MOSCOW, September 8 - RIA Novosti, Andrey Stanavov. The nuclear submarine of the Pacific Fleet "Kuzbass" today destroyed a detachment of ships of a mock enemy with torpedoes, the press service of the Eastern Military District reports. The Project 971 Shchuka-B ships developed by the Malachite Design Bureau are today the most numerous multi-purpose nuclear submarines in the Navy - more than 10 such submarines are in the Northern and Pacific Fleets. They are based in Yagelnaya Bay and in the village of Rybachy.

Despite the fact that the first ship of the series entered service back in 1984, the Pike still remains a super-effective underwater weapon with which you can neutralize an entire enemy fleet. According to the NATO classification, the boats were designated Akula and Akula-2 (later versions). Several Project 971 submarines are currently undergoing modernization, which will bring them closer in terms of combat capabilities to the Yasen 4th generation nuclear submarine. About the merits for which the American publication National Interest included "Pikes" in the list of the five most dangerous weapons of Russia and what a meeting with them on the high seas could be fraught with - in the material of RIA Novosti.

Russian nuclear submarine of project 971 "Pike-B"

We've lost her, sir!

Unprecedented Quietness - Proprietary distinguishing feature Nuclear submarine of the "Pike-B" project. The designers managed to achieve this thanks to a two-stage depreciation system - all "noisy" internal mechanisms are installed on shock-absorbed foundations, blocks and assemblies are separated from the boat hull by special rubber-cord pneumatic shock absorbers. In addition, the improved Vepr, which was put into service in 1996, was already equipped with active systems for reducing the vibration of the power plant, which made the boat even quieter. In NATO, she was nicknamed Akula-2.

According to the calculations of MIPT engineers, even under the most favorable hydrological conditions, "Pikes" can be detected by American boats of the Los Angeles type at a distance of no more than 10 kilometers, and under unfavorable conditions, they can be found modern means hydroacoustics is impossible. The US Navy noted that at speeds of 5-7 knots, Russian submarines make less noise than their own most advanced nuclear submarines of the Improved Los Angeles type. The "Pikes" prowling off the coast of NATO countries more than once became the cause of scandalous headlines in the Western media.

As Admiral Jeremy Burda, Chief of Operations of the US Navy, noted earlier, during contact with the Akula-2 nuclear submarine off the US East Coast, American ships were unable to accompany it at operational speeds of less than 6-9 knots. According to the admiral, the improved third-generation Akula-2 meets the requirements for fourth-generation boats in terms of low noise characteristics.

Interestingly, the penetration of a flock of silent Russian boats into the depths of the World Ocean so alarmed the West that in 1991 this topic was discussed in the US Congress. American legislators wanted to demand that Russia “open up the cards” of submarine shipbuilding, limit the number of multi-purpose submarines, and were even ready to allocate money to re-equip Russian shipyards for the construction of civilian marine equipment.

Armed and very dangerous

Despite the fact that "Pike" to calculate in the ocean is very problematic for the enemy, they themselves "see" and "hear" everything very well. Together with the traditional hydroacoustic station, the submarines are equipped with a unique, unparalleled equipment for searching surface ships and submarines along the wake. Moreover, highly sensitive devices make it possible to recognize the trace of a submarine even several hours after its passage.

As befits a multi-purpose warship, "Pike-B" is armed to the teeth and even alone is able to mess things up when meeting with an enemy convoy. An impressive ammunition capacity and eight torpedo tubes (four 533 mm and four 650 mm calibers) allow her to perform high-quality targets with the help of a whole arsenal of torpedoes, cruise and underwater missiles. In addition, the boat can lay mines.

Despite the fact that, according to the Soviet-American treaties of 1989, the Shkval and Vodopad nuclear torpedo missiles were excluded from the armament of multi-purpose nuclear submarines, the Project 971 submarine, even with conventional weapons, is able to effectively hunt aircraft carriers, destroyers, submarines and land enemy objects.

Earlier it was reported that after the Shchuk upgrade to version 971M, they will be based on Caliber-PL cruise missiles with the ability to launch from under water. These missiles have already proved their worth and gained worldwide fame - in December 2015, the diesel boat B-237 "Rostov-on-Don" for the first time delivered a powerful blow to the positions of militants in Syria.

Second pike life

The K-328 Leopard, K-461 Volk, K-391 Bratsk and K-295 Samara submarines are currently undergoing modernization at the Zvyozdochka Ship Repair Center of Project 971 ships. It is expected that the updated Leopard will be the first to return to service in 2018. In addition to "Caliber", he will receive a modern radio-electronic complex, a navigation system and an improved sonar station that allows you to "hear" enemy ships at an even greater distance than before.

As previously stated in an interview, Russian newspaper"Head of the Zvyozdochka Ship Repair Center Nikolai Kalistratov, the technical potential laid down at
modernization of the ships of the Shchuka-B project, will be comparable to the fourth-generation multi-purpose nuclear submarines Yasen of the Malachite design bureau.

"Pikes" are so good that they are abroad. In 2004, the Indian Navy planned to lease two such boats from Russia. The project has already been agreed with the Cabinet of Ministers of India, but nevertheless, in 2007, the new cabinet of ministers decided to exercise an option for only one nuclear submarine, called Chakra.

For a long time they have been the main striking force of our fleet and a means of countering a potential enemy. The reason for this is simple: historically, our country did not work out with aircraft carriers, but missiles launched from under the water are guaranteed to hit any point on the globe. That is why even in the Soviet Union great importance was attached to the development and creation of new types of submarines. At one time, project 971 became a real breakthrough, within the framework of which multi-purpose low-noise ships were created.

New "Pikes"

In 1976, a decision was made to design and build new submarines. The task was entrusted to the notorious Malachite enterprise, on which the country's nuclear fleet has always counted. The peculiarity of the new project is that during its development the developments on the Barracudas were fully used, and therefore the preliminary design stage and many calculations were skipped, which significantly reduced the cost of the project itself and accelerated the work carried out within its framework.

Unlike the "ancestors" of the 945 family, project 971, at the suggestion of engineers from Komsomolsk-on-Amur, did not involve the use of titanium in the production of hulls. This was due not only to the huge cost and shortage of this metal, but also to the monstrous laboriousness of working with it. In fact, only Sevmash, whose capacities were already fully loaded, could pull off such a project. The first components have already been sent to the stocks ... as intelligence provided information about the new American Los Angeles-class submarine. Because of this, project 971 was urgently sent for revision.

