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Description
The Typhoon class, Soviet designation Project 941 Akula (Russian: Акула, meaning "shark", NATO reporting name Typhoon), is a class of nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines designed and built by the Soviet Union for the Soviet Navy. With a submerged displacement of 48,000 tonnes, the Typhoons are the largest submarines ever built, able to accommodate comfortable living facilities for the crew of 160 when submerged for months on end. The source of the NATO reporting name remains unclear, although it is often claimed to be related to the use of the word "typhoon" ("тайфун") by General Secretary Leonid Brezhnev of the Communist Party in a 1974 speech while describing a new type of nuclear ballistic missile submarine, as a reaction to the United States Navy's new Ohio-class submarine.

The Russian Navy cancelled its Typhoon modernization program in March 2012, stating that modernizing one Typhoon would be as expensive as building two new Borei-class submarines. With the announcement that Russia has eliminated the last R-39 Rif (SS-N-20 Sturgeon) SLBMs in September 2012, only one Typhoon remained in service, Dmitry Donskoy, which was armed with the more modern RSM-56 Bulava SLBM. According to one source, it remained in service until July 2022, when it was reported decommissioned.[9] However, other sources suggested that she remained operational and that a final decision on her fate would not be taken until the end of 2022.Description
Typhoon class general arrangements: 1 - outer hull; 2 - 533 mm forward torpedo tubes; 3 - pressure hull (forward); 4 - stowable forward hydroplanes; 5 - escape hatches; 6 - torpedo compartment pressure hull; 7 - sonar compartment; 8 - 20 x R-39 ballistic missile tubes; 9 - control room; 10 - escape capsules; 11 - retractable devices; 12 - Fin; 13 - radio room; 14 - reactor compartment; 15 - hangar / payload doors for towed communication buoy; 16 - protrusions to prevent ice damaging the propellers; 17 - turbine compartment; 18 - machine compartment, 19 - hydrodynamic vortex smoothing protrusions; 20 - vertical stabiliser; 21 - rudders; 22 - ducted propeller; 23 - aft hydroplanes; 24 - sonar; 25 - stowable thrusters; 26 - missile compartment; 27 - crew compartment; 28 - 2 x OK-650 nuclear reactors; 29 - propeller shaft; 30 - horizontal stabiliser; 31 - pressure hull (forward); 32 - main pressure hull (starboard); 33 - main pressure hull (port); 34 - pressure hull (fin); 35 - pressure hull (aft); 36 - rapid dive tank; i - attack periscope; ii - navigation periscope; iii - radio sextant; iv - radar/ESM system; v - snorkel; vi & viii - radio communications; vii - direction finding; ix - satellite communication/positioning antenna; x - hull mounted towed sonar array

Besides their missile armament, the Typhoon class featured six torpedo tubes designed to handle RPK-2 (SS-N-15) missiles or Type 53 torpedoes. A Typhoon-class submarine could stay submerged for 120 days[3] in normal conditions, and potentially more if deemed necessary (e.g., in the case of a nuclear war). Their primary weapons system was composed of 20 R-39 (NATO: SS-N-20) ballistic missiles (SLBM) with a maximum of 10 MIRV nuclear warheads each. Technically, Typhoons were able to deploy their long-range nuclear missiles while moored at their docks.[11]

Typhoon-class submarines featured multiple pressure hulls which simplifies internal design while making the vessel much wider than a normal submarine. In the main body of the sub, two long pressure hulls lie parallel with a third, smaller pressure hull above them (which protrudes just below the sail), and two other pressure hulls for torpedoes and steering gear. This also greatly increases their survivability – even if one pressure hull is breached, the crew members in the other are safe and there is less potential for flooding.

