Length of the largest submarine. Rating of world submarines

By the early 70s, the main participants in the nuclear race, the USSR and the USA, quite rightly relied on the development of a nuclear submarine fleet equipped with intercontinental ballistic missiles. As a result of this confrontation, the world's largest submarine was born.

The warring parties began to create nuclear-powered heavy missile cruisers. The American project, the Ohio-class nuclear submarine, envisaged the deployment of 24 intercontinental ballistic missiles. Our answer was the Project 941 submarine, provisionally named “Akula”, better known as “Typhoon”.

History of creation

The development of Project 941 was entrusted to the team of the Leningrad TsKBMT Rubin, which was led by the outstanding Soviet designer Sergei Nikitovich Kovalev for several decades in a row. The construction of the boats was carried out at the Sevmash enterprise in Severodvinsk. In all respects, it was one of the most ambitious Soviet military projects, still stunning in its scale.

“Shark” owes its second name - “Typhoon” to the General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee L. I. Brezhnev. This is how he presented it to the delegates of the next party congress and to the rest of the world in 1981, which fully corresponded to its all-destructive potential.

Layout and dimensions

Special attention deserve the size and layout of the nuclear underwater giant. Under the shell of the light hull there was an unusual “catamaran” of 2 strong hulls located in parallel. For the torpedo compartment and the central post with the adjacent radio-technical weapons compartment, sealed capsule-type compartments were created.

All 19 compartments of the boat communicated with each other. The horizontal folding rudders of the “Shark” were located in the bow of the boat. In case it surfaced from under the ice, provisions were made to significantly strengthen the conning tower with a rounded lid and special reinforcements.

“Shark” amazes with its gigantic size. It is not for nothing that it is considered the largest submarine in the world: its length - almost 173 meters - corresponds to two football fields. As for the underwater displacement, there was also a record here - about 50 thousand tons, which is almost three times higher than the corresponding characteristic of the American Ohio.

And one more comparison - the average length of a football field is 105-110 meters. Now it’s clear:

Characteristics

The underwater speed of the main competitors was the same - 25 knots (just over 43 km/h). The Soviet nuclear submarine could remain on duty autonomously for six months, diving to a depth of 400 meters and having an additional 100 meters in reserve.

To propel this monster, it was equipped with two 190-megawatt nuclear reactors, which drove two turbines with a power of about 50 thousand hp. The boat moved thanks to two 7-bladed propellers with a diameter of more than 5.5 meters.

The “combat vehicle crew” consisted of 160 people, more than a third of whom were officers. The creators of the “Shark” showed truly fatherly concern for the living conditions of the crew. For officers, 2- and 4-berth cabins were provided. Sailors and foremen were located in small cubicles with washbasins and televisions. All living areas were supplied with air conditioning. In their free time off duty, crew members could visit the pool, sauna, gym or relax in the “living” corner.

Combat potential

In the event of a nuclear conflict, the Typhoon could simultaneously fire 20 R-39 nuclear missiles at the enemy, each with ten 200-kt multiple warheads. Such a nuclear “typhoon” could turn the entire east coast of the United States into a desert in a matter of minutes.

In addition to ballistic missiles, the boat’s arsenal included more than two dozen conventional and jet torpedoes, as well as Igla MANPADS. The Alexander Brykin transport ship, with a displacement of 16 thousand tons and designed to carry 16 SLBMs, was developed specifically to equip the Typhoons with missiles and torpedoes.

In service

In just 13 years from 1976 to 1989, 6 Typhoon nuclear submarines rolled off the Sevmash slipways. Today, 3 units continue to serve - two in reserve and one - “Dmitry Donskoy” - used as the main object for testing the new Bulava missile system.

The top 5 largest submarines in history according to the publication are as follows:

1. Project "Shark". Displacement 48 thousand tons.

“The largest submarine cruiser in the world. Designed by the Rubin Central Design Bureau. Construction of the 941 series began in 1976. In total, from 1981 to 1989. Sevmash built six boats of this project. Currently, the Russian Navy has only the heavy nuclear-powered strategic missile submarine TK-208 Dmitry Donskoy in service,” the article says.