Already in 1980 it was completely completed. Another feature of the new "Pike" was that most of the work on their design and creation was carried out in Komsomolsk-on-Amur. Prior to that, the Pacific shipyards were in the position of a "poor relative" and performed only the functions of slaves.

Other features of the project

Few people know about this historical fact, but at the very beginning of the 80s, our country purchased Toshiba products from Japan - especially precise metalworking machines that made it possible to make new screws that produce a minimum of noise during operation. The deal itself was especially secret, but the United States, which by that time had practically "colonized" Japan, found out about it almost immediately. As a result, Toshiba even came under economic sanctions.

Thanks to the screws and some other design features, the project 971 was distinguished by amazing silence of navigation. In many ways, this is the merit of Academician A.N. Krylov, who worked for several years to reduce the noise of submarines, being involved in the creation of the Barracuda. The efforts of the honored academician and the whole team of the research institute headed by him did not go unrewarded: the boats of project 971 "Pike-B" were noisier several times less than the newest American "Los Angeles".

Appointment of new submarines

The new submarines were able to adequately meet any enemy, as their striking weapons and their diversity amazed even the worldly-wise Mormans. The thing is that "Pike-B" had to destroy surface and underwater vessels, lay mines, conduct reconnaissance and sabotage raids, participate in special operations ... In a word, do everything to justify the characteristic "multi-purpose submarine of project 971" Shchuka- B"".

Innovative solutions and ideas

As we said, the original design of submarines of this type had to be significantly corrected. The only weak link of our submarines in comparison with their American counterparts was the lack of a digital interference filtering system. But in terms of general combat characteristics, the new "Pikes" still greatly surpassed them. For example, they were armed with the latest Granat anti-ship missiles, which, if necessary, made it possible to greatly thin out any enemy surface ship grouping.

But already after the “finishing with a file” in 1980, the Pike still received the Skat-3 digital interference processing complex, as well as the latest guidance systems that allowed the use of the most advanced cruise missiles. For the first time, combat controls and the weapons themselves were achieved, a special pop-up capsule was massively introduced into the design to save the entire crew, which was successfully tested back on the Barracudas.

Design features

Like all the main USSR submarines of this class, Project 971 submarines used the now classic double-hull scheme. For the first time in the history of "underwater" shipbuilding, the experience of block articulation of submarine fragments was widely used, which made it possible to perform most of the work in comfortable workshop conditions. Zoned equipment blocks were also widely used, which, after installation, were simply connected to centralized data transmission buses.

How did you manage to reduce the noise level?

In addition to special screws, which we have already mentioned several times, special damping systems are used. Firstly, all mechanisms are installed on special "foundations". Secondly, each zone block has another cushioning system. Such a scheme made it possible not only to significantly reduce the volume of noise generated by the submarine, but also to additionally protect the crew and equipment of the submarine from the action of shock waves generated during explosions of depth charges. So our fleet, for which submarines were almost always the main striking force, received a weighty "argument" for deterring a potential enemy.

Like all modern submarines, "Pikes" have a developed fin with an outstanding boule, which houses the towed antenna of the radar complex. The peculiarity of the plumage of these boats is that it is made, as it were, as a single whole with the power elements of the main hull. All this is done in order to minimize the number of turbulences as much as possible. The latter can lead enemy hydroacoustics onto the trail of the vessel. These measures have given their legitimate fruits: "Pikes" are considered the most inconspicuous underwater vessels to date.

Submarine dimensions and crew

The surface displacement of the ship is 8140 tons, underwater - 10 500 tons. The maximum length of the hull is 110.3 m, the width does not exceed 13.6 m. The average draft in the surface position is close to ten meters.

Due to the fact that various solutions for integrated automation managing it, the crew was reduced to 73 people in comparison with the American 143 crew members (on Los Angeles). If we compare the new Pike with the previous varieties of this family, then the living and working conditions of the crew have been significantly improved. By reducing the number of the latter, it also became possible to place people in the two most protected compartments (residential).

Power point

The heart of the ship is a 190 MW reactor. It has four steam generators and one turbine, the controls and mechanization of which are repeatedly duplicated. The power delivered to the shaft is 50,000 hp. with. The screw is seven-bladed, with a special section of the blades and a reduced rotation speed. The maximum speed of the ship under water, if translated into understandable "land" values, exceeds 60 km / h! Simply put, the boat can move through dense environments faster than many sports yachts, not to mention heavy warships. The thing is that the hulls of the boats were developed by a whole "battalion" of academicians with numerous works in the field of hydrodynamics.

Means of detecting enemy ships

The real highlight of the new "Pike" was the complex MGK-540 "Skat-3". He can not only filter out interference, but also independently detect the bearing of noise from the propellers of any ship. In addition, Skat can be used as a conventional sonar when passing unfamiliar fairways. The detection range of enemy submarines has tripled compared to submarines of previous generations. In addition, "Skat" determines the characteristics of the pursued targets much faster and issues a forecast for the time of combat contact.

A unique feature of any Project 971 submarine is an installation that allows you to detect any surface ship by the wake it leaves. The equipment calculates the waves diverging from it even several hours after the passage of the ship in this square, which makes it possible to covertly track enemy ship groups at a safe distance from them.

Weapon characteristics

The main striking force is four 533 mm torpedo launchers. But four more 650 mm TA mounts look much more impressive. In total, up to 40 missiles and / or torpedoes can be on board the submarine. "Pike" can fire rockets "Granat", as well as "Shkval", equally effective in underwater and surface positions. Of course, it is possible to fire conventional torpedoes and launch automatic mines from torpedo tubes, which are independently placed in a combat position.

In addition, with the help of this submarine, you can also set up conventional minefields. So the range of weapons is very wide. When cruise missiles are launched, they are guided and tracked in a fully automatic mode, without diverting the attention of the crew from performing other combat missions. Alas, in 1989, after the conclusion of agreements with the Americans that were extremely unfavorable for our country, Project 971 submarines went on combat duty without Grenades and Whirlwinds, since these weapons could carry a nuclear charge.

The significance of "Pike" for domestic shipbuilding

As we said, these submarines became the first independent project of the shipyards of the Far East, which for the first time received a state order of such complexity and importance. The boat K-284, which became the flagship of the series, was laid down in 1980 and entered service with the fleet four years later. During the construction, minor corrections were quickly made to the design, which were routinely used in the creation of all subsequent submarines.

Already during the first tests, sailors and members of the Ministry of Defense were delighted with how quiet the submarine turned out to be. These indicators were so good that they made it possible to speak with full confidence about the Soviet shipbuilding reaching a fundamentally new level. Western military advisers were in full agreement with this, who recognized the Pike as a new class of weapon and assigned them the Akula code.

