (pah-pah!). Now, in peaceful conditions, submarines are closely watching each other and determine the characteristics of "opponents". For example, the American Los Angeles-class submarine and the Russian Pike (according to the American Victor-III classification) are approximately equivalent ships. The Americans believe that "Pike" detects "Los Angeles" in deep water at a distance of 125 miles, and "Los Angeles" - "Pike" at a distance of almost 500 miles.
When you talk with Russian submariners, they often tell stories about how their periscopes almost scratch the sides of American ships, and they do not suspect anything ...
Do you want a true story? In the winter of 1996, the Russian embassy in London turned to the command of the British Navy with a request to provide assistance to a sailor who had undergone an operation on board the Pike. He developed peritonitis, the treatment of which is possible only in a hospital. The Pike surfaced, the destroyer Glasgow approached, his helicopter took the patient and brought him ashore. The British media unanimously expressed bewilderment: at the time when negotiations were underway in London to evacuate the patient, in the North Atlantic, just in the area where the Pike was located, NATO anti-submarine maneuvers were taking place. However, the submarine was detected only when it itself surfaced to the surface in order to transfer the unfortunate sailor to the helicopter ...
And how do you assess the technical capabilities of those US and Russian nuclear submarines that are now in service?
The same "Pike" has a completely modern "cub" - "Pike-B". The level of its noise is 4 - 4.5 times lower than the noise of the "mother". Here Russia even overtook the Americans. The detection range of the Skat-3 sonar complex has tripled and is practically equal to the American AN / BQQ-5.
In addition, the new "Pikes" have a unique system for detecting submarines and enemy ships in the wake many hours after they have passed, which has no analogues in the world.
The Pike has a unique tracking system that allows you to read the tracks of enemy boats. On the water!
Boat for a billion
What's ahead?
The basis of the Russian submarine fleet at least until 2015 will be Kalmars (which will be replaced by cruisers of the Yuri Dolgoruky type) and Dolphins.
What does the nuclear fleet cost? Can you name the numbers?
The treasury has already spent about a billion dollars on the construction of Dolgoruky. With completion, this figure will grow by several tens of millions. Each "Mace" is also several tens of millions. That is, up to 1.5 billion dollars, the cost of the finished Dolgoruky will certainly increase.
We count further. At the end of last year, 12 nuclear submarine missile cruisers remained in service in the Northern and Pacific Fleets. There is also "Dmitry Donskoy" project 941 ("Shark"). The price of each such ship is about a billion dollars.
What does the US nuclear fleet teach Russia?
The United States, as the main superpower in military construction, gave preference to the naval forces and, above all, their nuclear missile component, concentrating up to 65-70% of the nuclear potential on nuclear missile submarines. It's not just like that, is it? This is another challenge. And it will have to be answered. Wouldn't be late...
"Mace" flew successfully
September 18 underwater missile cruiser strategic purpose "Dmitry Donskoy" conducted another test launch of the ballistic missile "Bulava". According to official sources, the flight was successful. According to Igor Dygalo, Assistant Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy, the launch was made from a submerged position in the White Sea.
The trajectory parameters have been worked out in the normal mode, - said Dygalo. - The training units reached the Kura test site, located on the Kamchatka Peninsula, 380 km north of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.
However, the successful launch of Bulava does not open the long-awaited road to new submarines in the near future. At the Main Headquarters of the Navy, the KP correspondent was told that the missile would be put into service only in 2009.
Russia and the United States have always been the military flagships of the world. America has even united many states into the NATO alliance. And the states began to design submarines before anyone else.
World's first underwater
In 1775, the American War of Independence was raging, and during that period David Bushnell built the Turtle, the first submarine to be used in combat. But the history of the submarine fleet itself began almost 100 years later, in 1862, when the USS Alligator was commissioned into the fleet. Construction began on the first day of November 1861, the government made a demand: to build a ship in 40 days. Despite this, the construction was delayed and the first launching took place only on May 1, 1862. If you pay attention to the modern heritage of the Americans in this type of troops, it is impossible to even imagine how small the dimensions of the Alligator were, the length / width / height was 14 / 1.37 / 1.83 meters. And the submarine was armed with only two pole mines.
So there was no war
Samuel Du Pont was interested in using the Alligator, so he asked to be towed to South Carolina. The steamer USS Sumpter took on this mission, during the voyage an unpredictable incident occurred, the weather deteriorated sharply and a storm began. A tethered submarine could sink the ship that was towing it, so the decision was made to cut off all the cables and throw the ship free into the depths of the sea. On April 2, 1863, the submarine sank not far from Cape Hatteras, and that is where it lies in the present. The "Alligator" did not pass the baptism of fire, since during its life it never took part in hostilities. But despite this, the ship has attracted artists and writers many times, about which several works of art have been written.
