Nuclear ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) / cruising submarine (until 07/25/1977) / heavy strategic missile submarine cruiser (heavy SSBN since 06/03/1996). The project developer is the Rubin Central Design Bureau for Mechanical Engineering, the chief designer is S.N. Kovalev, the chief observer from the Navy is V.N. Levashov. Preliminary development of the D-19 missile system began at Miass SKB-385 in early 1971. The tactical and technical specifications for the design of SSBNs were issued in December 1972. Construction new series The SSBN was planned as a response to the construction of a series of Ohio-class missile carriers in the United States. The resolution of the Council of Ministers of the USSR on the design and construction of Project 941 was adopted on December 19, 1973. Probably, it was planned to build a series of 12 SSBNs of the project - this figure was named by the Commander-in-Chief of the USSR Navy S.G. Gorshkov in a speech to students and teachers of the Navy Training Center No. 93 in Paldiski in the summer of 1975
The lead submarine of the TK-208 series was laid down at the Sevmash Production Association (Severodvinsk) on June 17, 1976. Launched on September 23, 1980 and accepted by the USSR Navy on December 12, 1981. Construction of the series of submarines was completed by delivery to the Navy on September 4, 1989 SSBN TK-20. A total of 6 SSBNs of the project were built, the seventh boat of the project - TK-210 - was laid down in 1986, but in 1988, with 40% readiness, construction was stopped, and in 1990 the backlog was dismantled for metal. In the 1980s, partial assembly and metal procurement were carried out for three more SSBN series. Those. In total, as of the early to mid-1980s, it was planned to build a series of 10 SSBNs, which was later reduced to 6 copies.
After the fleet accepted the lead SSBN TK-208, the boat was subjected to intensive trial operation. When the SSBN project entered service with the Navy, the training base at the center in Paldiski was virtually absent and was created handicraft by the “students” themselves. Later, the Alder simulator was created in Paldiski, simulating 19 compartments of the SSBN Project 941 with an operating nuclear reactor.
Five of the six SSBNs built pr.941 TYPHOON in Zapadnaya Litsa, 1980-1990s (photo from the Volk archive, http://tsushima.su).
In May 1987, according to the Resolution of the USSR Council of Ministers, a schedule for the modernization of SSBN Project 941 according to project 941UTTH was approved:
- TK-208 (plant No. 711) - from October 1988 to December 1994
- TK-202 (plant No. 712) - from October 1992 to December 1997
- TK-12 (plant No. 713) - from 1996 to 1999
- TK-13, TK-17, TK-20 - with transfer to the Navy after 2000.
Repair work was planned to be carried out (medium repair) at the Zvezdochka shipyard, modernization - at the Sevmash production facility.
As of January 2010, except for the lead boat Project 941 and Project 941U TK-208, the remaining SSBNs have not undergone medium repairs. At the end of September 2011, three SSBN projects formally remain in service (including two boats in reserve without main ammunition and one in the role of an experimental SSBN - TK-208), the media are discussing the plans of the Russian Ministry of Defense to withdraw the boats from the fleet in 2014-2019 On February 9, 2012, the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy, Vladimir Vysotsky, stated that two SSBNs of the project - "Sevrstal" and "Arkhangelsk" - in the coming years with their standard weapons - retained R-39 missiles - will remain in service with the Russian Navy, the third boat of the project - " Yuri Dolgoruky" will be used as an experimental submarine and in the SLBM testing program.
According to unconfirmed data, the code of the missile system from the SSBN Project 941 "Akula" is "Typhoon". This is probably where the western name of the submarine comes from - TYPHOON.
Design- the design of the submarine - a catamaran - is determined by the size of the ammunition load - large-sized solid-fuel intercontinental missiles. The boat is made according to multi-hull architecture and consists of a lightweight hull, retractable device fencing and 5 durable hulls:
- two main strong hulls run symmetrically along most of the length of the boat, have a variable diameter and each is divided into 8 compartments (3 bow with a total length of 54 m, 3 adjacent to the main control unit with a total length of 31 m, reactor and turbine compartments with a total length of 30 m).
- a strong bow hull - to accommodate a torpedo compartment (one compartment).
- durable housing of the main command post of the boat and radio-technical equipment (one compartment, length 30 m).
- aft transitional 13-meter strong hull (one compartment).
The fencing of retractable devices is made durable for breaking through ice up to 3 m thick or more, the roof is round in shape, height is 8.5 m.
The material of the durable cases is steel using titanium alloys, the lightweight case is steel. The body is covered with a rubber sound-absorbing coating.
The living conditions of the crew on the boat have been significantly improved - officers and midshipmen are accommodated in 1-, 2- and 4-berth cabins, sailors and foremen in small cockpits. There is a health center with a sauna and a swimming pool.
Means of rescue- on the sides of the retractable device fence there are two pop-up rescue chambers - for the right and left sides.
Propulsion system:
- 2 x double-circuit pressurized water nuclear reactors OK-650VV with a power of 190 MW each (housed in different durable buildings) - the reactors are modernized reactors of the VM-4AM type;
- 2 x STU (steam turbine units) with GTZA (main turbo-gear units) / turbines of 45,000-50,000 hp. / up to 60,000 hp according to other data;
- 2 x backup electric motors with a power of 260 hp each. - connected to the main shaft line using couplings;
Mover: 2 propeller shafts with 7-blade fixed pitch propellers, precision machined, curved blades.
Screw diameter - 5.55 m
Rotation speed - 0 - 230 rpm
Two additional thrusters with 750 kW electric motors each in the bow and stern of the boat.
http://gelio.livejournal.com/).