Due to their features, Project 971 submarines can overcome anti-submarine defense in depth, equipped with standard acoustic detection tools. Given the powerful armament, the submarine may well stand up for itself even if it is discovered.

Even in the zone of enemy domination, quiet and inconspicuous nuclear submarines of Project 971 can inflict significant losses on the enemy, up to shelling coastal targets with nuclear weapons. "Pikes" are quite capable of surface and submarine ships, as well as the destruction of strategically important command centers, even if they are located at a considerable distance from the coastal zone.

The value of the project "Pike-B" for our country

The appearance of the nuclear submarine of project 971 confused the Americans with all the cards. Prior to this, they quite rightly considered their offensive surface forces to be the strongest in the world, and the Soviet fleet, which had significantly fewer surface ships, was rated rather low by their experts. "Pikes" have reached a whole new level of play. They can safely work even deep behind enemy lines, going beyond anti-submarine defense lines. In the event of a full-scale war, not a single command center is immune from a nuclear strike from under the water, and it’s not even worth talking about a full-scale cutting of sea lanes of communication.

Any offensive operation of a potential enemy in such conditions turns into an analogue of a dance on, let alone the suddenness of the attack, you can forget. The US leadership "Pikes" (especially modernized ones) are very worried. Already in the 2000s, they repeatedly made attempts to legislate an agreement on a strong restriction of their use, but the interests of the Russian Federation do not have such "mutually beneficial" agreements.

Modifications and further development of the project

Subsequently, the Pike (project 971) was repeatedly improved, especially in terms of sonar stealth. Particularly different from others are the Vepr and Dragon ships, built according to individual project 971U. They are immediately noticeable by the modified contours of the hull. The latter was lengthened by four meters at once, which made it possible to regularly place additional equipment for direction finding and apply new design solutions aimed at reducing the noise level. Displacement in the surface and submerged positions has increased by more than one and a half tons.

The power plant fed by the OK-650B3 reactor has also changed significantly. The changes were so obvious that the new nuclear-powered multi-purpose submarine was immediately dubbed Improved Akula in the foreign media. According to the same project, four more submarines were to be built, but in the end, only two of them were laid down and created at the shipyards. The first of them, K-335 "Gepard", was generally built according to the special project 971M, which provided for the use of the latest achievements of the electronic industry in the design.

This boat generally became known to Western sailors as Akula II, since its differences from the basic design were striking. The second completed submarine, also known as the K-152 Nerpa, was also created according to a special project 971I, originally intended to be leased to the Indian Navy. Basically, "Nerpa" differs from its "brothers" in the most simplified electronic filling, in which there are no secret components.

The continuity of generations

Initially, all boats of this series had only an index, not designated by proper names. But in 1990, K-317 received the name "Panther". It was given in honor of the submarine of the Russian Empire, which was the first to open a battle account. Later, the "birthday girl" was the nuclear submarine "Tigr" of project 971. Soon, all submarines of this family also received proper names, echoing the designations of the ships that were part of the Imperial and Soviet Navy. The only exception that project 971 has is Kuzbass. Previously, this ship was called "Walrus". At first, it was named after one of the first submarines of the Empire, but later it was commemorated by Soviet sailors.

But the most significant were the nuclear submarines produced at Sevmash. Their entire series was codenamed "Bars". For this, all the submarines of the project received the nickname "cats" in the west.

"Semi-combat" work

During the NATO aggression against Serbia in 1996, the K-461 "Wolf" was on combat duty in the Mediterranean Sea. American hydroacoustics managed to detect its location during the passage of the Strait of Gibraltar, but our submariners managed to get away from them. It was possible to re-discover the "Wolf" only directly off the coast of Yugoslavia. In this military campaign, the nuclear submarine covered the domestic aircraft carrier "Admiral Kuznetsov" from potential aggressive actions of "Western partners". At the same time, "Wolf" carried out covert tracking of six NATO nuclear submarines, including one boat of the "competing" Los Angeles type.

In the same year, another "Pike-B", under the command of A. V. Burilichev, was on combat duty in the waters of the Atlantic. There, the crew discovered a US Navy SSBN and then covertly escorted the ship throughout its combat duty. If it were in a war, the American missile carrier would go to the bottom. The command understood all this very well, and therefore Burilichev immediately after the "business trip" received the title of Hero Russian Federation. This is another evidence of the high combat qualities and stealth of any Project 971 boat.

About cases of appendicitis at sea ...

At the end of February of the same 1996, an anecdotal incident occurred at all. Then large-scale exercises of the NATO fleet were just being held. The order of anti-submarine ships had just managed to get in touch with the command and report on the absence of potential enemy submarines along the course of the convoy ... A few minutes later, the commander of the Russian submarine contacted the British ships. And soon, the “hero of the occasion” herself surfaced in front of the stunned British sailors.

The crew reported that one of the sailors was in serious condition due to bursting appendicitis. Under the conditions of the submarine, the success of the operation was not guaranteed, and therefore the captain made an unprecedented decision to communicate with foreign colleagues. The patient was quickly loaded onto an English helicopter and sent to the hospital. What the British sailors felt at that moment, who had just reported on the absence of enemy submarines, is hard to imagine. What is even more interesting, they could not then detect the boat of the project 971 of the old series! Since then, Project 971 Shark has been deeply respected by

The current state of affairs

Currently, all submarines of this series are in service, serve in the Pacific and the Nerpa mentioned above is in service and, under the terms of the contract, will stay there until 2018. It is possible that after that the Indians will prefer to extend the contract, since they highly appreciate the combat qualities of the Russian submarine.

By the way, in the Indian Navy, the Nerpa was called Chakra. It is interesting that earlier the boat 670 Skat had exactly the same name, which also served India under leasing conditions from 1988 to 1992. All the sailors who served there have become true professionals in their field, and some officers from the first Chakra have already managed to rise to the rank of admiral. Be that as it may, but the Russian "Pikes" today are actively used in the difficult task of carrying out combat duty and serve as one of the guarantors of the state sovereignty of our country.

Today, when the fleet begins to gradually recover after the 90s, there is already talk that fifth-generation nuclear submarines should be based precisely on the developments of project 971, since the vessels of this series have repeatedly proved their promise. The "Pikes" themselves correspond in their parameters to fourth-generation submarines. An indirect confirmation of this is the fact that they repeatedly deceived the SOSUS hydroacoustic detection system, which at one time created many problems for Soviet sailors.

