Northwind vs. Ohio: who is more powerful? (a photo). U.S. Ohio-class strategic nuclear submarines

Northwind vs. Ohio: America is still more powerful

Submarine "Alexander Nevsky" project 955 "Borey" (Photo: ru.wikipedia.org)

United States Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter during a visit to the submarine base in Groton, Connecticut, he declared the world superiority of the American submarine fleet. This superiority applies primarily to the main competitors - the Russian and Chinese navies. But at the same time, he demonstrated diplomatic prudence, expressing the hope that "these countries will never become aggressors."

Carter emphasized that, despite the "comparatively high technological potential of Russia and China, the United States will retain its superiority in the future."

Top US military officials have two types of public statements. And the opposite direction. When they appear before Congress to raise the defense budget, they claim that the Russians and Chinese are strong beyond measure and must be caught up urgently. When speaking to the military personnel of any base, in order to raise their military spirit, it is necessary to talk about the power of American weapons, before which the insidious Russians and Chinese are powerless. The truth, of course, lies in the middle.

The development of nuclear submarine fleets in Russia and the United States, which assume nuclear deterrence as their main task, proceeded at different speeds. And in Russia, and earlier in the USSR, also at a ragged pace. This came from the fact that the concepts of the development of nuclear triads - ground-based ICBMs, submarine fleet, strategic aviation - were different for the USA and the USSR. Initially, we relied on powerful silo-based ballistic missiles. Since the beginning of the 60s, the United States has been systematically developing a nuclear submarine fleet, which has a huge advantage - secrecy even in modern conditions, when numerous spy satellites "surf" space.

By the mid-60s, the US Navy had 41 SSBNs (nuclear submarine with ballistic missiles). They were armed with Polaris-3 missiles with a range of 4600 km, with warheads divided into three charges (200 kt each). The Soviet Union gave chase. As a result, parity was achieved by the mid-1970s. And by 1980, we took the lead: at that time, the Soviet Navy was armed with 62 submarines with 950 missiles against 40 American submarines with 668 missiles.

In terms of armament, Soviet submarines were equal to American ones. 16 R-29R missiles were installed on the boats of the Kalmar project. The missile was capable of delivering seven charges of 0.1 Mt to a distance of up to 6500 km. The maximum deviation from the target did not exceed 900 m. In the case of using a monoblock warhead with a capacity of 0.45 Mt, the firing range reached 9000 km.

In the 1990s, a powerful blow was dealt to the domestic strategic submarine fleet. It was not the American Navy that inflicted it, but the "native" leadership of the country. The logic was something like this: why have a powerful army if Yeltsin regularly flies to a friend Bill? The submarine fleet was rapidly declining. And not only because of the development of the resource, but also due to the lack of funding for its maintenance. The number of strategic submarines capable of combat duty has been reduced to seven.

But at the same time, it must be taken into account that a significant weakening of the underwater component of the nuclear triad did not become dramatic. Since in the 90s, Topol mobile ICBMs began to appear, which have significant stealth. The United States, on the other hand, has ground-based nuclear weapons that are significantly weaker and more vulnerable than Russian ones.

Now things are getting better. But not as fast as we would like. At the moment, the Russian Navy has 14 SSBNs. 11 of them were inherited from the Soviet Union. These are boats of the third generation of the Kalmar and Dolphin projects. "Kalmar", developed in the mid-70s, of course, is pretty obsolete. It uses all the same, the aforementioned R-29R liquid-fuel rockets. True, there is information that this missile will soon be replaced by the R-29RMU2.1 Liner, which has a much greater combat power.

"Dolphin" is a more advanced boat. As a result of modernization, R-29RMU2 Sineva missiles were installed on it, which have an absolute world record for energy saturation - this is the ratio of rocket energy to its mass. The missile was put into service in 2007. Its range is 11500 km. Armed with ten multiple warheads of 100 kt each. The Liner, which was put into service in 2014, has increased the number of multiple warheads to 12.

And more recently, fourth-generation Project 955 Borey boats began to enter the Russian submarine fleet. Now there are three of them - "Yuri Dolgoruky", "Alexander Nevsky" and "Vladimir Monomakh". Next year, the transfer of the "Prince Vladimir" to the Pacific Fleet is expected. Four more are expected to arrive by 2020. Thus, the fleet of Russian SSBNs will consist of 19 boats. Well, or out of 17, perhaps a pair of Kalmars will be written off.

The US Navy has 18 SSBNs. These are third-generation Ohio boats. The youngest of them is 20 years old, the oldest is 35. At the same time, the renewal of the fleet of American strategic submarines until the mid-20s is not provided. In the middle of the 2000s, in accordance with an international agreement, 4 boats were converted for Tomahawk cruise missiles. And, therefore, the Americans actually have 14 SSBNs. That is, as much as Russia has now. And by 2020 it will be less.

However, American submarines have a higher nuclear capability. Russian boats are armed with 16 ICBMs, while American boats carry 24 Trident-2 missiles. At the same time, the Trident flies a couple of thousand kilometers farther than the Bulava installed on the Boreas. And it has a large power: 8 × 475 kt against 15 × 150 kt. However, the Bulava is less vulnerable to missile defense, having a short active flight segment, a flat trajectory and more advanced electronic warfare. True, the Bulava is still being tested, and they are far from ideal. So there are a lot of nuances here.

But the Borey boat itself is definitely more perfect than the Ohio. It is less noisy: it uses the latest noise-absorbing coating, along with a propeller, there is a water jet. The Borey boat has more advanced sonar and navigation equipment, a higher level of automation.

Summing up, it must be admitted that due to the fact that the Russian Navy has a larger share of boats older than the Ohio, the strategic segment of the US submarine fleet really has superiority. Though not as significant. However, by the end of the decade, when all the laid-down Boreas are completed, the situation will change to the opposite.

USS Georgia (SSGN-729) of the Ohio class (Photo: wikipedia.org)

TTX SSBN "Borey" and "Ohio"

Length: 170 m - 170 m

Width: 13.5 m - 12 m

Surface displacement: 14720 t - 16740 t

Underwater displacement: 24000 tons - 18700 tons

Surface speed: 15 knots - 17 knots

Speed ​​underwater: 29 knots - 25 knots

Working depth - 400 m - 375 m

Maximum depth: 600 m - 550 m

Crew: 107 people - 155 people

Autonomy: 90 days - 70 days

Power plant: 190 MW - n / a

Armament: 6 TA, torpedoes, cruise missiles - 4 TA, torpedoes

Missile armament: 16 Bulava ICBMs - 24 Trident-2 ICBMs

Multipurpose

There is another type of nuclear submarines, which are assigned not strategic, but operational and operational-tactical tasks. That is, they must destroy enemy surface ships and submarines and strike at coastal targets using cruise missiles and torpedoes. Such boats are divided into subclasses depending on the type of weapons used - either with cruise missiles, or with torpedoes, or with both cruise missiles and torpedoes. It is these submarines that should take part in combat operations at sea during local wars.