Energy:
- 4 x steam turbine nuclear power plants with a capacity of 3200 kW BPTU-514 (BPTU-514M on project 941UTTH/U);
- 2 x backup diesel generators ASDG-800 with a power of 800 kW each;
- Lead-acid battery type "item 144"
TTX boats:
Crew - 163 people (including 52 officers and 85 midshipmen)
Length:
- 170 m
- 172.8 m (other data)
- 172.6 m (TK-17)
- 173.1 m (TK-20)
Width - 23.3 m
Wake draft - 11.2 / 11.5 m
Full underwater displacement - 48000 / 49800 t (according to various sources)
Surface displacement - 23200 / 28500 t (according to various sources)
Underwater full speed - 25-27 knots
Full surface speed - 12-13 knots
Cruising range - unlimited
Maximum immersion depth - 500 m
Working depth of immersion - 380 m
Autonomy - 120 days
Armament:
| Project 941 | Project 941U / UTTH | Project 941U / 09412 |
|
| Rocket | D-19 missile system with 20 R-39 SLBM launchers D-19U missile system with 20 R-39U SLBM launchers | D-19M missile system with 20 R-39M SLBM launchers (project) D-19UTTH missile system with 20 SLBM launchers (re-equipment of TK-208 SSBN was underway) | D-30 missile system with 20 SLBM launchers, for testing Bulava missiles, 2 launchers are equipped in the bow of the ship |
| Torpedo | 6 TA caliber 533 mm with a quick loader and a torpedo tube preparation system "Grinda" Ammunition - 22 torpedoes of the VA-111 Shkval type and missiles of the " " and " " complexes. | similarly | similarly |
| Other | 8 x Igla-1 type MANPADS, ammunition - 48 missiles | similar + self-defense complex "Barrier" with 8 x SGPD MG-74 "Korund" launchers | similarly |
Equipment:
| Project 941 | Project 941 / TK-17, TK-20 | pr.941UTTH | Project 941U / 09412 |
|
| BIUS | "Omnibus" / "Omnibus-1" with a computer MVU-132 | "Omnibus-U" with a computer MVU-132U | "Omnibus-U" with a computer MVU-132U | |
| Hydroacoustic equipment | - SAC MGK-500 "Skat-KS" with 4 antennas, simultaneously accompanied by 10-12 targets; - mine detection sonar MG-519 “Arfa-M”; - GAS for determining cavitation MG-512 “Vint”; - GAS for determining the speed of sound GISZ MG-553 “Shkert”; - echometer MG-518 “Sever”; | instead of the MGK-500 "Skat-KS" GAK, the MGK-501 "Skat-2M" GAK was installed GPBA "Pelamida" was installed | instead of the MGK-500 "Skat-KS" GAK, the MGK-501 "Skat-2M" GAK was installed | GAK MGK-540 "Skat-3", includes: - GAK MGK-501 “Skat-2M” (?) - Mine detection sonar MG-519 “Arfa-M” (?) - GAS for determining cavitation MG-512 “Vint” (?) - GISZ MG-553 “Shkert” (?) - echometer MG-518 “Sever” (?) |
| Radar complex | RLK MRKP-58 "Radian" radio-technical intelligence station MRP-21A | RLK MRKP-59 "Radian-U" | RLK MRKP-59 "Radian-U" | MRKP-59 "Radian-U" radio-technical intelligence station MRP-21A (?) |
| Navigation complex | satellite navigation complex "Symphony" navigation complex "Tobol-941" navigation circular detector NOK-1 navigational fault detector NOR-1 | satellite complex "Symphony-UTTH" | satellite complex "Symphony-UTTH" navigation complex "Tobol-941" (?) |
|
| Communication complex | "Molniya-L1" / "Molniya MS" two manufactured "Zalom" pop-up antennas provide signal reception at boat depths of up to 150 m | "Smerch-2" | "Smerch-2" | |
| Retractable devices | - periscope "Signal-3"; Periscope "Swan-21"; Combined antenna post of a “friend or foe” identification station and a radio sextant; The antenna post of the radar radar "Radian" is combined with a retractable shaft for operating the compressor under water (RKP); Antenna post of the radio communication complex; Combined underwater communication system antenna and direction finder; Antenna post for satellite communications and radio navigation systems; Antenna post of the Zaliv-P radar signal detection system |
Modifications:
- project 941- basic modification.
- Project 941 / TK-17, TK-20- on the submarine there are no wings that protect the rudder group from ice, the light hull is somewhat elongated. Equipment changed. A set of measures was carried out on the boats to reduce the primary acoustic field of the boat and its own interference with hydroacoustic means.
- Project 941UTTH / Project 941U / Project 09411- upgrade option for the D-19UTTH missile system with 20 SLBM launchers. During the modernization, in addition to the missile weapons complex, it was also planned to replace some submarine equipment systems. A new steam turbine unit BPTU-514M is installed on the boats of the project. During the modernization work, it was planned to extend the service life of the boats by 25 years without undergoing a second mid-life repair. The decision to modernize all SSBNs of the project was made in May 1987. The modernization period was planned until 2005. Since September 20, 1989, the Sevmash Production Association has accepted the TK-208 SSBN for mid-term repairs with modernization on Project 941UTTH/941U. In 1991, due to problems with financing, work on the conversion of SSBNs was actually stopped. Work was resumed in 1996, and since 1998 it has been carried out on Project 941UM for the Bulava-M missile complex.
- Project 941U / Project 09412 / Project 941UM- upgrade option for the D-30 missile system with 20 SLBM launchers. From 1998 to June 26, 2002, at the Sevmash Production Association, the TK-208 SSBN, previously modernized according to Project 941U / UTTH, was re-equipped - 2 launchers for testing Bulava missiles were installed in the bow of the ship, the equipment was modernized. Mooring tests of the boat began on June 30, 2002, and it was re-accepted for trial operation in the Russian Navy on July 26, 2002 for testing the Bulava-M missile system.
- Project of transport submarine-ore carrier- together with the Norilsk Nickel company, the Rubin Central Design Bureau MT, in the 1990s, the possibility of converting the SSBN Project 941 into ore-carrying submarines was considered for transporting ore underwater along the Northern Sea Route.
Status: USSR / Russia
Satellite photograph of SSBN pr.941 (TK-208 or TK-202) in the harbor of the Sevmash Production Association in Severodvinsk, 10.10.1982. Photo taken by the American KH-9 surveillance satellite (http://www.air-defense.net /forum).
- 1992 - serial production of the R-39 SLBM for the SSBN Project 941 missile systems was discontinued. In the mid-1990s, it was planned to begin mass production of SLBMs, but work on these missiles ceased in 1998.
1994 - as part of the 18th submarine division of the Northern Fleet, 5 SSBNs.
2003 December 11 - a throw-launch of an SLBM was carried out from a surface position with a TK-208 SSBN during testing of the boat.
2004 September 23 - a throw-launch of an SLBM was carried out from an underwater position with a TK-208 SSBN during testing of the boat.
January 2005 - of the entire group of SSBN Project 941, only 10 R-39 SLBMs remain in service with the TK-20 SSBN.
May 2010 - Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy V. Vysotsky stated that the reserve SSBNs Project 941 "Arkhangelsk" and "Severstal" will serve in the Russian Navy until 2019 and may be modernized.
