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Old 10-21-06, 02:37 PM   #3
SUBMAN1
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Skybird
Quote:
Originally Posted by SUBMAN1
Here are the Alfa specs:

Laid down: 1974 Launched: 1977 Commissioned: 1977 General Characteristics Displacement: 2300 tons surfaced, 3200 tonnes submerged Length: 81.4 metres Beam: 9.5 metres Draught: 7.6 metres Propulsion: OK-155 or BM-40A, 155-MWt Lead cooled fast reactor
40000 shp steam turbine, one shaft Speed: 18-24 knots surfaced, 43-45 knots submerged Depth: 800 m test, 1300 m crush Complement: 27 officers, 4 petty officers Armament: Six 533-mm (21-inch) torpedo tubes:
18 SET-65 or 53-65K torpedoes
20 VA-111 Shkval torpedoes
21 SS-N-15 cruise missiles
12 SS-N-16 cruise missiles
24 mines

1300 meters = 4265 feet (That is deep)

45 knots is damn fast too. that is just barely over 51 MPH. Getting close to torpedo territory.
At that speed it would not trigger additional attention if they had attached a siren to the nose like those StuKas once had.
The Alfa isn't a quiet sub anyway. They created the Mk48 to go to 3000 feet+ just to catch it since I don't think stealth was on the drawingboard when this thing was designed. It was designed to come in, do its business, and then get the heck out of dodge before it could be attacked. at 45 knots, a torp would have a hard time catching it was the idea.

-S
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