Military operations at sea have a lot of peculiar features. No wonder the naval service was always considered especially honorable, and the title "Admiral" was almost always valued higher than the general. One of the features of a water battle is that attacks can always be expected not only from enemy surface ships and aircraft, but also from under water.
The German submarines became a real nightmare for the Allies during the Second World War, sending millions of tons of cargo and thousands of ships to the bottom of the Atlantic. The Soviet Union appreciated the German contribution to the development of the submarine fleet, beginning in the post-war period, expanded development in this direction.
When pronouncing the word “submarine”, most people immediately associate with a huge submarine ship carrying on board a deadly cargo in the form of heavy ballistic missiles that can bring huge problems to a potential enemy. At the same time, ordinary people forget that in a modern fleet small diesel-electric submarines are no less valuable. They are indispensable in sabotage business, for secretive landing on the enemy shore.
One of the most successful projects was the Lada submarine. We’ll talk about it today.
General information
Project 667 vessels are designed to carry out reconnaissance and sabotage operations against surface ships and enemy submarines, to protect coastal areas from enemy landing, as well as to set minefields and other similar tasks. Thus, the Lada submarine, the photo of which is in the article, is optimally suited specifically for the tasks of modern warfare, which requires maximum mobility and invisibility.
A feature of the submarines of this series is the scheme of their construction, called "one and a half". The fact is that the case (made of AB-2 steel) has the same diameter along the entire length. Unlike large nuclear boats, the bow and stern have a pronounced spherical shape. Thanks to the bulkheads, the hull is divided into five independent compartments. There are three decks on the ship.
Impressive hydrodynamic characteristics are ensured thanks to a specially designed, especially streamlined shape. Retractable devices have exactly the same barriers that the Project 877 ships are characterized by, but the aft tail is made crosswise, and the front wheels are mounted on the fence. This was done so that they would create as little interference as possible with the sonar equipment that the submarine is equipped with. The Lada project in this sense is a real benchmark: it is extremely quiet, it is extremely difficult to detect by sonar and sonar.
Submarine weapons
The main means of defense and attack are six devices for launching torpedoes of 533 mm caliber, with two mines on the upper deck designed to fire guided ammunition. The standard ammunition includes 18 torpedoes. Most often, the Lada 677 submarine uses universal ammunition (SAET-60M, UGST), special torpedoes to destroy enemy submarines. Onboard there may be cruise missiles, as well as 22 mines of the DM-1 model. There is the possibility of the combat use of anti-submarine missiles of the Flurry type.
The firing system allows for both single shots and multiple salvos from six mines simultaneously. For reloading torpedo tubes, the Murena complex is responsible, which allows the entire operation to be carried out in fully automatic mode. The whole process is completely controlled from the command post by which the submarine is equipped. The Lada project was the first in the Soviet Union to develop a non-nuclear submarine that would use so many sophisticated and highly efficient automation.
To protect the boat from enemy combat aircraft, the crew can use six Igla-1M MANPADS. The coordination of all combat systems is ensured through the use of the "Lithium" system. Thus, the submarine "Lada", the armament of which we have painted, with its small dimensions, can cause great problems to any enemy.
Sonar complex
The Lira complex, which includes powerful sensitive antennas, is responsible for sonar reconnaissance. The installation includes three antennas at once, one of which is located on the bow of the submarine, and two are mounted on its sides. Engineers maximized their diameter for the sake of accurate measurement of underwater noise. So, the front antenna occupies almost the entire space on the nose of the submarine. In case of damage to the airborne equipment, there is a manufactured sonar equipment that the Lada submarine (project 677) can tow along the march.
Navigation system
The navigation system is of inertial type. He is responsible for providing data on the exact location of the ship, as well as for determining the optimal speed at which the weapons on board can be used with maximum efficiency.
The system includes periscope equipment, such as the Parus-98 code, which includes the following elements:
- Non-penetrating periscope commander, "Sail-98KP." It has daytime and low level channels (optical and TV). The degree of increase varies from 1.5 to 12X, it is possible to record the observed data.
- Mast optronic, non-penetrating type "Sail-98UP". In fact, it is a multifunctional universal periscope. The structure of the design includes two channels (daytime and low-level), the degree of increase - like a commander’s telescope, has a highly efficient laser range finder.
Thus, the Lada submarine, whose performance characteristics we briefly described, can equally well be used in day and night conditions. She always remains invisible to the enemy.
Other elements of the navigation system
The most important element is the radar system of the KPM-66 "Kodak" radar model. It includes active and passive radio channels, can work in combined mode. With active use, a specially protected, hidden
communication channel can be activated
. It gives a complete picture of the environment surrounding the submarine (including the surface), but it does not unmask the ship. In this sense, the Lada submarine (project 677) is in many ways a unique object, whose analogues in the world really are not, no matter how beaten this expression sounds.