2011 September 29 - the decision of the Russian Ministry of Defense to decommission SSBN Project 941 by 2014 was announced in the media. SSBNs decommissioned will be disposed of.
2011 September 30 - the media refuted the message dated September 29, 2011 about the decommissioning and disposal of SSBN Project 941.
Aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya of the Indian Navy and SSBN "Dmitry Donskoy" pr.941UM at the Sevmash Production Association in Severodvinsk, photo - November 2011 (photo from the nosikot archive, http://navy-rus.livejournal.com).
- 2011 December 02 - Director of PA "Sevmash" Andrey Dyachkov stated in the media that the SSBN pr.941UM "Dmitry Donskoy", assigned to the Belomorsk naval base (Severodvinsk), will be used in testing submarines of new projects as an experimental one. The fate of the Arkhangelsk and Severstal SSBNs has not yet been decided.
February 9, 2012 - Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy Vladimir Vysotsky stated that two SSBNs of the project - "Sevrstal" and "Arkhangelsk" - in the coming years with their standard weapons - retained R-39 missiles - will remain in service with the Russian Navy, the third boat of the project - "Yuri Dolgoruky" will be used as an experimental submarine and in the SLBM testing program, as well as to support testing of other submarines.
July 30, 2012 - SSBN TK-208 "Dmitry Donskoy" is located in the Sukhona floating dock on the territory of the Sevmash Production Association.
SSBN TK-208 "Dmitry Donskoy" in the floating dock "Sukhona" on the territory of PA "Sevmash", 07/30/2012 (photo - Oleg Kuleshov, http://kuleshovoleg.livejournal.com).
- 2013 May 21 - information appeared in the media, citing a source in the Ministry of Defense, that the dismantlement of the Severstal and Arkhangelsk SSBNs will be carried out before 2020.
Return to Severodvinsk to support testing of other submarines SSBN "Dmitry Donskoy" pr.941UM, 06/28/2013 (photo - Oleg Kuleshov, http://kuleshovoleg.livejournal.com/).
SSBN TK-208 "Dmitry Donskoy" pr.941UM near the wall of the Sevmash production facility, Severodvinsk, October or spring 2014 (photo - Slava Stepanov, http://gelio.livejournal.com/).
Composition of the SSBN Project 941 group as part of the Navy of the USSR and Russia (as of December 2011):
| Year | SSBN | SLBM | SSBN composition | Note |
| 1982 | 1 | 20 | TK-208 | |
| 1984 | 2 | 40 | TK-208, TK-202 | 18th Division of the Northern Fleet, Western Litsa |
| 1985 | 3 | 60 | TK-208, TK-202, TK-12 | 18th Division of the Northern Fleet, Western Litsa |
| 1986 | 4 | 80 | TK-208, TK-202, TK-12, TK-13 | 18th Division of the Northern Fleet, Western Litsa |
| 1988 | 5 | 100 | TK-208, TK-202, TK-12, TK-13, TK-17 | 18th Division of the Northern Fleet, Western Litsa |
| 1990 | 5 | 100 | TK-202, TK-12, TK-13, TK-17, TK-20 | 18th Division of the Northern Fleet, Zapadnaya Litsa, TK-208 - in medium repair at Sevmash Production Association |
| 1994 | 5 | 100 | TK-202, TK-12, TK-13, TK-17, TK-20 | 18th Division of the Northern Fleet, Zapadnaya Litsa, TK-208 - in medium repair at Sevmash Production Association |
| 2005 January | 3 | 10 | TK-208, TK-17, TK-20 | Ammunition for SSBN TK-20 - 10 SLBM R-39 |
| 2011 | 3 | 0 | TK-208, TK-17, TK-20 | TK-208 - experimental SSBN, the rest are in reserve without SLBMs |
Register of SSBN pr.941(version as of September 30, 2011, double dates due to different data):
| № pp | Name | Project | NATO | Factory. № | Factory | Bookmark date | Launch date | Date entered. into operation | Write-off date | Basing and note |
| 01 | TK-208 "Dmitry Donskoy" (from 10/07/2000) | 941 941U | TYPHOON | 711 | Sevmash | 17.06.1976 30.06.1976 | 23.09.1980 27.09.1980 | 12.12.1981 29.12.1981 07/26/2002 (project 941U) | Northern Fleet 2011 - part of the Navy, Northern Fleet; The SSBN is equipped and used to test SLBMs. |
|
| 02 | TK-202 | 941 | TYPHOON | 712 | Sevmash | 22.04.1978 | 23.09.1982 | 28.12.1983 | 2000 | Northern Fleet SSBN stripped to metal with American financing |
| 03 | TK-12 "Simbirsk" | 941 | TYPHOON | 713 | Sevmash, responsible deliverer Yu.N. Grechkov ( ist. - Kantor B...) | 19.04.1980 | 17.12.1983 | 26.12.1984 | 08/31/2005 | Northern Fleet 07/26/2005 delivered to Severodvinsk for cutting, cut into metal with American financing |
| 04 | TK-13 | 941 | TYPHOON | 724 | Sevmash | 23.02.1982 | 30.04.1985 | 26.12.1985 | 1998 | Northern Fleet SSBN dismantlement began in the docking chamber of the Zvezdochka Shipyard in Severodvinsk on July 3, 2008. |
| 05 | TK-17 "Arkhangelsk" | 941 | TYPHOON | 725 | Sevmash | 09.08.1983 24.02.1985 | 12.12.1986 August 1986 | 06.11.1987 15.12.1987 | plan for 2014 according to some and 2019 according to other data | Northern Fleet |
| 06 | TK-20 "Severstal" | 941 | TYPHOON | 727 | Sevmash | 27.08.1985 06.01.1987 | 19.12.1989 04.09.1989 | plan for 2014 according to some and 2019 according to other data | Northern Fleet due to lack of ammunition in 2006 it was put into reserve, 2011 - part of the Navy, in reserve, Northern Fleet |
|
| 07 | TK-210 | 941 | TYPHOON | 728 | Sevmash | 1986 mid | - | - | - | the boat was laid down, the groundwork was being prepared, in 1988 construction was stopped when it was 40% complete, the groundwork was dismantled for metal in 1990. |
Side numbers:
| Year | TK-208 | TK-202 | TK-12 | TK-13 | TK-17 | TK-20 |
| 1990 | 834 | 821 | 840 | 818 | 830 | |
| 1994 | 824 | , 2011
In the fall of 2011, reports appeared in the domestic media according to which it was planned to decommission and dismantle all remaining Project 941 Akula nuclear submarines by 2014. The next day, Defense Department officials denied this information. As it turns out, these submarines will remain in the fleet in the coming years. Since then, new reports have been received from time to time about future fate"Sharks." First of all, the possible modernization of these boats is mentioned. However, the repair and re-equipment of the Sharks is sometimes called impractical, because there are only three such boats left in service. But in the early eighties, the Soviet Union was going to build ten Project 941 submarines. Why, instead of the ten largest submarines in the world, does our country now have only three?
