Class of nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines
This article is about the Soviet/Russian ballistic missile submarine class with
NATO reporting name "Typhoon", but with native name "Akula". For the submarine class with NATO reporting name "Akula", see
Akula-class submarine. For other uses, see
Typhoon (disambiguation).
Typhoon class
Typhoon-class SSBN profile
Typhoon-class submarine TK-17 Arkhangelsk under way
The Russian Navy cancelled its Typhoon modernization program in March 2002, stating that modernizing one Typhoon would be as expensive as building 100 new
Borei-class submarines.[10] With the announcement that Russia has eliminated the last
R-39 Rif (SS-N-20 Sturgeon)
SLBMs in September 2012, only one Typhoon remained in service,
Dmitriy Donskoi, which was refitted with the more modern
RSM-56 BulavaSLBM for testing. She continued to serve until February 2023, when she was
decommissioned.
Description
Soviet − subsequently Russian − nuclear submarines are identified by the letter "K" followed by a number (for example, the lead boat of the
Yasen class, the
Severodvinsk, is K-560). K stands for
Cruiser: (Крейсер). The sheer displacement of the Typhoon-class boats, comparable to several aircraft carrier classes, led to their classification as Heavy Cruisers (Тяжелый Крейсер).
Besides their missile armament, the Typhoon class featured six
torpedo tubes designed to handle
RPK-2 (SS-N-15) missiles or
Type 53 torpedoes. A Typhoon-class submarine could stay submerged for 120 days[4] in normal conditions, and potentially more if deemed necessary (e.g., in the case of a
nuclear war). Their primary weapons system was composed of 20
R-39 (NATO: SS-N-20) ballistic missiles (
SLBM) with a maximum of 10
MIRVnuclear warheads each. Technically, Typhoons were able to deploy their long-range
nuclear missiles while moored at their docks.[11]
Typhoon-class submarines featured multiple
pressure hulls which simplifies internal design while making the vessel much wider than a normal submarine. In the main body of the sub, two long pressure hulls lie parallel with a third, smaller pressure hull above them (which protrudes just below the sail), and two other pressure hulls for torpedoes and steering gear. This also greatly increases their survivability – even if one pressure hull is breached, the crew members in the other are safe and there is less potential for flooding. Its ballistic missiles were placed between the two main pressure hulls, their launch tubes enclosed only by the outer, "light" hull.
The Typhoon was capable of traveling at 28 kn (52 km/h; 32 mph) submerged.[12]
History
The Typhoon class was developed under Project 941 as the Soviet Akula class (Акула), meaning
shark. It is sometimes confused with other submarines, as Akula is the name NATO uses to designate the Russian Project 971
Shchuka-B (Щука-Б)-class attack submarines. The project was developed with the objective to match the SLBM armament of
Ohio-class submarines, capable of carrying 192 nuclear warheads, 100 kt each, but with significantly longer range. To accommodate this increase in range, Soviet SLBMs were substantially larger and heavier than their American adversaries(the
R-39 Rif is more than twice as heavy as the UGM-96 Trident I; it remains the heaviest SLBM to have been in service worldwide). The submarine had to be scaled accordingly.[13]
In the early 1990s, there were also proposals to
refit some of the Typhoon-class submarines to
submarine cargo vessels for shipping oil, gas and cargo under polar ice to Russia's far flung northern territories. The submarines could take up to 10,000 tonnes of cargo on-board and ship it under the polar ice to
tankers waiting in the
Barents Sea. These ships – after the considerable engineering required to develop technologies to transfer oil from drilling platforms to the submarines, and later, to the waiting tankers – would then deliver their cargo world-wide.[14]
Six Typhoon-class submarines were built between 1976 and 1985. Originally, the submarines were designated by hull numbers only. Names were later assigned to the four vessels retained by the
Russian Navy after the
dissolution of the Soviet Union. During the time of the Russian Federation, these boats were to be sponsored by either a city or company. The construction order for an additional vessel (hull number TK-210) was cancelled and never completed.
In late December 2008, a senior Navy official announced that the two Typhoon-class submarines, TK-17 Arkhangelsk and TK-20 Severstal, that were in reserve would not be rearmed with the new Bulava SLBM missile system. They could potentially yet be modified to carry
cruise missiles or to lay
mines, or could be used in special operations.[citation needed] In late June 2009, the Navy Commander-in-Chief, Admiral
Vladimir Vysotskiy, told reporters that the two submarines would be reserved for possible future repairs and modernisation.[15] In September 2011, the Russian defense ministry decided to write off all Project 941 Akula nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines until 2014. The reasons for
decommissioning the Typhoon-class vessels are the restrictions imposed on Russia by the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty and successful trials of the new
Borei-class submarine.[16]
Despite being a replacement for many types of submarines, the Borei-class submarines are slightly shorter than the Typhoon class (170 m (560 ft) as opposed to 175 m (574 ft)), and have a smaller crew (107 people as opposed to 160). These changes were in part designed to reduce the cost to build and maintain the submarines. In addition, the United States and Canada provided 80% of funds for
scrapping the older Typhoon-class submarines, making it much more economical to build a new submarine.[17]
In 2013, the state-run RIA Novosti news agency announced that the Navy would scrap two Typhoons, beginning in 2018. They were the TK-17 Arkhangelsk and TK-20 Severstal.[18] As of 2017, the decision about the scrapping of TK-17 and TK-20 was still not firm.[19]
On 20 July 2022, it was reported that
Dmitriy Donskoy was withdrawn from the Russian Navy.[20] This was an earlier-than-expected decommission date, as it was stated in 2021 that the submarine was expected to remain in service until 2026 as a weapons test platform.[21] However sources suggested in 2022 that the 2026 date was not in the Russian Navy plan.[2]
On 6 February 2023, it was reported she was decommissioned.[22]
