A scientific and technical conference organized by the developer of the family, the Malachite SPMBM, and one of the main construction plants, the Admiralty Shipyards, was dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the service of the atomic 671 project. Nuclear submarines have significantly expanded the capabilities of our fleet. The lead K-3 of Project 627 was put into service in 1958, and wishes, technical and functional, for the subsequent development of nuclear boats were immediately identified.

“Having thanked our colleagues, our boat again disappeared from the field of view of NATO radars”

Among the tasks set before the creators of the second-generation multi-purpose nuclear submarines were the use of new, more durable low-magnetic steel, increasing the diving depth, switching to alternating current, introducing a new steam generator plant, further development automation and control systems. As noted CEO JSC "SPMBM "Malachite" Vladimir Dorofeev, there was an urgent need to create a new ship that would incorporate all the best that was on the first generation submarines, and at the same time provide a solution to the problems discovered during operation. The result was the cruising nuclear submarine of Project 671, intended to combat enemy nuclear submarines, counter ships deployed on anti-submarine defense lines, and also to cover our convoys from enemy attacks.

Design work according to the technical specifications of the Navy under the supervision of the First Institute of the Ministry of Defense has been carried out by Malachite since 1959 under the leadership of the chief, and subsequently general designer, Georgy Chernyshev. The success of the project was ensured by the fruitful joint work of the fleet, the Malachite design bureau and the Admiralty Shipyards. Hero of Russia Vladimir Alexandrov, who headed the enterprise for more than a quarter of a century and came to the plant as a foreman just when work on the nuclear-powered submarine began, recalls: “If there had not been the 671st project, I do not very clearly imagine the fate of the plant in that period. The shipyards experienced certain difficulties in the early 60s: the program associated with the production of Project 615 diesel-electric submarines was being phased out, and the construction of heavy cruisers was stopped. And here the director of the plant, Boris Khlopotov, a man with a certain folk cunning and a deep knowledge of shipbuilding, played a huge role. He managed to create a group of specialists who prepared calculation documents for the construction of nuclear submarines. The idea was understood by the Party Central Committee and the government, and in 1963 a decree was issued on the development of the plant. From that moment on, the modernization and development of the 12th workshop and a number of sections began, our design and technology bureau came to life, three thousand workers were recruited with the allocation of housing. Of course, during the construction process there were many difficulties and shortcomings in terms of quality of workmanship and reliability of individual systems and devices. To the credit of the factory workers, they listened to criticism and tried to solve these problems. I would like to note the special role of the 1st Flotilla of the Northern Fleet. Together with the sailors, they held meetings every year to review the state of the equipment, successes and failures. This allowed us to achieve better results from order to order. I started managing the shipyards in 1984, and the seven submarines that were built then showed very high quality. The last of them was commissioned in 1992.”

Forgotten Tempos

The nuclear submarines of the 671st project turned out to be very successful: reliable, stealthy, high-speed, easily dived to 400 meters, had a speed of more than 30 knots and could sail autonomously for more than two months.

Vladimir Dorofeev drew attention to the now unimaginable intensity of work: “The technical design of the ship was defended in 1960, the documentation was transferred to the plant in 1962, the lead ship was accepted into the Navy in 1967. That is, only six years passed from the completion of the technical project to the raising of the naval flag. From the point of view of our current reality, the timing is fantastic. Yes, the ships have become larger, but the construction time has increased disproportionately.”

High performance characteristics Project 671 nuclear submarines were obtained as a result of a successful combination of new technical solutions. This is a symmetrical hull shape with optimal propulsion qualities, a cruciform tail, where large horizontal rudders are complemented by small ones designed to control high speeds, “correct” nasal tip with a competent arrangement of torpedo tubes and a large-sized hydroacoustics antenna. A single-shaft power plant with two water reactors provided increased reliability. The block layout of the steam turbine plant improved the vibroacoustic characteristics and simplified installation. Among the introduced innovations, it is worth mentioning the use of new high-strength hull steel, the use of three-phase alternating current in energy systems, widespread implementation remote control actuators.

A huge contribution to the creation of the project was made by the developers of the component equipment: OKBM named after I. I. Afrikantov, where they created the nuclear power plant, SKB Kirov plant, which created the steam turbine installation, specialists from the Central Research Institute named after A. N. Krylov, the Central Research Institute of CM "Prometey", "Aurora", "Granit", "Electron", "Gidropribor", "Novator", "Okeanpribor" and dozens of other teams who invented and who manufactured the ship's systems, which were advanced at that time. As the conference participants put it, during the joint creative work Over the 671st project, a school for the construction of multi-purpose nuclear submarines arose.

In 1967, the lead K-38 (factory order No. 600) was accepted into the Northern Fleet. The first commander of the ship was Captain 2nd Rank Evgeny Chernov, future vice admiral, Hero Soviet Union.

Overtook the terms of reference

Ten sailors from the first crew of the lead submarine came to the anniversary conference of the creators of the 671st project, who recalled a lot of interesting episodes from the birth of the ship. How they worked in three shifts without days off, how they drove the finished boat in a floating dock across the open Neva bridges, how they went too far with the trim during testing and had to float up in emergency mode, how over 300 people lived and worked in a 100-passenger submarine on its first trips to sea. But the know-how of that time is especially interesting.

Already on second-generation submarines, it was decided to move from individual hydroacoustic stations to complexes. Moreover, the new system turned out to be so sensitive in terms of target detection range that it exceeded the technical specifications parameters several times. And since adjusting technical specifications is a very lengthy and troublesome process, we resorted to a trick by replacing the units of measurement from sea cable to land kilometers. The transition from direct to alternating current made it possible to reduce the size of on-board electrical equipment and increase its reliability. For the first time, a ship control system was introduced, which was linked to 250 ship complexes, components and mechanisms with half a thousand information sources. The algorithm developed then is still used on submarines today. Step by step, the submarine's armament was improved, from torpedoes to anti-ship missiles and cruise missiles.

In total, over a quarter of a century, 48 submarines of Project 671 were built in Leningrad and Komsomolsk-on-Amur. Moreover, not a single ship was lost due to accidents, not a single sailor was killed.

As the 671st project developed, codenamed “Ruff,” modifications appeared: 671B was equipped with the Vyuga missile-torpedo system, 671K was equipped with a missile system with the C-10 “Granat” CRBD (SS-N-21). The 671RT "Salmon" is equipped with a diesel generator of increased power, and two 533-mm torpedo tubes are replaced with more powerful 650-mm ones. On the 671RTM "Pike" one seven-bladed propeller was replaced with two four-bladed ones, which reduced noise, and the electronic weapons were modernized. 671RTMK, in addition, is armed with the Granat missile launcher.

According to Western experts, the 671st project, especially its latest modifications, were distinguished by a relatively low level of external noise and in this indicator were close to the American Los Angeles-class submarines. Suffice it to recall how alarmed our sworn friends were when on February 29, 1996, during a NATO fleet exercise, our Project 671RTMK nuclear submarine K-448 Tambov, which they had not seen before, surfaced in the very middle of their ship order and asked to provide medical assistance to one one of the sailors - he needed urgent surgery due to the threat of peritonitis. The submariner was taken to the British destroyer Glasgow, and from there by helicopter to the hospital. Having thanked our colleagues, our boat sank and again disappeared from the field of view of NATO radars. After which the Western press wrote for a long time about the super-secrecy of our submarines.

For the creation of the first series of ships of the 671st project in 1970, chief designer Georgy Chernyshev was awarded the title of Hero of Socialist Labor, and a large group of specialists were awarded orders and medals.

