The US Navy's Worst Nightmare: Super Advanced Russian Submarines

[Onkel Neal]

The US Navy's Worst Nightmare: Super Advanced Russian Submarines

In recent years, the Russian navy has started to slowly recover from the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union. While the Russian surface fleet still faces quite a few challenges, the country’s submarine force has been more active than ever since the end of the Cold War. Though not near as large or as capable as the once mighty Soviet submarine fleet, some of the most advanced late Soviet-era designs are starting to enter service.

The best example is Russia’s Project 885 Yasen-class nuclear attack submarine K-329 Severodvinsk, which started construction in 1993 but only entered service in 2014. The massive cruise missile-carrying SSGN’s construction had been repeatedly delayed because of post-Soviet Russia’s budgetary woes. During the intervening years, many of the vessel’s components were rendered obsolete and the follow-on Project 885M vessels—starting with Kazan—will have many refinements. Nonetheless, Severodvinsk is by far the most capable submarine in the Russian fleet.

[Aktungbby]

MEh! the article really says it all. The first was laid down???!!!: "The best example is Russia’s Project 885 Yasen-class nuclear attack submarine K-329 Severodvinsk, which started construction in 1993 but only entered service in 2014. The massive cruise missile-carrying SSGN’s construction had been repeatedly delayed because of post-Soviet Russia’s budgetary woes. During the intervening years, many of the vessel’s components were rendered obsolete and the follow-on Project 885M vessels..." They hope to have eight of this class. "while the new Russian submarine is quieter than the Improved Los Angeles-class boats, the new vessel is not quite as silent as the Seawolf or Virginia-class. However, the Russians were always only lagging slightly behind the U.S. in quieting technology according to Navy sources." While the Project 885M is an impressive and very capable vessel, it is not quite an equal to the latest American boats in terms of acoustical or sensor performance. In terms of raw performance, the Severodvinsk and her sisters are likely more similar to the U.S. Navy’s three Seawolf-class attack boats The Yasen-class boats are fast, heavily armed and deep diving—and ideally the United States would have more Seawolf-class vessels to handle them. But while the Virginia-class subs don’t have the deep diving, high-speed open ocean performance of the Seawolf-class, it should be more than adequate to handle the handful of Project 885s that Russia builds. 1993 to the present in terms of strategic fruition indicates ongoing budgetary woes, however well concealed. The WWII Russian expression: "Numbers have a 'cachet' of their own" is their own bottom-line. They ain't got the numbers-we do-and ours will handle the job if they ever get the eight planned for.

[Jimbuna]

Most definitely quality and ability improved but in small enough numbers to easily counterbalance atm.

I wonder how long for though.

[ikalugin]

There is a significant capability growth from the 885 to 885M, because Severodvinsk was accepted into service without a number of 4th gen features, such as the older, 3rd gen reactor power plant and others.

In my opinion you should view 885M performance as compatable with Virginias, but with more than twice the firepower. And that is sonar/noise levels wise, without considering the speed/dive depth.

Note that 885M is the first "large" boat we have built to discard the full double hull in favor of partial double hull.

Firepower wise, 885M has a lot of potential, because of the 32 cell VLS it uses and the now revealed integration of hypersonic AShM - 3K22 into the UKSK VLS, which most likely would mean later integration of those weapons onto submerged platforms (885Ms - 32 weapons and 949AMs - 72 weapons).

Overall it appears that the largest challenge for us is the surface ship construction, but we are getting back on the track there with the 22350 construction. Note however that spending on the Navy began in earnest only in 2010 and there is an industrial lag.

It also appears that we plan to operate 1+7+7 885s and 885Ms by mid 2020s. In addition to 885Ms it also appears that we are constructing atleast one next gen submarine, with another likely to be layed down this year (in addition to 2 more 885Ms).

[Mr Quatro]

A sound in the ocean is just that a sound in the ocean ... the US Navy I suspect by now has captured every sound that an enemy combat capable ship ( including Russian and Chinese) submarines, has made.

The sonar soundmen on submarines (not surface ships yet) then consults his sound graph reader called a BQQ-13 and based on machinery noise alone can classify any contact.

The real problem is what is the range of said contact to add in to the firing configuration, but with a active ranging torpedo all you have to do is fire it in the general direction based on one contact of course or it would attack anything in the ocean.

Submarines are great, but it really depends on the sonarman and the captain doing his job correctly.

Unless they are already on patrol the Russians will never make it through it's transit zones to go to war.nor will the US Navy's submarines in Washington and Virgina and Georgia. Perhaps Pearl and Guam might get a few out.

Then you have nasty things called mines that can be planted to come up and smack anything they are programed to hear.

The point is these things are made to protect the mother country and we will probably never know which side wins.

Don't be afraid be ready

Go Navy

[ikalugin]

First of all, there are no accurate sound profiles for the 885M, primarily because there are none in service.

Second, US subs are not magical (nor are the Russian subs magical), nor are they focused on the Arctic region (with the pivot to Pacific), where those SSNs/SSGNs would be deployed. In general I think that submarines (of both RuN and USN) have a fairly good chance of leaving their basing locations, unless we are talking about a surprise nuclear attack.

[Kapitan]

I think westerners under estimate the Russians on a very big level, project 855M is very capable and very quiet and is defiantly a lot quieter than a 688i heck even the akula project 971 is know to be quieter !

the worst thing we can do is under estimate our opponent and the USN portrays Russia as a backward Bankrupt nation who's ships rust at the pier break down and can never be deployed.

Well here in is the fact, despite the break up of the USSR Russia in terms of tonnage maintains the 2nd largest navy on earth it is blue water capable and it is still a big threat but like iklugin said they do need to invest more in the surface units !

[ikalugin]

Interesting thing - with 4 SSNs comming out of repairs out availiable SSN force would go from 1 Sierra series, 1 Akula series and 2 Victor-IVs to 4 Akula series, 2 Sierra series and 2 Victor-IVs.

Plus there are atleast 4 Akulas in or awaiting modernisation, as well as 2 more Sierras.