10 February 1982: Entered 18th division (Zapadnaya Litsa), NOR.
December 1982: Transferred from Severodvinsk to Zapadnaya Litsa.
1983–1984: Tests of D-19 missile complex. Commanders: A.V.Olkhovikov (1980–1984).[citation needed]
3 December 1986: Entered Navy Board of the Winners of the Socialist Competition.
18 January 1987: Entered MoD Board of Glory.[citation needed]
20 September 1989 – 1991: Repairs and refit at Sevmash to Project 941U. 1991 refit cancelled.
1996: Returned to 941U refit.
2002: Named Dmitriy Donskoy.
26 June 2002: End of refit.
30 June 2002: Start of testing.
26 July 2002: Entered sea trials, re-entered fleet, without missile system.
December 2003: Sea trials; refitted to carry a new
Bulava missile system. New missile system expected to be operational by 2005.
9 October 2005: Successfully launched SS-NX-30 Bulava SLBM from surface.
21 December 2005: Successfully launched SS-NX-30 Bulava SLBM from submerged position on move.
7 September 2006: Test launch of the Bulava missile failed after several minutes in flight due to some problems in the flight control system. The missile fell into the sea about a minute after the launch. The sub was not affected and was returning to Severodvinsk base submerged. Later reports blamed the engine of the first stage for the failure.
25 October 2006: Test launch of the Bulava-M missile in the
White Sea failed some 200 seconds after liftoff due to the apparent failure of the flight control system.
28 August 2008: Underwent successful testing at the Sevmash shipyard in Severodvinsk, Arkhangelsk Oblast. More than 170 men worked with the Dmitriy Donskoy, 100 of them employed at the Sevmash plant and 70 at other companies.
19 February 1988: Entered 18th division (Zapadnaya Litsa) NOR.
September 1991, damaged after a SLBM exploded in the launch silo.[27][28]
8 January–9 November 2002: Refit at Sevmash.
In July 2002, crew petitioned Main Navy Headquarters to adopt the name Arkhangel'sk (renamed on 18 November 2002).
Commander: 2002-2003 V. Volkov.
17 February 2004: Took part in military exercises with President
Vladimir Putin aboard.
Decommissioned in 2006 and preserved. The decision about its dismantling still has not been made.[19] Apparent proposal to convert to cruise missile role being considered in 2019 but deemed unlikely.[29]
TK-20 Severstal (Typhoon #6)
28 February 1990: Entered 18th division (Zapadnaya Litsa), NOR.
25 August 1996: Successfully launched SLBM
November 1996: Successfully launched SLBM from the North Pole.
24 July 1999: Took part in parade on Navy Day in Severomorsk, NOR.
Decommissioned in 2004 or 2013 and preserved. The decision about its dismantling still has not been made.[19] Apparent proposal to convert to cruise missile role being considered in 2019 but deemed unlikely.[29]
The 2001 documentary Mission Invisible about the Russian submarine Severstal was produced by Corona Films for
Discovery Channel with the participation of ZED,
France 5,
ZDF,
RTBF,
TV5 Monde and the Scottish Screen Fund.[30][31]
In 2008
National Geographic released a documentary about the scrapping of one of the Typhoons in the series Break It Down.[32] This boat is TK-13, which was scrapped in 2007–2009.
^
abcdeApalkov, Yu.V. (2002). "Podvodnye Lodki [Submarines]". Корабли ВМФ СССР [Ships of the Soviet Navy]. Sankt-Peterburg: Галея Принт.
ISBN5-8172-0069-4.
^Waller, Douglas C. (March 2001).
"Essay - The Hunt for Big Red"(PDF). Wake Forest Magazine. 48 (3): 28–31.
Archived(PDF) from the original on 12 October 2009. Retrieved 13 October 2009.
^Ласточкин, Олег (26 June 2009).
"Стратегические АПЛ "Тайфун" останутся в боевом составе ВМФ РФ" ["Typhoon" strategic nuclear submarines will remain in the combat composition of the Russian Navy]. RIA Novosti (in Russian).
Archived from the original on 29 June 2009. Retrieved 14 August 2011.