Currently, the Navy has three 671RTMK submarines, although the main load of multi-purpose nuclear-powered ships is carried by the third-generation Malachite submarines of the 971st project. The combat strength is also supplemented by fourth-generation universal submarine cruisers of the 885 Yasen project, also developed at SPMBM. The lead cruiser “Severodvinsk” is already serving in the North, “Kazan” has been launched. At Sevmash, “Novosibirsk”, “Krasnoyarsk”, “Arkhangelsk”, “Perm”, “Ulyanovsk” are in varying degrees of readiness - six “Ash” are planned to be delivered by 2020.

Meanwhile, the Malakhit team is already hard at work on the fifth-generation Husky nuclear submarine. And as Vladimir Dorofeev noted, the design bureau is tasked with reducing the labor intensity of ship construction while unconditionally achieving technical characteristics. After all, Malachite always creates ships that are not just competitive, but superior to their foreign counterparts. This is a Soviet school. When designing submarines of the future, solutions developed on the first multi-purpose nuclear submarine of Project 671 are being implemented at a new technical level.

The large nuclear submarine K-324 was on combat duty off the Atlantic coast of the United States in December 1983. "Avtonomka" was carried out in difficult conditions: there were problems with the water supply, the refrigeration unit was out of order, there was sweltering heat in the compartments... The crew of the boat was tasked with monitoring the frigate McCloy (Bronstein class) of the US Navy, which was testing a new underwater surveillance system, the Towed Array Surveillance System. (TASS) with an extended towed hydroacoustic low-frequency antenna. The K-324 submarine was able to record data on TASS operating parameters.

In addition, during the tracking, some features of the interaction of a US Navy surface ship with its submarines and components of a stationary long-range hydroacoustic detection system were revealed. But unexpectedly, McCloy stopped testing and returned to base. Left without work, K-324 received an order to move to another navigation area.

However, this was not possible - strong vibration arose, which required stopping the main turbine. After surfacing, the commander of the K-324 submarine saw that “Uncle Sam” had made an unexpected and very “valuable gift” - 400 meters of a top-secret armored cable from the TASS antenna was wound around the submarine’s propeller.

K-324 in "The Episode with the Antenna"

Naturally, the Soviet submarine, which surfaced in the area of ​​the American test site, was soon discovered by a “probable enemy.” By morning, the destroyers Nicholson and Peterson (Spruance class) arrived in the area of ​​the incident and established close custody of the K-324. Obviously, the commanders of these ships received a very specific task - by any means to prevent the Russians from getting their hands on the antenna. The “joint voyage” of the destroyers and the virtually powerless submarine lasted 10 days. The American military behaved more and more harshly (what else could they do?), trying to go behind the stern of the nuclear submarine in close proximity and cut off the antenna. Fearing that the destroyers would take more decisive action, the commander of the submarine, Captain of the Second Rank Terekhin, ordered his ship to be prepared for an explosion.

Only after the Aldan ship arrived to help the submarine K-324 did the situation calm down. Finally, the American command realized that it was unlikely that they would be able to return their antenna by peaceful means, and they did not want to start a third world war because of the “hose.” As a result, the destroyers were recalled, and the K-324 was towed by Aldan to Cuba, where it was put in for repairs. The ill-fated antenna was delivered to the USSR for detailed study.

The main “hero” of these events was the cruising submarine of Project 671RTM - the seventh ship in the series, built in Komsomolsk-on-Amur.

In parallel with the start of work on the creation of fundamentally new Project 945 and Project 971 submarines, the Soviet Union made a very successful attempt to “squeeze” everything possible out of the design of the Project 671 and Project 671RT submarines. The basis of the modernized project 671RTM (the code "Pike" was assigned) was work on the installation of new radio-electronic weapons - a powerful hydroacoustic complex, a navigation complex, a combat information and control system, reconnaissance complex equipment, an automated communications complex, as well as measures to reduce unmasking fields ship. Project 671RTM, like the submarine missile cruiser 667BDRM, “moved” into the third generation of nuclear submarines.

Chernyshev (developer of boats 671 and 671RT) became the chief designer of the 671RTM project; Shmakov replaced him in 1984.

The most important element of the armament of the modernized nuclear submarine was to be the Shkval anti-submarine missile system, the development of which began in 1960 in accordance with the resolution of the Council of Ministers of the USSR and the Central Committee of the CPSU. The “ideologists” of the new complex were scientists from the Moscow branch of TsAGI named after. Professor N.E. Zhukovsky (today State Scientific Research Center TsAGI), in particular, Academician Logvinovich. Direct development was carried out by NII-24 (today SNPO Region). Project Manager - chief designer I.L. Merkulov (later V.R. Serov, and E.D. Rakov completed the work).

The Shkval included an underwater super-high-speed missile that reached speeds of up to 200 knots, with a range of 11 thousand meters. These characteristics were achieved by using an engine that ran on hydro-reactive fuel and the movement of the projectile in a gas cavity, which ensured a reduction hydrodynamic resistance. The missile, which was equipped with a nuclear warhead, was controlled using an inertial system that is not sensitive to interference.

The first launches of this missile were carried out in 1964 on Lake Issyk-Kul, and on November 29, 1977, the VA-111 Shkval complex, equipped with an M-5 missile, was adopted by the Navy. It should be noted that to this day there are no analogues to this highly effective complex, which has an almost absolute probability of hitting targets that fall within its reach, in other countries.

The main power plant of the boat (31 thousand hp) was actually similar to the power plant nuclear submarines Project 671(RT): two water-cooled reactors VM-4, GTZA-615, 290 rpm propeller, two auxiliary electric motors, each with a power of 375 hp. With.

We adopted an additional set of measures designed to increase the stealth of a nuclear submarine through the introduction of fundamentally new solutions for depreciation (the so-called “disconnection of foundations”), acoustic decoupling of structures and mechanisms. The submarine received a demagnetization device, which made it difficult for aircraft magnetometers to detect nuclear submarines.

"Skat-KS" is a hydroacoustic complex developed under the leadership of chief designer B.B. Indina - provided detection, classification of targets, and their automatic tracking during noise direction finding in the infrasound and audio frequency ranges. The complex made it possible to detect targets using echo direction finding with measuring the distance to them and provided the torpedo weapons with initial target designation data.

1 - main antenna of SJSC "Skat-KS"; 2 - 533 mm TA; 3 - 650 mm TA; 4 - torpedo loading hatch; 5 - bow (torpedo) compartment; 6 - bow emergency buoy; 7 - bow hatch; 8 - fencing for spare torpedoes and fast loading devices; 9 - spare 533 mm torpedo; 10 - spare 650 mm torpedo; 11 - bubble-free torpedo firing tank; 12 - bow trim tank; 13 - hardware enclosure for control devices for rocket and torpedo and torpedo firing "Ladoga 1V-671RT" and SJSC "Skat-KS"; 14 - AB; 15 - Central City Hospital; 16 - second (living) compartment; 17 - third (central post) compartment; 18 - antennas of SJSC "Skat-B"; 19 - navigation bridge; 20 - gyrocompass repeater; 21 - periscope of the MT-70-10 complex; 22 - PMU "Sintez" (space navigation systems); 23 - PMU antenna SORS "Zaliv-P"; 24 - PMU antenna of the Albatross radar; 25 - PMU antenna of the direction finder “Zavesa”; 26 – PMU antenna “Anis”; 27 - durable cabin; 28 - central post; 29 - enclosures for radio-electronic weapons and acoustics; 30 - partitions auxiliary equipment and general ship systems (bilge pumps, general ship hydraulic system pumps, converters and air conditioners); 31 - fourth (reactor) compartment; 32 - reactor with steam generators, circulation pumps and biological protection tanks; 33 – VVABT “Paravan” and its winch; 34 - fifth (turbine) compartment; 35 - steam turbine; 36 - planetary gearbox; 37 - main thrust bearing; 38 - capacitor; 39 - cylinders of the VVD system; 40 - sixth (electromechanical and auxiliary equipment) compartment; 41 - aft hatch; 42 - stern emergency buoy; 43 - seventh (living) compartment; 44 - eighth (propeller and steering gears) compartment; 45 - aft trim tank; 46 - drives of horizontal rudders; 47 - vertical stabilizers; 48 - gondola of UPV "Ruza-P" GPBA SJSC "Skat-KS"; 49 - ATG; 50 - drives of the stern horizontal rudders; 51 - VFT (auxiliary propulsors)

The Skat-KS complex was three times superior in its capabilities to hydroacoustic systems of the previous generation and was approaching American-developed complexes (although it continued to be inferior in terms of weight and size characteristics). The target detection range under normal hydrological conditions was 230 kilometers. On-board noise receivers were used, which operated in passive mode, and a towed extended infrasound antenna, which, when folded, was placed in a bulb-shaped special. container, which is located above the vertical tail of the submarine.

