Kursk

[trenken]

A bit off topic, but there is a Kursk show on the History International channel right now if you have it. Damn that was a massive sub.

[AO1_AW_SW_USN]

Originally Posted by trenken

A bit off topic, but there is a Kursk show on the History International channel right now if you have it. Damn that was a massive sub.

Yeah, she... or in this case "He" because the Russians give masculine names for their ships... was large. But their Typoon Class SSBN's are the size of a WWII Fleet Carrier.

Imagine the HMS Illustrious submerging... yikes!

[trenken]

They showed some men on the deck and it was unbelievable how small they were compared to the size of the sub. They said it's twice as long as a jumbo jet. And about 60 feet wide.

[AO1_AW_SW_USN]

Originally Posted by trenken

They showed some men on the deck and it was unbelievable how small they were compared to the size of the sub. They said it's twice as long as a jumbo jet. And about 60 feet wide.

I can appreciate it, but I was spoiled while I was in the US Navy. I was stationed onboard a Nimitz Class Aircraft Carrier:

1153 Feet Long (1024 of flight deck)

268 Feet Wide

98,000 tons of displacement (108,000 tons combat loaded)

[trenken]

Well yeah you can't compare the Kursk to a modern carrier. But for a sub, it's just extremely huge. Was there ever a sub bigger than the Kursk?

[AO1_AW_SW_USN]

Originally Posted by trenken

Well yeah you can't compare the Kursk to a modern carrier. But for a sub, it's just extremely huge. Was there ever a sub bigger than the Kursk?

I wasn't trying to compare an Oscar II Class Soviet Submarine (Kursk) to a Nimitz Class American CVN. I simply meant that compared to what I was stationed on, it will have to be really large to impress me.

Yes, the Soviet Typhoon Class Submarine is significantly larger than an Oscar II Class, and any other modern submarine that is commissioned to date for that matter. Look at the comparison below.

Soviet Oscar II Class SSBN:
Displacement when surfaced: 14,700 tons maximum
Displacement when submerged: 24,000 tons
Length: 155 m
Beam: 18.2 meters
Draft: 9.2 meters

Soviet Typhoon Class SSBN:
Displacement when surfaced: 23,200-24,500 tons
Displacement when submerged: 33,800-48,000 tons
Length 175 m (574.15 ft)
Beam 23 m (74.5 ft)
Draft 12 m (39.37 ft)

US Ohio Class SSBN:
Displacement when surfaced 17,033 tons
Displacement when submerged: 19,000 tons
Length: 170.69 m (560 ft)
Beam: 12.8 m (42 ft)
Draft: 9.5 m

[JScones]

http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/russia/slbm/941.htm

[Tonnage_Ace]

Due to the fact that a modern submarine's mission is to remain undetected and covert until given the order to fire their missiles, as well as conduct spying missions, isn't it a little wierd that subs have gotten bigger and bigger? I mean, the IXD2 is easier to detect than a VIIC with ASDIC right? What did the Kursk have in the way of stealth if it wanted to get within firing range, off the US coast? Instead of having one very large sub carrying many warheads, wouldn't it make better sense having many, slim, smaller subs moving like slivers through America's sonar screens?

[AO1_AW_SW_USN]

Originally Posted by Tonnage_Ace

Due to the fact that a modern submarine's mission is to remain undetected and covert until given the order to fire their missiles, as well as conduct spying missions, isn't it a little wierd that subs have gotten bigger and bigger? I mean, the IXD2 is easier to detect than a VIIC with ASDIC right? What did the Kursk have in the way of stealth if it wanted to get within firing range, off the US coast? Instead of having one very large sub carrying many warheads, wouldn't it make better sense having many, slim, smaller subs moving like slivers through America's sonar screens?

It didn't matter if they were miget submarines. Up until about 5 years ago the Soviets were notorious for putting noisy propulsion plants in their SSNs and SSBNs. Our Los Angles Class and the British Trafalgar Class SSNs could pick them up, track and record each system's unique signatures and follow them without being detected themselves.

The reason why these boats are getting bigger and bigger is because of two main reasons: The systems and technology increases the demand for manning the stations to operate them; and secondly is the problem that has plagued submariners since it's conception and that's human and supply endurance.