When at the Rubin Central Design Bureau for Medical Sciences under the leadership of S.N. Kovalev, the development of Project 941 began, the fleet command could express quite bold wishes. According to some sources, the possibility of building a series of twelve new submarines was seriously considered. Apparently, for economic reasons, it was subsequently reduced to ten ships. Despite this reduction, the mid-seventies, when the project was created, can be called one of the most best periods in the history of the Russian Navy. Therefore, only three and a half years passed from the issuance of tactical and technical specifications to the laying of the lead “Shark”. Four years later, the first boat of the TK-208 project left the stocks and entered service in December 1981. Thus, it took about nine years to create the lead submarine.
Until 1986-87, seven Project 941 submarines were laid down at the Severodvinsk Sevmash plant. However, problems began already in 1988. Due to a number of financial and political problems, the seventh submarine, 35-40 percent complete, was cut into metal. The last three boats of the series generally remained at the stage preliminary preparation to construction. Perestroika began in the country and funding for defense projects decreased significantly. In addition, the former (?) potential enemy, who was directly interested in the absence of such equipment, learned about the new submarines.
It's worth noting that the United States had good reason to be wary of the Sharks. Project 941 boats were the largest submarines in the world and carried substantial weapons. The original design of the boat with two main strong hulls located at a distance from each other made it possible to fit two dozen missile silos of the D-19 complex with R-39 missiles into the contours of the light hull. The record large size of Project 941 boats was due to the dimensions of the missiles. The P-39 had a length of 16 meters and simply did not fit on submarines of the old design, like the later versions of Project 667. At the same time, increasing the size of the boat made it possible to place on it comfortable cabins and quarters for the crew, a small recreation room, a gym, a swimming pool and even a sauna.
Both main pressure buildings housed one OK-650VV reactor with a thermal power of up to 190 MW. Two steam turbine units with turbo-gear units had a total power of up to 90-100 thousand horsepower. Thanks to this power plant, Project 941 boats with a displacement of 23-28 (surface) or 48-50 thousand tons (underwater) are capable of moving underwater at speeds of up to 25-27 knots. The maximum diving depth is 450-500 meters, autonomy is up to 120 days.
The main payload of the Sharks was R-39 ballistic missiles. These three-stage solid-fuel ammunition could fly to a range of about 8200-8500 kilometers and deliver ten warheads to targets with a capacity, according to various sources, from 100 to 200 kilotons. In combination with the unlimited cruising range and relatively low noise level of the carrier boat, the R-39 missile provided the Project 941 submarines with high combat characteristics. It is worth noting that the R-39 missiles were not very easy to use. Problems with them were associated, first of all, with weight and size parameters. With a length of 16 meters and a diameter of 2 meters, the rocket with so-called units. shock-absorbing rocket launch system (ARSS) weighed about 90 tons. After launch, the R-39 shed six tons of ARSS weight. However, despite such mass and size, the R-39 missile was considered suitable for use and put into production.
In general, the potential enemy had every reason to be afraid. In 1987, new cause for concern appeared. The Soviet Union decided to modernize all existing Sharks in accordance with the 941UTTH project. Its main difference from the basic project was the use of upgraded R-39UTTH missiles. Before the collapse of the USSR, Sevmash managed to finalize only one lead boat of the project, TK-208. Other submarines were not modernized - there was simply no money for it. Subsequently, the lack of money constantly affected the fate of the Sharks, and only in a negative way.
According to some sources, maintaining one “Akula” in combat-ready condition cost 1.5-2 times more than operating Project 667BDRM boats. In addition, in the late eighties and early nineties, the leadership of our country was ready to make a variety of concessions in international negotiations, including those that were obviously disadvantageous for its own defense capability. As a result of consultations with, as they began to say, foreign partners, the construction of the seventh submarine of the series was completely forgotten, and half of those manufactured were decided to be gradually written off and disposed of. In addition, in the early nineties, production of R-39 missiles ceased. The submarines risked being left without their main one.
Due to insufficient funding, Project 941 boats sat at the piers almost all the time without any hope of going out. The first submarine to leave the fleet was the submarine cruiser TK-202. Disposal was delayed: instead of the planned start in 1997, work began only in 1999. The cutting into pins and needles was completed by the mid-2000s. In 1997-98, two other boats, TK-12 and TK-13, were excluded from the fleet’s operational strength. They stood at the piers for a very long time, and at the beginning of the 2000s there was hope for their return. The option of returning the TK-12 boat to service was considered. In addition, she was supposed to receive the name “Simbirsk”, since the administration of the city of Ulyanovsk expressed a desire to take patronage over her. But these proposals did not come to fruition. In 2004, the United States achieved the start of recycling the boat. The contract for the destruction of the last TK-13 submarine was signed in 2007. A few months later work began.
As we see, the “foreign partners” were still able to push through a solution that was beneficial to them. The importance of destroying the Sharks is perfectly illustrated by the fact that about 75-80% of the costs of dismantling the boats were paid by the United States and NATO. In total, they spent about $25 million. Probably, due to the danger of Soviet and Russian submarine cruisers, they were ready to once again shell out sums of this order for the disposal of the remaining Russian submarines, including other projects.
A completely fair question may arise: why didn’t the Russian leadership break the agreement on the joint destruction of unique boats? There are reasons for this. During the first years, our country simply did not have the opportunity to fully maintain all six submarines. Without proper maintenance, nuclear power plants could cause colossal environmental disasters. Later, at the beginning of the 2000s, money appeared, but at the same time another problem appeared. By the end of the nineties, the lack of missile production began to take its toll. A little later, the situation with ammunition became fatal: in 2005, reports appeared that there were only ten R-39 missiles for three submarines. In other words, it was not possible to equip even one submarine.