The decision to develop a mass series of third-generation multi-purpose submarines in our country was made in July 1976. The design of the submarine was carried out by the design bureau SKB-143 (later SPMBM "Malachite"). Until 1997, the work was supervised by the chief designer G.N. Chernyshev, after his death - Yu.I. Farafontov. The terms of reference were left the same as those of the "Gorky" project 945 "Barracuda", and the design of the ship, which received the design number 971 and the code "Pike-B", was carried out on its basis, so work on the preliminary design stage was not carried out. Unlike the Barracuda, the hull of the boat was supposed to be made not of titanium, but of steel. This proposal was made by shipbuilders from Komsomolsk-on-Amur. This requirement was due to both the shortage and high cost of titanium, and the difficulties in working with it, which could be overcome only by one Russian enterprise, Sevmash. At the same time, the replacement of titanium with steel made it possible to use the increased capacities of the Far Eastern plants. On September 13, 1977, the technical design was approved, however, in connection with the construction in the United States of a new type of submarine "Los Angeles" with new generation sonar systems, "Pike-B" was sent for revision.

The improved project was ready by 1980. The first part of the series was built at a plant in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, which was very unusual, because in the construction of the submarine fleet, with the exception of the first generation project 659, which was built only in the Far East, the Pacific shipyards were always assigned a leading role.

In the early 1980s, the Soviet Union purchased a batch of high-precision metal-cutting machines from the Japanese company Toshiba, which made it possible to apply new technologies in the processing of propellers, which drastically reduced the noise of Soviet submarines. The deal was secret, but information about it got into the world press. As a result of the resulting scandal, the US even imposed economic sanctions against the Japanese company.

A feature of the new nuclear submarine "Pike-B" was a significant (about five times compared to the most advanced domestic torpedo boat of the 2nd generation) noise reduction. This result was supposed to be achieved through the implementation of earlier developments in the field of increasing stealth, both by the Malachite design team (where the project for an ultra-low-noise nuclear submarine was developed in the early 1970s), and by scientists from the Central Research Institute. Academician A.N. Krylov.

The efforts of the creators of the ship were crowned with success, in terms of stealth, the new nuclear-powered ship for the first time in the history of domestic submarine shipbuilding surpassed the best American analogue - the 3rd generation multi-purpose nuclear submarine Los Angeles.

The Project 971 submarine received powerful strike weapons, significantly exceeding (in terms of the number and caliber of torpedo tubes, as well as missile and torpedo ammunition) the potentials of domestic and foreign submarines of a similar purpose. Like the prototype new boat was supposed to fight against enemy submarines and ship groups, carry out mine laying, conduct reconnaissance and participate in special operations.

Technical project"Pike-B" was approved on September 13, 1977. However, in the future, he underwent refinement, caused by the need to "pull up" the technological level of the sonar complex to the level of the Americans, who again broke ahead in this area. On their boats of the 3rd generation (Los Angeles type), the AN / BQQ-5 GAK was installed with digital information processing, which ensured a much more accurate selection of the useful signal against the background of interference. Another new “introductory” one, which necessitated changes to the project, was the requirement of the military to equip nuclear submarines of a new generation with Granat strategic cruise missiles.

During the revision, which ended in 1980, the boat received a new digital sonar complex with improved performance "Skat-3", as well as a weapons control system that allows the use of cruise missiles. In the design of the Project 971 nuclear submarine, such innovative solutions were implemented as integrated automation of combat and technical means, the concentration of control of the ship, its weapons and weapons in a single center - the main command post(GKP), the use of a pop-up rescue chamber for the entire crew (which was successfully tested on titanium boats of the 705th project).

Submarine pr. 971 has a classic double-hull design. The robust body is made of high quality alloy steel. To simplify the installation of equipment, the boat was designed using zonal blocks, which made it possible to transfer a significant amount of work from the cramped conditions of the submarine compartments directly to the workshop. After the installation is completed, the zone block is "rolled" into the boat's hull and connected to the main cables and pipelines of the ship's systems. A two-stage shock absorption system is used: all mechanisms are placed on shock-absorbed foundations, in addition, each zonal unit is isolated from the body by rubber-cord pneumatic shock absorbers, which form the second vibration isolation cascade. In addition to reducing the overall noise of nuclear submarines, such a scheme can reduce the impact of underwater explosions on equipment and crew. The boat has a developed vertical tail with a streamlined boule, in which there is a towed sonar antenna. A feature of the project is the smoothly mating connection of the tail unit with the body. This is done to reduce hydrodynamic turbulence that creates additional noise.

The displacement of the ship was: surface 8140 tons, underwater 10500 tons. The length is 110.3 m, the width is 13.6 m, the average draft is 9.68 m.

Due to the introduction of integrated automation, the crew of the boat was reduced to 73 people (including 31 officers), which is almost two times less than the number of crew of the American nuclear submarine of the Los Angeles type (141 people). In comparison with the nuclear submarine of the previous project 671RTM "Pike", the habitability conditions were also improved on the new ship. The entire crew is located in the 2nd living compartment in the cabins. In the remaining compartments, the personnel keep watch and perform their official duties.

The power plant of the ship includes one water-cooled reactor with a capacity of 190 MW with four steam generators and a steam single-shaft block steam turbine plant with a wide redundancy of mechanization. Shaft power - 50,000 liters. with.

The boat is equipped with a seven-bladed propeller with improved hydroacoustic characteristics and a reduced speed. The full underwater speed is 33 knots, i.e. the submarine, if desired, can rush under water at a speed of over 60 km / h!

Hydroacoustic complex MGK-540 "Skat-3" with a digital information processing system has a powerful system of noise direction finding and sonar. The target detection range through the new complex has increased three times compared to the GAS installed on the 2nd generation boats. The time for determining the parameters of the movement of the target has also been significantly reduced.

In addition to hydroacoustic systems, Project 971 nuclear submarines are equipped with a highly efficient wake detection system that has no analogues in the world to detect enemy submarines and surface ships. The equipment installed on the boat makes it possible to fix such a trace in the ocean environment many hours after the passage of an enemy submarine.

The missile and torpedo complex includes four torpedo tubes with a caliber of 533 mm and four with a caliber of 650 mm TA, the total ammunition load is more than 40 units of weapons, including 28 with a caliber of 533 mm. It is adapted to fire Granat cruise missiles, underwater missiles and rocket-torpedoes (Squall, Waterfall and Wind), as well as torpedoes and self-transporting mines. In addition, the boat can carry out the setting of conventional mines. The fire control of the Granat cruise missiles is carried out by a special hardware complex.