2. Project "Borey". Displacement 24 thousand tons.

“Strategic nuclear missile carriers of the Borei class were designed at the Rubin Central Design Bureau for Marine Technology in the 1980s. The Russian Navy has three submarine cruisers, and four more are under construction. In total, eight such missile carriers are planned to be built by 2021, five of them being the modernized Project 955A.”

3. Ohio Project. USA. Displacement 18,750 tons.

“Project Ohio is a series of 18 American strategic nuclear submarines of the third generation, which entered service from 1981 to 1997. The boats differed from their predecessors in their increased combat potential and improved stealth. They form the basis of the US strategic offensive nuclear forces."

4. Project "Moray"/Delta II. Displacement 18,200 tons.

“The class of submarines of the Moray class (Delta according to NATO classification) was created during the Cold War, their task was considered to be attacks on American industrial and military targets.” There are 4 subclasses in total: Project 667B (Delta I, adopted in 1972), 667BD (Delta II), 667BDR "Squid" (Delta III).

5. Vanguard Project. United Kingdom. Displacement 15,900 tons.

“The UK's entire nuclear arsenal is housed on four Vanguard-class submarines. They are based at the Clyde base in Scotland. The boats were built in the 1990s and replaced the outdated Resolution-class ships, in fact being their further development.”

IN modern world great value The submarine fleet plays a role in ensuring the security of states. Especially if these are submarines carrying strategic nuclear weapons. They are the ones who are holding back major powers from open military confrontation, which could be the last in human history. And the larger and more powerful the submarine, the more weapons it can carry and make longer autonomous voyages off the coast of a potential enemy.

Project 941 "Shark"

Today, the largest submarine in the world is the creation of Soviet shipbuilders, the Project 941 Akula strategic nuclear-powered missile submarine. Its dimensions are colossal, with an underwater displacement of 48 thousand tons. The length of the giant is 172 m, and the width is 23.3 m; the height of the warship is comparable to a 9-story building. The submarine is propelled by two water-water jets nuclear reactors with two steam turbine units located separately in durable housings. The total power of the power plant is 100 thousand hp.

The powerful vehicle can reach speeds of up to 25 knots underwater and 12 knots on the surface. It can dive almost half a kilometer, and the usual operating depth is 380 m. The submarine is operated by a crew of 160 people and can sail autonomously for as long as four months. Moreover, to rescue the entire crew, the large underwater vehicle is equipped with a pop-up rescue capsule. The Akula's armament consists of:

• a missile system of 20 ballistic missiles, each of which can carry 10 warheads of 100 kilotons with individual guidance (it was structurally possible to carry 24 missiles). The launch weight of the R-39 missiles is 90 tons, and the combat range is 8.3 thousand km. The entire ammunition load of missiles can be fired in one salvo from both surface and submerged positions in any weather conditions.
• 6 torpedo tubes for launching rocket-torpedoes and 533 mm torpedoes and installing mine barriers;
• 8 sets of Igla-1 MANPADS for air defense;
• radio-electronic weapons.

The big “Sharks” were born at the Sevmash plant; for this purpose, the largest indoor boathouse on the planet was built. Thanks to its durable deckhouse and significant buoyancy reserve, the submarine can break through thick ice (up to 2.5 m), which allows it to carry out combat duty even at the North Pole.

Quite a lot of space on the boat is allocated to ensure crew comfort:

• spacious two- and four-berth cabins for officers;
• small cabins for petty officers and sailors;
• air conditioning system;
• TVs and washbasins in cabins;
• gym, sauna, solarium, swimming pool;
• living corner and lounge for relaxation, etc.

Ohio-class submarines

At one time, after the Akula project boats, these were the second largest submarines in the world. Their underwater displacement is 18.75 thousand tons, surface displacement is 16.75 tons. The length of the colossus is 170 m, and the width of its body is almost 13 m. A total of 18 vehicles of this type were produced, each of which received weapons in the form of 24 intercontinental ballistic missiles with multiple warheads. The ship's crew is 155 people. Speed ​​in a submerged position is up to 25 knots, in a surface position - up to 17 knots.

These warships have a durable hull, divided into four compartments and a separate enclosure:

• bow, which includes combat, support and household use;
• missile;
• reactor;
• turbine;
• enclosure with electrical panels, trim and drainage pumps, and an air regeneration unit.