The Typhoon was capable of traveling at 28 kn (52 km/h; 32 mph) submerged.[12]
History
A Typhoon-class submarine on the surface in 1985
Soviet Typhoon-class ballistic missile submarine, with inset of an American football field graphic to convey a sense of the enormous size of the vessel

The Typhoon class was developed under Project 941 as the Russian[citation needed] Akula class (Акула), meaning shark. It is sometimes confused with other submarines, as Akula is the name NATO uses to designate the Russian Project 971 Shchuka-B (Щука-Б)-class attack submarines. The project was developed with the objective to match the SLBM armament of Ohio-class submarines, capable of carrying 192 nuclear warheads, 100 kt each, but with significantly longer range. To accommodate this increase in range, Soviet SLBMs were substantially larger and heavier than their American counterparts (the R-39 Rif is more than twice as heavy as the UGM-96 Trident I; it remains the heaviest SLBM to have been in service worldwide). The submarine had to be scaled accordingly.[13]

In the early 1990s, there were also proposals to rebuild some of the Typhoon-class submarines to submarine cargo vessels for shipping oil, gas and cargo under polar ice to Russia's far flung northern territories. The submarines could take up to 10,000 tonnes of cargo on-board and ship it under the polar ice to tankers waiting in the Barents Sea. These ships – after the considerable engineering required to develop technologies to transfer oil from drilling platforms to the submarines, and later, to the waiting tankers – would then deliver their cargo world-wide.[14]

Six Typhoon-class submarines were built between 1976 and 1985. Originally, the submarines were designated by hull numbers only. Names were later assigned to the four vessels retained by the Russian Navy, which were sponsored by either a city or company. The construction order for an additional vessel (hull number TK-210) was cancelled and never completed. Only the first of these submarines to be constructed, Dmitriy Donskoy, is still in active service with the Russian Navy,[inconsistent] serving as a test platform[when?] for the Bulava (SS-NX-32) missile.[citation needed] Arkhangelsk (TK-17) and Severstal (TK-20) remain in reserve, not currently active with the Russian fleet. All the R-39 missiles have been retired. The Typhoons have been replaced by the Borei class since 2010-2011.[citation needed]

In late December 2008, a senior Navy official announced that the two Typhoon-class submarines, TK-17 Arkhangelsk and TK-20 Severstal, that are in reserve would not be rearmed with the new Bulava SLBM missile system. They could however be modified to carry cruise missiles or to lay mines, or could be used in special operations.[15] In late June 2009, the Navy Commander-in-Chief, Admiral Vladimir Vysotskiy told reporters that the two submarines would be reserved for possible future repairs and modernisation.[16] In May 2010, the Navy Commander-in-Chief reported that Russia's Typhoon-class submarines would remain in service with the Navy until 2019.[17] In September 2011, the Russian defense ministry decided to write off all Project 941 Akula nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines until 2014. The reasons for decommissioning the Typhoon-class vessels are the restrictions imposed on Russia by the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty and successful trials of new Borei-class submarine.[18]

Despite being a replacement for many types of submarines, the Borei-class submarines are slightly shorter than the Typhoon class (170 m (560 ft) as opposed to 175 m (574 ft)), and have a smaller crew (107 people as opposed to 160). These changes were in part designed to reduce the cost to build and maintain the submarines. In addition, the United States and Canada provided 80% of funds for scrapping the older Typhoon-class submarines, making it much more economical to build a new submarine.[19] However, according to other sources at the Russian defence ministry, no such decision has been made; in that case, the submarines would remain with the Russian Navy.[20]

In 2013, the state-run RIA Novosti news agency announced that the Navy would scrap two Typhoons, beginning in 2018. They were the TK-17 Arkhangelsk and TK-20 Severstal.[21] As of 2017, the decision about the scrapping of TK-17 and TK-20 was still not certain.[22]