In this segment, the US Navy's "mass" is clearly higher than that of the Russian submarine fleet. What is predetermined by the concept of building a fleet for a country that considers itself the world's gendarme. True, in terms of the quality of the latest generation of multi-purpose submarines, it is quite possible to talk about parity. That is what Secretary of Defense Carter had in mind when he spoke of our high technological potential.

The US Navy has 56 multipurpose submarines. 39 of them are "old service" boats "Los Angeles", they began to enter the submarine fleet in 1976. They belong to the third generation. They are armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles, Harpoon anti-ship missiles (in total, each has 12 to 20 missiles on board), as well as torpedoes. A total of 62 boats were built, now they are retired at a rate of 1-2 per year. By the end of the 30s, all submarines of this type will be withdrawn from the Navy. And only boats of the 4th generation will remain in the amount of thirty pieces.

The emphasis is on boats of the new, fourth generation. These include "Virginia" (12 pieces) and "Sivulf" ("Sea Wolf") (3 pieces).

PLA "Sivulf" began to be produced piece by piece in the late 90s. Each boat costs $4.5 billion. Therefore, the series was limited to three submarines. The high cost fully justifies the quality of the boat. She is the quietest in the world. And it has the largest ammunition of cruise missiles and torpedoes. Moreover, certain improvements were made from boat to boat, in connection with which the first submarine of the series (“Sea Wolf”) loses in terms of the capabilities of the third (“Jimmy Carter”). Yes, and our "Ash" is practically not inferior in capabilities to the first-born of the series.

As for the Virginia, although it was developed later, it is inferior to the Sivulf. Accordingly, it costs less - 1.8 billion dollars. The Russian "Ash" in terms of combat capabilities is somewhere in the middle between the "Sea Wolf" of the third modification and the "Virginia", outperforming the latter in terms of low noise and the weapons used. However, the gap is small, since both boats are fourth generation. In this case, the quality of weapons should also be taken into account. The Kalibr cruise missiles mounted on the Yasen are more effective than the American Tomahawks, the weapon is far from the first freshness.

This, of course, is wonderful. However, at the moment, the Russian Navy has only one boat of this project - Severodvinsk. Three more are on the way. In total, by 2020 it is planned to bring the number of "Ash trees" to eight. By this time, the Americans will build a couple more Virginias. The score is not in our favor.

Not in our favor and the expense of boats of the third generation. For the Americans, these are 39 of the aforementioned Los Angeles submarines. We have Pike-B, Condor, Barracuda and Antey. And boats of the second generation "Pike". There are 36 in total. Adding one "Ash" here, we get 37. The USA has 56.

Multi-purpose nuclear submarine (NPS) "Severodvinsk" class "Ash" (Photo: Vladimir Larionov / TASS)

So in this segment of the nuclear submarine fleet, Secretary of Defense Carter is right: the United States is ahead. However, in addition to nuclear boats, there are also diesel ones, which the Americans abandoned in the 60s. In our country, diesel boats have not only survived, but continue to be built and developed. The Russian Navy has 23 boats. A significant part of which is the modernized Varshavyanka. Yes, it is inferior in capabilities to nuclear boats. However, it is equipped with a formidable Caliber cruise missile. And it's the world's quietest diesel-electric boat. So they make a certain contribution to the potential of the submarine fleet. And the balance of power between Russia and the United States is by no means critical.

It should also be said that from 2025 it is planned to begin construction of the Kalina diesel boat with an engine that does not require oxygen to operate. This is the so-called Stirling engine. Such a boat will be able to stay under water without surfacing for about a month. And, accordingly, in terms of its capabilities it will approach the PLA.

SSN-776 Virginia-class Hawaii (Photo: wikipedia.org)

And in conclusion, Carter constantly compares the power of the US Navy with the submarine fleets of Russia and China, separating them with a comma. Will it be possible to talk about superiority if we add up the potentials of the Russian Federation and China? That's the question. China currently has 14 nuclear submarines. And builds new ones with great enthusiasm.

MPLATRK "Sivulf" (Photo: wikipedia.org)

TTX PLATRK "Ash", "Virginia" and "Sivulf"

Length: 140 m - 115 m - 108 m

Width: 13 m - 10.5 m - 12.2 m

Surface displacement: 8600 t - 7000 t - 7500 t

Underwater displacement: 13800 t - 8000 t - 9100 t

Surface speed: 16 knots - n/a - 18 knots

Underwater speed: 31 knots - 29.5 knots - 34 knots

Working depth - 520 m - n / a - 480 m

Maximum depth: 600 m - 490 m - 600 m

Crew: 64 people - 120 people - 126 people

Autonomy: 100 days - n / a - n / a

Armament: 10 TA, 30 torpedoes; 32 PU KR - 4 TA, 26 torpedoes; 12 PU KR - 8 TA, 50 torpedoes or 50 KR.

30.05.2016 - 4:00

US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter, during a visit to the submarine base in Groton, Connecticut, announced the world superiority of the American submarine fleet.

This superiority applies primarily to the main competitors - the Russian and Chinese navies. But at the same time, he demonstrated diplomatic prudence, expressing the hope that "these countries will never become aggressors," Svobodnaya Pressa reports.

Carter emphasized that, despite the "comparatively high technological potential of Russia and China, the United States will retain its superiority in the future."

Top US military officials have two types of public statements. And the opposite direction. When they appear before Congress to raise the defense budget, they claim that the Russians and Chinese are strong beyond measure and must be caught up urgently.

When speaking to the military personnel of any base, in order to raise their military spirit, it is necessary to talk about the power of American weapons, before which the insidious Russians and Chinese are powerless. The truth, of course, lies in the middle.

The development of nuclear submarine fleets in Russia and the United States, which assume nuclear deterrence as their main task, proceeded at different speeds. And in Russia, and earlier - in the USSR, also at a ragged pace. This came from the fact that the concepts of the development of nuclear triads - ground-based ICBMs, submarine fleet, strategic aviation - were different for the USA and the USSR.