Project 955 "Borey"

The length of this missile submarine cruiser is almost the same as the two previous ships - 170 m. But this fourth-generation nuclear submarine has an underwater displacement of 24 thousand tons, and a surface displacement of 14.7 thousand tons. Therefore, in terms of this parameter, it can easily be in second place after the Project 941 “Shark” boats. By 2020, it is planned to build 20 submarine cruisers of this series. Currently, there are already three giants of Project 955 in service: “Yuri Dolgoruky”, “Alexander Nevsky”, “Vladimir Monomakh”.

The submarine has a crew of 107 people, most of which are officers. Its speed in a submerged position reaches 29 knots, and in a surface position 15 knots. The submarine can operate autonomously for three months. Borei-class submarines are designed as a replacement for nuclear submarines of the Akula and Dolphin projects. Submarine cruisers of this project are considered the first domestic nuclear submarines driven by a single-shaft water-jet system. The main armament is 16 solid-fuel ballistic missiles of the Bulava type with a combat range of 8 thousand km.

Project 667BDRM "Dolphin"

This is another Russian strategic missile submarine that boasts large dimensions. In the modern Russian Navy, this is so far the most popular strategic submarine cruiser. The length of the vessel is 167 m. The underwater displacement is 18.2 thousand tons, the surface displacement is 11.74 thousand tons. The ship's crew is about 140 people. The armament of strategic nuclear submarines consists of:

• liquid fuel intercontinental ballistic missiles R-29RM and R-29RMU "Sineva" with a combat range of more than 8.3 thousand km. All missiles can be fired in one salvo. When moving underwater at a depth of up to 55 meters, missiles can be launched even at a speed of 6-7 knots;
• 4 bow torpedo tubes;
• up to 8 Igla MANPADS.

The Dolphins are propelled by two reactor units with a total capacity of 180 MW.

Vanguard-class submarines

Of course, Great Britain could not help but take part in the competition for the largest submarine nuclear-powered missile cruisers. The Vanguard series boats have an underwater displacement of 15.9 thousand tons, and a surface displacement of 15.1 thousand tons. The length of the vessel is almost 150 meters. To begin building the Vanguard boats, the Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering Ltd. shipyard was expanded and modernized. As a result of the reconstruction, she received a boathouse 58 m wide and 260 m long; the height of the boathouse allows the construction of not only nuclear submarines, but even destroyers. A vertical ship lift with a lifting capacity of 24.3 thousand tons was also built. The main armament of the submarine cruiser is 16 Trident II ballistic missiles.

Boats of the "Triumfan" type

In last place among the largest submarines are vessels manufactured by French shipbuilders. Triumphane-class boats have an underwater displacement of 14.3 thousand tons, and a surface displacement of 12.6 thousand tons. The length of the missile cruiser is 138 meters. Power point The underwater vehicle is a pressurized water reactor with a power of 150 MW, it provides a submerged speed of up to 25 knots, and a surface speed of up to 12 knots. Triumphant-class boats are armed with 16 ballistic missiles, 10 torpedoes and 8 cruise missiles, which are launched using torpedo tubes.

As you can see, the list of the largest submarines includes combat vehicles designed by leading world powers, possessing both strategic nuclear weapons and powerful naval forces.

The first cases of submarines being used for combat purposes date back to the mid-19th century. However, due to its technical imperfections, the submarine for a long time played only a supporting role in the naval forces. The situation changed completely after the discovery of atomic energy and the invention of ballistic missiles.

Goals and dimensions

Submarines have different purposes. The size of the world's submarines varies depending on their purposes. Some are designed for a crew of only two people, while others are capable of carrying dozens of intercontinental missiles. What tasks do the world's largest submarines perform?

"Triumfan"

French strategic nuclear submarine. Its name means "triumphant". The length of the boat is 138 meters, displacement - 14 thousand tons. The ship is armed with three-stage M45 ballistic missiles with multiple warheads, equipped with individual guidance systems. They are capable of hitting targets at a distance of up to 5,300 kilometers. At the design stage, the designers were tasked with making the submarine as invisible as possible to the enemy and providing it with effective system early detection of enemy anti-submarine defense systems. Careful study and numerous experiments have shown that the main reason for revealing the location of an underwater vessel is its acoustic signature.

