Posted on 10/19/2011 8:32:59 PM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
Russia’s Nuclear-Powered Attack Submarine Goes to Sea Trials
Lajos F. Szaszdi
October 19, 2011
It was reported early in October that Russia’s first fourth-generation nuclear-powered multipurpose attack submarine, the Severodvinsk, successfully conducted its first sea trials. In naval terms, a fourth-generation submarine belongs to the latest and most modern generation of submarines. The Severodvinsk is a Project 885 submarine of the Yásen’ (ash tree) class that has been described as “an undersea nuclear-powered guided-missile cruiser.” Plans are for six or seven Yásen’ class submarines to be built, with the second vessel, Kazan, currently under construction.
The Severodvinsk has significant characteristics and capabilities. It has a fully loaded submerged displacement of 13,800 tons, a hull length of 120 meters and a beam 15 meters wide, a maximum diving depth of 600 meters, and a top underwater speed of 35 knots or between 35 and 40 knots. In addition to its eight 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes, it carries eight large missile launch tubes abaft the submarine’s sail, probably angled and apparently capable of launching a total of 24 sea-launched cruise missiles (SLCM). The reported arsenal that these missile launchers may carry is formidable and includes the supersonic 3M55 Oniks/Yashma (NATO designation: SS-N-26) anti-ship/land-attack SLCM, the supersonic 3M51 Alfa anti-ship/land-attack SLCM, the subsonic land-attack RK-55 Granat (NATO designation: SS-N-21 “Sampson”) SLCM, and the SS-N-27 “Sizzler” SLCM.
Each launch tube may carry three SS-N-26 missiles. The SS-N-26 has a cruise speed of Mach 2.6 at altitude, a range of 300 km, and a conventional 250 kg warhead. Although essentially an anti-ship missile, the SS-N-26 can attack land targets through satellite navigation and a planned imaging infrared (IIR) seeker. The missile could potentially be fitted with a tactical nuclear warhead. Each missile tube could carry instead three Alfa ramjet-powered SLCM. The Alfa missile has a cruise speed of Mach 3, a range of 300 km, and a 300 kg conventional warhead, and could probably be armed with a nuclear warhead.
The Severodvinsk may be able to carry a total of 32 SS-N-21 in its missile tubes. Each launch tube could hold up to four of these SLCM, which could also be launched from the submarine’s torpedo tubes. The “Sampson” missile could have a 100/200 kiloton nuclear warhead or a 410 kg conventional warhead. It has a maximum range of 3,000 km.
Moreover, each missile launcher may fire three of a new generation of long-range cruise missiles (LRCM). It has been widely reported that the Severodvinsk will carry SLCM with a range of 5,000 km or about 3,100 miles. The reported sea-launched LRCM could be a submarine-launched version of the new stealthy land-attack Kh-101 and Kh-102 subsonic air-launched cruise missiles (ALCM). According to an unconfirmed report, these missiles may have a range of 5,500 km. The Kh-101 has a 400 kg conventional warhead and the Kh-102 a 250 kiloton nuclear warhead.
Another possibility is that the design concept of the Meteorit LRCM project of the late-Soviet period—which reportedly was cancelled—has been pursued secretly as another missile. There may be a new missile replacing the cancelled supersonic Meteorit-M (NATO designation: SS-NX-24 “Scorpion”) submarine-launched LRCM. In the 1990s, research continued with Kh-90, a successor to the air-launched equivalent of SS-NX-24. The ALCM version of the Meteorit had a speed of Mach 2.5to Mach 3 and a maximum range of 5,000 km. More ominously, the Meteorit missile could carry two independently targeted 90 kiloton nuclear warheads, capable of attacking targets up to 100 km apart. Each missile tube could carry one of these large missiles.
A LRCM with a range of 5,500 km launched from the Norwegian Sea could potentially hit the northeastern seaboard of the U.S. Even though the likelihood of war with Russia is slim, the new long-range cruise missiles could be one of Moscow’s answers to NATO’s European missile defense system and the U.S. National Missile Defense. These LRCM could be used as second strike weapons, although formally they may be regarded as tactical nuclear weapons. As such they could be used to target air and naval bases in coastal areas. The U.S. and NATO must have robust missile defenses to meet the threat posed by a new generation of cruise missiles and must maintain strong submarine and anti-submarine forces.
