Akula-class

Summary

Description

The Akula-class submarines, with the Soviet designation Project 971 Shchuka-B (meaning 'Pike-B'), are a series of fourth-generation nuclear-powered attack submarines (SSNs). Their NATO reporting name is "Akula," which is Russian for "shark". The class includes several sub-classes or flights, starting with the seven original boats of Project 971 (Akula I) commissioned from 1984 to 1990, followed by six Project 971Is (Improved Akulas) between 1991 and 2009, one Project 971U (Akula II) in 1995, and finally, one Project 971M (Akula III) in 2001. The Russians refer to all variants as Shchuka-B. The West assigned the name Akula after the lead ship, K-284, although Akula was the Soviet name for a different class, the Project 941 or Typhoon class. Western intelligence was surprised by the Akula's launch in 1985, as they did not expect the Soviets to produce such an advanced submarine for another decade.

The Akula's design features a double-hull system with an inner pressure hull and an outer lighter hull, allowing for more reserve buoyancy compared to Western counterparts. A significant feature is the "bulb" on the rudder, housing a retractable towed sonar array. Most Akulas include wake detection systems (SOKS) to detect changes in water properties. The Akulas are armed with a mix of 533mm and 650mm torpedo tubes capable of firing torpedoes and various missile types. They can also deploy naval mines, but the larger torpedo tubes require port assistance or a tender for reloading.

The Akulas' operational history includes several notable deployments. The submarine Volk deployed to the Mediterranean in 1995-1996 and monitored NATO submarines. Tigr detected a U.S. Ohio-class SSBN during an Atlantic deployment in 1996, and reports surfaced of Akulas operating off the U.S. East Coast and in the Gulf of Mexico, indicating the return of Russian naval activity to levels not seen since the Cold War.

Only three of the original seven Akula I-class submarines remain in service. Each class thereafter introduced improvements, with emphasis on noise reduction. Project 971I made the submarines quieter, while the Akula II and III brought further enhancements. Akula II included additional quieting measures and was the first Russian submarine quieter than the latest U.S. submarines at that time. Akula III introduced an enlarged sail and more noise reduction measures, marking the Gepard as the most advanced Russian submarine before the Severodvinsk and Borei classes.

Operational Akulas serve with the Russian Navy, with sporadic information regarding their status due to the secretive nature of Russian military programs. Following the Toshiba–Kongsberg scandal, where the Japanese and Norwegian firms supplied advanced milling equipment and technology to the Soviets, concerns arose in the West about the Soviet Union's improved capability to produce quieter submarine propellers, seen as a significant technological leap.

In a notable incident, the Akula-class K-152 Nerpa suffered an accident involving its fire-extinguishing system, leading to the deaths of 20 people by asphyxiation in 2008, marking it as the worst Russian naval accident since the Kursk disaster in 2000.

India, expanding its naval capabilities, leased an Akula-II submarine, renaming it INS Chakra. In 2019, India and Russia signed a $3 billion deal for leasing another Akula-class submarine (Chakra III), expected to be delivered by 2025. Reports indicated that the Nerpa would return to Russia in 2021, ahead of its lease expiration, due to maintenance issues with the nuclear reactors.

Technical specifications

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