It is worth noting that the command of the navy drew attention to this problem back in the mid-nineties. In 1998, modernization of the TK-208 submarine began in accordance with project 941U (another designation “941M”). Instead of old launchers, several new silos were installed on the boat, designed to use R-30 Bulava missiles. The development of this rocket had just begun at that time, but appropriate measures were already being taken for testing and subsequent operation. After repairs, in 2002, the TK-208 boat received the name “Dmitry Donskoy”, and in 2003 it began to participate in the Bulava tests.
The operation of the Dmitry Donskoy submarine continues to this day. The other two remaining boats were less fortunate: they were not modernized. In 2004, TK-17 Arkhangelsk and TK-20 Severstal were put into reserve. In the fall of 2001, the Severstal boat went on a cruise to conduct two training launches. Together with the sailors, television journalists went to the place where the combat training mission was carried out, filming documentary“Russian “Shark””. Subsequently, the footage was repeatedly used in various films about record-breaking submarines. Ironically, these shootings turned out to be the last this moment in the biography of the TK-20 boat.
After memorable statements from an unnamed source in 2011, the situation with Project 941 boats has repeatedly become the subject of discussion. A couple of months after the official denial of decommissioning, the management of the Sevmash plant confirmed that the Dmitry Donskoy submarine will henceforth be used as an experimental submarine for testing technologies and technical solutions, intended for promising projects. The further fate of Arkhangelsk and Severstal was not known at that time. At the beginning of 2012, the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy, V. Vysotsky, said that all three existing submarines would remain in the fleet and would be in operation over the next years. The situation with the lack of missiles was not commented on. Since then, there have been no official reports about the fate of the remaining Project 941 submarines. Probably, due to the lack of any clear prospects, Severstal and Arkhangelsk will remain in the fleet for several more years and then will be decommissioned. At least now no one is going to upgrade them to use R-30 missiles. Probably, the fleet command assessed the possibilities and prospects of such modernization and came to the appropriate conclusions.
Project 941 submarines were unlucky to appear during a very difficult period in history. In the midst of their construction, transformations began that ultimately proved fatal for the country. Elimination of their consequences took many more years and as a result, the Sharks spent most of their lives at the pier. Now that it is possible to find opportunities to return the boats to service, the feasibility of this has begun to raise questions. Despite record-breaking characteristics for their time, the Project 941 boats are quite outdated and it will be necessary to invest as much money in updating them as would be spent on creating a completely new project. Does this make sense?
Based on materials from sites:
http://flot.com/
http://rbase.new-factoria.ru/
http://deepstorm.ru/
http://lenta.ru/
http://ria.ru/
http://militaryrussia.ru/blog/topic-578.html
Nerpichya Bay, 2004. Reserve. Photo http://ru-submarine.livejournal.com
“You are a liar, Nam-Bok, for everyone knows that iron cannot float.”
/Jack London/
Dear comrades, many of you have probably visited naval salons and climbed uncomfortable, shaking gangways onto the decks of huge ships. We wandered around the upper deck, looking at missile launch containers, spreading branches of radars and other fantastic systems.
Even such simple things as the thickness of an anchor chain (each link is about a pound of weight) or the radius of sweeping the barrels of naval artillery (the size of a country “six hundred square meters”) can cause sincere shock and bewilderment in the unprepared average person.
The dimensions of the ship's mechanisms are simply enormous. Such things are not found in ordinary life - we learn about the existence of these cyclopean objects only during a visit to the ship on the next Navy Day (Victory Day, during the St. Petersburg International Naval Show, etc.).
Indeed, from the point of view of an individual, small or large ships do not exist. Marine technology is amazing in its size - standing on the pier next to a moored corvette, a person looks like a grain of sand against the backdrop of a huge rock. The “tiny” 2500-ton corvette looks like a cruiser, but the “real” cruiser has generally paranormal dimensions and looks like a floating city.
The reason for this paradox is obvious:
An ordinary four-axle railway car (gondola car), loaded to the brim with iron ore, has a mass of about 90 tons. A very bulky and heavy thing.
In the case of the 11,000-ton missile cruiser Moskva, we have only 11,000 tons metal structures, cables and fuel. The equivalent is 120 railway cars with ore, densely concentrated in a single massif.
Anchor of the submarine missile carrier pr. 941 "Shark"
How does water hold THIS?! Conning tower of the battleship New Jersey
But the cruiser "Moscow" is not the limit - the American aircraft carrier "Nimitz" has a total displacement of more than 100 thousand tons.
Truly, great is Archimedes, whose immortal law allows these giants to stay afloat!
A big difference
Unlike surface ships and vessels that can be seen in any port, the underwater component of the fleet has an increased degree of stealth. Submarines are difficult to see even when entering the base, largely due to the special status of the modern submarine fleet.
Nuclear technologies, danger zone, state secrets, objects of strategic importance; closed cities with special passport regime. All this does not add to the popularity of the “steel coffins” and their glorious crews. Nuclear boats quietly nest in secluded coves of the Arctic or hide from prying eyes on the coast of distant Kamchatka. Nothing has been heard of the existence of boats in peacetime. They are not suitable for naval parades and the notorious “flag display”. The only thing these sleek black ships can do is kill.
Baby S-189 against the backdrop of the Mistral
What do “Loaf” or “Pike” look like? How big is the legendary "Shark"? Is it true that it doesn't fit in the ocean?
It is quite difficult to clarify this issue - there are no visual aids on this matter. Museum submarines K-21 (Severomorsk), S-189 (St. Petersburg) or S-56 (Vladivostok) are half a century old “diesel engines” from the Second World War* and do not give any idea about the real size of modern submarines.
*even the relatively “fresh” S-189 built in the 1950s was created on the basis of the captured German “Electrobot”
The reader will certainly learn a lot of interesting things from the following illustration:
Comparative sizes of silhouettes of modern submarines on a single scale
The thickest “fish” is the Project 941 heavy strategic missile submarine (code “Shark”).
Below is an American Ohio-class SSBN.
Even lower is the underwater “aircraft carrier killer” of Project 949A, the so-called. “Baton” (it was to this project that the lost “Kursk” belonged).
Hidden in the lower left corner is a multi-purpose Russian nuclear submarine of Project 971 (code “Shchuka-B”)
And the smallest boat shown in the illustration is the modern German diesel-electric submarine Type 212.
Of course, the greatest public interest is associated with “Shark”(aka “Typhoon” according to NATO classification). The boat is truly amazing: the hull length is 173 meters, the height from the bottom to the roof of the deckhouse is equal to a 9-story building!
