Well as you guys know I am a huge fan of Russian built boats for me it’s a never-ending trail of discovery and I have met some fantastic people along the way.
For me I do feel that the western boats have little or no flare or character maybe with the exception of USS Halibut or USS Parche, it seems that the west just build’s one boat and the rest are mirror copies of the last with a few tweaks here and there, let’s face it once you seen one 688i you seen them all right? From the outside they are all identical, and I am not saying that as a bad thing it is very smart cuts down cost’s and its practical.
One thing I have to commend the Russians on is they are not afraid to step outside the box lets be truthful, 90% of our community will be able to tell the different submarine classes apart in the Russian Navy that’s almost certain, they really do sometimes go all out and overstep the mark sometimes.
For me I personally have to say I love the Project 971 Akula’s I also like the older boats such as the Tango’s and Romeos but the fact remains the West went for practicality and cost while the Russian’s tended to try and score one above.
The one above:
Nothing says above and beyond than that of the massive Oscar class Project 949 and 949A with the first two boats Arkhangelsk and Murmansk paid off and scrapped leaving only the modified Oscar II types in service this is one huge submarine.
At 24,000ton’s submerged displacement that’s heavier than the American Ohio class she is also twice as wide but some 70 feet shorter which gives for a very squat fat look.
Armed with Torpedo’s and SS-N-19 Shipwreck missiles designed to take out carrier battle groups the missile the Oscar II is armed with is defiantly one of the most advanced in the world, she also employs the VA-111 Skhval as well as other conventional missiles and torpedo’s.
oscar 2 2 by
Blair Shaw, on Flickr
Probably this class was bought to fame in August 2000 when the submarine K141 Kursk suffered a catastrophic explosion and sank sadly taking the lives of all 118 on board, now from what I hear and have been told because I do ask this question a lot I can honestly whole heartedly say every single submariner I have spoken to has said pretty much the same thing, “we respect them and feel for their families and we cannot imagine the suffering these guys went through” I have been across continents and countries and friend or “enemy” not a single person has ever said a bad thing about Kursk, so it is true what they say no matter what country you share the common bond.
Russia has always pushed the envelope of technology sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t, the Kursk wasn’t a push it was a tragic series of events.
Pushing the Envelope:
Many Russian boats pushed the boundaries the Project 705 and 705K Lira NATO Code name Al’fa certainly were a class like this with a liquid metal cooled reactor these small yet very fast boats would certainly have given a lot of other boats a run for their money
Odd Bits of Chatham by
Blair Shaw, on Flickr
The squat short lightweight hull with a very powerful reactor and a few crew made this one fast submarine, capable of a burst speed of 45 knots and a sustained speed of 42 knots this tiny submarine used a new hull form made of a titanium nickel alloy, although the Project 661 Anchar (Papa class) was faster in the sustained speed these boats really did lay down a gauntlet for the west which led to the development of what I personally consider one of the best torpedo’s produced the MK48 ADCAP.
You wanted made here it is, the only submarine to fire her battery of missiles from in front of the sail the Project 941 Akula NATO code named Typhoon
typhoon 103 by
Blair Shaw, on Flickr
typhoon 104 by
Blair Shaw, on Flickr
She is so large and so bold Hollywood made a film about her after Tom Clancy wrote the book hunt for red October this submarine is a statement she is the largest submarine constructed longer than the American Ohio twice as wide and carrying 20 missiles each weighing 90tons she displaces 48,000 tons of water when submerged (the same as a Tarawa LPA), she has twin side by side hulls two reactors two screws a swimming pool sauna and gym sounds more like a cruise ship.
However today only one TK208 remains in active service they are being replaced by the smaller more cost effective borei class submarines.
Odd Ball:
Here’s an ode to one submarine rarely seen photographed and in fact these are the only photographs I know of that show the existence of B555 a special projects submarine like no other, steeped in mystery most of her activities are still classified much like her western contemporise these pictures were taken by a former commander and are the only ones I know that exist of her.
Project 1840 Lima class she was withdrawn in 1993 and scrapped very quickly little is known about the boat so il leave the pictures to do the talking.
Project 1840 Lima by
Blair Shaw, on Flickr
Project 1840 Lima by
Blair Shaw, on Flickr
Another boat of note is the Project 677 Lada only one exists but you don’t see much of her let alone here about her she is the only one in her class active and appears to be used as a test platform, again not a lot is known other than it was the failed replacement of the Kilo class.
lada5 by
Blair Shaw, on Flickr
So this is the end of part one it is a WIP so please let me know what you think and if I should continue as I have a lot more to write out.