Baptism of fire
For the first time, the Americans successfully used the submarine fleet on February 17, 1854. Then the submarine "H. L. Hunley "attacked the enemy ship, breaking it, after which the crew of the submarine signaled to the ground to return, but after a long wait, the submarine never returned. She sank at the same place where she carried out the attack. To this day, there are disputes about what happened to the Hunley. The main version says that all crew members died from the shock wave of a mine that exploded not far from the ship.
World War I
The United States of America showed unprecedented activity in expanding its submarine fleet at the very beginning of the 20th century, in the future, all submarines entered service during the First World War.
At the very beginning of the 20th century, the Americans ordered the following submarines:
- Type B - 3 boats "Wiper" (1905)
- Type C - 5 Octopus boats (1906)
- Type D - 3 boats "Narwhall" (1907)
- Type E - 2 boats "Salmon" (1908)
- Type F - 4 boats "Sagr" (1909)
"Sagr" (1909)
At the very last moment before the First World War, which took place from July 28, 1914 to November 11, 1918, America decides to release several more submarines "Seawolf" (SS-28), "Nautilus" (SS-29) and "Garfish" (SS-30), which made up the H type. The designation (SS) in the US Navy corresponded to the fact that the ship has a diesel engine, and subsequently the states completely removed them from their arsenal. Speaking on the side of the Entente, for the duration of the war, the American fleet adhered to defensive positions. This determined the rather late entry of America into a military conflict, before it all the described ships served in the Pacific Ocean, and after getting involved in a world confrontation, they were transferred to the Atlantic. Nevertheless, the heyday of the entire submarine fleet did not fall on this period.
Lots of boats, little use
All built submarines had only theoretical success, as they served as examples for orders for the construction of submarines for 8 countries. And during the First World War, they never had military clashes with the enemy. Many ships sank, dying in accidents.
On March 25, 1915, the war was already raging in the vastness of Europe, but at that time the United States was conducting exercises of its new submarine, where death awaited it. SS-23 F-4 near the Hawaiian Islands plunged into the water, leaving behind a slick of oil. As it turned out, then there was a complete sinking of the ship. The depth in that area turned out to be 90 meters, which did not allow saving the crew and the submarine itself. She was raised to the surface only after 5 months. On August 29 of the same year, as the rescuers showed the researchers the pulled out ship, the analysis of the tragedy began and the reconstruction of the picture of events began. Unfortunately, the mystery was never solved, since all the holes were sealed up, and the case was not damaged.
Another representative of the military family of submarines also ended his life, without any outside interference from the opponents of the Entente. "SS-30 H-3" on December 14, 1916, near the California coast, ran aground. The entire crew of the ship was already beginning to lose consciousness from the release of chlorine, but the rescuers from the shore got to the crew and managed to pull out all the sailors. Fortunately, only a few people were hurt.
The Second World War
Before the biggest military conflict of the 20th century, many states began to modernize their army, weapons, including. The Americans did not stand aside and already in the 1930s began to take into account the mistakes of the past, preparing for the Second World War. The following submarines were in service:
- Type R and Barracuda, the first was 17, and the second 3 pieces, they were not the most successful projects, and they were also very old. This becomes clear when you see that the ships did not even reach the end of the war, but ceased to be used in the middle of 1942. But they were used only to patrol the Panama Canal.
- Type S was more common and there were already 36 of them. Of the boats participating in the war itself, it was this type that was the oldest, it also became an R-type modernization, they were mainly sent to patrol the Atlantic, and they also conducted research on converting them into airplane carriers, they even built the necessary deck on the S, but this the idea did not live up to expectations and this modernization was never implemented.
- The Argonaut SS-166 was equipped with two 30-minute tubes that were designed specifically for her. But he was also enrolled in the fleet quite early in 1928, despite such an early birth, the submarine built by the Portsmouth Navy Yard held the record for the largest submarine in the flesh before the appearance of the first nuclear submarines. Her underwater displacement was 4164 tons. She was armed with 16 torpedoes and 4 torpedo tubes. It was the SS-166 that was conceived as the leading flagship of the entire military submarine fleet, but there were some problems with it. Firstly, due to the large mass, its speed was too low, 21 knots were planned, and as a result, the boat could only accelerate to 14 and 8 knots, so for the entire period before the war it turned out to be the slowest submarine. Secondly, she was very difficult to manage. Thirdly, it was planned to mine the space, which she also failed to cope with in 1942. She returned to the base without even passing the declared 90 days of autonomy. On 10 January 1943 she was sunk by 3 Japanese destroyers. Many attribute this failure to too high a noise level and low speed.