However, on the basis of the Soviet-American agreements in 1989, weapons systems with nuclear equipment were excluded from the armament of multi-purpose nuclear submarines - that is, the Shkval and Vodopad rocket-torpedoes, as well as the Granat-type missile launchers.

"Pike-B" became the first type of multi-purpose nuclear submarine, the serial construction of which was originally organized at the plant in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, and not in Severodvinsk or Leningrad, which testified to the increased level of development of shipbuilding in the Far East. The lead nuclear-powered ship of the 971 project - K-284 - was laid down on the banks of the Amur in 1980 and entered service on December 30, 1984.

Already in the process of its testing, the achievement of a qualitatively higher level of acoustic secrecy was demonstrated. The noise level of K-284 by 12–15 dB (that is, 4–4.5 times) turned out to be lower than the noise level of the “quietest” domestic boat of the previous generation, project 671RTM, which gave reason to talk about our country becoming a world leader in this important indicator of submarine shipbuilding. In the west, the new Soviet submarines were quickly classified as the next generation of submarines and given the code name "Akula".

High stealth and combat stability give the boats of project 971 the opportunity to successfully overcome anti-submarine lines equipped with stationary systems for long-range sonar surveillance, as well as countering anti-submarine forces. They can operate in the zone of enemy domination and inflict sensitive missile and torpedo strikes on him. The armament of Project 971 ships allows them to fight submarines and surface ships, as well as to hit ground targets with strategic cruise missiles with high accuracy.

The appearance of ships with such a high combat potential changed the situation and forced the US Navy to reckon with the possibility of serious opposition from the Russian fleet, even in the face of the complete superiority of American offensive forces. Project 971 submarines can attack both the US Navy strike groups themselves and their rear, including coastal control centers, basing and supply points, no matter how far they are. Hidden, and therefore inaccessible to the enemy, the nuclear submarines of the 971 project turn a potential war on the ocean into a kind of offensive through a minefield, where any attempt to move forward threatens with an invisible, but real danger.

Appearing after the end cold war” as part of the Russian fleet of new ultra-secret nuclear-powered ships caused serious concern in the United States. In 1991, this issue was raised in Congress. Several proposals were submitted for discussion by American legislators aimed at correcting the current situation in favor of the United States. In accordance with them, it was supposed, in particular:

To demand from our country to make public its long-term programs in the field of submarine shipbuilding;

Establish agreed limits for the Russian Federation and the United States on the number of multi-purpose nuclear submarines;

To assist Russia in re-equipping shipyards building nuclear submarines for the production of non-military products.

As they say, comments are superfluous.

Later, project 971 was improved several times: the Leopard, Tiger and Walrus submarines were created with improved acoustic stealth. But the subsequent boats "Vepr" and "Dragon" were built according to a significantly improved project 971U. These submarines have slightly modified outer contours due to additional insert, which lengthened the body by 4 meters, from 110.3 m to 114.3 m, and made it possible to place additional electronic equipment and equipment for active noise and vibration suppression from the power plant. The displacement increased from 8140/10500 tons to 9830/12390 tons. The boats also received a new modification of the reactor - OK-650B3. In some Western publications, they even assigned the code "Improved Akula". According to the project 971U, "Nerpa", "Cheetah", "Lynx" and "Cougar" were also to be built. But the K-335 "Gepard" was built according to the newly created modernized project 971M, which became the embodiment of the latest technical achievements. Western experts dubbed them "Akula II", quite rightly noting significant changes compared to the base version. The submarine K-152 "Nerpa" was completed according to a special project 971I for leasing to the Indian Navy. Modification 971I was created on the basis of 971U and differs mainly in the export, unclassified version of electronic equipment.

Initially, all Pike-Bs, traditionally for the Navy, carried only tactical numbers, but on October 10, 1990, the Commander-in-Chief of the USSR Navy V.N. Chernavin issued a decree naming the K-317 "Panther" in honor of the submarine that opened a combat account for Russian submariners in 1919. In the future, all boats received proper names, echoing the names of pre-revolutionary Russian submarines. "Pike-B", released at Sevmash, received the names of boats of the "Bars" type, which were the most successful and numerous series of Russian submarines of the early 20th century. For these names, the 971 project was nicknamed the "cat series" in the Navy.

During the military action of the US troops in Serbia in 1996, the submarine K-461 "Volk" carried out military service in the Mediterranean Sea. It was discovered by NATO anti-submarine services during the passage of Gibraltar, but after some time contact with the boat was lost, and it was found only off the coast of Yugoslavia. "Wolf" carried out the protection of the TAVKR "Admiral Kuznetsov" from the submarines of a potential enemy. During the combat service, several NATO submarines were tracked, including the American strike nuclear submarine of the Los Angeles type.

In the same year, another "Pike-B" with a crew under the command of Captain 1st Rank A.V. Burilicheva, while on combat duty in the far reaches of the Atlantic, discovered a US Navy SSBN and secretly watched her go on combat patrol. Of course, in the event of hostilities, the unsuspecting American missile carrier would be immediately destroyed. After that campaign, the crew commander was awarded the title of Hero of the Russian Federation.

Project 971 belongs to the third generation of submarines, the main features of which are reduced noise levels and improved detection tools. In comparison with other boats of the third generation, "Pike-B" surpasses all similar projects both in stealth and in armament. Some experts compare "Pike-B" not with a direct competitor - the American project "Improved Los Angeles", but with the much more advanced projects "Sivulf" and "Virginia". So, Admiral J. Burda, who was the head operational headquarters The US Navy in 1994-1996 noted that American ships were unable to detect the Pike-B, traveling at a speed of 6-9 knots, that is, in terms of low noise, Project 971 boats actually correspond to the parameters of fourth-generation boats. The "Cat Series" is capable of overcoming the SOSUS submarine detection system, which at one time created many problems for Soviet submariners, unnoticed.

On February 29, 1996, an unprecedented event occurred. During the exercises of the NATO fleet, after successfully completing the task of detecting mock enemy submarines, a previously undiscovered Russian submarine. And soon, right in the middle of the order of NATO ships, a submarine surfaced, identified by British sailors as Project 971 Pike-B. According to her commander, one of the crew members of the boat needed urgent medical care due to an acute attack of appendicitis, for which a decision was made to get help from Western colleagues. The sick submariner was taken to the British destroyer Glasgow, and from there he was sent to the hospital by a Lynx helicopter. The British press widely covered this case, and The Times noted that it was a vivid demonstration of the invisibility of Russian submarines. But most importantly, the British sailors then made a mistake: in front of them was the "Pike" of the 671RTMK project (that is, the boat of generation 2+), and not the "Pike-B"!