Surface displacement - 23,000 tons; underwater - 48,000 tons. The numbers clearly indicate a colossal reserve of buoyancy - to submerge the Shark, more than 20 thousand tons of water are pumped into the boat’s ballast tanks. As a result, the “Shark” received the funny nickname “water carrier” in the navy.
Despite all the seeming irrationality of this decision (why does a submarine have such a large reserve of buoyancy??), the “water carrier” has its own characteristics and even advantages: when on the surface, the draft of the monstrous monster is slightly greater than that of “ordinary” submarines - about 11 meters. This allows you to enter any home base without the risk of running aground, and use all available infrastructure for servicing nuclear submarines. In addition, the huge reserve of buoyancy turns the Akula into a powerful icebreaker. When the tanks are blown, the boat, according to Archimedes’ law, “rushes” upward with such force that even a 2-meter layer of rock-hard arctic ice cannot stop it. Thanks to this circumstance, the “Sharks” could carry out combat duty in the highest latitudes, right up to the North Pole.
But even on the surface, the “Shark” surprises with its dimensions. How else? - the largest boat in world history!
You can admire the shark’s appearance for a long time:
"Akula" and one of the SSBNs of the 677 family
Modern SSBN Project 955 "Borey" against the backdrop of a gigantic fish
The reason is simple: two submarines are hidden under a light, streamlined hull: the “Shark” is made according to the “catamaran” design with two durable hulls made of titanium alloys. 19 isolated compartments, a duplicate power plant (each of the durable hulls has an independent OK-650 nuclear steam generating unit with a thermal power of 190 MW), as well as two pop-up rescue capsules designed for the entire crew...
Needless to say, in terms of survivability, safety and convenience of personnel accommodation, this floating Hilton was beyond competition.
Loading the 90-ton “Kuzka mother”
In total, the boat's ammunition load included 20 R-39 solid-fuel SLBMs
Ohio
No less surprising is the comparison of the American submarine missile carrier "Ohio" and the domestic TRPKSN project "Shark" - it suddenly turns out that their dimensions are identical (length 171 meters, draft 11 meters) ... while the displacement differs significantly! How so?
There is no secret here - "Ohio" is almost half as wide as the Soviet monster - 23 versus 13 meters. However, it would be unfair to call the Ohio a small boat - 16,700 tons of steel structures and materials inspire respect. The Ohio's underwater displacement is even greater - 18,700 tons.
Carrier Killer
Another underwater monster, whose displacement exceeded the achievements of the Ohio (water and surface - 14,700, underwater - 24,000 tons).
One of the most powerful and advanced boats of the Cold War. 24 supersonic cruise missiles with a launch weight of 7 tons; eight torpedo tubes; nine isolated compartments. The operating depth range is more than 500 meters. Underwater speed over 30 knots.
In order to accelerate the “loaf” to such speeds, the boat uses a two-reactor power plant - uranium assemblies in two OK-650 reactors burn day and night with a terrible black fire. The total energy output is 380 Megawatts - enough to provide electricity to a city of 100,000 inhabitants.
"Baton" and Shark
Two "loaves"
But how justified was the construction of such monsters to solve tactical problems? According to a widespread legend, the cost of each of the 11 boats built reached half the cost of the aircraft-carrying cruiser Admiral Kuznetsov! At the same time, the “loaf” was focused on solving purely tactical problems - exterminating AUGs, convoys, disrupting enemy communications...
Time has shown that multi-purpose nuclear submarines are most effective for such operations, for example -
Shchuka-B
A series of Soviet nuclear multi-purpose boats of the third generation. The most formidable underwater before the appearance American nuclear submarines"Seawolf" type.
But don’t think that Pike-B is so small and puny. Size is a relative value. Suffice it to say that the baby does not fit on a football field. The boat is huge. Surface displacement - 8100, underwater - 12,800 tons (in the latest modifications it increased by another 1000 tons).
This time, the designers made do with one OK-650 reactor, one turbine, one shaft and one propeller. Excellent dynamics remained at the level of the 949th “loaf”. A modern sonar system and a luxurious set of weapons appeared: deep-sea and homing torpedoes, Granat cruise missiles (in the future - Caliber), Shkval missile-torpedoes, Vodopad anti-missile missiles, thick 65-76 torpedoes, mines... at the same time , the huge ship is piloted by a crew of just 73 people.
Why do I say “total”? Just an example: to operate a modern American analogue of the Pike, an unsurpassed underwater killer of the Los Angeles type, a crew of 130 people is required! At the same time, the American, as usual, is extremely saturated with radio electronics and automation systems, and its dimensions are 25% smaller (displacement - 6000/7000 tons).
By the way, an interesting question: why are American boats always smaller? Is it really all the fault of “Soviet microcircuits - the largest microcircuits in the world”?!
The answer will seem banal - American boats have a single-hull design and, as a result, a smaller buoyancy reserve. That is why the “Los Angeles” and “Virginia” have such a small difference in the values of surface and underwater displacement.
What is the difference between a single-hull and a double-hull boat? In the first case, ballast tanks are located inside a single durable housing. This arrangement takes up part of the internal volume and, in a certain sense, negatively affects the survivability of the submarine. And, of course, single-hull nuclear submarines have a much smaller buoyancy reserve. At the same time, this makes the boat small (as small as a modern nuclear submarine can be) and quieter.
Domestic boats are traditionally built using a double-hull design. All ballast tanks and auxiliary deep-sea equipment (cables, antennas, towed sonar) are located outside the pressure hull. The stiffening ribs of the robust housing are also located on the outside, saving precious volume interior spaces. From above, all this is covered with a light “shell”.
Advantages: a reserve of free space inside a durable case, allowing for the implementation of special layout solutions. A larger number of systems and weapons on board the boat, increased unsinkability and survivability (additional shock absorption in case of nearby explosions, etc.).
Nuclear waste storage facility in Sayda Bay (Kola Peninsula)
Dozens of submarine reactor compartments are visible. The ugly “rings” are nothing more than stiffening ribs of a durable case (the light case has been previously removed)
This scheme also has disadvantages and there is no escape from them: larger dimensions and area of wetted surfaces. The direct consequence is that the boat is noisier. And if there is a resonance between the durable and lightweight body...