On 20 July 2022, it was reported that Dmitriy Donskoy was withdrawn from the Russian Navy.[9] This appears to be an earlier-than-expected decommission date, as it was previously stated that the submarine was expected to remain in service until 2026 as a weapons test platform.[23] However other sources suggested that a final decision on the boat's fate had yet to be made.[1]
Units
#    Name    Laid down    Launched    Commissioned    Fleet    Status
TK-208    Dmitriy Donskoy    30 June 1976    27 September 1979    23 December 1981    Northern Fleet    Active[1]
TK-202        22 April 1978    23 September 1982    28 December 1983        Withdrawn from active service in June 1999, scrapped with the financial support of the U.S.[citation needed]
TK-12    Simbirsk    19 April 1980    17 December 1983    26 December 1984        Withdrawn from active service in 1996, scrapped 2006–2008[citation needed]
TK-13        23 February 1982    30 April 1985    26 December 1985        Withdrawn from active service in 1997, scrapped 2007–2009[24]
TK-17    Arkhangelsk    9 August 1983    12 December 1986    15 December 1987    Northern Fleet    Decommissioned in 2006,[25] or 2013[26]
TK-20    Severstal    27 August 1985    11 April 1989    19 December 1989[3]    Northern Fleet    Decommissioned in 2004,[25] or 2013[26]
TK-210        1986                Unfinished, scrapped on the way

Name

Typhoon class BuildersSevmash , designed by Rubin Operators
     Soviet Navy
     Russian Navy
Preceded byDelta class Succeeded byBorei class Built1976–1989 In service1981– In commission1981–1989 Planned7 Completed6 Cancelled1 Active1[1] Laid up3 Retired3 General characteristics Type Ballistic missile submarine Displacement
    23,200–24,500 t (22,830–24,110 long tons ) surfaced
    48,000 t (47,240 long tons) submerged
Length175 m (574 ft 2 in) Beam23 m (75 ft 6 in) Draught12 m (39 ft 4 in) Propulsion
    2 × OK-650 pressurized-water nuclear reactors, 190 MWt each, HEU <= 45%[2]
    2 × geared steam turbines, 50,000 SHP each
    2 shafts with 7-bladed shrouded screws
Speed
    22.22 knots (41.15 km/h; 25.57 mph) surfaced
    27 knots (50 km/h; 31 mph) submerged
Endurance120+ days submerged[3] Test depth900 m (3,000 ft) Complement160 persons[3] Armament
    1 × 9K38 Igla SAM
    4 × 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes
    2 × 650 mm (26 in) torpedo tubes
    RPK-2 Vyuga antisubmarine missiles
    Type 53 torpedoes[4]
    D-19 launch system
    20 × RSM-52 SLBMs

Description
The Typhoon class, Soviet designation Project 941 Akula (Russian: Акула, meaning "shark", NATO reporting name Typhoon), is a class of nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines designed and built by the Soviet Union for the Soviet Navy. With a submerged displacement of 48,000 tonnes, the Typhoons are the largest submarines ever built, able to accommodate comfortable living facilities for the crew of 160 when submerged for months on end. The source of the NATO reporting name remains unclear, although it is often claimed to be related to the use of the word "typhoon" ("тайфун") by General Secretary Leonid Brezhnev of the Communist Party in a 1974 speech while describing a new type of nuclear ballistic missile submarine, as a reaction to the United States Navy's new Ohio-class submarine.

The Russian Navy cancelled its Typhoon modernization program in March 2012, stating that modernizing one Typhoon would be as expensive as building two new Borei-class submarines. With the announcement that Russia has eliminated the last R-39 Rif (SS-N-20 Sturgeon) SLBMs in September 2012, only one Typhoon remained in service, Dmitry Donskoy, which was armed with the more modern RSM-56 Bulava SLBM. According to one source, it remained in service until July 2022, when it was reported decommissioned.[9] However, other sources suggested that she remained operational and that a final decision on her fate would not be taken until the end of 2022.Description
Typhoon class general arrangements: 1 - outer hull; 2 - 533 mm forward torpedo tubes; 3 - pressure hull (forward); 4 - stowable forward hydroplanes; 5 - escape hatches; 6 - torpedo compartment pressure hull; 7 - sonar compartment; 8 - 20 x R-39 ballistic missile tubes; 9 - control room; 10 - escape capsules; 11 - retractable devices; 12 - Fin; 13 - radio room; 14 - reactor compartment; 15 - hangar / payload doors for towed communication buoy; 16 - protrusions to prevent ice damaging the propellers; 17 - turbine compartment; 18 - machine compartment, 19 - hydrodynamic vortex smoothing protrusions; 20 - vertical stabiliser; 21 - rudders; 22 - ducted propeller; 23 - aft hydroplanes; 24 - sonar; 25 - stowable thrusters; 26 - missile compartment; 27 - crew compartment; 28 - 2 x OK-650 nuclear reactors; 29 - propeller shaft; 30 - horizontal stabiliser; 31 - pressure hull (forward); 32 - main pressure hull (starboard); 33 - main pressure hull (port); 34 - pressure hull (fin); 35 - pressure hull (aft); 36 - rapid dive tank; i - attack periscope; ii - navigation periscope; iii - radio sextant; iv - radar/ESM system; v - snorkel; vi & viii - radio communications; vii - direction finding; ix - satellite communication/positioning antenna; x - hull mounted towed sonar array