Digital communication system of the “Distance” model. Allows you to exchange information on a bi-directional secure channel for transmitting information with coastal command posts, ships and aircraft (provided that you are at a periscopic depth). If there is a need to send an emergency message from a great depth, a towed discharge antenna is used. This equipment is housed in a particularly robust housing that can protect it even in the event of hostilities. Simply put, the Lada is a very tenacious boat.
Finally, the navigation equipment complex Appassionata. It contains an inertial navigation system, as well as a GPS / GLONASS satellite navigation module. The accuracy of determining the location when using it is extremely high, but depends on the proximity of the location of the base station corrections for a particular "provider".
Power point
The "heart" of the submarine is a diesel-electric power plant, made according to a scheme that provides for movement exclusively on electric travel. This is what distinguishes the Lada submarine from foreign analogues. TTC (transport-technical systems) of foreign ships of this class can provide movement only on a diesel engine.
The diesel engine is located in the fourth compartment. To generate electricity, two 28DG brand generators are used, coupled with rectifiers with a capacity of 1000 kW each. Energy is stored in two groups of batteries. In each of them there are 126 elements (they are in the first and third compartments). The total aggregate power of the entire installation in peak condition is 10,580 kW / h. The working engine is electric, excited by permanent magnets. Grade SED-1, the specific power is 4100 kW.
The selected engine power and battery capacity are not random. The fact is that it is with this ratio that accelerated loading of batteries becomes possible, which almost halves the submarine's presence at the periscope depth. Since the generator does not have a brush collector, the maintenance and operation of the entire installation is greatly simplified and becomes much safer. In this regard, the Lada is a boat that is much ahead of its time.
The basic scheme of the engines
The all-mode electric propulsion system plays the role of the main mover in all traveling states of the ship. In principle, we have already said that movement on a diesel engine alone is not provided in principle. The propeller has seven blades, made by a special, low-noise technology. This state of things was achieved in many respects thanks to the saber-shaped form of the blades, which produces a minimum level of noise during movement. In addition, the submarine has two remote steering columns of the RDK-35 brand.
The maximum attainable speed in the surface position reaches 21 knots. In the underwater position, the submarine does not accelerate over 10 knots. Cruising range is about 6,000 miles, but when driving in an economical way, you can increase the life by about 650 more miles.
On the conditions of life and work of the crew
The crew includes 35 people. To save people in case of emergency, a KSU-600 rescue system is provided. It involves remote automatic release of life rafts of the PSNL-20 model. There are only two of them, they are located in a superstructure for pull-out devices.
The living area on the submarine is located in the third compartment. Unlike surface ships of the USSR and the Russian Federation, very good living conditions are created for the crew. For staff designed double cabins. Each officer has a separate room.
Meals take place in the wardroom, combined with the buffet room. Food supplies, depending on their characteristics and storage requirements, are located in refrigerated and uncooled pantries. In recent years, the submarines of this series began to install new-type galley equipment: with very compact sizes, it provides the preparation of a complete and varied food allowance for the crew.
Fresh water supplies are stored in stainless steel tanks. You can replenish the supply of food fresh water right in the field. For this purpose, desalination plants are provided that use heat from operating diesel engines for operation. In general, with the regular course of the campaign, the water reserves are quite sufficient to ensure not only domestic, but also technical needs. Fully loaded with everything necessary, the submarine remains autonomous for 45 days.
Further operation and prospects of the ship
As it often happens, the submarine "Lada" is not very successfully coped with the test of time. The fact is that its technical characteristics do not meet the modern requirements that apply to this class of vessels. So, at the moment there is intensive work on the creation of anaerobic power plants. At the end of 2012, India, a long-standing strategic partner of our country, expressed a desire to acquire six of these boats of Project 677 “Lada”.
Simply put, the country needs such diesel-electric submarines that could be on combat campaigns for as long as possible, without the need to rise even to the periscope depth. The submarine "Lada", the non-volatile power plant of which will be brought to perfection, will be able to make many months of "swims". It should be noted that scientific research in this direction is quite successful.
What's new?
A lot of innovations will be made in the design of a well-proven ship. The developer is the famous enterprise TsKB MT Rubin. In mid-2013, it was finally decided that the Lada submarine would continue to be in service with the Russian Navy. In the modernized, of course, version.
Domestic experts paid much attention to the modernization of on-board electronic systems. The automation of the torpedo installation was completely rethought, the mechanics of the electric power plant were almost completely redone (taking into account the use of modern technologies).
Navigation did not remain “circumvented" either: considering how many new solutions were incorporated into it, we can safely say that this system was re-created. It is not surprising that such a submarine "Lada" inevitably attracts the attention of foreign customers.
The first one from the slipways is Kronstadt. Oddly enough, the former "old women", who were preparing to be completely written off, today have become one of the most advanced non-nuclear submarines in the whole world. It is safe to say that, provided the pace of work is maintained, they will be happy to purchase them not only by the domestic Navy, but also by many foreign customers, supporting the country's budget.
However, as many as possible boats of Project 677 Lada today are needed precisely by Russia, since these ships are an excellent means of protecting the sea borders and coasts, which our country has in abundance.