Project 971 (Shuka-B)

Bellona Report nr. 2:96. Written by: Thomas Nilsen, Igor Kudrik and Alexandr Nikitin.

Project 971 (Shuka-B) - Akula Class

	Northern Fleet	Pacific Fleet	Total
In service	6	7	13
Inactive	0	0	0
Dismantled	0	0	0
Under construction:	1	0	1
Number			13

Technical Data

Length:	108 m	Displacement:	5 700/7 900 tons
Beam:	13.5 m	Maximum Depth:	500 m
Draught:	9.6 m	Crew:	70
Speed:	35 knots	Hull:	Low magnetic steel

Compartments: 8

Reactor

One pressurised water reactor with a model OK-650 b reactor core generating 190 MWt and a shaft power of 43 000 hp.

Nuclear Weapons

RK-55.

Naval Architect

Principal builder is G.N. Chernyshev at Malakhit.

Construction Yard

Eight of the Akula class submarines were built in Komsomolsk until activities there ceased in 1993. The remaining submarines have been built or are under construction in Severodvinsk.

Base

All of the Akula class submarines belong to the Northern Fleet are based at Gadzhievo.

Comments

The Akula submarines are the fastest and quietest of all Russian attack submarines. During the first half of 1995, the American submarine tracking system was unable to track a submarine of this class which was on patrol off the eastern coast of the United States.[240] The vessel is at its quietest at a speed of 6 - 9 knots. Starting with the eighth submarine of production, the class is now known as Akula-II.[241] These submarines are quieter and more modern than their immediate predecessor.

Individual Submarines

Northern Fleet:

K-480: Bars. Laid down in 1982, launched in 1983 and commissioned in December 1984.
K-317: Pantera. Laid down in November 1982, launched in May, 1990, and commissioned in December 1990.
K-461: Volk. Laid down in 1986, launched on July 11, 1991 and commissioned on January 27, 1992. On February 23. 1996 the submarine returned to the base, after a patrol which started with a leakage in the fire protection system in the navigation-room.[242]
K-328: Leopard. Laid down in October 1988, launched on October 6, 1992, and commissioned in 1993.
K-157: Tigr. Laid down in 1989, launched on July 10, 1993 and commissioned in December, 1994.
K-?: Vepr. Laid down in 1992, launched in 1993 and was scheduled for delivery to the Russian Navy in 1995. In the summer of 1995, the submarine's steam plant was connected and the reactor tested and approved.[243]
K-?.: Gepard. Laid down in 1991, launched in 1992. Due for delivery to the Russian Navy in 1995.[244]

Pacific Fleet:

K-284.: Launched on October 6, 1982 and commissioned on December 30, 1984.
K-263.: Launched on July 15, 1984 and commissioned in December, 1985.
K-322.: Commissioned in 1986.
K-391.: Commissioned in 1987.
K-331.: Commissioned in 1988.
K-419.: Commissioned in 1989.
K-267.: Drakon. Launched on August 4, 1994, and commissioned in 1995.

Photo.
Due to copyright restraints this photograph is only available in the printed version. The printed version can be ordered from us.

Foto, 47 kb.

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Endnotes

[240] Jane's Defence Weekly, No. 11, September 16, 1995. Return
[241] R. Lee, State of the Russian Navy data page, last updated January 9, 1996. Return
[242] Krasnaya Zvezda, April 3. 1996. Return
[243] Krasnaya Zvezda, May 27, 1995. Return
[244] Severny Rabotshy, January 19, 1995. Return

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