Besides their missile armament, the Typhoon class featured six torpedo tubes designed to handle RPK-2 (SS-N-15) missiles or Type 53 torpedoes. A Typhoon-class submarine could stay submerged for 120 days[3] in normal conditions, and potentially more if deemed necessary (e.g., in the case of a nuclear war). Their primary weapons system was composed of 20 R-39 (NATO: SS-N-20) ballistic missiles (SLBM) with a maximum of 10 MIRV nuclear warheads each. Technically, Typhoons were able to deploy their long-range nuclear missiles while moored at their docks.[11]

Typhoon-class submarines featured multiple pressure hulls which simplifies internal design while making the vessel much wider than a normal submarine. In the main body of the sub, two long pressure hulls lie parallel with a third, smaller pressure hull above them (which protrudes just below the sail), and two other pressure hulls for torpedoes and steering gear. This also greatly increases their survivability – even if one pressure hull is breached, the crew members in the other are safe and there is less potential for flooding.

The Typhoon was capable of traveling at 28 kn (52 km/h; 32 mph) submerged.[12]
History
A Typhoon-class submarine on the surface in 1985
Soviet Typhoon-class ballistic missile submarine, with inset of an American football field graphic to convey a sense of the enormous size of the vessel

The Typhoon class was developed under Project 941 as the Russian[citation needed] Akula class (Акула), meaning shark. It is sometimes confused with other submarines, as Akula is the name NATO uses to designate the Russian Project 971 Shchuka-B (Щука-Б)-class attack submarines. The project was developed with the objective to match the SLBM armament of Ohio-class submarines, capable of carrying 192 nuclear warheads, 100 kt each, but with significantly longer range. To accommodate this increase in range, Soviet SLBMs were substantially larger and heavier than their American counterparts (the R-39 Rif is more than twice as heavy as the UGM-96 Trident I; it remains the heaviest SLBM to have been in service worldwide). The submarine had to be scaled accordingly.[13]

In the early 1990s, there were also proposals to rebuild some of the Typhoon-class submarines to submarine cargo vessels for shipping oil, gas and cargo under polar ice to Russia's far flung northern territories. The submarines could take up to 10,000 tonnes of cargo on-board and ship it under the polar ice to tankers waiting in the Barents Sea. These ships – after the considerable engineering required to develop technologies to transfer oil from drilling platforms to the submarines, and later, to the waiting tankers – would then deliver their cargo world-wide.[14]

Six Typhoon-class submarines were built between 1976 and 1985. Originally, the submarines were designated by hull numbers only. Names were later assigned to the four vessels retained by the Russian Navy, which were sponsored by either a city or company. The construction order for an additional vessel (hull number TK-210) was cancelled and never completed. Only the first of these submarines to be constructed, Dmitriy Donskoy, is still in active service with the Russian Navy,[inconsistent] serving as a test platform[when?] for the Bulava (SS-NX-32) missile.[citation needed] Arkhangelsk (TK-17) and Severstal (TK-20) remain in reserve, not currently active with the Russian fleet. All the R-39 missiles have been retired. The Typhoons have been replaced by the Borei class since 2010-2011.[citation needed]

