The Largest Submarine Ever Built

The Russian Mk 941-U class Strategic Nuclear Submarines are the largest submarines in the world.  Six were built at Sereverodvinsk in Northern Russia between 1976 and 1985.  In Western circles these were the fearsome Typhoon class submarines.  In Russian circles they were known as Shark (or Akulu) class vessels.

These vessels were designed by the highly acclaimed Rubin design bureau in direct response to the US’s construction of the ‘Ohio’ class of submarines which carried the Trident nuclear deterrent.  These vessels were formidable.  Each displaced 50,000 tons, was over 170 meters (515 feet) long and 23 meter (70 feet) wide.  Each carried 24 ballistic missiles replete with 10 nuclear warheads capable of undersea launch.  These submarines could stay submerged for 120 days and had a maximum crew complement of 130 men.  Each submarine carried six torpedo tubes for close quarter combat and had a maximum submerged speed of 30 knots.  

Great attention was given to survivability in their design.  The submarines were coated with special sound reducing tiles and were much quieter than earlier designs.  The remarkable width of the vessel was required to accommodate multiple pressure hulls.  The missile silo was located between two pressure hulls.

The Typhoon submarines were designed to operate in Arctic waters.  This increased their threat.  The West expected Soviet submarines to break out into the North Atlantic and had positioned submarine tracking devices accordingly. The Typhoons took up passive positions in the shallow waters of the Arctic and were difficult to monitor.  Moreover, these positions encroached to the north of Canada and reduced the warning time available to America in the event of a nuclear attack.

At the end of the Cold War the future of these boats in doubt.  Two were scrapped at the Zvezdockha yard using US funds from the Nunn Lugar threat reduction initiative.  Decommissioning presents particular challenges in view of the nuclear fuel and weapons that were carried.  One boat remains in service as a test platform for the next generation of strategic missile systems.  Three are in reserve but out of service in accordance with restrictions imposed by strategic arms control agreements.

Curiously, the Rubin design institute is investigating whether the submarines could be used as bulk ore carriers.  This could open up the Arctic waters for mineral extraction: nickel ore could be extracted all year.  The agency claim to have solve the problems of submarine buoyancy that would be imposed by such a heavy cargo.

This class of submarine has been the inspiration for many fast paced novels such as Typhoon by Robin White and The Hunt for Red October by Tom Clancy.

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