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The Kilo-Class Submarine: Why Russia's Enemies Fear "The Black Hole"
The National Interest ^ | October 23, 2016 | Kyle Mizokami

Posted on 10/24/2016 6:39:15 AM PDT by Strategy

Unlike the United States Navy, which went all-in on nuclear power, Russia maintains fleets of both diesel and nuclear-powered submarines. A land power encompassing much of Eurasia, Russian submarines are based much closer to "the action" than American submarines are. While Russia maintains nuclear submarines for distant ocean patrols, its fleet of diesel submarines is more than adequate for conflicts in Europe, the Middle East and the Russian near abroad.

The mainstay of the Russian Navy's conventionally powered fleet are Project 877-class submarines, known as the Kilo class to NATO and the West. Nicknamed the "Black Hole" submarine by the U.S. Navy, the improved Kilos are extremely quiet. The class has been built more or less continuously for thirty years, a testament to their effectiveness at sea.

The Kilo class was originally meant to serve the navies of the Warsaw Pact countries, replacing older Whiskey- and Foxtrot-class boats. The sub measures just 238 feet long by thirty-two feet wide, and displace 3,076 tons submerged. The ship has a crew of just twelve officers and forty-one enlisted men, and has an endurance of forty-five days before needing to be resupplied.

(Excerpt) Read more at nationalinterest.org ...


TOPICS: Extended News; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; Russia
KEYWORDS: navy; obama; putin; russia; syria
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1 posted on 10/24/2016 6:39:15 AM PDT by Strategy
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To: Strategy
"...replacing older Whiskey- and Foxtrot-class boats..."

What happened to the Tango Class?

2 posted on 10/24/2016 6:45:25 AM PDT by Paladin2 (auto spelchk? BWAhaha2haaa.....I aint't likely fixin' nuttin'. Blame it on the Bossa Nova...)
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Comment #3 Removed by Moderator

To: wastoute

Anything like that (and other means) is still classified.


4 posted on 10/24/2016 6:50:51 AM PDT by Gaffer
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To: Strategy
It also has a MG519 Mouse Roar high frequency radar for target classification and mine avoidance.

I assume the MG519 is actually a high frequency sonar. Radar doesn't do much good in mine avoidance.

5 posted on 10/24/2016 6:52:52 AM PDT by Lower Deck
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To: Gaffer

Since I have absolutely no knowledge or any contact the Op Sec on my posts is probably trivial. Just guessing, I suppose, would be how to categorize, FWIW.

Seems to me, though, acoustic “camoflogue” would be good. Get a tape of “ normal whale bowel sounds” and emit that...


6 posted on 10/24/2016 6:54:54 AM PDT by wastoute (Government cannot redistribute wealth. Government can only redistribute poverty.)
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To: Paladin2
What happened to the Tango Class?

Replaced by the Kilo class.

7 posted on 10/24/2016 6:55:29 AM PDT by Lower Deck
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To: wastoute
Didn’t our acoustics guys learn to locate subs that were quiet by finding locations that had “absent” normal ocean noise?

It is a very big ocean. Trying to find a small spot without noise and targeting that as a submarine would be impossible.

8 posted on 10/24/2016 6:57:25 AM PDT by Lower Deck
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To: Strategy

” The ship has a crew of just twelve officers and forty-one enlisted men,”

AH-HA! Their weakness revealed. Our subs have women sailors, thus diversity is strong.


9 posted on 10/24/2016 6:57:42 AM PDT by Rebelbase (DRAIN THE SWAMP!)
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To: Gaffer

Even after hiliary?


10 posted on 10/24/2016 6:58:34 AM PDT by onedoug
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To: Lower Deck

I have probably posted too much already. For you gummint agents, save yer time, I am nobody.


11 posted on 10/24/2016 6:59:56 AM PDT by wastoute (Government cannot redistribute wealth. Government can only redistribute poverty.)
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To: Gaffer; wastoute

Wasn’t there some reference to that type of thing in a Tom Clancy movie?


12 posted on 10/24/2016 7:05:17 AM PDT by Rebelbase (DRAIN THE SWAMP!)
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To: Strategy

Makes you wonder why the action is where it is.


13 posted on 10/24/2016 7:07:30 AM PDT by OldNewYork (Operation Wetback II, now with computers)
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To: Paladin2

“What happened to the Tango Class?”

They danced the night away ...


14 posted on 10/24/2016 7:08:08 AM PDT by PIF (They came for me and mine ... now it is your turn ...)
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To: Rebelbase

Could have been but the Navy doesn’t divulge detection means beyond a very general sense.


15 posted on 10/24/2016 7:08:59 AM PDT by Gaffer
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To: wastoute

Yup. Computer looks for moving areas of ‘silence’.

Similar logic can locate stealth aircraft, but uses what might be called ambient RF as well, instead of ambient ocean noise.

Still, ‘silent’ boats are hard to locate. active sonar (sonobuoys and others) can elicit a reflection, which of course is detectable, or a lack of one, which is also ‘find able’. Anechoic coatings are pretty good nowadays.


16 posted on 10/24/2016 7:13:00 AM PDT by Blueflag (Res ipsa loquitur: non vehere est inermus)
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To: wastoute

LOL. Our subs can be detected by listening for the “sex noises”.


17 posted on 10/24/2016 7:13:57 AM PDT by wastoute (Government cannot redistribute wealth. Government can only redistribute poverty.)
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To: Blueflag

We should probably get off this. I doubt there is anything here for the “pros” but it would be a shame for we amateurs to inadvertently do something stupid.


18 posted on 10/24/2016 7:15:52 AM PDT by wastoute (Government cannot redistribute wealth. Government can only redistribute poverty.)
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To: Lower Deck

Trying to find a small spot without noise
= = =

There is no evidence, but just the allegation deserves investigation.


19 posted on 10/24/2016 7:16:38 AM PDT by Scrambler Bob ( LOTS of /s)
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To: wastoute

Male sub and Female sub.

Is that where small subs come from?


20 posted on 10/24/2016 7:17:39 AM PDT by Scrambler Bob ( LOTS of /s)
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