In late December 2008, a senior Navy official announced that the two Typhoon-class submarines, TK-17 Arkhangelsk and TK-20 Severstal, that are in reserve would not be rearmed with the new Bulava SLBM missile system. They could however be modified to carry cruise missiles or to lay mines, or could be used in special operations.[15] In late June 2009, the Navy Commander-in-Chief, Admiral Vladimir Vysotskiy told reporters that the two submarines would be reserved for possible future repairs and modernisation.[16] In May 2010, the Navy Commander-in-Chief reported that Russia's Typhoon-class submarines would remain in service with the Navy until 2019.[17] In September 2011, the Russian defense ministry decided to write off all Project 941 Akula nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines until 2014. The reasons for decommissioning the Typhoon-class vessels are the restrictions imposed on Russia by the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty and successful trials of new Borei-class submarine.[18]

Despite being a replacement for many types of submarines, the Borei-class submarines are slightly shorter than the Typhoon class (170 m (560 ft) as opposed to 175 m (574 ft)), and have a smaller crew (107 people as opposed to 160). These changes were in part designed to reduce the cost to build and maintain the submarines. In addition, the United States and Canada provided 80% of funds for scrapping the older Typhoon-class submarines, making it much more economical to build a new submarine.[19] However, according to other sources at the Russian defence ministry, no such decision has been made; in that case, the submarines would remain with the Russian Navy.[20]

In 2013, the state-run RIA Novosti news agency announced that the Navy would scrap two Typhoons, beginning in 2018. They were the TK-17 Arkhangelsk and TK-20 Severstal.[21] As of 2017, the decision about the scrapping of TK-17 and TK-20 was still not certain.[22]

On 20 July 2022, it was reported that Dmitriy Donskoy was withdrawn from the Russian Navy.[9] This appears to be an earlier-than-expected decommission date, as it was previously stated that the submarine was expected to remain in service until 2026 as a weapons test platform.[23] However other sources suggested that a final decision on the boat's fate had yet to be made.[1]
Units
#    Name    Laid down    Launched    Commissioned    Fleet    Status
TK-208    Dmitriy Donskoy    30 June 1976    27 September 1979    23 December 1981    Northern Fleet    Active[1]
TK-202        22 April 1978    23 September 1982    28 December 1983        Withdrawn from active service in June 1999, scrapped with the financial support of the U.S.[citation needed]
TK-12    Simbirsk    19 April 1980    17 December 1983    26 December 1984        Withdrawn from active service in 1996, scrapped 2006–2008[citation needed]
TK-13        23 February 1982    30 April 1985    26 December 1985        Withdrawn from active service in 1997, scrapped 2007–2009[24]
TK-17    Arkhangelsk    9 August 1983    12 December 1986    15 December 1987    Northern Fleet    Decommissioned in 2006,[25] or 2013[26]
TK-20    Severstal    27 August 1985    11 April 1989    19 December 1989[3]    Northern Fleet    Decommissioned in 2004,[25] or 2013[26]
TK-210        1986                Unfinished, scrapped on the way

Name

Typhoon class BuildersSevmash , designed by Rubin Operators
     Soviet Navy
     Russian Navy
Preceded byDelta class Succeeded byBorei class Built1976–1989 In service1981– In commission1981–1989 Planned7 Completed6 Cancelled1 Active1[1] Laid up3 Retired3 General characteristics Type Ballistic missile submarine Displacement
    23,200–24,500 t (22,830–24,110 long tons ) surfaced
    48,000 t (47,240 long tons) submerged
Length175 m (574 ft 2 in) Beam23 m (75 ft 6 in) Draught12 m (39 ft 4 in) Propulsion
    2 × OK-650 pressurized-water nuclear reactors, 190 MWt each, HEU <= 45%[2]
    2 × geared steam turbines, 50,000 SHP each
    2 shafts with 7-bladed shrouded screws
Speed
    22.22 knots (41.15 km/h; 25.57 mph) surfaced
    27 knots (50 km/h; 31 mph) submerged
Endurance120+ days submerged[3] Test depth900 m (3,000 ft) Complement160 persons[3] Armament
    1 × 9K38 Igla SAM
    4 × 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes
    2 × 650 mm (26 in) torpedo tubes
    RPK-2 Vyuga antisubmarine missiles
    Type 53 torpedoes[4]
    D-19 launch system
    20 × RSM-52 SLBMs