The Medveditsa-671RTM navigation complex provided continuous automatic generation of course, location coordinates, speed relative to ground and water, pitch and roll angles, as well as automatic transmission of these parameters to other ship systems.

The combat information and control system "Omnibus" carried out automated collection, processing and visual display of information that ensured decision-making on combat use weapons and maneuvering, as well as missile and torpedo firing control.

The submarine was equipped with a Molniya-L (automated communications complex) with a Tsunami-B (space communications system), and a special reconnaissance complex.

The armament of the Project 671RTM nuclear submarine included 4 torpedo tubes of 533 mm caliber and 2 of 650 mm caliber. Project 671RTM submarines used new anti-submarine systems. Also, the nuclear submarine carried special guided sabotage missiles “Sirena” as well as other “special purpose” weapons, most of which had no analogues in the world. In particular, in the OKB im. Kamov in 1975 created a single-seat folding helicopter Ka-56, which was intended for the transfer of saboteurs, and capable of being fired from a 533-mm TA of a submerged submarine.

It was decided to organize the construction of Project 671RTM submarines simultaneously at the Admiralty Association in Leningrad (with subsequent completion at the Zvezdochka Shipyard) and at the SZLK in Komsomolsk-on-Amur (with completion at the Shipyard in Big Stone).

Technical characteristics of the Project 671RTM nuclear submarine:
Maximum length – 106.1 m (107.1 m);
Maximum width – 10.8 m;
Average draft – 7.8 m;
Normal displacement – ​​6990 m3;
Total displacement – ​​7250 m3;
Buoyancy reserve – 28.0%;
Maximum diving depth – 600 m;
Working immersion depth – 400 m;
Full submerged speed – 31.0 knots;
Surface speed - 11.6 knots;
Autonomy – 80 days;
Crew - 92 people (the number of crew members varied depending on the RTMK or RTM project).

The creation of Project 671RTM submarines in the USSR coincided with the beginning of the American program for the construction of third-generation multipurpose nuclear submarines of the SSN-688 type, which became the most massive nuclear submarines in the world (in 1996, the American Navy received the last, sixty-second nuclear submarine of this type), equipped with a powerful AN sonar /BQQ-5. "Los Angeles" (lead ship of the series, displacement 6080/6927 tons, maximum speed 31 knots, diving depth up to 450 meters, armament of 4 TA 533 mm with ammunition of 26 missile-torpedoes and torpedoes) joined the US Navy in 1976.

New American submarines continued to surpass their Soviet counterparts in terms of sonar characteristics and level of stealth. But this gap, according to the Americans, has narrowed significantly and is no longer of a “dramatic” nature. At the same time, the nuclear submarines of the US Navy were actually equal to the submarines of the USSR in terms of maximum underwater speed (but were inferior in maximum depth). At the same time, the “Pikes” had better combat survivability and maneuverability. They also had some advantages in armament. Thanks to the higher level complex automation Project 671RTM submarines had a smaller crew compared to the Los Angeles, which made it possible to create the Shchuk on board Better conditions habitability. According to experts, the submarines of the SSN-688 and 671RTM projects were generally equivalent ships.

Project 671PTMK nuclear submarines built in Leningrad:
K-524 – laying down 06/07/76, launching 06/31/77, acceptance by the Navy 12/28/77 (from 1982 to 1991 it was called “60 years of Komsomol patronage”);
K-502 – laying down 07/23/79, launching 08/17/80, acceptance by the Navy 12/31/80 (since 1999 “Volgograd”);
K-254 – laying down 09/24/77, launching 09/06/79, reception by the Navy 09/18/81;
K-527 – laying down 09/28/78, launching 06/24/81, reception by the Navy 12/30/81;
K-298 – laying down 02.25.81, launching 07.14.82, received by the Navy 12.27.82;
K-358 – laying down 07/23/82, launching 07/15/83, acceptance by the Navy 12/29/83 (from 1982 to 1991 - “Murmansk Komsomolets”);
K-299 – laying down 07/01/83, launching 06/29/84, received by the Navy 12/22/84;
K-244 – laying down 12/25/84, launching 07/09/85, received by the Navy 12/25/85;
K-292 – laying down 04/15/86, launching 04/29/87, received by the Navy 11/27/87 (built according to project 671RTMK);
K-388 – laying down 05/08/87, launching 06/03/88, acceptance by the Navy 11/30/88 (built according to project 671RTMK);
K-138 – laying 07.12.88, launching 05.08.89, acceptance by the Navy 10.05.90 (built according to project 671RTMK, from 05.2000 - “Obninsk”);
K-414 – laying down 12/01/88, launching 08/31/90, received by the Navy 12/30/90 (built according to project 671RTMK);
K-448 – laying down 01/31/91, launching 10/17/91, received by the Navy 09/24/92 (built according to project 671RTMK).
Project 671PTMK nuclear submarines built in Komsomolsk-on-Amur:
K-247 – laying down 07/15/76, launching 08/13/78, received by the Navy 12/30/78;
K-507 – laying down 09/22/77, launching 10/01/79, reception by the Navy 11/30/79;
K-492 – laying down 02/23/78, launching 07/28/79, reception by the Navy 12/30/79;
K-412 – laying down 10/29/78, launching 09/06/79, reception by the Navy 12/30/79;
K-251 – laying down 06.26.79, launching 05.03.80, received by the Navy 08.30.80;
K-255 – laying down 11/07/79, launching 07/20/80, reception by the Navy 12/26/80;
K-324 – laying down 02/29/80, launching 10/07/80, reception by the Navy 12/30/80;
K-305 – laying down 06/27/80, launching 05/17/81, reception by the Navy 09/30/81;
K-355 – laying down 12/31/80, launching 08/08/81, reception by the Navy 12/29/81;
K-360 – laying down 05/08/81, launching 04/27/82, reception by the Navy 11/07/82;
K-218 – laying down 06/03/81, launching 07/24/82, received by the Navy 12/28/82;
K-242 – laying down 06/12/82, launching 04/29/83, acceptance by the Navy 10/26/83 (from 1982 to 1991 - “50 years of Komsomolsk-on-Amur”);
K-264 – laying down 04/03/83, launching 06/08/84, received by the Navy 10/26/84.

The development of Project 671RTM submarines in the fleets has been somewhat delayed. The reason for this was the lack of development of the Omnibus combat information and control system: until the mid-1980s. the system could not fully solve the tasks assigned to it. On early-built submarines, the Omnibus was completed during the operation of the boats, which significantly limited combat capabilities.

The most important improvement that was introduced on the 671RTM project was the use of a fundamentally new type of weapon - strategic small-sized subsonic cruise missiles "Granat", the maximum firing range of which was 3 thousand m. Equipping nuclear submarines with cruise missiles turned them into multi-purpose ships that could solve a wide range of problems not only in conventional, but also in nuclear war. The Granat cruise missiles were virtually no different from standard torpedoes in terms of weight and size characteristics. This made it possible to use “Granat” from standard torpedo tubes of 533 mm caliber.