Initially, we relied on powerful silo-based ballistic missiles. Since the beginning of the 60s, the United States has been systematically developing a nuclear submarine fleet, which has a huge advantage - secrecy even in modern conditions, when numerous spy satellites "surf" space.

By the mid-60s, the US Navy had 41 SSBNs (nuclear submarine with ballistic missiles). They were armed with Polaris-3 missiles with a range of 4600 km, with warheads divided into three charges (200 kt each). The Soviet Union gave chase.

As a result, parity was achieved by the mid-1970s. And by 1980, we took the lead: at that time, the Soviet Navy was armed with 62 submarines with 950 missiles against 40 American submarines with 668 missiles.

In terms of armament, Soviet submarines were equal to American ones. 16 R-29R missiles were installed on the boats of the Kalmar project. The missile was capable of delivering seven charges of 0.1 Mt to a distance of up to 6500 km. The maximum deviation from the target did not exceed 900 m. In the case of using a monoblock warhead with a capacity of 0.45 Mt, the firing range reached 9000 km.

In the 1990s, a powerful blow was dealt to the domestic strategic submarine fleet. It was not the American Navy that inflicted it, but the "native" leadership of the country. The logic was something like this: why have a powerful army if Yeltsin regularly flies to a friend Bill?

The submarine fleet was rapidly declining. And not only because of the development of the resource, but also due to the lack of funding for its maintenance. The number of strategic submarines capable of combat duty has been reduced to seven.

But at the same time, it must be taken into account that a significant weakening of the underwater component of the nuclear triad did not become dramatic. Since in the 90s, Topol mobile ICBMs began to appear, which have significant stealth. The United States, on the other hand, has ground-based nuclear weapons that are significantly weaker and more vulnerable than Russian ones.

Now things are getting better. But not as fast as we would like. At the moment, the Russian Navy has 14 SSBNs. 11 of them were inherited from the Soviet Union. These are boats of the third generation of the Kalmar and Dolphin projects.

"Kalmar", developed in the mid-70s, of course, is pretty obsolete. It uses all the same, the aforementioned R-29R liquid-fuel rockets. True, there is information that this missile will soon be replaced by the R-29RMU2.1 Liner, which has a much greater combat power.

"Dolphin" is a more advanced boat. As a result of modernization, R-29RMU2 Sineva missiles were installed on it, which have an absolute world record for energy saturation - this is the ratio of rocket energy to its mass.

The missile was put into service in 2007. Its range is 11500 km. Armed with ten multiple warheads of 100 kt each. The Liner, which was put into service in 2014, has increased the number of multiple warheads to 12.

And more recently, fourth-generation Project 955 Borey boats began to enter the Russian submarine fleet. Now there are three of them - "Yuri Dolgoruky", "Alexander Nevsky" and "Vladimir Monomakh". Next year, the transfer of the "Prince Vladimir" to the Pacific Fleet is expected.

Four more are expected to arrive by 2020. Thus, the fleet of Russian SSBNs will consist of 19 boats. Well, or out of 17, perhaps a pair of Kalmars will be written off.

The US Navy has 18 SSBNs. These are third-generation Ohio boats. The youngest of them is 20 years old, the oldest - 35. At the same time, the renewal of the fleet of American strategic submarines until the mid-20s is not provided.

In the middle of the 2000s, in accordance with an international agreement, 4 boats were converted for Tomahawk cruise missiles. And, therefore, the Americans actually have 14 SSBNs. That is, as much as Russia has now. And by 2020 it will be less.

However, American submarines have a higher nuclear capability. Russian boats are armed with 16 ICBMs, while American boats carry 24 Trident-2 missiles. At the same time, the Trident flies a couple of thousand kilometers farther than the Bulava installed on the Boreas. And it has a large power: 8 × 475 kt against 15 × 150 kt.

However, the Bulava is less vulnerable to missile defense, having a short active flight segment, a flat trajectory and more advanced electronic warfare. True, the Bulava is still being tested, and they are far from ideal. So there are a lot of nuances here.

But the Borey boat itself is definitely more perfect than the Ohio. It is less noisy: it uses the latest noise-absorbing coating, along with a propeller, there is a water jet. The Borey boat has more advanced sonar and navigation equipment, a higher level of automation.

Summing up, it must be admitted that due to the fact that the Russian Navy has a larger share of boats older than the Ohio, the strategic segment of the US submarine fleet really has superiority. Though not as significant. However, by the end of the decade, when all the laid-down Boreas are completed, the situation will change to the opposite.

Pictured: USS Georgia (SSGN-729) of the Ohio class (Photo: wikipedia.org)

TTX SSBN "Borey" and "Ohio"

Length: 170 m - 170 m

Width: 13.5 m - 12 m

Surface displacement: 14720 t - 16740 t

Underwater displacement: 24000 tons - 18700 tons

Surface speed: 15 knots - 17 knots

Speed ​​underwater: 29 knots - 25 knots

Working depth - 400 m - 375 m

Maximum depth: 600 m - 550 m

Crew: 107 people - 155 people

Autonomy: 90 days - 70 days

Power plant: 190 MW - n/a

Armament: 6 TA, torpedoes, cruise missiles - 4 TA, torpedoes

Missile armament: 16 Bulava ICBMs - 24 Trident-2 ICBMs

Multipurpose

There is another type of nuclear submarines, which are assigned not strategic, but operational and operational-tactical tasks. That is, they must destroy enemy surface ships and submarines and strike at coastal targets using cruise missiles and torpedoes.

Such boats are divided into subclasses depending on the type of weapons used - either with cruise missiles, or with torpedoes, or with both cruise missiles and torpedoes. It is these submarines that should take part in combat operations at sea during local wars.

In this segment, the US Navy's "mass" is clearly higher than that of the Russian submarine fleet. What is predetermined by the concept of building a fleet for a country that considers itself the world's gendarme. True, in terms of the quality of the latest generation of multi-purpose submarines, it is quite possible to talk about parity. That is what Secretary of Defense Carter had in mind when he spoke of our high technological potential.

The US Navy has 56 multipurpose submarines. 39 of them are "old service" boats "Los Angeles", they began to enter the submarine fleet in 1976. They belong to the third generation. They are armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles, Harpoon anti-ship missiles (in total, each has 12 to 20 missiles on board), as well as torpedoes.

A total of 62 boats were built, now they are retired at a rate of 1-2 per year. By the end of the 30s, all submarines of this type will be withdrawn from the Navy. And only boats of the 4th generation will remain in the amount of thirty pieces.

