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| Nato Kilo Class Submarine |
- It is likely that the implementation of long-range attack missiles known as 3M-14 Kalibr will prove to be the most significant of these upgrades.
- The Alrosa has a pump jet propulsion system, which is analogous to the system used by the Bore A-class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines.
- The Sufin Class is the first French submarine class to be capable of deploying a compact underwater vehicle for use by special forces.
- Many layers of active sonar-absorbing coatings are applied to the submarine's hull, and radar-absorbing material is layered over the mast.
- Swedish, French, and British submarines would compete with a single Russian submarine in the event of a Russian overkill rampage.
The conflict in Ukraine has taken a new and more menacing turn as a result of Russian submarines currently engaging in a missile bombardment against Ukrainian territory. A lot of people are surprised to learn that Ukraine does not have any powerful submarine threats or defenses. This possible overkill may be what leads Europe to intervene more directly in the fight; however, if this occurs, a number of very dangerous NATO submarines may be called upon to deal Russia damage on a scale that has never been seen before.
This focuses primarily on the powerful submarines of the NATO alliance, but before we get into that, we need to investigate how and why, four months into the conflict, submarines are now even taking part. After undergoing extensive repairs over the course of several months, Russia's lone Kilo-class submarine equipped with pump jet propulsion, the B-871 Alrosa, has made its way back out to sea to undergo operational testing, most likely in preparation for military operations against Ukraine. For the first time in eight years, the submarine is going through a series of tests that simulate multiple different operational modes in order to demonstrate its capabilities.
This is significant news, especially considering the fact that Russia is still a huge fan of submarines and has faith in the ruthlessness of their capabilities. In point of fact, a number of studies conducted over the course of the previous decade demonstrate that Russia's push toward high-tech armament is primarily concentrated on the modification of their submarines. This is due to the fact that submarines play the most vital role in Russia's fleet. As was mentioned earlier, one submarine that has been modernized is the Alrosa. It now possesses advanced armaments that were not available when it was first created, weapons that could give NATO cause for concern.
There are many more Russian submarines than just the Alrosa that NATO needs to be concerned about; in fact, there is an entire fleet of them.
About twenty submarines of the Kilo class are being readied for combat by Russia; several of these submarines are related to the Alrosa. Submarines of the 230-foot-long class made their debut in 1980 and have had such a successful career since then that Russia has kept them in service for more than four decades and has upgraded them every decade to keep up with the changes in technology.
It is likely that the implementation of long-range attack missiles known as 3M-14 Kalibr will prove to be the most significant of these upgrades. These missiles have a fundamental hypersonic peak speed of Mach 3, which enables them to destroy targets from a distance of nearly 50 kilometers (31 miles) in just a few seconds.
This missile significantly improves the capabilities of the over 40-year-old submarines, which can still be used but are showing their age. This is especially true with regard to the submarines' 6- or 7-bladed propeller propulsion, which allows them to travel more than 8,600 miles and achieve top speeds of up to 17 knots.
On the other hand, as was mentioned earlier, the situation is different with the Alrosa, which is currently undergoing testing. The Alrosa has a pump jet propulsion system, which is analogous to the system used by the Bore A-class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines. In comparison to propellers, a pump jet propulsion system offers several benefits, the most notable of which is increased efficiency across the majority of the submarine's performance range.
Because the Alrosa is able to travel at higher speeds with less audible cavitation and has advantages when operating in shallow water, it enables its users to cover greater distances in a manner that is significantly less noticeable. Despite being in the middle of the ocean with no real means of escape and being a pretty easy target once noticed, the last thing any submariner needs is a noisemaker, which is presumably why the Alrosa and not one of its brothers is being used. This is likely to be the most important advantage.
It is currently unknown what motivated this reactivation so far in advance of the conflict that is currently taking place in Ukraine. It would appear that the requirements of the conflict were a factor in the decision-making process, especially considering how the Ukraine has proven to be a more formidable adversary than anyone could have anticipated.
It was certainly much less predictable than NATO's involvement in a full-fledged European war like this, so given the possibility of NATO's involvement, let's take a look at the submarine fleet that is currently at its disposal.
Because there is so much to say and so much of a difference between the two power struggles, we will look at how Russian submarines fare against American ones in a separate release, but here we will focus on non-American NATO submarines. In essence, Russia appears to be tied into two world power tussles: one against the United States and two against NATO.
Astute Class Submarine
The United Kingdom's most recent class of nuclear-powered submarines, known as the Astute Class, was introduced in the 1980s. This class will have a total of seven substitutes, with the latter two positions still to be determined.