The last five submarines built in Leningrad were put into operation according to the 671RTMK project (the weapons complex was supplemented with cruise missiles). Subsequently, the KR was retrofitted with the remaining Project 671RTM submarines.

PLA pr.671-RTM in the database

Some boats were given “proper names” after they entered service. K-414 has been called “Daniil Moskovsky” since 1996, K-448 (the last nuclear submarine of Project 671RTM, commissioned after the collapse of the USSR) since 04/10/1995 has been called “Tambov”. The nuclear submarine K-138 is called “Obninsk”.

Perhaps the most striking fragment in the biography of Project 671RTM boats was their participation in the major operations Atrina and Aport, carried out by the 33rd Division in the Atlantic and significantly shaking the confidence of the United States in the ability of its Navy to solve anti-submarine missions.

On May 29, 1985, three submarines of Project 671RTM (K-502, K-324, K-299), as well as the submarine K-488 (Project 671RT), simultaneously left Zapadnaya Litsa on May 29, 1985. Later they were joined by the Project 671 nuclear submarine K-147. Of course, the entry of a whole group of nuclear submarines into the ocean could not go unnoticed by US naval intelligence. An intensive search began, but it did not bring the expected results. At the same time, Soviet nuclear-powered submarines, operating secretly, themselves monitored the missile submarines of the US Navy in their combat patrol area (for example, the K-324 nuclear submarine had three hydroacoustic contacts with a US nuclear submarine, for a total duration of 28 hours). In addition, the submarines studied the tactics of the American anti-submarine warfare. The Americans managed to establish contact only with K-488 returning to the base. On July 1, Operation Aport ended.

In March-June 1987, Operation Atrina, similar in scope, was carried out, in which five Project 671RTM submarines took part - K-244 (under the command of captain of the second rank V. Alikov), K-255 (under the command of captain of the second rank B.Yu. Muratov), ​​K-298 (under the command of captain of the second rank Popkov), K-299 (under the command of captain of the second rank N.I. Klyuev) and K-524 (under the command of captain of the second rank A.F. Smelkov). The submarines' operations were supported by naval aviation aircraft and two Kolguev-class reconnaissance ships, which are equipped with hydroacoustic systems with extended (towed) antennas. Although the Americans learned about the departure of nuclear submarines from Western Litsa, they lost them in the North Atlantic. The “underwater hunt” began again, which involved almost all the anti-submarine forces of the American Atlantic Fleet - shore- and deck-based aircraft, six anti-submarine nuclear submarines (in addition to the submarines already deployed by the United States Navy in the Atlantic), 3 powerful ship-based search engines group and 3 of the newest Stallworth-class vessels (hydroacoustic survey ships), which used powerful underwater explosions to generate a hydroacoustic pulse. Ships of the English fleet were involved in the search operation. According to the stories of commanders of domestic submarines, the concentration of anti-submarine forces was so large that it seemed impossible to surface for air pumping and a radio communication session. Despite this, the nuclear submarines managed to reach the Sargasso Sea area undetected, where the Soviet “veil” was finally discovered.

PLA pr.671-RTM at demonstration exercises. In the background is SSBN pr.941

The Americans managed to establish the first contacts with submarines only eight days after Operation Atrina began. Project 671RTM nuclear submarines were mistakenly mistaken for strategic missile submarines, which only increased the concern of the US naval command and the country's political leadership (it must be recalled that these events occurred at the peak of the Cold War, which at any time could turn into "hot") While returning to base to separate from the anti-submarine forces of the US Navy, submarine commanders were allowed to use secret sonar countermeasures.

The success of Operations Atrina and Aport confirmed the assumption that the United States Navy, given the massive use of modern nuclear submarines by the Soviet Union, would not be able to organize any effective countermeasures against them.

At the end of 1985, the most difficult under-ice voyage was made by K-524 under the command of captain first rank V.V. Protopopov, the senior on board is the commander of the thirty-third division, captain of the first rank Shevchenko. The idea of ​​the campaign was to go to the Atlantic Ocean from the Arctic Ocean, bypassing Greenland from the northeast. The submarine commander was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union for this campaign.

The submarine, entering the Lincoln Sea, passed through the shallow and narrow Robeson and Kennedy Straits, which separate Greenland from Grant Land and Grinnell Land, passed through the Kane Basin and entered Baffin Bay through Smith Strait, after which it set off into the North Atlantic.

The route was dangerous and extremely difficult. It was replete with shoals, as well as icebergs, which were abundantly thrown up by the Greenland glaciers. Because of the icebergs in the Baffin Sea, there were no safe depths. The only reliable means of information in these conditions was hydroacoustics.

K-524, already in the Atlantic, met with the US Navy aircraft carrier America and covertly “attacked” it (conditionally, of course). The duration of the trip was 80 days, of which 54 were at depths of over 150 meters under the ice. For his participation in this operation, captain first rank Protopopov received the title Hero of the Soviet Union.

Project 671RTM submarines were the first to master transpolar passages to the Northern theater from the Pacific.

In 1981–1983, in order to optimally distribute multi-purpose nuclear submarines between fleets, these transitions were carried out by the K-255 submarines built in Komsomolsk-on-Amur (ship commander captain of the second rank Ushakov), K-324 (captain of the second rank Terekhin), K- 218 (captain of the second rank Avdeychik).

At the beginning of 1989, in accordance with Soviet-American agreements, weapons equipped with nuclear warheads were removed and stored from multipurpose nuclear submarines of the American Navy and the Soviet Navy. As a result, Project 671RTM submarines lost the “Granat” and “Shkval”.

Project 671RTM ships took part in solving both military and purely peaceful problems. For example, “Daniil Moskovsky” under the command of captain first rank P.I. Litvin, after ensuring missile launches from the North Pole area of ​​the underwater heavy cruiser TK-20, was delivered to covered with ice Kharasavey port at the end of August 1995 10 tons of flour and sugar.

On August 29, 1991, for nuclear submarines of projects 671, 671RT, 671RTM, 945, 945A, 670M, the letter “K” in the tactical number was replaced by the letter “B”.

In the mid-1990s. Project 671RTM boats began to be gradually withdrawn from the Navy's operational inventory. On July 31, K-247, K-492, K-412, which in total made 12, 10 and 6 autonomous cruises, were excluded from the Pacific Fleet. K-305, after a fire that occurred in 1994 in the turbine compartment, did not return to service, and became part of the maintenance team. reserve.

However, the “Pikes”, being at a respectable age, continued to demonstrate their high combat qualities. This is evidenced by an incident that occurred in the winter of 1996, 150 miles from the Hebrides. On February 29, the Russian Embassy in London appealed to the command of the British Navy with a request to provide assistance to a submarine sailor (commander captain first rank Ivanisov), who underwent surgery on board the boat to remove appendicitis, followed by peritonitis (his treatment is possible only in a hospital setting). Soon the patient was redirected to the shore by a Lynx helicopter from the destroyer Glasgow. However, the British media were not so much moved by the manifestation of naval cooperation between Russia and Great Britain, as they expressed bewilderment at the fact that while negotiations were being held in London, NATO meetings were taking place in the North Atlantic, in the area where the Russian Navy submarine was located. anti-submarine maneuvers (by the way, the Glasgow EM also took part in them). But the nuclear-powered submarine was detected only after it floated to the surface to transfer the sailor to the helicopter. According to the Times newspaper, the Russian submarine demonstrated its stealth while tracking anti-submarine forces. It is noteworthy that the British mistook the Pike for a more modern (lower noise) submarine of the 971st project.

The Northern Fleet in 1999 included the submarines B-138, B-255, B-292, B-388, B-14, B-448, B-502 and B-524. The Pacific Fleet included B-264, B-305.