Posted in Ongoing Priorities
Does the US Navy have attack subs as good or better than this?
those look like Blighty style beer taps (real beer, not US fake beer), arising from the sail. Must be some kind of bar ornament.
We’ll have to see. Wait until after the US starts putting women on subs in such close quarters with men. It will work, by decree, of course. And then there will calls for more “diversity”. Then “changes” will be needed to “accommodate” that “diversity”.
Better, the swabbies always claim it to be no contest. The Russkies are no slouches, regardless of the usual naysayers here.
This little puppy carries some serious hurt. And you can bank on most of the nuke capable missiles are already in stock. They knew decades ago that would probably be the way to go against the USN. Hope our guys find this one fast if things go sounth.
Knowing Putin, this doesn’t exist and the Russkies are banking we will spend billions on something that will never be used.
I would defer the opinion to submariners who really know...the rest is just conjecture. We do know what the relative state of affairs was before this, so there is always the possibility this may be something new.
That said, construction on this sub was started in 1993, according to the graphic. That makes it a bit suspect, in my opinion (of being cutting edge) but we will have to wait and see. The Space Shuttle was 70’s technology, but there wasn’t anything quite like it for a while, so one can’t make a blanket statement.
Wonder why it took so long...perhaps things went stagnant after the fall of the Soviet Union due to funding and such, and the project just sat there unfinished or delayed.
Doesn’t sound good. It’s tough seeing some of our weapons systems being out classed by the bad guys.
As I recall, we may not have nuclear weapons on subs anymore. Go thank Obiwan, Hitlery and the Demirats. They’re geniuses at this weapons treaty thingy.
Depends on your definition of "better." Not a smart-a** response. Undersea warfare is multi-dimentional. Is it better to be quieter, or faster? Generally you have to trade off one for the other. Is it better to be deeper diving, or non-magnetic? Have more sensitive sonar so you can detect your enemies further away? What about the range of your weapons? What about defensive armament? How do you intend to use the sub - as an offensive weapon against other shipping and shore targets or as a defensive screen to surface ships?
Lots of factors, no one right answer. What we're seeing here is the Russian's take on one possible answer.
Thanks, ThunderSleeps. Good answer.
Yes and cruises will have to be aborted early to bring back or take off pregnant women. Our current PC world knows no limts to its stupidity.
The Russians have always comparable submarine tech. They may fall behind in military tech in some areas. This isn’t one of them.
Just that if their launch systems and guidance work, this thing is a submarine equivalent to a Kirov class cruiser. You might never know when it will be in the area, unlike a surface battle group.
What they have is a way to saturate our defenses. That is most assuredly the way to nail our carriers. They have known that for decades now.
What they have is a way to saturate our defenses. That is most assuredly the way to nail our carriers. They have known that for decades now.
Didn’t a Chinese sub surface in the middle of or near one of our Carrier Battle Groups?
* * *
A Russkie missile boat can toss a slew of birds in the air, making a mess for Aegis to deal with. And he would doubtless be working with Backfires to really swamp things.
These guys have been studying how to counter our superiority in surface fleet tactic since the 50's. The ex-carrier swabbies often say how they did not expect to survive more that the first 30 minutes of a full scale war. A tribute to them that they would likely have tossed planes into the air as long as needed......
An old Bill Mauldin (sp) cartoon comes to mind vis a vis sailors on ships:
Joe is watching a tank roll by as they dig. Tells Wille: I'd ruther dig, a moving foxhole attracts th' eye".
The supersonic sea skimmer ASCM has been a reality for 30+ years. The usual chorus is "Aegis can defeat anything" Well, in the mid 80's they could not. Did not even have a threat target to practice against. Still a work in progress.
Is this a replacement for the Akula (Nato designation) and Oscars?
Supposed to be. I think its aimed at rationalising their sub fleet to just two classes-an attack/cruise missile sub and an SSBN. Unlike the multiple classes they have now.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.