All completed Project 971 boats, except for three, are in service and are part of the Northern and Pacific Fleets based on the Yagelnaya Bay (SF) and in the village of Rybachy (Pacific Fleet). The construction of two of the four unfinished boats of the plant. Lenin Komsomol were canceled in the early stages of readiness, the third boat, K-152 Nerpa, was launched and in 2008 it was leased to the Indian Navy for a period of 10 years (). Interestingly, in the Indian Navy, the Nerpa was called the Chakra. Previously, this name was borne by the Soviet submarine K-43 of project 670 Skat, which was part of the Indian fleet on a lease basis in 1988-1992 and has become a good base for training Indian submariners over the years: many sailors who served on the first Chakra later occupied important positions in the country's naval forces, including eight people who rose to the rank of admiral.

At present, all Project 971 multi-purpose nuclear submarines are part of the Northern and Pacific Fleets. They are quite actively used for military service.

Boats of this class have become the main type of multi-purpose nuclear submarines in the Russian Navy: having a set of advantages - primarily low noise levels and the ability to use a whole range of weapons - they successfully perform a wide range of tasks in various areas of the oceans. Zvezda, journalist Alexei Yegorov will continue the story about these unique ships. Viewers will learn about some of their daring campaigns, when our sailors deprived NATO of hopes for invulnerability, they will see how submariners live and serve, how their life works and what it takes to become a real conqueror of the depths. Visit "quietly" This operation was carried out in 1987. Then, off the coast of one of the foreign states, a whole group of submarines from the formation of the submarine forces of our Navy suddenly appeared. Photographs taken through the periscope have been preserved, where the coastline of a country located on the opposite side of the planet is visible at a glance. Our boats managed not only to get unnoticed to the North Atlantic, but also to go directly to one of the NATO naval bases. And this despite the fact that an anti-submarine line was set up on the path of the submarines in the form of ships plying the patrol areas and aircraft, the use of hydroacoustic search tools. However, NATO was in for an embarrassment: Soviet submarines slipped through their "sieve" like invisible ones. And after all, that trip was carried out on boats that were not yet the most perfect project. Submarines of the next, 971 series turned out to be much quieter, more powerful, more armed. The general designer of the project, laureate of the State Prize of Russia Yuri Farafontov, recalls how, during the tests of the first ship of this project, boats of foreign states tried to approach ours in order to determine its characteristics. However, search tools immediately detected intruders without giving themselves away. Another strong point of the Pike-B project ships is their impressive arsenal. For example, only four dozen torpedoes can be loaded here, including 650 mm caliber, and these are the most powerful torpedoes in the world. One shot can sink an aircraft carrier. It is no coincidence that when the West found out about the existence of such weapons in our country, they instantly changed the logic of building a marching order, putting destroyers in the wake. Their functions are prosaic: these ships will simply have to take the hit, because there is simply no other defense against such torpedoes. In addition to torpedo weapons, our submarines also have missile weapons in their arsenal. In fact, as the commander of the submarine division of the Northern Fleet, Captain 1st Rank Sergei Starshinov, admits, if the task is set to destroy the enemy located in a given area on the coast, this task will also be solved. Perfection Algorithms The Russian design bureau "Malachite" is one of the main centers involved in the design of ships for the domestic submarine fleet. Once it was here that the first nuclear submarine in the country was developed. As the general director of Malachite, Vladimir Dorofeev, recalls, that boat was equipped with one torpedo tube and was intended to destroy coastal infrastructure. Then ships of the second generation, third, fourth appeared. Boats of the 885th series (project "Ash-M", fourth generation) perform the function of strategic deterrence, they have the ability to use cruise missiles from vertical launchers.
Even the process of designing such ships is organized according to the latest technology: for example, 3D technologies are actively used in it, when you can more fully evaluate the parameters of the product. By the way, thanks to this technology, crew members can take a virtual tour of their future ship together with the designers. At the same time, it should be taken into account that third-generation boats (and this is the Pike-B) are not yet supposed to be sent to the reserve. Experts say that the possibilities for upgrading these ships are unlimited. Such procedures are carried out regularly - with the replacement of acoustic systems, communications, updating other elements. At the Nerpa shipyard, where boats undergo scheduled maintenance, many mechanisms are tested at much higher loads than they actually face. In their work, specialists use original technologies, machines, tools, including non-standard ones. All this is necessary so that the boat does not fail at depth. With the character of winners The Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy, Admiral Vladimir Korolev, is a professional submariner. He calls his craft a real man's work. “More than a hundred years have passed since it appeared, but nothing has changed in it,” the admiral admits. “There are elements of romance and elements of surprise.” The character of the sailors serving in the submarine fleet, Admiral Korolev considers "the character of the winners." “For a submariner, this is very important,” the commander-in-chief emphasizes. In a special situation that can happen at depth, special algorithms are involved. Commander of the Guards nuclear submarine "Gepard" Guards Captain 1st Rank Dmitry Maslov, like no one else, understands his responsibility - both for the life of the crew and for the fulfillment of the assigned task. Finding a target, using a weapon on it - this is one algorithm. Getting out of the retaliatory strike is another.
In an underwater duel, it is extremely important to timely detect the launch of an enemy torpedo. The hydroacoustic complex is responsible for this. And if the strike is fixed, then hydraulic countermeasures are activated - something like heat traps that are used in aviation against MANPADS. “If you hear the sound of a noisy torpedo, you need to apply skill and dodge, but at the same time hit the enemy submarine,” the officer says. “You can’t confuse the sound of a torpedo with anything - it squeals like a pig: the propellers of torpedoes spin very quickly.” A submariner must also have a lightning-fast reaction to other suddenly arising circumstances. For example, ingress of sea water in the event of a hole or a sudden fire. Sailors learn how to counteract these misfortunes in damage control classes, which are held up to twice a week. Equipped training points allow you to recreate the situation of real danger, while the work is carried out in special suits, in sealed masks. Conquerors of the Depths A submarine is a more complex device than a spaceship. And this is not a sonorous metaphor: this is exactly what the first cosmonaut of the planet Yuri Gagarin said about one of our submarines after the tour. Even the set of uniforms for sailors here is such that you cannot list all its elements offhand. The submariner's equipment includes a uniform tunic, a working suit, warm woolen underwear, a warm pea jacket (in case of an ascent in ice). And also a rescue diving suit (for passing through a torpedo tube), a hydrothermal suit - it is needed to stay on a raft during an emergency ascent. Let's add here a life jacket, an insulating gas mask, a portable breathing apparatus. A set of property and equipment turns out to be decent.
At the same time, life on a boat is not the most demanding. Although everything you need is here. There is even a doctor's office, capable of becoming an operating room if necessary. In autonomous navigation, the ship's doctor performs the functions of a therapist, infectious disease specialist, and surgeon. Maybe he can treat his teeth if he suddenly catches someone. By the way, doctors recognize the benefits of wine, which is given to crew members on a nuclear submarine. The diet of sailors also includes granular caviar, chocolate, prunes, and honey. In special conditions, the ration should be special. ... Conquerors of the depths are not aware of excessive sentimentality. With the exception, perhaps, of one thing - thoughts about relatives, about loved ones, about home. In the wardroom of one of the boats, there are drawings made by the children of the crew members. These touching moments, like the pastoral landscapes that also decorate the cabins, are perceived here in a completely different way than on the shore.