By 2006, five boats of this type were serving in the Northern Fleet. Most of the rest are under conservation.

In December 1983, the large nuclear submarine K-324 was in combat service off the Atlantic coast of North America. The autonomous voyage took place in difficult conditions: there were problems with the water supply, the refrigeration unit was out of order, and there was sweltering heat in the compartments. The boat was tasked with tracking the American frigate McCloy (Bronstein class) conducting tests the latest system TASS underwater surveillance with an extended towed low-frequency hydroacoustic antenna. K-324 managed to record information about the operating parameters of the system.

Moreover, during the tracking, some features of the interaction of the American surface ship with its submarines and components of the stationary long-range hydroacoustic detection system were revealed. However, unexpectedly, McCloy stopped testing and went to base. K-324, left “without work”, received an order to change the navigation area.

However, this was not possible - a strong vibration suddenly arose, requiring the main turbine to stop. Having surfaced, the commander of K-324 discovered that he had received an unexpected “valuable gift from Uncle Sam” - 400 m of the top-secret TA58 armored cable antenna was wound around the propeller of his ship. Of course, the Soviet boat, which surfaced in the area of ​​the American test site, was soon discovered by a “potential enemy.” By the morning, the destroyers Peterson and Nicholson (Spruance class) arrived in the area of ​​the incident, establishing close guard over the K-324. Obviously, the commanders of these ships received a very specific order - to prevent the Russians from taking possession of the antenna by any means. The “joint voyage” of the practically powerless boat and the destroyers lasted almost 10 days, the Americans behaved more and more “sharply” (what else could they do?), trying to pass in close proximity to the stern of the nuclear submarine and cut off the antenna. Fearing even more decisive actions by the destroyers, the commander of the boat, Captain 2nd Rank V.A. Terekhin, gave the order to prepare his ship for an explosion.

The situation defused only when the Soviet ship Aldan arrived to help K-324. The American command finally realized that it was unlikely that it would be possible to return its antenna by peaceful means, and that starting a third world war because of the “hose” no one wanted it. As a result, the destroyers were recalled to the base, the K-324 was towed by Aldan to Cuba, where it was repaired, and the ill-fated antenna was delivered to the USSR for detailed study.

The main “hero” of the events described was the cruising submarine of Project 671RTM - the seventh ship in the series, built in Komsomolsk-on-Amur.

In parallel with the expansion of work on the creation of fundamentally new nuclear submarines of projects 945 and 971, a very successful attempt was made in the USSR to “squeeze” the maximum possible out of the design of boats of projects 671 and 671RT. The basis of the modernized project 671RTM (code "Pike") was the development of a new generation of radio-electronic weapons - a powerful GAK, a navigation complex, a combat information and control system, an automated complex of radio communications, reconnaissance complex equipment, as well as measures to reduce the ship's unmasking fields. In fact, Project 671RTM, like the missile submarine cruiser Project 667BDRM, “smoothly transitioned” from the 2nd to the 3rd generation of nuclear-powered submarines.

The chief designer of the 671RTM project was G.N. Chernyshev (creator of boats 671 and 671RT), in 1984 he was replaced by R.A. Shmakov.

One of the most important elements of the modernized nuclear-powered submarine’s armament was to be anti-submarine missile system"Shkval", the development of which began in accordance with the resolution of the Central Committee of the CPSU and the Council of Ministers of the USSR in 1960. The "ideologists" of the new complex were scientists from the Moscow branch of TsAGI named after. Professor N. E. Zhukovsky (now State Scientific Research Center TsAGI), in particular, Academician G. V. Logvinovich. The direct development of weapons was carried out by NII-24 (now SNPO "Region") under the leadership of chief designer I. L. Merkulov (later he was replaced by V. R. Serov, and the work was completed by E. D. Rakov).

The Shkval complex included an ultra-high-speed underwater missile developing 200 knots (with a range of 11 km). This was achieved by using an engine running on hydro-reacting fuel, as well as by moving the projectile in a gas cavity, minimizing hydrodynamic resistance. The missile, equipped with a nuclear warhead, was controlled by an inertial system that was not sensitive to interference.

The first launches of an underwater missile were carried out on Lake Issyk-Kul in 1964, and on November 29, 1977, the VA-111 Shkval complex with the M-5 missile was adopted by the Navy. It should be noted that there are no analogues to this highly effective complex, which has an almost absolute probability of hitting a target within its reach, abroad at the present time.

An additional set of measures was taken to increase the stealth of nuclear submarines through the introduction of fundamentally new solutions for depreciation (1 n. “disabling foundations”), acoustic decoupling of mechanisms and structures. The ship received a demagnetization device, making it difficult to detect by aircraft magnetometers.

The Skat-KS hydroacoustic complex (chief designer of B.E. India) provided detection and classification of targets, as well as their automatic tracking during noise direction finding in the audio and infrasound frequency ranges. The complex made it possible to detect targets through echo direction finding with measuring the distance to them and provided initial data for target designation to torpedo weapons.

In terms of its capabilities, the Skat-KS complex was three times superior to the SAC of the previous generation and came very close to the American complexes (although it was still inferior to them in terms of weight and size characteristics). The maximum target detection range under normal hydrological conditions was 230 km. Onboard noise receivers operating in passive mode were used, as well as an extended towed infrasound antenna, folded up and placed in a special bulb-shaped container located above the vertical tail of the boat.

The Medveditsa-671RTM navigation complex provided continuous automatic generation of position coordinates, course, speed relative to water and ground, roll and pitch angles, as well as automatic transmission of these parameters to other ship systems.

The Omnibus combat information control system produced automated collection, processing and visual display of information that ensured decision-making on maneuvering, combat use of weapons, as well as control of torpedo and missile firing.

The ship was equipped with a new automated communications complex "Molniya-L" with the space communications system "Tsunami-B", as well as a special reconnaissance complex.

It was decided to simultaneously organize the construction of Project 671RTM submarines at the Leningrad Admiralty Association (with subsequent completion at the Zvezdochka shipyard) and in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, at SZLK (with completion at the Bolshoy Kamen shipyard).

The development of Project 671RTM submarines in fleets has been somewhat delayed. The reason for this was the lack of development of the Omnibus BIUS: until the mid-80s, the system was not capable of fully solving the tasks assigned to it. On ships of early construction, the Omnibus had to be adjusted during the operation of the boats, which significantly limited their combat capabilities.

The most important improvement introduced on the Project 671RTM nuclear submarine was a fundamentally new type of weapon - strategic small-sized subsonic cruise missiles"Granat" with a maximum firing range of 3000 km. Equipping nuclear submarines with cruise missiles has completely transformed them into multi-purpose ships capable of solving a wide range of tasks in both conventional and nuclear wars. In terms of their weight and size characteristics, the Granat missile launchers were virtually no different from standard torpedoes. This made it possible to use them from standard 533-mm torpedo tubes.

The last five boats built in Leningrad were put into operation under Project 671RTMK (with a weapons complex supplemented by the KR). Subsequently, the remaining ships of Project 671RTM were also equipped with cruise missiles.

After entering into service, some of the boats received “proper names”. Since 1996, K-414 has been called "Daniil Moskovsky", and K-448 (the last boat of Project 671 RTM, commissioned after the collapse of the Soviet Union) since April 10, 1995 has been called "Tambov". K-138 was named "Obninsk". Perhaps one of the most striking fragments in the biography of the Project 671RTM ships was participation in large-scale operations "Aport" and "Atrina", carried out in the Atlantic by the forces of the 33rd division and which significantly shook the confidence of the "potential enemy" - the United States - in the possibility of their navy solve anti-submarine missions.