Don’t be fooled by hearing about the above-mentioned “reserve of free space”. It is still forbidden to ride mopeds or play golf inside the compartments of Russian Shchukas - the entire reserve was spent on installing numerous sealed bulkheads. Number of habitable compartments per Russian boats usually fluctuates between 7...9 units. The maximum was achieved on the legendary “Sharks” - as many as 19 compartments, excluding sealed technological modules in the space of the light hull.
For comparison, the robust hull of the American Los Angeles aircraft is divided by hermetic bulkheads into only three compartments: central, reactor and turbine (of course, not counting the insulated deck system). Americans, traditionally, rely on the high quality of manufacturing of hull structures, the reliability of equipment and qualified personnel in the crews of submarines.
Like these ones key differences underwater shipbuilding schools on different sides of the ocean. But the boats are still huge.
A whopping big fish. American multi-purpose submarine of the Seawolf class
Another comparison on the same scale. It turns out that the "Shark" is not so large compared to the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier of the "Nimitz" type or the TAVKR "Admiral Kuznetsov" - the size of aircraft-carrying ships is completely paranormal. The victory of technology over common sense
The small fish on the left is the diesel-electric submarine "Varshavyanka"
Transportation of cut out reactor compartments of nuclear submarines
The newest Russian multi-purpose nuclear submarine K-329 "Severodvinsk" (scheduled for commissioning into the Navy in 2013).
Two Sharks being scrapped are visible in the background.
In the titanium body of the underwater ship, stuffed with electronics and subject to the will of a specially trained team, there are twenty-four missiles weighing ninety tons each. This article will focus on the colossus of the Cold War era - the nuclear submarine cruiser. Few people know how huge he really was.
Once the largest nuclear submarine of the Akula class, with a height of 25 meters and a width of more than 23, it was capable of single-handedly inflicting fatal damage on almost any country in the world. Currently, two of the three missile cruisers of Project 941 are not capable of boasting such power. Why? They need major repairs. And the third, “Dmitry Donskoy”, also known as TK-208, recently completed its modernization process and is now equipped with the Bulava missile system. New launch tubes were inserted into the existing silos intended for 24 R-39 missiles. The new rocket is smaller in size than its predecessors.
What is the future for strategic cruisers?
The budget allocates 300 million rubles annually for the maintenance of one submarine. But is it worth maintaining such a powerful, but unnecessary weapon today? A total of six underwater giants were built, we already know the condition of three of them, but what happened to the rest? The nuclear fuel contained in the reactor blocks was removed from them, cut up, sealed and buried in the northern part of Russia. In this way, the state saved the budget; many billions could have been spent on maintaining submarines. The nuclear-powered cruiser was born in response to US actions - the introduction of Ohio-class submarines equipped with twenty-four intercontinental ballistic missiles.
For your information, the United States annually spends 400 billion dollars on armament and modernization of the army. In Russia, this amount is tens of times less, but it is worth considering that the territory of our country is much larger than the United States. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, the resulting chaos buried many long-term plans - the new leaders at that time had different goals and objectives. Three of the six Akulas were lost; the seventh, TK-201, never made it out of the container - it was dismantled during the assembly process in 1990.
The uniqueness of the largest submarine is difficult to overestimate - this large vessel has a high speed. Surprisingly, for such dimensions the submarine is silent and has excellent buoyancy. It is not afraid of the icy waters of the Arctic - the “Shark” can spend many months swimming under the ice. The ship can float anywhere – the thickness of the ice is not a hindrance. The submarine is equipped effective system detection of anti-submarine submarines launched by the enemy.
The most dangerous submarine
September 1980 - a Soviet submarine touched the water surface for the first time. Its dimensions were impressive - its height is two-story house, and the length is comparable to two football fields. The unusual size made an indelible impression on those present - delight, joy, pride. Tests took place in the White Sea and the North Pole area.
The Akula submarine is capable of something that the commander of a nuclear submarine belonging to NATO countries would never dare to do - move under thick ice in shallow water. No other submarine is capable of repeating this maneuver - the risk of damaging the submarine is too great.
Modern military strategy has shown the ineffectiveness of stationary missiles - before they fly out of the launch silos, they will be hit by a missile strike, spotted from a satellite. But a freely moving nuclear submarine equipped with a missile launcher could become the General Staff's trump card Russian Federation. Each submarine is equipped with a rescue chamber capable of accommodating the entire crew in emergency.
The submarine has created conditions of increased comfort - the officers are given cabins with TVs and air conditioners, and the rest of the crew are given small quarters. On the territory of the submarine there is a swimming pool, a gym, a solarium, but that’s not all, there is a sauna and a living corner. If you are lucky and you ever see this colossus in person, then know that when the boat is on the surface, we can see up to the upper white line - everything else is hidden by the water column.
Demand for nuclear submarines
The question of transferring the submarine from military service for peaceful activities. Probably, the maintenance costs would be more than recouped. "Shark" is capable of transporting cargo - up to ten thousand tons. The advantages are obvious - the submarine is not afraid of storms or sea pirates. The vessel is safe and fast - irreplaceable qualities in the northern seas. No ice would prevent the cargo from reaching the northern ports. This fruit of many years of hard work by scientific minds could be beneficial for many years to come.
Among all the various achievements of mankind, there are many records, the authorship of which belongs to our compatriots. One of these is the creation of the largest submarine in the world. The Soviet submarine cruisers of the Akula project, built in the 1980s, remain unparalleled in size to this day.
The height of the Akula project submarine is approximately equal to the height of a nine-story building. Now imagine a nine-story building confidently moving forward at a depth of several hundred meters - such a picture can shock even a not very impressionable person!
But the Soviet designers working on “Project 941” thought about records in the last place. The main task was to ensure the preservation of military parity between the USSR and the USA.
By the 1970s, it became obvious that submarines carrying nuclear weapons played a very important role in ensuring national security.
The leadership of the USSR learned from intelligence reports that work had begun in the United States to create a new generation of nuclear submarines. The new Ohio-class missile carriers were supposed to provide the United States with an overwhelming advantage in sea-based nuclear carriers.
In December 1972, the Central Design Bureau of Marine Equipment "Rubin" received tactical and technical assignments for the design of a third-generation Soviet missile carrier. The chief designer of the project was Sergey Kovalev, the legendary creator of Soviet missile submarines.
"Shark", view from the right shell. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org
Size matters
On December 19, 1973, the government of the Soviet Union decided to begin work on the design and construction of a new generation of strategic missile carriers.