The emphasis is on boats of the new, fourth generation. These include "Virginia" (12 pieces) and "Sivulf" ("Sea Wolf") (3 pieces).

PLA "Sivulf" began to be produced piece by piece in the late 90s. Each boat costs $4.5 billion. Therefore, the series was limited to three submarines. The high cost fully justifies the quality of the boat. She is the quietest in the world. And it has the largest ammunition of cruise missiles and torpedoes.

Moreover, certain improvements were made from boat to boat, in connection with which the first submarine of the series (“Sea Wolf”) loses in terms of the capabilities of the third (“Jimmy Carter”). Yes, and our "Ash" is practically not inferior in capabilities to the first-born of the series.

As for the Virginia, although it was developed later, it is inferior to the Sivulf. Accordingly, it costs less - 1.8 billion dollars. The Russian "Ash" in terms of combat capabilities is somewhere in the middle between the "Sea Wolf" of the third modification and the "Virginia", outperforming the latter in terms of low noise and the weapons used.

However, the gap is small, since both boats are fourth generation. In this case, the quality of weapons should also be taken into account. The Kalibr cruise missiles mounted on the Yasen are more effective than the American Tomahawks, the weapon is far from the first freshness.

This, of course, is wonderful. However, at the moment, the Russian Navy has only one boat of this project - the Severodvinsk. Three more are on the way. In total, by 2020 it is planned to bring the number of "Ash trees" to eight. By this time, the Americans will build a couple more Virginias. The score is not in our favor.

Not in our favor and the expense of boats of the third generation. For the Americans, these are 39 of the aforementioned Los Angeles submarines. We have "Pike-B", "Condor", "Barracuda" and "Antey". And boats of the second generation "Pike". There are 36 in total. Adding one "Ash" here, we get 37. The USA has 56.

In the photo: Yasen-class multi-purpose nuclear submarine (NPS) "Severodvinsk" (Photo: Vladimir Larionov / TASS)

So in this segment of the nuclear submarine fleet, Secretary of Defense Carter is right: the United States is ahead. However, in addition to nuclear boats, there are also diesel ones, which the Americans abandoned in the 60s. In our country, diesel boats have not only survived, but continue to be built and developed.

The Russian Navy has 23 boats. A significant part of which is the modernized Varshavyanka. Yes, it is inferior in capabilities to nuclear boats. However, it is equipped with a formidable Caliber cruise missile. And it's the world's quietest diesel-electric boat.

So they make a certain contribution to the potential of the submarine fleet. And the balance of power between Russia and the United States is by no means critical.

It should also be said that from 2025 it is planned to begin construction of the Kalina diesel boat with an engine that does not require oxygen to operate. This is the so-called Stirling engine.

Such a boat will be able to stay under water without surfacing for about a month. And, accordingly, in terms of its capabilities it will approach the PLA.

Pictured: Virginia-class SSN-776 Hawaii (Photo: wikipedia.org)

And in conclusion, Carter constantly compares the power of the US Navy with the submarine fleets of Russia and China, separating them with a comma. Will it be possible to talk about superiority if we add up the potentials of the Russian Federation and China? That's the question.

China currently has 14 nuclear submarines. And builds new ones with great enthusiasm.

In the photo: MPLATRK "Sivulf" (Photo: wikipedia.org)

TTX PLATRK "Ash", "Virginia" and "Sivulf"

Length: 140 m - 115 m - 108 m

Width: 13 m - 10.5 m - 12.2 m

Surface displacement: 8600 t - 7000 t - 7500 t

Underwater displacement: 13800 t - 8000 t - 9100 t

surface speed: 16 knots - n/a - 18 knots

Speed ​​underwater: 31 knots - 29.5 knots - 34 knots

Working depth - 520 m - n/a - 480 m

Maximum depth: 600 m - 490 m - 600 m

Crew: 64 people - 120 people - 126 people

Endurance: 100 days - n/a - n/a

Armament: 10 TA, 30 torpedoes; 32 PU KR - 4 TA, 26 torpedoes; 12 PU KR - 8 TA, 50 torpedoes or 50 KR.

United States Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter during a visit to the submarine base in Groton, Connecticut, he declared the world superiority of the American submarine fleet. This superiority applies primarily to the main competitors - the Russian and Chinese navies. But at the same time, he demonstrated diplomatic prudence, expressing the hope that "these countries will never become aggressors."

Carter emphasized that, despite the "comparatively high technological potential of Russia and China, the United States will retain its superiority in the future."

Top US military officials have two types of public statements. And the opposite direction. When they appear before Congress to raise the defense budget, they claim that the Russians and Chinese are strong beyond measure and must be caught up urgently. When speaking to the military personnel of any base, in order to raise their military spirit, it is necessary to talk about the power of American weapons, before which the insidious Russians and Chinese are powerless. The truth, of course, lies in the middle.

The development of nuclear submarine fleets in Russia and the United States, which assume nuclear deterrence as their main task, proceeded at different speeds. And in Russia, and earlier in the USSR, also at a ragged pace. This came from the fact that the concepts of the development of nuclear triads - ground-based ICBMs, submarine fleet, strategic aviation - were different for the USA and the USSR. Initially, we relied on powerful silo-based ballistic missiles. Since the beginning of the 60s, the United States has been systematically developing a nuclear submarine fleet, which has a huge advantage - secrecy even in modern conditions, when numerous spy satellites "surf" space.

By the mid-60s, the US Navy had 41 SSBNs (nuclear submarine with ballistic missiles). They were armed with Polaris-3 missiles with a range of 4600 km, with warheads divided into three charges (200 kt each). The Soviet Union gave chase. As a result, parity was achieved by the mid-1970s. And by 1980, we took the lead: at that time, the Soviet Navy was armed with 62 submarines with 950 missiles against 40 American submarines with 668 missiles.

In terms of armament, Soviet submarines were equal to American ones. 16 R-29R missiles were installed on the boats of the Kalmar project. The missile was capable of delivering seven charges of 0.1 Mt to a distance of up to 6500 km. The maximum deviation from the target did not exceed 900 m. In the case of using a monoblock warhead with a capacity of 0.45 Mt, the firing range reached 9000 km.

In the 1990s, a powerful blow was dealt to the domestic strategic submarine fleet. It was not the American Navy that inflicted it, but the "native" leadership of the country. The logic was something like this: why have a powerful army if Yeltsin regularly flies to a friend Bill? The submarine fleet was rapidly declining. And not only because of the development of the resource, but also due to the lack of funding for its maintenance. The number of strategic submarines capable of combat duty has been reduced to seven.