When designing the Triumphan, all known noise reduction methods were used. Despite the impressive size of the submarine, it is a rather difficult object to detect acoustically. The specific shape of the submarine helps reduce hydrodynamic noise. The sound level produced during operation of the ship's main power plant has been significantly reduced thanks to a number of non-standard technological solutions. "Triumphan" has on board an ultra-modern sonar system designed for early detection of enemy anti-submarine weapons.

"Jing"

Strategic nuclear-powered missile submarine built for the Chinese Navy. Because of higher level confidentiality, a significant part of the information about this ship comes not from the media, but from the intelligence services of the United States and other NATO countries. The submarine's dimensions were determined based on a photograph taken in 2006 by a commercial satellite designed to take digital images of the earth's surface. The length of the vessel is 140 meters, displacement - 11 thousand tons.

Experts note that the dimensions of the Jin nuclear submarine are larger than the dimensions of previous, technically and morally obsolete Chinese Xia-class submarines. The new generation vessel is adapted to launch Julan-2 intercontinental ballistic missiles equipped with multiple nuclear warheads. Their maximum flight range is 12 thousand kilometers. The Julan-2 missiles are an exclusive development. When designing them, the dimensions of the Jin class submarines, intended to become carriers of these formidable weapons, were taken into account. According to experts, the presence of such ballistic missiles and submarines in China significantly changes the balance of power in the world. Approximately three-quarters of the United States is within range of the Jin boats in the area. Kuril Islands. However, according to information available to the US military, test launches of Julan missiles often end in failure.

"Vanguard"

British strategic nuclear submarine, the size of which allows it to compete with the most large submarines in the world. The length of the vessel is 150 meters, displacement - 15 thousand tons. Boats of this type have been in service with the Royal Navy since 1994. Today, Vanguard class submarines are the only carriers nuclear weapons UK. They carry Trident-2 ballistic missiles. This weapon deserves special mention. It is produced by the famous American company for the US Navy. The British government took on 5% of the cost of developing the missiles, which, according to the designers' plans, were supposed to surpass all their predecessors. The Trident-2's kill zone is 11 thousand kilometers, and the accuracy of the hit reaches several feet. Missile guidance does not depend on the American global positioning system. Trident 2 delivers atomic warheads to a target at a speed of 21 thousand kilometers per hour. The four Vanguard boats carry a total of 58 of these missiles, representing the UK's "nuclear shield".

"Murena-M"

Soviet submarine built during the Cold War. The main goals of creating the boat were to increase the range of missiles and overcome American systems hydroacoustic detection. Expanding the affected area required changing the dimensions of the underwater vessel compared to previous versions. The launch silos are designed for D-9 missiles, the launch mass of which is twice the usual. The length of the ship is 155 meters, displacement is 15 thousand tons. According to experts, Soviet designers managed to complete the initially set task. The range of the missile system has increased approximately 2.5 times. To achieve this goal, the Murena-M submarine had to be made one of the largest submarines in the world. The dimensions of the missile carrier have not changed the worst side his level of secrecy. The design of the boat included vibration damping mechanisms, since at that time the US sonar tracking system became a serious problem for Soviet strategic submarines.

"Ohio"

"Borey"

The development of this nuclear submarine began in the Soviet Union. It was finally designed and built in Russian Federation. Its name comes from the name of the ancient Greek god of the north wind. In accordance with the plans of the creators, the Borey boat in the foreseeable future should replace the Akula and Dolphin class submarines. The length of the cruiser is 170 meters, displacement - 24 thousand tons. Borei was the first strategic submarine built in the post-Soviet era. First of all, the new Russian boat serves as a platform for launching Bulava ballistic missiles equipped with multiple nuclear warheads. Their flight range exceeds 8 thousand kilometers. Due to problems with financing and disruption of economic ties with enterprises located on the territory of the former Soviet republics, the completion date of the ship's construction was repeatedly postponed. The Borey boat was launched in 2008.