The main performance characteristics of nuclear submarines pr.971:

Nuclear submarine "Tigr", project 971 Dimensions: 110 x 14 x 9 m
Displacement: 8.140 / 12.770 t
NPP: reactor OK-650B (190 MW), 1 turbine with a capacity of 43,000 hp.
Speed: surface 11.6 / underwater 30 knots
Depth of immersion working: 520 m
Depth of immersion maximum: 600 m
Autonomy: 100 days
Crew: 73 people
Armament: 4 x 533 mm TA, 4 x 650 mm TA (28 rockets, torpedoes or mines)
Series:
K-284 "Shark" (1984)
K-263 "Dolphin" (1985)
K-322 "Kashalot" (1986)
K-391 "Bratsk" (1987)
K-331 "Narwhal" (1989)
K-419 "Walrus" (1992)
K-267 "Dragon" (1996)
K-480 "Bars" (1989)
K-317 "Panther" (1990)
K-461 "Wolf" (1992)
K-157 Vepr (1996)
K-328 "Leopard" (1993)
K-154 "Tiger" (1994)
K-335 "Gepard" (1998)
K-337 "Cougar" (2001)
K-333 "Lynx" (2001)
K-152 "Nerpa" (2002)

Multipurpose nuclear submarines, project 971 "Pike-B"

