Submarine: A Guided Tour Inside a Nuclear Warship

capabilities.

It also is rather ironic that while the number of submarines in the world has decreased radically, the overall quality and age of the remaining boats has improved-rather a strange situation for those who suggest that peace has broken out around the world. Thus, anyone choosing to hunt other submarines is facing the reality that the task is probably getting tougher. In addition, nations that are generally considered as outlaws (like Iran and Algeria) are obtaining a number of new production diesel-electric boats. This proliferation means that the United States and our allies may have to hunt enemy subs in places we have never gone before. The recent deployment of the USS Topeka (SSN-754) to the Persian Gulf, at the same time the first of the Iranian Kilo-class boats was being delivered, is probably not a coincidence. Even more interesting, though, would have been to see if another U.S. boat, perhaps even another 688I, was invisibly trailing the Kilo on its delivery trip.

The section that follows is a compendium of the more modern submarines, both nuclear and conventionally powered, that might face the U.S. sub force. Some of them, like those of the United Kingdom and France, are operated by nations that are considered allies. Others, like those of the Russian Navy and the clients of the Germans and the French, might still pose a threat to the forces allied with the United States. This should not be considered a list of every single boat in the world, however. For that, I defer to A. D. Baker's incomparable biannual work, Combat Fleets of the World (Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, Md.).

For the benefit of the reader, the following explanations of the terms used is provided:

Class name: Name of the first boat of the class or building program

Producer (country/manufacturer): Country of origin and production site

Displacement (surfaced/submerged): Surfaced and submerged in long tons (2,240 lbs per)

Dimensions (ft/m): Length: Bow to stern; Beam: Side to side; Draft: To keel

Armament: Number of tubes/launchers and weapons

Machinery: Power plant(s), number of screws, propeller blades, and shaft horsepower (SHP)

Speed (knots): Maximum

Number in class: In service + building + planned

Users: All countries currently using

Comments: Some thoughts and features of the class

Russia /Commonwealth of Independent States

While the 'evil empire' of the Soviet Union may be dead, the navy built by the USSR is alive and still useful. Despite having suffered the breakup of the nation it was designed to serve, and having scrapped over half of all its warships, the Russian Navy is still one of the most powerful fighting forces afloat. They still deploy something like 240 submarines of various types, as well as a large array of surface ships. And while the Russian Navy and its CIS brother services are suffering from a shortage of almost everything, the missile boats are still making their deployments, with the attack boats still supporting them in the bastions.

The big challenge for the Russian submarine force, like everyone else, is surviving the present to move on to the future. Their first problem is, of course, how to maintain their existing force of attack, guided missile, and ballistic missile submarines. This problem has been made extremely difficult by the financial troubles of the Russian Republic, though they have managed to hold things together until now. Another problem is the fleet of aged submarines (many of them nuclear powered) that they have. The recent news photograph of an abandoned Russian submarine poking its bow through the winter pack ice in Vladivostok is a chilling statement on the inability of the Russians to deal with this problem. Clearly, just how to dispose of over 150 obsolete nuclear submarines is a problem that will require the help of the United States and her allies.

As for the future, only events will tell us that. The one thing that does seem certain is that the Russians will continue development of submarines and their related technology. While many of the design bureaus for aircraft and tanks are in desperate trouble, there are continuing reports that they are still funneling their limited military R&D funds into designs for newer and quieter submarines. The most likely projects for such research will probably be a replacement for the Delta IV SSBNs, a new SSN derived from the highly successful Akula-class boats, and possibly a new diesel-electric design to replace the Kilo and support export sales. The replacement SSBN makes sense in light of the new START arms agreements, which have the Russians placing over half their deliverable nuclear warheads on submarine-launched missiles. And just as obviously, the Akula and Kilo replacements will be needed to protect those SSBNs and maintain the credibility of the CIS nuclear deterrent.

Overall, this is a major reduction from several years ago, when the R&D effort was probably two to three times this size. Rumor had the Russians working on replacements for the Oscar-class SSGNs, the Typhoon SSBNs, the SSNs of the Sierra class, and even a Rubis-sized SSN for export to the Indian Navy. All of this though is based on what we see happening today. And as any honest watcher of Russian military trends will tell you, the crystal ball is cloudy and the tea leaves unreliable where they are concerned. In the end, it will probably come down to whether Boris Yeltsin can hold things together long enough for an actual trend to develop. So here it is as of today.

^{Victor III. JACK RYAN ENTERPRISES, LTD.}

^{Russian Victor III nuclear-powered attack submarine underway. OFFICIAL U.S. NAVY PHOTO}

Class name: Victor III (Project 671 RTM)

Producer (country/manufacturer): Russia/Russian Admiralty; Komsomolsk

Displacement (surfaced/submerged): 4,900/6,000

Dimensions (ft/m): Length: 341.1/104 Beam: 32.8/10 Draft: 23/7

Armament: Four 650mm and two 533mm torpedo tubes with 24 weapons

Machinery: Two PWRs with steam turbines driving one tandem 8-bladed screw; 30,000 SHP

Speed (knots): 30 (submerged)

Number in class: 26

Users: Russia

Comments: While it soon will be the oldest class of SSN in the Russian inventory, the Victor III is still a dangerous and capable opponent. Well armed and relatively quiet (roughly similar to the Sturgeon class), this boat was the first Soviet SSN capable of matching Western boats. The stern pod, first found on Victor IIIs, is now a feature of every modern Russian SSN; it contains a passive towed array sonar system.

^{Akula. JACK RYAN ENTERPRISES, LTD.}

^{Russian Akula-class nuclear-powered attack submarine underway. OFFICIAL U.S. NAVY PHOTO}

Class name: Akula (Russian: Bars class) (Project 971)

Producer (country/manufacturer): Russia/Severodvinsk, Komsomolsk

Displacement (surfaced/submerged): 7,500/10,000

Dimensions (ft/m): Length: 370.6/113 Beam: 42.6/13 Draft: 32.8/10

Armament: Four 650mm and four 533mm torpedo tubes with 30+ weapons

Machinery: Two PWRs with steam turbines driving one 7-bladed screw; 45,000 SHP

Speed (knots): 35 (submerged)

Number in class: 7+?

Users: Russia

Comments: When western submariners have nightmares, they usually revolve around this class of SSN. Akula is the quietest SSN yet produced by Russia and represents a boat in the class of a Flight I Los Angeles. Probably utilizes a raft sound isolation system to keep noise down. Reportedly the last remaining Russian SSN class still in production. President Yeltsin has announced that the Komsomolsk shipyard, located in the far east, is going