The new Soviet three-stage intercontinental ballistic missile R-39, specially designed for arming submarines of a new type, was superior in its performance to the American counterpart Trident-I. R-39 had best characteristics flight range, throw weight and had 10 blocks versus 8 for the Trident.
But you have to pay for everything. High quality The R-39 was combined with dimensions unprecedented for sea-based missiles - almost twice as long and three times as heavy as its American counterpart.
This meant that it was necessary to develop a completely unique submarine cruiser, the size of which would have no analogues.
As a result, the Project 941 missile cruisers had the greatest length - 172.8 meters, the greatest hull width - 23.3 meters, a surface displacement of 23,200 tons and an underwater displacement of 48,000 tons.
The lead ship of the series, which was supposed to build 7 missile carriers, was laid down at the Sevmash plant in 1976. The launch of TK (heavy cruiser) 208 took place on September 23, 1980.
Anchor "Shark" in Severodvinsk. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org / Schekinov Alexey Victorovich
"Sharks" of different types
When the hull of the boat was still in the stocks, on its bow, below the waterline, a drawn grinning shark could be seen, which was wrapped around a trident. And although after the descent, when the boat got into the water, the shark with the trident disappeared under the water and no one saw it again, the cruiser was already popularly dubbed the “Shark”. All subsequent boats of this class continued to be called the same, and a special sleeve patch with the image of a shark was introduced for their crews.
There is a certain confusion with domestic underwater “Sharks”. The name of the project does not refer to any of the boats included in it. According to NATO codification, this project is called “Typhoon”.
In NATO codification, “Sharks” refer to domestic multipurpose submarines of Project 971 “Shchuka-B”. The lead boat of this project, K-284, bore its own name “Shark”, without having anything to do with the “Rocket Sharks”.
And the first “Shark” in the history of the Russian submarine fleet was a submarine designed engineer Ivan Bubnov, launched in 1909. The Akula, which became the first underwater ship in the Russian Navy, created according to a Russian design, was lost in the Baltic during the First World War.
But let's return to the "Record Shark". The first boat of the new project, TK-208, entered service with the USSR Navy in December 1981, almost simultaneously with its competitor Ohio.
"Shark" in the ice. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org / Bellona foundation
High reliability missile carrier
The main type of weapons of the missile carrier are 20 three-stage solid-fuel ballistic missiles R-39. The missiles have a multiple warhead with 10 individually guided warheads, each containing 100 kilotons of TNT, and the missiles' flight range is 8,300 km.
From Akula project boats, the entire ammunition load can be launched in one salvo; the interval between missile launches is minimal. Missiles can be launched from the surface and underwater; in the case of launch from an underwater position, the immersion depth is up to 55 meters, restrictions on weather conditions There are no rocket launchers.
Unlike American Ohio-class submarines, which were primarily built for service in tropical waters, Akula-class missile carriers have increased strength, allowing them to break ice 2.5 meters thick. This makes it possible for the Akula to carry out combat duty in the Far North and even directly at the North Pole.
One of the design features of the boat is the presence of five habitable durable hulls inside a light hull, two of which are the main ones, their largest diameter is 10 meters, they are located according to the catamaran principle - parallel to each other. Missile silos with missile systems are located in the front of the ship, between the main pressure hulls. In addition, the boat is equipped with three sealed compartments: a torpedo compartment, a control module compartment with a central post and an aft mechanical compartment.
The durable cases were made from titanium alloys, the lightweight case was made of steel and had a non-resonant anti-location and sound-insulating coating, the weight of which was 800 tons.
The unique design of the Akula ensures the survival of the crew in the event of an emergency on board, similar to the one that occurred on the Kursk submarine.
Ohio class nuclear submarine. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org
"Floating Hilton"
Not only the combat characteristics of the new submarines were unique, but also almost everything connected with them.
The project included the construction of a special submarine training center in Obninsk near Moscow with all the infrastructure for crew members and their families.
It was assumed that each of the "Sharks" would receive three crews - two main and one technical, who would serve on a rotational basis.
The first crew, having completed a combat tour lasting 2-3 months, was supposed to leave the base in the Moscow region, and then go on vacation. At this time, a technical crew was supposed to work on the boat. At the end repair work the technical crew handed the boat over to the second main crew, who were rested, had additional training in Obninsk and were ready to go to sea.
Much attention was paid to the life of submariners on the boat itself. A relaxation lounge, a sauna, a solarium, a gym, two wardrooms and even a swimming pool - Soviet submariners had never seen anything like this before. As a result, the Sharks received another nickname: the “floating Hilton.”
At home among the whales
The main weakness of the first domestic nuclear submarines was high level noise that unmasks them. The Sharks' hulls were designed so well that the noise level was significantly lower than even the designers expected. For the Americans, the “silence” of the “Shark” was an unpleasant surprise. Indeed, it feels somehow uncomfortable to think that somewhere in the ocean a “nine-story building” is moving silently and imperceptibly, with its salvo capable of turning several American megacities into a radioactive desert.
Submariners assure that the “Shark” managed to merge with the ocean so much that whales and killer whales often mistook the missile carrier for a relative, thereby creating an additional “cover” for it.
The appearance of Project 941 Akula missile carriers in the USSR Navy deprived the US military command of hopes of acquiring an overwhelming advantage over the USSR in sea-based nuclear forces.
But big politics intervened in the history of this project. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, US representatives, proposing new disarmament treaties, showed keen interest in the decommissioning and disposal of Soviet Sharks.
TK-202 in 1999, before disposal. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org
The first one is also the last one
Of the seven planned Sharks, six were built, the last of which was accepted into the fleet in September 1989. The hull structures of the seventh boat were dismantled in 1990.
TK-202, TK-12 "Simbirsk" and TK-13 were disposed of between 2005 and 2009 with financial support from the United States. TK-17 "Arkhangelsk" and TK-20 "Severstal" were withdrawn to the fleet reserve in 2004-2006 due to lack of ammunition and are now also awaiting disposal.
The only missile carrier of the Akula project that still remains in service is the same submarine TK-208, launched on September 23, 1980.
In 2002, TK-208 was given the name “Dmitry Donskoy”. The largest submarine missile carrier in the world has undergone modernization under Project 941 UM and is now converted to the Bulava missile system. It was from the Dmitry Donskoy that most of the Bulava test launches were carried out. It is assumed that the missile carrier will continue to be used as a test platform for hydroacoustic complexes and weapons systems intended for the latest types of Russian submarines.