On May 29, 1985, three boats of project 671RTM (K-299, K-324 and K-502), as well as K-488 (project 671RT), simultaneously left Zapadnaya Litsa. A little later, K-147 (project 671) joined them. Of course, the entry into the ocean of an entire formation of nuclear submarines could not go unnoticed by American naval intelligence. An intensive search began, which, however, did not bring the expected results. At the same time, Soviet nuclear-powered ships, acting secretly, themselves carried out intense work tracking American missile submarines in their combat patrol areas (in particular, the K-324 had three hydroacoustic contacts with an American nuclear submarine, the total duration of which was 28 hours), and also studied the tactics of anti-submarine aircraft of the US Navy. The Americans were able to establish contact only with K-488 (which was already returning to base). Operation Aport ended on July 1.

In March-June 1987, Operation Atrina, similar in scope, was carried out, in which five Project 671RTM boats took part - K-244 (commander captain 2nd rank Alikov), K-255 (commander captain 2nd rank Muratov), ​​K- 298 (commander captain 2nd rank Popkov), K-299 (commander captain 2nd rank Klyuev) and K-524 (commander captain 2nd rank Smelkov), whose operations were supported by naval aviation aircraft, as well as two reconnaissance ships of the Kolguev type, equipped with GAS with extended hydroacoustic antennas. Although the Americans knew about the departure of nuclear-powered ships from Zapadnaya Litsa, they lost them in the North Atlantic. The dramatic “underwater hunt” began again, in which almost all of the anti-submarine forces of the US Atlantic Fleet took part - deck- and shore-based aircraft, six anti-submarine nuclear submarines (in addition to the boats already deployed by the US Navy in the Atlantic), three powerful ship search groups, and also three newest sonar surveillance ships of the Stallworth type, which use powerful underwater explosions to generate hydroacoustic pulses. Ships of the English fleet also joined the search operation. According to the stories of the commanders of Soviet boats, the concentration of anti-submarine forces was such that it seemed almost impossible to surface for a radio communication session and pumping air. However, the nuclear submarines managed to reach the Sargasso Sea area undetected, where the Soviet “veil” was finally discovered.

The Americans managed to establish the first contacts with submarines only eight days after the start of Operation Atrina. At the same time, Project 671RTM nuclear submarines were mistakenly mistaken for SSBNs, which further increased the concern of the American naval command and the US political leadership (it should be recalled that the events described occurred at the next peak of the Cold War, which at any moment could transform into a “hot war” "). When returning to base to separate from American anti-submarine weapons, the submarine commanders were allowed to use secret hydroacoustic countermeasures.

The successful conduct of Operations Aport and Atrina confirmed the assumption that the US Navy, with the massive use of modern nuclear submarines by the USSR, would not be able to organize any effective counteraction to them. The most difficult under-ice voyage at the end of 1985 was made by K-524 (commander - Captain 1st Rank V. Protopopov, senior on board - commander of the 33rd Division, Captain 1st Rank A. I. Shevchenko). The idea of ​​the campaign was to go from the Arctic Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean, bypassing Greenland from the northeast. For this campaign, the submarine commander was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

Entering the Lincoln Sea, the boat passed through the narrow and shallow Robeson and Kennedy Straits, separating Greenland from Grant Land and Grinnell Land, passed the Kane Basin and through Smith Strait entered Baffin Bay and further into the North Atlantic.

The route was extremely difficult and dangerous. It was replete with shoals and icebergs, abundantly thrown up by the glaciers of Greenland. In the Baffin Sea, because of the icebergs, there were no safe depths at all. Under these conditions, the only reliable information means was hydroacoustics. Already in the Atlantic, K-524 met with an American aircraft carrier; "America" ​​secretly attacked him (conditionally, of course). The entire campaign lasted 80 days, 54 of which were under ice, at depths of more than 15 m. For participation in this operation, Captain 1st Rank V.V. Protopopov was awarded the title of Hero Soviet Union.

Project 671RTM boats were the first to master transpolar passages from the Pacific to the Northern theater in 1981, 1982 and 1983. in order to optimally distribute multi-purpose nuclear submarines between fleets, such transitions were carried out by boats K-255 (commander captain 2nd rank V.V. Ushakov), K-324 (commander captain 2nd rank Terekhin) and K-218 (commander captain 2nd rank Yu. P. . Avdeychik), built in Komsomolsk-on-Amur. At the beginning of 1989, in accordance with Russian-American agreements, weapons equipped with nuclear warheads were removed from multi-purpose nuclear submarines of the US and Russian Navy and stored on the shore. As a result, Project 671RTM boats lost Shkval and Grenade.

Project 671RTM ships participated in solving not only military, but also purely peaceful problems. Thus, "Daniil Moskovsky" (Captain 1st Rank P.I. Litvin), after providing missile launches of the heavy submarine cruiser TK-20 from the North Pole area, delivered at the end of August 1995 to the polar port of Kharasavey, closed by ice for the passage of surface vessels , 10 tons of sugar and flour. On August 29, 1991, for nuclear submarines of projects 671, 671RT, 671RTM, 945, 945A, 670M, the letters “K” in tactical numbers were replaced by the letter “B”. In the mid-90s, Project 671RTM ships began to gradually leave service. On July 31, K-247, K-492 and K-412 were excluded from the Pacific Fleet, having completed a total of 12, 10 and 6 autonomous campaigns. After a fire in the turbine compartment that occurred in 1994, the K-305 never returned to service, becoming part of the technical reserve.

However, being already at a very respectable age, the “Pikes” continued to demonstrate high combat qualities. This is evidenced by an incident that occurred in the winter of 1996, 150 miles from the Hebrides. On February 29, the Russian embassy in London appealed to the command of the British Navy with a request to provide assistance to a submarine sailor (commander Captain 1st Rank M. Ivanisov), who underwent an operation on board the ship to remove appendicitis, after which peritonitis was discovered (treatment of which is only possible in an inpatient setting) . Soon the patient was redirected to the shore by a Lynx helicopter from the destroyer Glasgow. However, the British press was not so much touched by the unexpected manifestation of Russian-British naval cooperation as expressed bewilderment by the fact that at the time when negotiations were underway in London on the evacuation of a patient, in the North Atlantic, precisely in the area where the Russian submarine was located boat, NATO anti-submarine maneuvers took place (by the way, the Glasgow ship also took part in them). However, the nuclear submarine was detected only when it itself surfaced to transfer the unfortunate sailor to the helicopter. According to the influential English newspaper The Times, the Russian submarine demonstrated how stealthy it is by tracking anti-submarine forces without being detected. It is noteworthy that the Pike was mistaken by the British for a more modern (and, naturally, quieter) Project 971 boat.

In 1999, the Northern Fleet included B-138, B-255, B-292, B-388, B-414, B-448, B-502 and B-524. The Pacific Fleet had B-264 and B-305 in service.

It is likely that in the future the rate of “washing out” of Project 671RTM ships from the fleet will accelerate even more. However, some boats of this type will most likely survive until 2010. It can be assumed that these nuclear submarines will undergo modernization aimed at reducing their noise, strengthening their weapons and on-board radio-electronic equipment. However, the volume of this work will depend on the extent to which the government will be able to finance the Navy.

It was a legendary nuclear submarine project, born during the crazy military race between the USSR and the USA. Hurtful failures and harsh conclusions, adventurous orders and true heroism of sailors, underwater spy surveillance and ambushes under the ice - the history of the 671 series boats is full of drama and poignant plots, which can be used to make more than one world-class thriller.

As part of the project, forty-eight submarines with different combat equipment and constant improvements were built and launched. This was the most important stage in Soviet military shipbuilding: it was during the tough confrontation with the United States that domestic shipyards learned to make submarines top class.

When it all started

This was after the Second World War. The first nuclear submarine in the world appeared only in 1954, it was the famous American Nautilus with a maximum underwater speed of 23 knots. He managed to swim under the ice to the North Pole, earning himself an honorable place in the history of the world's submarine fleet.