- Type "Narwhal", 2 underwater representatives were: "Narwhal", "Nautilus".
The first is Narwhal SS-167. The submarine was ready by 1930, after which 2 torpedo launchers were installed instead of mine tubes, and accelerated to 17 knots with a displacement of 2915 tons. This submarine also did not live up to expectations in terms of speed and their engines could not gain the necessary power to accelerate to the required number of knots. The representative of the "Nautilus" had a rather strange silhouette and a displacement of about 3000 tons. At the end of the war, at the beginning of 1945, both boats moved to reserve status, having accumulated 29 combat campaigns in their lives. Narwhal sank 6 enemy ships in 15 sorties, and Nautilus destroyed 5 enemy ships in 14 trips.
- "Dolphin" was built in a single copy and with a displacement of 1560 tons was 2 times smaller than "Narwhal". Thus, he was much more maneuverable, but at the same time he had a weaker hull, which reduced the level of immersion, and also reduced the range to 9000 miles. During his work, he was noted for only three combat approaches, where he did not bring useful actions, after which he was "degraded" to training ships.
- Type "Cachalot" spawned 2 submarines "Cachalot", "Cuttlefish". In general, they were not remembered for anything in the war, except for one wrecked tanker, but thanks to the innovation that the Americans used, they overtook any fleet in the world. The controller set the target angle, lead and depth of the torpedoes in automatic mode, this system was called - Torpedo Data Computer.
- Type P had 10 representatives, which began to be designed in 1933. Compared to type C, the displacement increased to 1310 tons, their length also increased by 8 meters, and the speed was increased to 19 knots. It is not surprising that with such characteristics they were used throughout the war until 1944, each representative went on a military campaign 8 times, and the SS-178 patrolled the specified zones 14 times.
- Type "Salmon" USA presented 6 submarines. After the successful "P" era, the US Navy sought to improve its underwater technology. "Salmon" even had improved performance, their length was 94 meters, and a displacement of 1450 tons. And the speed above and below the water was 20 and 9 knots, respectively. Also, the submarine was equipped with two additional torpedo tubes. With all the advantages, Salmon had a significant drawback, its ventilation hatch was not closed in the most reliable way, and despite the fact that this reason could be easily eliminated, it led to an accident on one of the submarines, where 23 people died. All submarines spent no more than 8 trips, with the exception of "Stingray", which became the leader among all submarines and made 16 sorties.
- The Gato class was represented by a large number of 73 submarines, only the very similar Balao class, which could dive 100 feet deeper, had more representatives. They were also a continuation of the "P" line. The main characteristics were as follows, the length was 82 meters, and the displacement was 1825 tons. The boat could dive to a depth of 300 feet. In general, this type of submarines felt the full burden of the war, it was their lot that fell to serve from 1942 until its very end. And for all the time, only the SS-248 "Dorado" was sunk in the Caribbean, and 18 representatives were lost in the Pacific Ocean.
NPS (nuclear submarines) USA
If Russia has both nuclear and diesel submarines, then the states have abandoned the diesel engine and currently have only nuclear submarines in their arsenal.
The first such submarine appeared in the United States in 1959, and was named "George Washington" in honor of the first president of America. Since then, the states have built their submarines only with nuclear reactors. And on June 28, 1960, for the first time in the world, ballistic missiles were launched from under water. It was they who were the main type of armament of the submarine in the amount of 16 pieces. Also for self-defense, torpedo tubes with 18 torpedoes were installed. Let the submarine dive depth was 220 meters, but the main trump card of the "Washington", the launch of ballistic missiles could be carried out no deeper than 25 meters, and the speed during this should not exceed 5 knots. When the maximum acceleration under water / above it was 25/20 knots. The length and width were 116.3 and 9.9 meters.