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UK Astute Class Submarine |
Because it is equipped with a Rolls-Royce PWR2 nuclear reactor and multiple MTU 600-kilowatt diesel generators, the first one was declared fully operational in 2014, marking the beginning of a new generation of British submarines that are 300 feet long and have the ability to travel at a top speed of 30 knots for one, two, three, or even forever years while having a range that is literally unlimited.
The submarine is equipped with a team of Thales Sonar 2076 Atlas Deso 25 echo sounders, two Thales CM010 optronic masts, and the Raytheon successor IFF for distinguishing "friend from foe." In the event that a significant threat is detected, the submarine is able to handle the situation with its Tomahawk Block 4 cruise missiles thanks to these components.
These terrifying American long-range all-weather subsonic anti-ship submarine launched surface-to-surface cruise missiles can attack targets thousands of miles away and carry either a conventional or nuclear warhead. They cost 1.9 million dollars and are launched from submarines.
The Spearfish heavyweight torpedoes are British torpedoes that are wire-guided and weigh 4,000 pounds each. They have autonomous active terminal homing sonar and aluminized PBX explosive, and they are able to destroy targets that are more than 33 miles away.
However, the most potent weapon that this submarine possesses is most likely its highly effective crew of up to 109 people. These crew members keep the submarine operational 24 hours a day, with the exception of brief dockings to replenish food and supplies and to familiarize themselves with the appearance of land in the event that the vessel sinks.
It's possible that spending so much time at sea would have that effect. My opinion is that each submarine of the Adroit class is a two billion dollar lethal machine that Russia ought to be concerned about.
Sufren Class Submarine
The Sufren Class of submarines is an entirely original design. In point of fact, the first one wasn't declared fully operational until June 3rd, 2022, which is nearly three months after Russia's invasion of the country had begun. In contrast to earlier French submarines, the Suffrin is equipped with an optronic mast rather than a periscope. This design is inspired by the British Astute Class of submarines.
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| Sufren Class Submarine |
The Sufin Class is the first French submarine class to be capable of deploying a compact underwater vehicle for use by special forces. This capability is made possible by an attachable dry deck shelter found on the Sufin class.
The massive 326-foot-long submarine is optimized for a small complement of 60 thanks to extensive automation; despite rumors to the contrary, the submarine has an unlimited range thanks to its 200-kilowatt K-15 nuclear reactor, two 13,000-horsepower turbo generator groups, an electrically driven pump jet, and two 640-horsepower emergency diesel generators.
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| Sufren France Submarine |
The submarine is equipped with four 533 mm launch tubes and twenty FG 29 mine storage racks. Exocet SM-39 anti-ship missiles, F-21 Artemis heavy torpedoes, and MDCN Storm Shadow cruise missiles, all with ranges of 31 to 350 miles, work together to provide very devastating fire from the water.
Gotland Class Submarines
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| Gotland Class Submarines |
Sweden is not a member of NATO, at least not at this time. However, the country has recently applied to join out of concern that Russia may invade other nearby countries if it can attack one without resistance. Russian President Vladimir Putin made a remark to this effect, saying that they were not threatened prior to joining NATO, but that this could change.
The process of joining NATO is still ongoing, however, and Sweden does possess submarines that could potentially serve as a force multiplier for the alliance if membership is achieved. The diesel-electric Gotland class submarines are 200 feet in length and feature a Stirling engine propulsion system, which increases underwater endurance from a few days to a week, a feature previously only seen on nuclear-powered submarines.
Kockums Shipyard, a ship builder in Sweden, designed and constructed the Gotland-class submarine's Stirling Engine. It fuels a 75-kilowatt generator that can be used for either thrust or recharging the ship's batteries. Since submarines can use the surrounding seawater as a heat sink to increase efficiency and help with stealth by remaining nearly entirely quiet even at high speeds of up to 20 knots, this environment is ideal for these vessels.
Separated and mounted on rubber dampeners, all shipboard equipment is quieted and vibration-free. The submarine's hydrodynamic hull reduces its audible and thermal signatures as well as its active sonar response. To counteract its magnetic signature, it uses 27 individual electromagnets to short-circuit extremely low frequency electrical fields. Many layers of active sonar-absorbing coatings are applied to the submarine's hull, and radar-absorbing material is layered over the mast.
Together, these features render the submarine nearly invisible to radar and ensure the safety of its 32 officers and sailors. Swedish, French, and British submarines would compete with a single Russian submarine in the event of a Russian overkill rampage.
Ukraine sought membership in NATO in order to benefit from this security umbrella. Even if the formal paperwork hasn't been signed yet, Ukraine is being treated like a member of NATO in many ways.