"Shark"

According to NATO classification, this vessel is designated "Typhoon". The dimensions of the Akula submarine exceed everything that has been created throughout the history of submarines. Its construction was the answer Soviet Union American project "Ohio". The huge size of the heavy submarine cruiser "Akula" was due to the need to deploy on it R-39 missiles, the mass and length of which significantly exceeded those of the American Trident. Soviet designers had to come to terms with large dimensions in order to increase the flight range and weight of the warhead. The Akula boat, adapted for launching these missiles, has a record length of 173 meters. Its displacement is 48 thousand tons. Today, the Akula remains the largest submarine in the world.

Creation of an era

The USSR also occupies the first place in the ranking. This is understandable: superpowers involved in cold war, believed in the possibility of delivering a pre-emptive strike. They saw their main task as quietly placing nuclear missiles as close to the enemy as possible. This mission was assigned to submarines large sizes, which became the legacy of that era.

By the early 70s, the main participants in the nuclear race, the USSR and the USA, quite rightly relied on the development of a nuclear submarine fleet equipped with intercontinental ballistic missiles. As a result of this confrontation, the world's largest submarine was born.

The warring parties began to create nuclear-powered heavy missile cruisers. The American project, the Ohio-class nuclear submarine, envisaged the deployment of 24 intercontinental ballistic missiles. Our answer was the Project 941 submarine, provisionally named “Akula”, better known as “Typhoon”.

History of creation

Outstanding Soviet designer S. N. Kovalev

The development of Project 941 was entrusted to the team of the Leningrad TsKBMT Rubin, which was led by the outstanding Soviet designer Sergei Nikitovich Kovalev for several decades in a row. The construction of the boats was carried out at the Sevmash enterprise in Severodvinsk. In all respects, it was one of the most ambitious Soviet military projects, still stunning in its scale.

“Akula” owes its second name - “Typhoon” to the General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee L. I. Brezhnev. This is how he presented it to the delegates of the next party congress and to the rest of the world in 1981, which fully corresponded to its all-destructive potential.

Layout and dimensions

The size and layout of the nuclear underwater giant deserve special attention. Under the shell of the light hull there was an unusual “catamaran” of 2 strong hulls located in parallel. For the torpedo compartment and the central post with the adjacent radio-technical weapons compartment, sealed capsule-type compartments were created.

All 19 compartments of the boat communicated with each other. The horizontal folding rudders of the “Shark” were located in the bow of the boat. In case it surfaced from under the ice, provisions were made to significantly strengthen the conning tower with a rounded lid and special reinforcements.

“Shark” amazes with its gigantic size. It is not for nothing that it is considered the largest submarine in the world: its length - almost 173 meters - corresponds to two football fields. As for the underwater displacement, there was also a record here - about 50 thousand tons, which is almost three times higher than the corresponding characteristic of the American Ohio.

Characteristics

To propel this monster, it was equipped with two 190-megawatt nuclear reactors, which drove two turbines with a power of about 50 thousand hp. The boat moved thanks to two 7-bladed propellers with a diameter of more than 5.5 meters.

The “combat vehicle crew” consisted of 160 people, more than a third of whom were officers. The creators of the “Shark” showed truly fatherly concern for the living conditions of the crew. For officers, 2- and 4-berth cabins were provided. Sailors and foremen were located in small cubicles with washbasins and televisions. All living areas were supplied with air conditioning. In their free time off duty, crew members could visit the pool, sauna, gym or relax in the “living” corner.

Combat potential

Launch silos of the nuclear submarine "Typhoon"

In the event of a nuclear conflict, the Typhoon could simultaneously unleash 20 R-39 nuclear missiles on the enemy, each with ten 200-kt multiple warheads. Such a nuclear “typhoon” could turn the entire east coast of the United States into a desert in a matter of minutes.

In addition to ballistic missiles, the boat’s arsenal included more than two dozen conventional and jet torpedoes, as well as Igla MANPADS. The Alexander Brykin transport ship, with a displacement of 16 thousand tons and designed to carry 16 SLBMs, was developed specifically to equip the Typhoons with missiles and torpedoes.

In service

In just 13 years from 1976 to 1989, 6 Typhoon nuclear submarines rolled off the Sevmash slipways. Today, 3 units continue to serve - two in reserve and one - "Dmitry Donskoy" is used as the main object for testing the new Bulava missile system.