The strongest submarine
Currently, the United States has USS Virginia-class submarines; when this predator descended into the depths, it became clear that there were practically no equals to it. It sends cruise missiles to a distance of up to 1,500 km, and it is capable of “diving” to a depth of 250 meters. The US Navy has been developing in this direction for a long time and does not change the vector. Virginia is not just a new peak in the world's submarine fleet, it is a huge opportunity for the manufacturing country. It is full of sensors and modern solutions. For example, a submarine can detect and defuse mines at a safe distance, thanks to nuclear reactor its sailing period is limited to 30 years. When designing the submarine, the engineers first created a 3D model and then brought it to life in an unprecedented way to model a submersible. Also, the periscope underwent technical improvement, it was removed, replaced with cameras and a multisensor mask. In turbulent currents, the ship can also remain motionless thanks to sensors, and its propeller, which is hidden in the pipe, allows you to move through the depths almost silently. To date, five submarines of the class have already been launched, and in the future it is planned to launch another thirty representatives of the class. At the moment, the Americans have 72 submarines, but the development benchmark has been set, and it definitely goes to improve the Virginia class, as well as increase the number of its representatives.
During the Second World War, fierce battles were fought not only on land, in the air and on water, but also under it. Combat submarines carried a huge danger to the enemy fleet. It was a big mistake to underestimate the power and potential of submarines, which were ideal war machines.
1. T-type submarines, UK
The T-class (Triton Class) combat submarines have been manufactured in the UK since the mid-1930s. A total of 53 submarines were built, all of which took an active part in World War II. "Tritons" had no equal in combat power among all WWII submarines. The mere mention of it caused fear in the sailors. An 11-torpedo salvo could easily sink an enemy war cruiser. In the frightening bow superstructure there were several more torpedo tubes and machine guns.
The British were among the first to equip the Tritons with the latest ASDIC sonar. During the war, British submarines have come a long way in combat and won several dozen victories. Tritons launched an active operation in the Atlantic, in the Mediterranean, sank several Japanese cruisers in the Pacific. Two T-type submarines near Murmansk destroyed four enemy ships with thousands of soldiers on board. After the war, the Tritons were in service with the British Navy until the 1970s.
2. Gato-class submarines, USA
American Gato-class submarines entered the war in 1944 and managed to bring a lot of trouble to the Japanese in the Pacific Fleet. "Gato" tightly blocked most of the sea approaches, supply lines and communications, in fact, leaving the Japanese army without reinforcements, and the country without a normal industry. In fierce battles with American submarines, the imperial fleet lost two aircraft carriers, several cruisers and a couple of dozen destroyers.
Boats named after the shark species had good driving performance and powerful weapons. On "Gato" there were 10 torpedo tubes and the latest radio equipment. The huge autonomy of navigation made it possible to fly from a military base in Hawaii to the Japanese coast without refueling. It was thanks to the power of the Gato-class submarines that the Americans were able to win in the Pacific.
3. Type VII submarines, Germany
One of the most massive military submarines, not only during WWII, but in the entire history of the submarine fleet. Between 1935 and 1945, 703 Type VII submarines were built. This submarine can rightly be called the most effective warship in history. "Sevens" destroyed everything: aircraft carriers, cruisers, Lincolns, destroyers, oil tankers and even enemy planes. The damage from the German U-bots was unheard of. If the United States had not partially compensated for the losses of the allies, then the German "sevens" would have had a very real chance to suppress the British and Soviet fleets and change the course of the war.
The success of German serial submarines was simple - relative cheapness, simplicity of design, but at the same time excellent armament and mass character. According to statistics, at the beginning of the war, there was an average of one anti-submarine ship per German "seven", so they felt almost invulnerable masters of the ocean. The situation changed radically when the opponents of Germany realized the full power of the German submarine fleet and began to massively create their own submarines.
Submarines of the "C", "Medium" or "Stalinets" type are the common name for a series of Soviet submarines developed from 1936 to 1948. In total, 30 “C” class boats were used during the Second World War, but even this relatively small number of combat vehicles managed to sink a lot of enemy ships. On account of "Esok" 19 destroyed ships, 7 warships and 1 German submarine.
In total, there were six torpedo launchers on board and the same number of spare guns on the side racks, two demolition guns and several machine guns. "Eski" also had good seaworthiness. On the surface, the submarine could reach speeds of 20 knots, allowing it to outrun almost any enemy convoy.
At the height of the war, the USSR needed an immediate strengthening of the Pacific Fleet. For these purposes, about a hundred combat mini-submarines of the M or Malyutka series were built, which could be easily transported across the country by train. Despite their small size and relatively weak armament (two torpedo tubes), the "Babies" had a quick dive system and, with skillful command, could sink any submarine of the Third Reich.
On the other hand, according to the submariners, the service on the "Baby" was a real nightmare. Extremely heavy living conditions, limited space, constant chatter. Not every sailor could withstand such a psychological and physical test. The slightest malfunction on board the submarine in most cases threatened the death of the entire crew. Nevertheless, during the years of the Second World War, the M-series submarines sank 61 enemy ships and 10 warships.
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