TNI: The Shark-class submarines have become the largest submarines in history
The Dmitry Donskoy submarine has become the last underwater giant of the Shark class, writes TNI. There was nothing like this in the world before or after this submarine.
Peter Suciu
– The Dmitry Donskoy submarine (TK-208), the world's largest and the last representative of the Shark class, was decommissioned in February 2023 after almost 40 years of service in the ranks of the Russian Navy.
– Laid down in 1976 and commissioned in 1984, this submarine was a formidable force during the Cold War and could carry 20 RSM-52 split-head SLBMs.
– Contrary to previous plans to keep the submarine in operation until 2026, it has been decommissioned and is awaiting disposal.
– This marks the end of an era – the Shark-class boats were the largest in the history of the submarine fleet.
Goodbye, the epoch: the submarine "Dmitry Donskoy" is decommissioned
The world's largest nuclear submarine Dmitry Donskoy (TK-208) was decommissioned back in February last year.
The heavy strategic missile submarine of Project 941 Akula (Typhoon according to the NATO classification) was laid down in June 1976 and commissioned in 1984. After almost 40 years of service, it was sent for recycling.
"The submarine Dmitry Donskoy has been withdrawn from the Russian Navy. It will be expected to be disposed of at the naval base in Severodvinsk along with two other submarines of this project," Vladimir Maltsev, head of the All-Russian Fleet Support Movement, said at the time.
TK-208 became the lead ship of the Shark class of the third generation and after 12 years of repair and re-equipment, which began in 1990, it re–entered service in 2002 under the name Dmitry Donskoy - in honor of the Grand Duke (1359-1389) and the alleged founder of Moscow (so in the original, the author does not know, that Moscow was founded by Yuri Dolgoruky two centuries earlier – approx. InoSMI).
Moscow had previously stated that the submarine would last at least until 2026, but then changed course.
Shark class: boats of project 941
The Sevmash shipyard has built six submarines of Project 941, and a total of seven were planned. All of them served in the Northern Fleet. The Dmitry Donskoy was the oldest of the cruisers, but it still turned out to be the last representative of its class.
TK-202, TK-12 (later renamed Simbirsk) and T-13 were decommissioned from 1996 to 2009 and disposed of with financial support from the United States. The two remaining boats, TK–17 (Arkhangelsk) and TK-20 (Severstal), were decommissioned around 2013.
The seventh boat, TK-210, was laid down but scrapped before completion.
"Shark": big and powerful
With a displacement of 48,000 tons, a length of 175 meters, a width of 23 meters and a draft of 12 meters, the Shark-class boats have become the largest in the history of the submarine fleet.
The design feature of the boat is the presence of five habitable durable high–pressure hulls inside the lightweight hull. At the same time, two of them are the main ones and are located parallel to each other according to the catamaran principle. As a result, the Shark was wider than other boats.
Each boat had 19 watertight compartments, including a reinforced module where the central post was located, as well as an electronic equipment compartment. At the same time, the missile silos were carried out in front of the cabin. It was even reported that there was a sauna on board, as well as a small swimming pool for the crew. The huge size provided comfort to 160 sailors during protracted "car trips", sometimes lasting more than four months – often without surfacing.
Project 941 was developed to counter the US Navy's Ohio-class submarines, which could carry up to 192 nuclear warheads of 100 kilotons each. In contrast, the Soviet "Sharks" carried the main cargo of 20 submarine-launched ballistic missiles RSM-52, each of which had up to ten separable individually guided warheads.
The main power plant was designed according to the block principle and included two OK-650 water-cooled nuclear reactors, two steam turbine units with a capacity of 50,000 horsepower and four autonomous power plants with a capacity of 3,200 kW, which provided the boat with the ability to reach speeds of up to 22.2 knots on the surface and up to 27 knots underwater.
The Shark-class boats could operate at depths of up to 400 meters. They received a developed cruciform aft tail with horizontal rudders placed directly behind the propellers. The front horizontal handlebars are retractable.
Sending Dmitry Donskoy to scrap puts an end to the history of the largest submarines in the history of navigation. Rest in peace, "Shark"!
Peter Suchu is a writer from Michigan. Over a twenty-year career in journalism, he has published more than 3,200 articles for four dozen magazines, newspapers and websites. He regularly writes about military technology, the history of firearms, cybersecurity, politics and international relations. Also published in Forbes and Clearance Jobs