In order to expand the front for the construction of third-generation multi-purpose submarines in July 1976, it was decided to create a new, cheaper ALL based on the "Gorky" project 945, the main difference of which from its prototype was to be the use of steel in hull structures instead of titanium alloy.
Therefore, the development of the ship, which received design number 971 and the code "Pike-B", was carried out according to the previous tactical and technical requirements, bypassing the preliminary design stage. A feature of the new nuclear submarine, the development of which was entrusted to the Leningrad Design Bureau "Malakhit", was a significant reduction in noise level, approximately five times compared to the most advanced domestic torpedo boat of the second generation. This result was supposed to be achieved through the implementation of earlier developments in the field of increasing stealth, both by the design team of the Special Design Bureau (where the project for an ultra-low-noise nuclear submarine was developed in the early 70s) and by scientists from the Central Research Institute. Academician A.N. Krylov. The efforts of the creators of the ship were crowned with success: for the first time in the history of domestic submarine shipbuilding, the new nuclear-powered ship surpassed the best American analogue, the third-generation multi-purpose nuclear submarine Los Angeles, in terms of stealth.
The Project 971 nuclear submarine received powerful strike weapons, significantly exceeding (in terms of the number and caliber of torpedo tubes, as well as missile and torpedo ammunition) the potentials of domestic and foreign submarines of a similar purpose. Like the Project 945 ship, the new boat was supposed to fight enemy submarines and ship groups, carry out minelaying, conduct reconnaissance and participate in special operations. The technical design of "Pike-B" was approved on September 13, 1977. However, later it underwent revision, caused by the need to "pull up" the technological level of the sonar complex to the level of the Americans, who again broke ahead in this area. On their boats of the third generation (type "Los Angeles") was installed GAK AN / BQQ-5 with digital information processing, which provided a much more accurate selection of the useful signal against the background of interference. Another new "introductory", which necessitated changes in the project, was the requirement of the military to equip nuclear submarines of a new generation with Granat strategic cruise missiles.
During the revision, which ended in 1980, the boat received a new digital sonar system with improved performance, as well as a weapons control system that allows the use of cruise missiles.
In the design of the Project 971 nuclear submarine, such innovative solutions were implemented as integrated automation of combat and technical means, concentration of control of the ship, its weapons and weapons in a single center - the main command post (MCP), the use of a pop-up rescue camera (which was successfully tested on boats 705 th project). The submarine of the 971st project belongs to the two-hull type. The robust body is made of high-strength steel with a yield strength of 100 kgf/mm. All the main equipment, HKP, combat posts and cabins are located in depreciated zonal blocks, which are spatial frame structures with decks. Depreciation significantly reduces the acoustic field of the ship, and also makes it possible to protect the crew and equipment from dynamic overloads that occur during underwater explosions. In addition, the block layout made it possible to rationalize the process of building a ship:
the installation of equipment was transferred from the cramped conditions of the compartment directly to the workshop, to a zonal block accessible from all sides. After the installation is completed, the zone block is "rolled" into the boat's hull and connected to the main cables and pipelines of the ship's systems.
On the nuclear submarine applied advanced system two-stage damping, significantly reducing structure-borne noise. All mechanisms are placed on depreciated foundations. Each zonal block is isolated from the nuclear submarine hull by rubber-cord pneumatic shock absorbers, which form the second stage of vibration isolation. Due to the introduction of integrated automation, the crew of the boat was reduced to 73 people (including 31 officers), which is almost two times less than the number of crew of the American nuclear submarine of the Los Angeles type (141 people). In comparison with the nuclear submarine of project 671RTM, the habitability conditions on the new ship are also slightly improved.
The power plant of the ship includes one pressurized water reactor on thermal neutrons OK-650B (190 MW) with four steam generators (two circulation pumps for the first and fourth circuits, three pumps for the third circuit) and a steam single-shaft block steam turbine plant with a wide redundancy of mechanization . Shaft power - 50,000 l. with. Two alternating current turbogenerators are installed. For DC consumers, there are two groups of batteries and two reversible converters. The boat is equipped with a seven-bladed propeller with improved hydroacoustic characteristics and reduced rotational speed.
In case of failure of the main power plant for its subsequent commissioning, emergency sources of electricity and aids movement - two thrusters with DC propulsion motors with a capacity of 410 hp each. with., providing a speed of about 5 knots and also serving for maneuvering in limited water areas.
On board the ship there are two DG-300 diesel generators with reversible converters (2 x 750 hp) with a fuel reserve for 10 days of operation. They are designed to generate direct current for propulsion motors and alternating current for general ship consumers.
The hydroacoustic complex MGK-503 "Skat-KS" with a digital information processing system has a powerful system of noise direction finding and sonar. It includes a developed bow antenna, two long-range onboard antennas, as well as a towed extended antenna placed in a container located on the vertical tail (the dimensions of the container are much larger than on the nuclear submarine of project 671RTM). In addition to the SJSC, Project 971 nuclear submarines are equipped with a highly effective, unparalleled world-wide system for detecting enemy submarines and surface ships along the wake (the equipment installed on the boat makes it possible to record such a trail many hours after the enemy submarine has passed).
The ship is equipped with the Medveditsa-971 navigation complex, as well as the Molniya-M radio communication complex with the Symphony space communication system and a towed antenna.
The torpedo-missile complex includes four 533 mm torpedo tubes and four 650 mm torpedo tubes (the total ammunition load is more than 40 units of weapons, including 28 533 mm caliber). It is adapted to fire Granat cruise missiles, underwater missiles and Shkval, Vodopad and Veter rocket-torpedoes, as well as torpedoes and self-transporting mines. In addition, the boat can carry out the setting of conventional mines. The firing of the Granat cruise missiles is controlled by a special hardware complex.
In the 90s. The universal deep-sea homing torpedo UGST, created by the Research Institute of Marine Thermal Engineering and GNPP Region, entered service with submarines. It replaced the TEST-71M electric anti-submarine torpedo and the 53-65K high-speed anti-ship torpedo.
At the same time, on the basis of the Soviet-American agreements in 1989, weapons systems with nuclear warheads - Shkval and Vodopad rocket-torpedoes with SBCh, as well as Granat-type missile launchers - were excluded from the armament of multi-purpose nuclear submarines.
The lead nuclear-powered ship of the 971st project - K-284 - was laid down on the banks of the Amur in 1980 and entered service on December 30, 1984. Already in the process of its testing, the achievement of a qualitatively higher level of acoustic secrecy was demonstrated. The noise level of the K-284 turned out to be 12-15dB (ie, 4-4.5 times) lower than the noise level of the "quietest" domestic boat of the previous generation - 671RTM. According to the NATO classification, the new nuclear submarines received the designation Akula.
After the first "just Sharks", ships appeared, which in the West were called Improved Akula (probably, boats of Severodvinsk construction, as well as the last "Komsomol" ships) were included among them. Compared to their predecessors, they had better stealth than the improved Los Angeles-class boats (SSN-688-I) of the US Navy.
In 1996, the Vepr submarine built in Severodvinsk entered service. Retaining the old contours, he had a new design of a durable hull and internal "stuffing". Again, a serious leap forward was made in the field of noise reduction. In the West, this ship (as well as subsequent nuclear submarines of the 971 project) was called Akula-2.
According to US naval intelligence, the robust hull of the modernized Bars has a 4 m long insert. The additional tonnage made it possible, in particular, to equip the boat with "active" systems to reduce the vibration of the power plant, almost completely eliminating its effect on the ship's hull. According to American experts, in terms of stealth characteristics, the upgraded boat of the 971st project is approaching the level of the fourth-generation American multi-purpose nuclear submarine SSN-21 Seawolf.
High stealth and combat stability give the "Bars" the opportunity to successfully overcome anti-submarine lines equipped with stationary systems for long-range sonar surveillance, as well as countering anti-submarine forces. They can operate in the zone of enemy domination and inflict sensitive missile and torpedo strikes on him. The armament of the Bars allows them to fight submarines and surface ships, as well as to hit ground targets with cruise missiles with high accuracy.
According to MIPT scientists in the brochure "The Future of Russia's Strategic Nuclear Forces: Discussion and Arguments" (Dolgoprudny, 1995), even under the most favorable hydrological conditions typical for the Barents Sea in winter period(the probability of their occurrence is 0.03) Project 971 nuclear submarines can be detected by American Los Angeles-class boats with AN / BQQ-5 sonar at a distance of no more than 10 km. Under less favorable conditions in this region of the World Ocean, it is practically impossible to detect the "Bars" by hydroacoustic means.
It is appropriate to give a description of the Project 971 submarines given by the prominent American naval analyst N. Polmar at hearings in the National Security Committee of the US House of Representatives: "The appearance of Akula-type submarines, as well as other third-generation Russian nuclear submarines, demonstrated that Soviet shipbuilders closed the noise gap faster than expected." A few years later, in 1994, it became known that this gap had been completely eliminated.
According to representatives of the US Navy, at operational speeds of the order of 5-7 knots, the noise of Improved Akula-class boats, recorded by means of hydroacoustic reconnaissance, was less than the noise of the most advanced US Navy nuclear submarines of the Improved Los Angeles class.
According to Admiral D. Burda, Chief of Operations of the US Navy, American ships were unable to escort the Improved Akula nuclear submarine at speeds of less than 6-9 knots (contact with the new Russian boat took place in the spring of 1995 off the east coast of the United States). According to the admiral, the improved Akula-2 nuclear submarine meets the requirements for fourth-generation boats in terms of low noise characteristics.
The appearance of new super-secret nuclear-powered ships in the Russian fleet after the end of the Cold War caused serious concern in the United States. In 1991, this issue was raised in Congress. Several proposals were submitted for discussion by American legislators aimed at correcting the current situation in favor of the United States. In accordance with them, it was supposed, in particular:
- to demand from our country to make public its long-term programs in the field of submarine shipbuilding;
- establish for the Russian Federation and the United States agreed restrictions on the quantitative composition of multi-purpose nuclear submarines;
- to assist Russia in re-equipping shipyards building nuclear submarines for the production of non-military products.
An international non-governmental environmental organization Greenpeace, which has actively come out in favor of banning submarines with nuclear power plants (first of all, of course, Russian ones, which, according to the "greens", represent the greatest environmental danger). With the aim of "avoiding nuclear catastrophes", Greenpeace recommended that governments Western countries supply provision financial assistance Russia, depending on the solution of this issue.
At present, all multi-purpose nuclear submarines of the 971st project are part of the Northern (Yagelnaya Bay) and Pacific (Rybachy) fleets. They are quite actively (of course, by the standards of the present time) are used for military service.