But at the same time, it must be taken into account that a significant weakening of the underwater component of the nuclear triad did not become dramatic. Since in the 90s, Topol mobile ICBMs began to appear, which have significant stealth. The United States, on the other hand, has ground-based nuclear weapons that are significantly weaker and more vulnerable than Russian ones.

Now things are getting better. But not as fast as we would like. At the moment, the Russian Navy has 14 SSBNs. 11 of them were inherited from the Soviet Union. These are boats of the third generation of the Kalmar and Dolphin projects. "Kalmar", developed in the mid-70s, of course, is pretty obsolete. It uses all the same, the aforementioned R-29R liquid-fuel rockets. True, there is information that this missile will soon be replaced by the R-29RMU2.1 Liner, which has a much greater combat power.

"Dolphin" is a more advanced boat. As a result of modernization, R-29RMU2 Sineva missiles were installed on it, which have an absolute world record for energy saturation - this is the ratio of rocket energy to its mass. The missile was put into service in 2007. Its range is 11500 km. Armed with ten multiple warheads of 100 kt each. The Liner, which was put into service in 2014, has increased the number of multiple warheads to 12.

And more recently, fourth-generation Project 955 Borey boats began to enter the Russian submarine fleet. Now there are three of them - "Yuri Dolgoruky", "Alexander Nevsky" and "Vladimir Monomakh". Next year, the transfer of the "Prince Vladimir" to the Pacific Fleet is expected. Four more are expected to arrive by 2020. Thus, the fleet of Russian SSBNs will consist of 19 boats. Well, or out of 17, perhaps a pair of Kalmars will be written off.

The US Navy has 18 SSBNs. These are third-generation Ohio boats. The youngest of them is 20 years old, the oldest is 35. At the same time, the renewal of the fleet of American strategic submarines until the mid-20s is not provided. In the middle of the 2000s, in accordance with an international agreement, 4 boats were converted for Tomahawk cruise missiles. And, therefore, the Americans actually have 14 SSBNs. That is, as much as Russia has now. And by 2020 it will be less.

However, American submarines have a higher nuclear capability. Russian boats are armed with 16 ICBMs, while American boats carry 24 Trident-2 missiles. At the same time, the Trident flies a couple of thousand kilometers farther than the Bulava installed on the Boreas. And it has a large power: 8 × 475 kt against 15 × 150 kt. However, the Bulava is less vulnerable to missile defense, having a short active flight segment, a flat trajectory and more advanced electronic warfare. True, the Bulava is still being tested, and they are far from ideal. So there are a lot of nuances here.

But the Borey boat itself is definitely more perfect than the Ohio. It is less noisy: it uses the latest noise-absorbing coating, along with a propeller, there is a water jet. The Borey boat has more advanced sonar and navigation equipment, a higher level of automation.

Summing up, it must be admitted that due to the fact that the Russian Navy has a larger share of boats older than the Ohio, the strategic segment of the US submarine fleet really has superiority. Though not as significant. However, by the end of the decade, when all the laid-down Boreas are completed, the situation will change to the opposite.

USS Georgia (SSGN-729) of the Ohio class (Photo: wikipedia.org)

TTX SSBN "Borey" and "Ohio"

Length: 170 m - 170 m

Width: 13.5 m - 12 m

Surface displacement: 14720 t - 16740 t

Underwater displacement: 24000 tons - 18700 tons

Surface speed: 15 knots - 17 knots

Speed ​​underwater: 29 knots - 25 knots

Working depth - 400 m - 375 m

Maximum depth: 600 m - 550 m

Crew: 107 people - 155 people

Autonomy: 90 days - 70 days

Power plant: 190 MW - n / a

Armament: 6 TA, torpedoes, cruise missiles - 4 TA, torpedoes

Missile armament: 16 Bulava ICBMs - 24 Trident-2 ICBMs

Multipurpose

There is another type of nuclear submarines, which are assigned not strategic, but operational and operational-tactical tasks. That is, they must destroy enemy surface ships and submarines and strike at coastal targets using cruise missiles and torpedoes. Such boats are divided into subclasses depending on the type of weapons used - either with cruise missiles, or with torpedoes, or with both cruise missiles and torpedoes. It is these submarines that should take part in combat operations at sea during local wars.

In this segment, the US Navy's "mass" is clearly higher than that of the Russian submarine fleet. What is predetermined by the concept of building a fleet for a country that considers itself the world's gendarme. True, in terms of the quality of the latest generation of multi-purpose submarines, it is quite possible to talk about parity. That is what Secretary of Defense Carter had in mind when he spoke of our high technological potential.

The US Navy has 56 multipurpose submarines. 39 of them are "old service" boats "Los Angeles", they began to enter the submarine fleet in 1976. They belong to the third generation. They are armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles, Harpoon anti-ship missiles (in total, each has 12 to 20 missiles on board), as well as torpedoes. A total of 62 boats were built, now they are retired at a rate of 1-2 per year. By the end of the 30s, all submarines of this type will be withdrawn from the Navy. And only boats of the 4th generation will remain in the amount of thirty pieces.

The emphasis is on boats of the new, fourth generation. These include "Virginia" (12 pieces) and "Sivulf" ("Sea Wolf") (3 pieces).

PLA "Sivulf" began to be produced piece by piece in the late 90s. Each boat costs $4.5 billion. Therefore, the series was limited to three submarines. The high cost fully justifies the quality of the boat. She is the quietest in the world. And it has the largest ammunition of cruise missiles and torpedoes. Moreover, certain improvements were made from boat to boat, in connection with which the first submarine of the series (“Sea Wolf”) loses in terms of the capabilities of the third (“Jimmy Carter”). Yes, and our "Ash" is practically not inferior in capabilities to the first-born of the series.

As for the Virginia, although it was developed later, it is inferior to the Sivulf. Accordingly, it costs less - 1.8 billion dollars. The Russian "Ash" in terms of combat capabilities is somewhere in the middle between the "Sea Wolf" of the third modification and the "Virginia", outperforming the latter in terms of low noise and the weapons used. However, the gap is small, since both boats are fourth generation. In this case, the quality of weapons should also be taken into account. The Kalibr cruise missiles mounted on the Yasen are more effective than the American Tomahawks, the weapon is far from the first freshness.

This, of course, is wonderful. However, at the moment, the Russian Navy has only one boat of this project - Severodvinsk. Three more are on the way. In total, by 2020 it is planned to bring the number of "Ash trees" to eight. By this time, the Americans will build a couple more Virginias. The score is not in our favor.