The USSR was four years behind the Nautilus: in 1958, the Leninsky Komsomol, the Soviet first nuclear submarine, was launched, capable of overtaking an American underwater without any effort: its underwater maximum speed was already 30 knots.

The parties worked under unequal conditions. If the previous boat project number 627 was created based on experience with diesel ships and scant information from the Americans, then the second generation boats were made taking into account their own difficult experience. Already at that time the supply consumables and related equipment was carried out through completely different channels and principles. Americans could choose best samples electronics or, for example, shooting guns all over the world - even in Japan, even in Sweden. Our guys worked only with domestic manufacturers, with understandable difficulties.

Historical Shock: Embarrassment in the Sargasso Sea

In 1962, the world froze in anticipation of the outcome of the largest American-Soviet conflict over the deployment of Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba. The United States of America introduced a strict maritime quarantine to block Soviet ships from reaching Cuba. The Soviet leadership immediately responded to such a demarche. The order was tough and urgent: break the naval blockade with the help of Soviet submarines.

Four diesel boats, reinforced with nuclear torpedoes and equipped with the latest tactical Soviet developments that allow them to evade the enemy underwater, urgently arrived on the Cuban shores. So it seemed to the Soviet submariners.

It all ended disastrously. In the Sargasso Sea, our boats were quickly detected using the latest hydrophones American system Sosus tracking. The Americans began dropping grenades on the boats, preventing them from rising to the surface of the water, which is vital for diesel engines. In the wild heat and lack of oxygen, the submariners fainted.

It ended with the B-130 boat being the first to rise to the surface of the water in full view of everyone. It was a desperate and brave gesture by the submarine captain, who sent an encrypted message with a damning text about a forced ascent, a broken diesel engine and a dead battery. And that the B-130 was surrounded by four American destroyers. Following this encryption, messages came from other crews with approximately the same content. Adventure, courage, complete failure - these are the most suitable words for a short summary, which in the end turned out to be cruel and at the same time the most effective lesson. After all, it was with this offensive failure that the path of the famous nuclear submarines 671 began.

Conclusions and new challenges for second generation submarines

The level of awareness of the Soviet submariners who participated in the Cuban Missile Crisis was zero: after all, they were sure that there was an American spy at the headquarters of the USSR Navy. And that's the only reason American ships were able to detect our diesel engines so quickly.

The Soviet first generation missiles had a catastrophically short range. For this reason, they had to break through the US naval defense - they did not know how to shoot from afar. To protect them, boats of a new type with completely new task: hunt not for surface ships, but for enemy submarines. New underwater hunters were needed - fighters to protect missile carriers.

The main criteria were determined by underwater speed, diving depth and maneuverability. Hence the special shape of Project 671 boats - everything is tailored to their functions and tasks. Hence the “fishy” coding of the series.

Project 671 “Ruff”: new underwater hunters

The famous Leningrad "Malachite" is not a jewelry company, as one might think. This is a serious design bureau, which was entrusted with the development of new Project 671 submarines. The main task there was a fight against American strategic submarines, which were essentially missile submarines. Swimming under the ice, they were invulnerable. And the largest and strategic cities of the USSR Moscow, Murmansk, Leningrad and Sevastopol were under constant threat of a missile strike.

The situation was tense, the pressure from management was enormous, the speed of the project was fantastic. The matter was further complicated by new troubles on the American side: they were not asleep there either.

Already in 1963, the Americans launched new class submarine "Lafayette". In terms of their functions, they were specialized missile carriers. Their main feature was fantastic noiselessness. Soviet radar equipment detected them at a distance of only a few kilometers. This situation could lead to nonsense: submarine 671 could become obsolete even before its birth. Of course, a solution was found. I had to create new process torpedo loading: it has now become fully automated. Much of this project was done for the first time in Soviet shipbuilding; this moment was truly breakthrough.

The technical characteristics of Project 671, called “Ruff”, were as follows:

• the length and width of the boat are 95 and 11.7 meters, respectively;
• diving depth 320 meters;
• nuclear power plant with turbine power of 30,000 horsepower;
• underwater speed 32 knots;
• Autonomous swimming ability - 50 days.

As for weapons, the "brushes" were equipped with 36 mines and two SS-N-15 missiles.

First baptism of fire

The underwater confrontation between the new underwater hunters of Project 671 and American strategic submarines turned into an interesting chronicle, which could be used to make an excellent action-packed series.

The Americans controlled almost half of Antarctica thanks to the excellent modified Sosus system. Their database contained records of all noise produced by Soviet ships, including civilian ships. And for each submarine, real detailed noise portraits were compiled. Detection tactics have also changed. The Americans did not report that they had discovered a Soviet submarine; instead, they continued to control the submarine's progress covertly, literally hanging on its tail, as in a spy novel. They could do this because they were silent, like cats.

What about our new submarines in such a difficult situation? They performed well from the very beginning. When breaking through anti-submarine blockades (which was their main function), the “ruffs” turned out to be quite effective. They made, of course, a lot of noise in comparison with American boats, but in terms of speed and performance they overtook everyone and easily escaped pursuit. In other words, the first combat mission in the launch series of Project 671 submarines was completed. The designers did an excellent job with the sailors.

Project 671 RT "Salmon"

In the early 70s, a new problem came. Our underwater hunters of the 671 series found themselves in the role of game - the hunt began for them. It was about yet another modernization of the US Navy's weapons. New missiles with multiple warheads appeared on their boats. But they were not the main problem, but the so-called torpedo missile - an anti-submarine weapon with an increased range. This missile-torpedo moved like a typical torpedo in the water. Then she came out of the water and turned into a rocket, which flew to the designated point. At this point, a special warhead departed from it, which exploded at the required depth in the water.

The designers of the Malachite bureau again had the urgent task of “catching up and overtaking.” The Soviet answer came a year later: it was a modified boat 671 with the abbreviation RT under the code "Salmon". Its main advantage was the new Vyuga missile system with an increased missile range of up to 40 km, a powerful caliber and a nuclear warhead.

"Salmon" was capable of destroying enemy boats several kilometers from the epicenter. Additional weapons included torpedo tubes increased power with a caliber of 650 mm. The boats were lengthened by an entire compartment, and the comfort of the crew’s stay increased. They did a good job with the notorious noise: they managed to reduce it by five times, which, however, was still insufficient. The photo shows the submarine 671 of the RT project.

In 1975, a funny story happened. The Defense Department of the CPSU Central Committee urgently convened all submarine designers for an emergency meeting. They were met by a prosecutor with an official complaint in hand. A Navy officer working in the receiving office complained. He believed that the main problem of all Project 671 boats in the form of high noise (and this was exactly the case) was a consequence of the planned actions of the designers. The matter ended with a detailed debriefing, after which the designers promised to go through everything possible options noise reduction. The right solution was finally found. The main sources of noise - the turbine and turbogenerators - were placed on shock absorbers inside a special chamber. Subsequently, such a scheme was placed on all subsequent boats. The very first exit of the silent boat 671 RT caused a stir among the Americans: they lost Atlantic and Antarctic peace forever.

"Salmon" had excellent technical characteristics:

• length 102 m and width 10 m;
• ability to dive to 350 m;
• nuclear power plant with a capacity of 30,000 horsepower;
• underwater speed 30.5 knots;
• possibility of autonomous navigation for 60 days;

The armament was more than serious: 12 torpedo tubes of various calibers and two SS-N-16 nuclear missiles.

Project 671 RTM: and now “Pikes”

This series is an extremely interesting project from all points of view, it would be useful to study it in universities as part of production management. First of all, it was an attempt (very successful in the end) to squeeze everything possible out of the two projects 671 and 671 RT. The fact is that in parallel, third-generation submarines were already being built in full swing - fundamentally new projects 945 and 971 with a radical reduction in noise levels and a powerful set of weapons.

