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One of the more recent enigmas in , oviet naval development has been the 'ncreasing interest in nonnuclear subma- Nnes. This was typified by the emphasis Pdmiral of the Fleet V. N. Chernavin, ornmander-in-Chief of the Soviet Navy, P need on these boats in his recent contents in Proceedings.
In discussing their nation’s principal naval forces, Soviet officials almost always cite “submarine and naval avia- l0n- Chernavin, however, stated that consider both nuclear and diesel submarines, along with naval aircraft, to e the main forces of our fleet.”1 Placing ernPhasis on both types of subs, as well us delegating naval aircraft to a subordinate position, was a new Soviet approach. The admiral then elaborated on . e diesel submarines’ role, again depart- ,n8 from the standard Soviet line. Admiral Chernavin’s emphasis on esel-electric submarines accompanies an upsurge in nonnuclear submarine construction in the Soviet Union. The Soviet uion has four submarine-building yards: Severodvinsk (yard Number 402) in 'ue Arctic
. Admiralty Association (Number 194) !n Leningrad (the Sudomekh yard [Num- . er 196] was merged with the Admiralty in 1972)
m ^rasn°ye Sormovo (Number 112) at > Inland city of Gor’kiy Leninskaya Komsomola (Number 199)
marines, however, were built during the 1970s at two other yards.
In 1978, the Sudomekh yard completed the single Lima research submarine, which has a submerged displacement of some 2,400 tons. Earlier in the decade, this yard has produced the revolutionary Alfa-class nuclear submarines as well as many diesel submarines, such as the large Foxtrot and the small Quebec classes; the latter were to have had a closed-cycle propulsion plant. Sudomekh has long pioneered advanced submarine propulsion plants, both nuclear and nonnuclear.
Komsomol’sk built the other specialized diesel submarines of the 1970s—the two India-class salvage and rescue submarines, which were completed in 1979— 80. Each of these 4,800-ton craft can carry two 40-foot submersibles in deck wells for underwater work and rescue tasks.
But during much of the decade, most submarine construction efforts at the Admiralty-Sudomekh and Komsomol’sk yards were nuclear attack units. In the late 1970s the Komsomol’sk yard did gear up to produce diesel as well as nuclear (i.e., Akula) boats and built the lead Kilo-class diesel-electric submarine, launched in September 1980 and completed in the spring of 1982.
While previous Soviet diesel-electric submarines had been a combination of 1950s. The Kilo is a double-hull submarine with retractable, bow-mounted diving planes; a long, dominant sail structure; and a single propeller shaft. Previous Soviet diesel-electric submarines had two or three propeller shafts.
The Kilo is reported to have a submerged speed of 25 knots, significantly less than the Albacore and the follow-on U. S. Barbel (SS-580) class, which could exceed 30 knots submerged. But the Soviet boat is believed to be deeper diving and more highly automated than comparable Western submarines. Armament of the Kilo is believed to be six forward 21- inch torpedo tubes, and as many as 18 torpedoes probably are embarked. Some units may be fitted with a small surface- to-air missile system. The Kilo’s crew is approximately 60 men.
The relatively slow speed of the Kilo and her large complement in comparison with Western European diesel-electric attack submarines indicate that the Soviets probably had not emphasized advanced concepts for diesel submarines when they developed the Kilo.
Although series production of the Kilo was initiated at Komsomol’sk, it subsequently moved to the Gor’kiy and Admiralty-Sudomekh yards. This was the first time since the massive Whiskey class of the early 1950s that three yards were engaged in producing a single submarine design.
at Komsomol’sk in the Far East.
during the 1970s, only the Gor’kiy Vard produced a class of diesel-electric submarines; it completed 20 Tango-class °rpedo-attack submarines between 1972 and 1982. Specialized diesel-electric sub-
Soviet pre-World War II and German wartime designs, the 2,900-ton Kilo had an advanced hull form more akin to the teardrop design originally evaluated by the U. S. Navy in the submarine Albacore (AGSS-569) built in the early
Although she can dive deeper and is more automated, the Kilo is slower and has a larger crew than comparable diesel-electric Western boats.
t*
r°**edings / April 1989
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Since 1982, an estimated 25 Kilo-class submarines have been completed at the three yards. Of those, about 15 are in Soviet service as replacements for the outdated Romeo, Zulu, and Whiskey submarines built in the 1950s. Being built for the Soviet Navy at the rate of about two per year, the Kilo will not replace the older boats on anything like a one-to-one basis.
Almost one-half of the Kilo construction, and all of those units built at Sudomekh, are being transferred to other navies.[1][2] To date the Soviets have provided these submarines to Algeria, India, Poland, and Romania. Additional nations expected to receive Kilo-class submarines in the near future include Cuba, Libya, Syria, and Vietnam.