Not in our favor and the expense of boats of the third generation. For the Americans, these are 39 of the aforementioned Los Angeles submarines. We have Pike-B, Condor, Barracuda and Antey. And boats of the second generation "Pike". There are 36 in total. Adding one "Ash" here, we get 37. The USA has 56.

Multi-purpose nuclear submarine (NPS) "Severodvinsk" class "Ash" (Photo: Vladimir Larionov / TASS)

So in this segment of the nuclear submarine fleet, Secretary of Defense Carter is right: the United States is ahead. However, in addition to nuclear boats, there are also diesel ones, which the Americans abandoned in the 60s. In our country, diesel boats have not only survived, but continue to be built and developed. The Russian Navy has 23 boats. A significant part of which is the modernized Varshavyanka. Yes, it is inferior in capabilities to nuclear boats. However, it is equipped with a formidable Caliber cruise missile. And it's the world's quietest diesel-electric boat. So they make a certain contribution to the potential of the submarine fleet. And the balance of power between Russia and the United States is by no means critical.

It should also be said that from 2025 it is planned to begin construction of the Kalina diesel boat with an engine that does not require oxygen to operate. This is the so-called Stirling engine. Such a boat will be able to stay under water without surfacing for about a month. And, accordingly, in terms of its capabilities it will approach the PLA.

SSN-776 Virginia-class Hawaii (Photo: wikipedia.org)

And in conclusion, Carter constantly compares the power of the US Navy with the submarine fleets of Russia and China, separating them with a comma. Will it be possible to talk about superiority if we add up the potentials of the Russian Federation and China? That's the question. China currently has 14 nuclear submarines. And builds new ones with great enthusiasm.

MPLATRK "Sivulf" (Photo: wikipedia.org)

TTX PLATRK "Ash", "Virginia" and "Sivulf"

Length: 140 m - 115 m - 108 m

Width: 13 m - 10.5 m - 12.2 m

Surface displacement: 8600 t - 7000 t - 7500 t

Underwater displacement: 13800 t - 8000 t - 9100 t

Surface speed: 16 knots - n/a - 18 knots

Underwater speed: 31 knots - 29.5 knots - 34 knots

Working depth - 520 m - n / a - 480 m

Maximum depth: 600 m - 490 m - 600 m

Crew: 64 people - 120 people - 126 people

Autonomy: 100 days - n / a - n / a

Armament: 10 TA, 30 torpedoes; 32 PU KR - 4 TA, 26 torpedoes; 12 PU KR - 8 TA, 50 torpedoes or 50 KR.

One famous beekeeper Albert Einstein once dropped a catchphrase: “ As long as the bees are alive, the human race will also be alive.". In a sense, the same can be said about nuclear submarines. These nuclear-missile bees work day and night, plowing the depths of the world's oceans, and it is on them that the strategic survival of any power depends. But what do we know about and whose nuclear "stings" are cooler.

U.S. Ohio-class strategic nuclear submarines

Length nuclear submarines class " Ohio»impressive - 170 m. This is almost one and a half football fields, and they are considered one of the quietest submarines in the world. But this is not what makes them unique, but the number of nuclear missiles placed on board - 24. Not a single submarine on the planet can boast of such an arsenal.

For the first time nuclear submarines went to sea in the early 80s and still ply the world's oceans. The first nuclear submarine Ohio"was commissioned in November 1981, and the eighteenth and last nuclear submarine" Louisiana- in the fall of 1997.

Despite their impressive size, it is very difficult to detect such submarines, because they are almost silent. American shipbuilders managed to achieve this due to the special design of the light hull of the submarine. The light hull is the outer shell of a nuclear submarine, which completely covers the main hull and makes the submarine streamlined. The void between the buildings is filled with water. This makes the submarine buoyant and highly manoeuvrable. It is this feature of the design of American submarines that has made them so silent that enemy sonar stations are practically unable to detect these submarines.

During patrols, even the helmsmen do not know where the nuclear submarine is located, only a few people know this. The emergency regime of secrecy will not allow the detection of nuclear submarines. Nuclear submarines class " Ohio"can be under water for an almost unlimited time, the only thing that can limit the duration of the nuclear submarine's trip is provisions. Nuclear fuel for a nuclear submarine is enough for 20 years.

But the main pride of nuclear submarines, for which they received another name for their class, are the Trident ballistic missiles. The length of each of them is 13 m, weight 65 tons. They have truly destructive power and can destroy the enemy at a distance of up to 10,000 km. The Trident missile is equipped with ten independent nuclear warheads, and each of them can be set to a separate direction. Thus, just one nuclear submarine can control a vast area with a diameter of 20,000 km.

The crew of the submarine - 172 people.

nuclear submarine with Tomahawk missiles

However, soon American military specialists, in accordance with the START-2 treaty, will re-equip Ohio-class nuclear submarines, replacing Trident nuclear missiles with Tomahawk missiles. According to experts, the oldest submarines USS Ohio (SSBN726), USS Michigan (SSBN 727), USS Florida (SSBN 728), USS Georgia (SSBN 729) will remain without nuclear missiles. This will not upset the balance of US nuclear power, since 50 percent of America's nuclear missile potential will remain in the depths of the world's oceans.

Thanks to new views on the future of American naval power, a completely modern and very expensive class " Ohio"to leave idle, and even more so to scrap it, is unreasonable. Therefore, without their main caliber, the submarines will turn into large multi-purpose submarines with a nuclear power plant. According to military experts of the nuclear submarine " Ohio» will be adapted to participate in conflicts in any region of the planet. The areas of the continental shelf and shallow seas should become the stage of their new theater. Powerful nuclear submarines The Ohio will carry an arsenal of Tomahawk missiles that will exceed 130 units. This potential will be fully consistent with the new US coastal intertidal strategy. American analysts are confident that no country in the world will be able to block a massive Tomahawk strike, especially since a new generation of these cruise missiles is expected to appear in the coming years. Their range will increase twice, and flight speed by 5 times. Tomahawk missiles of the 21st century will be supersonic and, if necessary, can be redirected in flight to other objects.

nuclear submarines "Akula"

In the Russian Federation with American nuclear submarines can be compared to a third-generation submarine" Severstal» type « Shark". The submarine was built in 1989. This is . It is exactly twice as large as the nuclear submarine of the class " Ohio". Crew 150 people. The interior space is so large that the submarine has a sauna.