The latest powerful hydroacoustic and navigation systems were introduced into the design of the Project 671 RTM submarine. New means of communication were at the world level. Two nuclear reactors were also installed with a significant increase in power. Improvements affected all systems of the boat. Taking into account such transformations, the RTM 671 submarine smoothly moved into the category of third generation submarines.

The legendary “Pike” is the most advanced option of the project. Project 671 RTM was a multi-purpose nuclear submarine. In total, 26 models were produced under the abbreviation RTM - a whole series of boats with magnificent technical characteristics, among which:

• maximum diving depth 600 m;
• maximum underwater speed 31 knots;
• two powerful reactors of 31,000 horsepower each.

The boat could sail autonomously for 80 days. The crew required a more substantial size - approximately 100 people.

The main advantage of the RTM Project 671 submarine was its armament: Granat cruise missiles, 24 torpedoes or 34 mines, depending on the modification of the particular boat. This configuration, combined with speed and buoyancy, made the RTM series unique. The submarine's nuclear reactor met all safety requirements.

As a result, Project 671 turned out to be very competent from a technical evolutionary point of view: its beginning was the creation of a new second-generation boat, and the end was the transformation of 671 RTM submarines into the latest third-generation submarines.

Project 671 RTM nuclear submarines were built at two factories: the famous Admiralty Association in St. Petersburg and Shipyard named after Lenin Komsomol in Komsomolsk-on-Amur. The final refinement was carried out at the Zvezdochka plant and at the base in Bolshoy Kamen.

Parity arms race underwater

Historically, the project of the Project 671 RTM nuclear submarine coincided in terms of timing with the beginning of the American program for the construction of third-generation multi-purpose nuclear submarines of the SSN-688 type. As a result, they became the most massive series of submarines in the world history of the submarine fleet (a total of 62 units were produced). In the photo, the nuclear submarine Los Angeles is the lead ship with a speed of 31 knots and an armament of 26 torpedoes. It was launched in 1976.

The coincidence of timing, of course, was not accidental. The fact is that American nuclear submarines at that time were significantly better than Soviet boats in terms of stealth and acoustic capabilities. The gap gradually narrowed, but did not disappear completely.

The Americans also had something to work on: they were inferior to their Soviet counterparts in maximum underwater speed, and the combat survivability and maneuverability of the “pike” were higher. In terms of armament level, both series could compete, but the Soviet 671 RTM had a relative advantage.

It was also important that fewer people were required to service the boats of the 671 RTM series. Thus, due to the compact crew, the habitability conditions on board were much higher. It may seem that this criterion is not a key one. But if we take into account the many months of autonomous submarine raids, for example, under ice, habitability conditions come to the fore in importance: this is the state and mood of the crew.

In general, according to independent experts, submarines 671РТМ and SSN-688 were approximately equivalent. We can say that the race of two conditional opponents in terms of improvement and defensive power went on in parallel, both participants were approximately equal.

Much has been written about American nuclear submarines in the world press. Even among ordinary people it was a well-known and discussed project. Almost no one knew about the Soviet submarines of Project 671 due to the traditional extreme secrecy of Soviet submariners. Even now, information about them is limited to narrow professional resources. It is difficult to find on the Internet, for example, high-quality photos of the Pike-class nuclear submarine.

Therefore, the long-term history of underwater “catch-up” between the two rival countries also remains behind secret curtains. But in vain, there were many interesting cases. One of the most striking is the major operation “Aport” in the Atlantic Ocean in 1985, when Soviet submariners “washed” their conditional enemy - the US Navy. Everything resembled a real hunt with an ambush, which is quite natural: the entire Project 671 was created specifically for hunting enemy submarines.

At the end of May, three beautiful hunters of the RTM class sailed out into the ocean from the Zapadnaya Litsa base on the Kola Peninsula with two boats of 671 other modifications attached to them. Of course, American naval intelligence could not help but notice such a nuclear submarine team. Noticed, but... lost. They searched with all intelligence in the most intensive way. The only American success was the discovery of the K-488 boat only when it was already returning home to the base. Meanwhile, our beauties were busy with their permanent combat missions: they monitored the missile submarines and anti-submarine aircraft of the US Navy during their patrols. As a result, the Americans hunted for the crew of boats 671 RTM for a whole month without success. "Aport" ended on July 1, 1985.

Operation Atrina was fundamental and most important in a political sense for Soviet submariners. This time the “magnificent five” of the famous submarines K-244, K-255, K-298, K-299 and K-524 took part in it. The five boats had support in the form of naval aviation and a pair of reconnaissance ships equipped with special hydroacoustic systems with antennas. Like last time, the Americans knew about the departure of the boats, but immediately lost them in the Atlantic Ocean. The hunt began again, all detection forces were brought up in the form of three search groups with the involvement of British ships. The boats left unnoticed and reached that same ill-fated Sargasso Sea.

The Americans managed to find contact with the boats only eight days after the start of the operation. They mistook the pikes for missile submarines, which was something they were seriously worried about. All of these actions took place during the peak of the Cold War.

The results of Operations Aport and Atrina showed that the US Navy will not be able to effectively counter the new generation of Project 671 RTM nuclear submarines if they are used on a massive scale.

This was the most important victory of the Soviet navy. This is what it means to make the right entries. Submariners have always been able to do this.

Another well-known heroic page was the under-ice navigation of the famous incredibly difficult boat K-524. The task was to sail from the Arctic Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean, bypassing the island of Greenland from the northeast. This passage became a legend, and captain Protopopov V.V. received the star of Hero of the Soviet Union.

Noisy. Sheathing. Acoustics. Write off…

Unfortunately, yes. Everything comes to an end, and the legendary hunter submarines of Project 671 "Ruff", "Salmon" and "Pike" were no exception. The issue of their modernization was considered by the command of the Russian Navy in the most serious manner several years ago. This was a competition for pike modernization projects, where all possible options were explored.

It's all about the high noise of the boats - the criterion by which the 671 series lost to the American Los Angeles back in the days of the frenzied race for improvements.

The cost of upgrading the boat would be approximately the same as the cost of a new boat. It would be necessary to change the entire contents, including the latest sonar systems and, of course, the reactors themselves. The cladding would also need some serious work.

Thus, modernization was considered futile. By 2015, the boats were decommissioned. The famous 671 submarine project has ended. Submariners remember and appreciate it; it was a glorious time for the flight of engineering, technical discoveries and exploits of submariners, which are still little known to many people.

PROJECT 671 NUCLEAR SUBMARINE

NUCLEAR SUBMARINE PROJECT 671

12.12.2017
CONFERENCE: 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DELIVERY OF THE HEAD NUCLEAR SUBMARINE OF PROJECT 671 TO THE NAVY. PHOTO REPORT

On December 7, 2017, a scientific and technical conference was held dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the delivery of the lead nuclear submarine of Project 671 to the Navy. The conference was held at the St. Petersburg Maritime Engineering Bureau "Malachite" and was organized jointly with the oldest enterprise in the field of military shipbuilding - "Admiralty shipyards."
During the conference, speeches were given by scientists and designers who participated in the creation of Project 671 nuclear submarines.
The developer of the boat is SKB-143 (now the St. Petersburg Marine Engineering Bureau "Malachite"), chief designer Georgy Chernyshev. The terms of reference for the project were approved in 1959, technical project completed by the end of 1960, and in April 1963 in Leningrad at the Novo-Admiralteysky Plant (now Admiralty Shipyards) the lead boat of the K-38 project was laid down, which was commissioned in 1967.
A total of 15 Project 671 boats were built, most of them performed tasks as part of the Northern Fleet. Three Project 671 submarines intended for the Pacific Fleet were built according to a modified Project 671 B.
VTS "BASTION", 12.12.2017