The Soviet Union competes primarily with West German, French, and Swedish shipyards for submarine orders from Third World navies. One may argue that Western submarines from those yards may be superior in some respects to the Kilo. But the Soviets will sell to nations that are off limits to Western yards for political reasons, and can arrange price tags and financing that the Western yards cannot compete against. (Some financial analysts contend that almost any price charged by the Soviets in Western currencies is a “profit” because the submarine materials, components, and yard labor are paid for in the Soviet Union with “soft” rubles that have no value outside of the country. The Soviets then can use the hard currencies to purchase Western goods and technology.)
While continuing to build nuclear submarines (Victor III and Sierra classes) and the Kilo class, in 1988 the Admi- ralty-Sudomekh yard completed the Beluga. The Beluga appears to be a re-
search-and-development submarine and may employ an advanced nonnuclear propulsion plant. The exact characteristics are not known publicly; Western intelligence has said that the Beluga could have a Stirling cycle engine, fuel cells, or other air-independent system.
The Soviets are not alone in developing innovative combustion systems. The Swedish submarine Nacken recently completed conversion to the West’s first Stirling closed-cycle engine configuration, in which liquid oxygen permits combustion without air.
Almost simultaneously, the West German submarine U-l was partially refitted with fuel cells to enhance her underwater performance. Among the most interesting air-independent systems is the hybrid nuclear/electric with a small nuclear generator that keeps a continuous charge on the submarine’s battery, alleviating the traditional need of nonnuclear submarines to operate periodically a noisy, airconsuming diesel engine. This hybrid concept, sometimes referred to as an SSn propulsion plant, is now being marketed by a Canadian firm with the designation autonomous marine power source.[3] A plant similar to one of these arrangements, or another more radical propulsion system may power the Beluga.
Little information is available on other features of the Beluga. Some sources indicate that the craft may have an advanced hull design similar to that of the Alfa, the world’s fastest undersea craft with a speed estimated to be 43 knots.
Speculation in Western intelligence circles is that the Beluga may be planned for series production. The Beluga or her successor, built in large numbers, could provide an excellent supplement for the large number of Soviet nuclear-propelled submarines. They would, in Admiral Chernavin’s words, be “capable of making a weighty contribution to raising the effectiveness of the [Soviet] naval forces’ defensive operations, and they may be seen as one of the navy’s main defensive forces in fighting, at sea, an enemy that tries to attack the Soviet Union.”[4]
To accept that these submarines are suitable only for short-range, defensive operations would be to ignore past accomplishments of smaller, less capable diesel submarines. The most numerous German U-boat of the 1939-45 conflict, for example, was the Type-VII, the largest variant of which had a submerged displacement of only 871 tons. These boats— with fewer habitability features than contemporary Soviet submarines—operated effectively off the U. S. Atlantic Coast. Similarly, U. S. submarines operating from the Hawaiian Islands conducted long-range patrols in Far East waters in 1941-45.
In the post-World War II period, U. S. as well as Soviet diesel-electric submarines have undertaken long-range operations. The USS Archerfish (AGSS-311) made an around-the-world surveying cruise, while smaller German-built Type' 209 submarines have sailed independently from West Germany to South American ports. In the 1982 Falklands Conflict the British diesel-electric submarine Onyx deployed more than 7,000 nautical miles to participate in the South Georgia operation.
A decade ago, a U. S. naval intelligence officer predicted that the Soviets would operate diesel boats “forever. He wrote:
“The Soviets see a continuing utility of the diesel submarine. It is excellent for confined waters such as those in the Mediterranean, it makes a superb “mobile minefield” in Soviet parlance; for purposes of forming [anti] submarine barriers, it can be most effective; and it can serve quite successfully for delousing high-value units, reconnaissance, sealing off choke points and many traditional submarine missions where the speed and endurance of a nuclear submarine are not required. ... the Soviets clearly have a commitment to diesel boats forever.”[5]
It may be appropriate in the near future to change his use of the term “diesel” to “nonnuclear” because the Beluga is introducing a new propulsion concept- Soon we may see a nonnuclear and/or hybrid propulsion plant that can combine sustained underwater endurance with the low noise level of electric propulsion, in conjunction with the low construction cost and low manning levels of diesel submarines. Such a system could bring about another revolution in submarine warfare.
130
Proceedings / April 1
'“Chemavin Responds,” U. S. Naval Institute t’ri>' ceedings, February 1989, p. 76. Adm. Chemavin P the fourth officer to head the Soviet Navy since World War II and the first career submariner to hold that post. (His immediate predecessor, Adm. Gorshkov, served briefly in submarines in the late 1930s.)
[2]Sudomekh—which built all submarines of the large
Foxtrot class for the Soviet fleet—completed 17 unit* between 1967 and 1983 specifically for foreign sale- ’Chemavin, p. 76.
[4]The proposed AMPS-100 of the ESC Group 0 Companies provides an output of lOOkw, compatible with the patrol requirements of a 1,000-ton submarine; the AMPS-400 generates 400kw, compatible with operating a 2,000-ton undersea craft.
[5]Capt. Thomas A. Brooks, USN, “(Soviet) Diese Boats Forever,” U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings December 1980. p. 107. RAdm. Brooks is now the Director of Naval Intelligence.