On board submarines of this type (NATO classification " Typhoon”), real giants are placed - the Variant ballistic missiles, whose weight reaches 90 tons. Each of them has 10 individually targetable nuclear warheads, and they can be launched at intervals of a few seconds. This means that a real stream of power and fire can fall on the enemy. But most importantly, the force of this strike will be 1,400 times greater than the bomb dropped on Hiroshima. Such an attack cannot be repelled by any air defense in the world. True, the range of this missile is 8500 km, but even this is enough to destroy a target on another continent. On the nuclear submarine « Shark» there are 20 of them. In addition, Russian Variant intercontinental missiles can be launched from a depth of 55 meters. This is the best indicator in the world. Successful volleys cannot be hindered by unfavorable weather. The armament of this submarine is so powerful that during the Cold War, nuclear submarines of this class were closely monitored by NATO surface ships, as well as special ones, which were called hunters.

Unlike Russian nuclear submarines, American submarines are designed to serve in the open ocean in relatively warm latitudes, and " Shark” was specially designed to walk under the ice of the Arctic, so its cutting can break through ice 2.5 meters thick. Today submarines of the class " Shark"re-equipped for testing the new Bulava ballistic missile. Three nuclear submarines disposed of, and the remaining two are still in service with the Russian Navy, but they are moored and do not go out into the ocean.

Borey-class submarine

To replace the giant submarines of the " Shark» The Russian Navy received a new nuclear submarine of the « » class. The first submarine of this type was launched in 2010. Many of its production technologies are classified, but one thing is known - the new submarine is one and a half times faster than its predecessors and develops a speed of 35 knots under water. And on board the modern ones will be placed ballistic intercontinental missiles "Bulava".

Stealth and speed make nuclear submarines and serious weapons. As long as the ocean depths are beyond the reach of sonar, submarines will remain the most insidious means of warfare on our planet.

