Innovative materials will protect submarines from sonar detection and hide the noise of mechanismsRussian submarines will become elusive.
They will receive the latest coating that will protect them from enemy sonar stations. Made from a new generation of special materials, it will make them practically invisible. According to experts, such a "skin" performs two functions at once — it dampens the noise from the ship's mechanisms, and also absorbs the signal of enemy sonar, preventing them from detecting submarines. The Boreas and Ash Trees currently under construction will be the first to receive it.
Invisible and silent
The military department approved the schedule of work on equipping submarines with the latest coating, sources told Izvestia in the Ministry of Defense. First of all, it will be received by strategic missile submarines "Borei" and multifunctional submarines "Ash", which are still under construction. In the future, it is planned to equip other submarines with them, which will undergo scheduled repairs, the sources said. The interlocutors of the publication do not disclose the composition of the coverage.
According to the former commander of the submarine missile carrier Igor Kurdin, the first such ships were built without coverage, but after the first modernization they had it.
Multipurpose nuclear submarine K-561 "Kazan" project 885M "Yasen-M"
Image source: Photo: RIA Novosti/Pavel Lviv
— They began to glue them with special rubber, — he told Izvestia. — It was called "anti-hydrolocation coating type "Medusa". It was believed that it performs two functions. First, it screens noises inside the submarine. And the second — greatly reduces the sonar reflection, as if it extinguishes the sonar beam. Naturally, science does not stand still, and the coating that will be used now will become more effective in its qualities. With it, it will be more difficult for the enemy to detect the noise of the ship's mechanisms, and also reduce its visibility for active sonar. It is clear that, first of all, the new coating should be installed on the most valuable combat units — Borey-type submarines and Yasen project boats.
Earlier, the commander of the 31st division of submarines of the Northern Fleet, Rear Admiral Stepan Kelbas, said in an interview with Izvestia that the main task of strategic missile submarines is to prevent the loss of stealth.
— Multi-purpose boats are engaged in a cat-and-mouse game, searching for submarines of a likely enemy. We are obliged to do everything to keep our floating rocket launch site and the 16 ballistic missiles on it unnoticed. Even if there is contact with an enemy submarine, we must restore secrecy as soon as possible, using any means: to evade dubious areas, hide wherever possible, use ice breaking, biological noises of living creatures living in the polynyas. Up to the point that the ship can float, cling to the edge of thick ice and freeze. In this position, the boat is almost impossible to detect, despite the fact that it retains the ability to receive combat control signals," the rear admiral explained.
Internal compartment of the K-535 Yuri Dolgoruky nuclear submarine of Project 955 Borey
Image source: Photo: RIA Novosti/Pavel Lviv
The future of the submarine fleet
The fourth-generation missile carriers of projects 955 "Borey" and 955A "Borey-A" should become the basis of Russia's naval strategic nuclear forces until the middle of this century. Each such ship carries on board up to 16 intercontinental ballistic missiles R-30 "Bulava". These products can cover a distance of more than 9 thousand km. With a full volley, the Borey-A submarine is capable of destroying several dozen targets. The missiles are equipped with separable head blocks, which makes it almost impossible to intercept ammunition. Now submarines are being built according to the upgraded project 955A "Borey-A". In the new version, the ships were left without the so—called hump - a rocket launch platform, which is located just behind the wheelhouse. The characteristic protrusions in the bow of the cruiser disappeared, which made its contours more streamlined.
The Navy command has already noted that the upgraded Boreas will become more maneuverable and silent when moving underwater. In addition, they will receive improved weapon control systems. Finally, the new contours will allow the boats to stay at depth better.
Strategic nuclear submarine missile cruiser "Prince Oleg" of project 955A "Borey-A"
Image Source: Photo: TASS/Oleg Kuleshov
In total, according to the plan, 12 Boreas should be built by the end of this decade. To date, five of them are in combat service: "Yuri Dolgoruky", "Alexander Nevsky", "Vladimir Monomakh", "Prince Vladimir" and "Prince Oleg". The built ships are evenly distributed between the Northern and Pacific Fleets.
According to the rearmament program, the marine component of Russia's nuclear triad should eventually fully switch to Boreas. Today there are still boats of the project 667BDRM "Dolphin", built in the Soviet years, but as new ships of the project 955 arrive, they will be put out of service.
A series of multipurpose submarines of the fourth generation "Ash" began to be created since 1993. The construction of the lead ship was delayed for two decades. Only in 2014, the submarine, named Severodvinsk, was transferred to the fleet. Subsequent ships of the series are being built according to the already modernized project 885M "Ash-M". These boats are equipped with torpedoes, as well as modern cruise missiles. Thanks to this, they can strike not only at surface and underwater ships, but also at ground objects. They can use supersonic "Onyx" to defeat ships, and "Calibers" with a range of more than 1.5 thousand km are intended for strikes on land objects. In addition, as Izvestia wrote, the ships of the 885M project should be the first underwater carriers of hypersonic Zircon missiles.
Now there are three representatives of the Ash project in the ranks. The boats "Severodvinsk" and "Kazan" serve in the Northern Fleet, "Novosibirsk" — in the Pacific Ocean. During this year, the Krasnoyarsk submarine is to be completed and transferred to the Pacific Fleet.
Roman Kretsul
Alexey Ramm