Comparison of the potentials of the submarine fleet of Russia and the United States
US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter, during a visit to the submarine base in Groton, Connecticut, announced the world superiority of the American submarine fleet. This superiority applies primarily to the main competitors - the Russian and Chinese navies. But at the same time, he demonstrated diplomatic prudence, expressing the hope that "these countries will never become aggressors."
Carter stressed that despite "the relatively high technological potential of Russia and China, the United States will retain superiority in the future."
Top US military officials have two types of "to the public" statements. And the opposite direction. When they appear before Congress to raise the defense budget, they claim that the Russians and Chinese are strong beyond measure and must be caught up urgently. When speaking to the military personnel of any base, in order to raise their military spirit, it is necessary to talk about the power of American weapons, before which the insidious Russians and Chinese are powerless. The truth, of course, lies in the middle.
The development of nuclear submarine fleets in Russia and the United States, which assume nuclear deterrence as their main task, proceeded at different speeds. And in Russia, and earlier - in the USSR, also at a ragged pace. This came from the fact that the concepts of the development of nuclear triads - ground-based ICBMs, submarine fleet, strategic aviation - were different for the USA and the USSR. Initially, we relied on powerful silo-based ballistic missiles. Since the beginning of the 1960s, the United States has been systematically developing a nuclear submarine fleet, which has a huge advantage - secrecy even in modern conditions, when numerous spy satellites "surf" space.
By the mid-60s, the US Navy had 41 SSBNs (nuclear submarine with ballistic missiles). They were armed with Polaris-3 missiles with a range of 4600 km, with warheads divided into three charges (200 kt each). The Soviet Union gave chase. As a result, parity was achieved by the mid-1970s. And by 1980, we took the lead: at that time, the Soviet Navy was armed with 62 submarines with 950 missiles against 40 American submarines with 668 missiles.
In terms of armament, Soviet submarines were equal to American ones. 16 R-29R missiles were installed on the boats of the Kalmar project. The missile was capable of delivering seven charges of 0.1 Mt to a distance of up to 6500 km. The maximum deviation from the target did not exceed 900 m. In the case of using a monoblock warhead with a capacity of 0.45 Mt, the firing range reached 9000 km.
In the 1990s, a powerful blow was dealt to the domestic strategic submarine fleet. It was not inflicted by the American Navy, but by the "native" leadership of the country. The logic was something like this: why have a powerful army if Yeltsin regularly flies to his friend Bill? The submarine fleet was rapidly declining. And not only because of the development of the resource, but also due to the lack of funding for its maintenance. The number of strategic submarines capable of combat duty has been reduced to seven.
But at the same time, it must be taken into account that a significant weakening of the underwater component of the nuclear triad did not become dramatic. Since in the 1990s land-based mobile ICBMs "Topol" began to appear, possessing significant secrecy. The United States, on the other hand, has ground-based nuclear weapons that are significantly weaker and more vulnerable than Russian ones.
Now things are getting better. But not as fast as we would like. At the moment, the Russian Navy has 14 SSBNs. 11 of them were inherited from the Soviet Union. These are boats of the third generation of the Kalmar and Dolphin projects. "Kalmar", developed in the mid-70s, of course, is pretty obsolete. It uses all the same, the aforementioned R-29R liquid-fuel rockets. True, there is information that this missile will soon be replaced by the R-29RMU2.1 Liner, which has a much greater combat power.
"Dolphin" is a more advanced boat. As a result of modernization, R-29RMU2 Sineva missiles were installed on it, which have an absolute world record for energy saturation - this is the ratio of rocket energy to its mass. The missile was put into service in 2007. Its range is 11500 km. Armed with ten multiple warheads of 100 kt each. The Liner, which entered service in 2014, has had its number of multiple warheads increased to 12.
And quite recently, fourth-generation Project 955 Borey boats began to enter the Russian submarine fleet. Now there are three of them - "Yuri Dolgoruky", "Alexander Nevsky" and "Vladimir Monomakh". Next year, the transfer of the "Prince Vladimir" to the Pacific Fleet is expected. Four more are expected to arrive by 2020. Thus, the fleet of Russian SSBNs will consist of 19 boats. Well, or out of 17, perhaps a couple of Kalmars will be written off.
The US Navy has 18 SSBNs. These are third-generation "Ohio" boats. The youngest of them is 20 years old, the oldest - 35. At the same time, the renewal of the fleet of American strategic submarines until the mid-20s is not provided. In the middle of the 2000s, in accordance with an international agreement, 4 boats were re-equipped for Tomahawk cruise missiles. And, therefore, the Americans actually have 14 SSBNs. That is, as much as Russia has now. And by 2020 it will be less.
However, American submarines have a higher nuclear capability. Russian boats are armed with 16 ICBMs, while American boats carry 24 Trident-2 missiles. At the same time, the Trident flies a couple of thousand kilometers farther than the Bulava installed on the Borei. And it has a large power: 8 × 475 kt against 15 × 150 kt. However, the Bulava is less vulnerable to missile defense systems, having a short active flight segment, a flat trajectory, and more advanced electronic warfare systems. True, the Bulava is still being tested, and they are far from ideal. So there are a lot of nuances here.
But the Borey boat itself is definitely more perfect than the Ohio. It is less noisy: it uses the latest noise-absorbing coating, along with a propeller, there is a water jet. The boat "Borey" has more advanced sonar and navigation equipment, a higher level of automation.
Summing up, it must be admitted that due to the fact that the Russian Navy has a larger share of boats older than the Ohio, the strategic segment of the US submarine fleet really has superiority. Though not as significant. However, by the end of the decade, when all the Boreas laid down will be completed, the situation will change to the opposite.
Performance characteristics SSBN "Borey" and "Ohio" Length: 170 m - 170 m Beam: 13.5 m - 12 m Surface displacement: 14720 tons - 16740 tons Underwater displacement: 24000 tons - 18700 tons underwater: 29 knots - 25 knots Operating depth - 400 m - 375 m Maximum depth: 600 m - 550 m Crew: 107 people - 155 people Autonomy: 90 days - 70 days Power plant: 190 MW - n / a Armament: 6 TA , torpedoes, cruise missiles - 4 TA, torpedoes Missile armament: 16 Bulava ICBMs - 24 Trident-2 ICBMs
Multipurpose
There is another type of nuclear submarines, which are assigned not strategic, but operational and operational-tactical tasks. That is, they must destroy enemy surface ships and submarines and strike at coastal targets using cruise missiles and torpedoes. Such boats are divided into subclasses depending on the type of weapons used - either with cruise missiles, or with torpedoes, or with both cruise missiles and torpedoes. It is these submarines that should take part in combat operations at sea during local wars.
In this segment, the "mass" of the US Navy is clearly higher than that of the Russian submarine fleet. What is predetermined by the concept of building a fleet for a country that considers itself the world's gendarme. True, in terms of the quality of the latest generation of multi-purpose submarines, it is quite possible to talk about parity. That is what Secretary of Defense Carter had in mind when he spoke of our high technological potential.
The US Navy has 56 multipurpose submarines. 39 of them are "old service" boats "Los Angeles", they began to enter the submarine fleet in 1976. They belong to the third generation. They are armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles, Harpoon anti-ship missiles (in total, each has 12 to 20 missiles on board), as well as torpedoes. A total of 62 boats were built, now they are retired at a rate of 1-2 per year. By the end of the 30s, all submarines of this type will be withdrawn from the Navy. And only boats of the 4th generation will remain in the amount of thirty pieces.
The emphasis is on boats of the new, fourth generation. These include "Virginia" (12 pieces) and "Sivulf" ("Sea Wolf") (3 pieces).
PLA "Sivulf" began to be produced piece by piece in the late 90s. Each boat costs $4.5 billion. Therefore, the series was limited to three submarines. The high cost fully justifies the quality of the boat. She is the quietest in the world. And it has the largest ammunition of cruise missiles and torpedoes. Moreover, certain improvements were made from boat to boat, in connection with which the first submarine of the series ("Sea Wolf") loses in terms of the capabilities of the third ("Jimmy Carter"). Yes, and our "Ash" is practically not inferior in capabilities to the first-born of the series.
As for the "Virginia", although it was developed later, it is inferior to the "Sivulf". Accordingly, it costs less - 1.8 billion dollars. The Russian "Ash" in terms of combat capabilities is somewhere in the middle between the "Sea Wolf" of the third modification and the "Virginia", outperforming the latter in terms of low noise and the weapons used. However, the gap is small, since both boats are fourth generation. In this case, the quality of weapons should also be taken into account. The Kalibr cruise missiles mounted on the Yasen are more effective than the American Tomahawks, weapons that are far from the first freshness.
This, of course, is wonderful. However, at the moment the Russian Navy has only one boat of this project - "Severodvinsk". Three more are on the way. In total, by 2020 it is planned to bring the number of "Ash" to eight. By this time, the Americans will build a couple more Virginias. The score is not in our favor.
Not in our favor and the expense of boats of the third generation. For the Americans, these are 39 of the aforementioned Los Angeles submarines. We have "Pike-B", "Condor", "Barracuda" and "Antey". And boats of the second generation "Pike". There are 36 in total. Adding one "Ash" here, we get 37. The USA has 56.
So in this segment of the nuclear submarine fleet, Secretary of Defense Carter is right: the United States is ahead. However, in addition to nuclear boats, there are also diesel ones, which the Americans abandoned in the 60s. In our country, diesel boats have not only survived, but continue to be built and developed. The Russian Navy has 23 boats. A significant part of which is the modernized Varshavyanka. Yes, it is inferior in capabilities to nuclear boats. However, it is equipped with a formidable Caliber cruise missile. And it's the world's quietest diesel-electric boat. So they make a certain contribution to the potential of the submarine fleet. And the balance of power between Russia and the United States is by no means critical.
It should also be said that from 2025 it is planned to begin construction of the Kalina diesel boat with an engine that does not require oxygen to operate. This is the so-called Stirling engine. Such a boat will be able to stay under water without surfacing for about a month. And, accordingly, in terms of its capabilities it will approach the PLA.
And in conclusion, Carter constantly compares the power of the US Navy with the submarine fleets of Russia and China, separating them with a comma. Will it be possible to talk about superiority if we add up the potentials of the Russian Federation and China? That's the question. China currently has 14 nuclear submarines. And builds new ones with great enthusiasm.
TTX PLATRK "Ash", "Virginia" and "Sivulf" Length: 140 m - 115 m - 108 m Width: 13 m - 10.5 m - 12.2 m Surface displacement: 8600 t - 7000 t - 7500 t Underwater displacement : 13800 t - 8000 t - 9100 t Surface speed: 16 knots - n/a - 18 knots Submerged speed: 31 knots - 29.5 knots - 34 knots Working depth - 520 m - n/a - 480 m Depth limit: 600 m - 490 m - 600 m Crew: 64 people - 120 people - 126 people Autonomy: 100 days - n / a - n / a Armament: 10 TA, 30 torpedoes; 32 KR launchers - 4 TA, 26 torpedoes; 12 PU KR - 8 TA, 50 torpedoes or 50 KR.
"Free Press", 29.05.2016