The fastest submarine Titanium "Goldfish K 162 aircraft carrier killer

The history of the unique "Goldfish" began in December 1959 with a decree of the party and government "On the creation of a high-speed submarine, new types of power plants and R&D for submarines."

In Severodvinsk, for the first time, a giant combat submarine weighing 5200 tons was created. It was a colossal work, carried out in conditions of great secrecy. As a result, the submarine, which received the tactical number K-162, was launched only on December 21, 1968, and on December 13, 1969, it entered the factory sea trials. Such a historical fact is interesting: in 1971, in the White Sea, on a measured mile, the nuclear submarine updated its speed record to 44.7 knots, which is still the absolute speed record in a submerged position.

K-162 was in service with the Northern Fleet until 1988, after which it was put into reserve, and later transferred for recycling to the berth of the enterprise, from the stocks of which it was launched back in December 1968. On July 23, 2009, the civilian crew of PA Sevmash handed over the legendary nuclear submarine to the crew of Zvezdochka CS for subsequent disposal in compliance with Naval traditions.

At the same time, the long stay of the nuclear submarine afloat without repair had a negative impact on its technical condition. During the period of sludge, there were practically no serviceable regular systems that ensured its unsinkability and explosion and fire safety. The buoyancy systems of nuclear submarines degraded over time, which could lead to unauthorized flooding of nuclear submarines, in which, as a result of chemical processes caused by the activity of titanium, intensive destruction of equipment and pipelines, including the steam generating plant, made of steel and copper, will occur, which in in turn, could subject the structural barriers to destruction and the spread of radioactivity.

Being in an unsatisfactory technical condition in the water area of ​​Severodvinsk and in close proximity to the city with a population of about 250 thousand people, the nuclear submarine was a potential source of nuclear and radiation hazard of environmental pollution, which caused concern among the population of the region.

Taking into account the technical condition of the nuclear submarine, in 2010, at the expense of the federal budget, under the State contract between the State Corporation Rosatom and the Zvyozdochka Ship Repair Center, the specialists of the enterprise performed work on the disposal of the bow and stern ends of the ship, the formation of a three-compartment block of the reactor compartment for its further safe storage afloat. And again, the uniqueness of the nuclear submarine played a cruel joke with the shipbuilders. Due to the "golden" cost of work on unloading SNF, due to the notorious uniqueness of both the power plant and the set of refueling equipment for it. The enterprise and the Rosatom State Corporation simply did not have time to find sources of financing for the unloading of spent nuclear fuel. Given these circumstances, work on the dismantling of nuclear submarines had to be carried out with nuclear fuel not unloaded from the reactors.

The unloading of SNF from the reactors of the nuclear submarine project 661 is also unique in its kind. The reactor is unique, the set of refueling equipment is unique; they were created in a single copy, intended exclusively for the "Goldfish".

The service life of the handling equipment expired more than 15 years ago. After the reactors were recharged in 1979-80s, long-term storage of refueling equipment and equipment was not properly organized. As a result, part of the equipment and equipment fell into disrepair, and part was irretrievably lost. The surviving part of the equipment and tooling was delivered to the territory of Zvezdochka CS JSC, it required repair and manufacture of the missing tooling with its testing on test benches.

Restoration of equipment and tooling to working capacity, development of a set of design and technological documentation, SNF unloading and nuclear submarine dismantling required large allocations, which it was not possible to plan in the Russian budget for the foreseeable future.

Nevertheless, thanks to the efforts of the State Corporation "Rosatom" and JSC "Federal Center for Nuclear and Radiation Safety", it was possible to agree to include the project for the defueling of nuclear submarines of the class "Papa" in the list of projects of the Northern Dimension Environmental Partnership Support Fund, created under the auspices of the European Bank Reconstruction and Development.

In May 2012, the Joint Stock Company Federal Center for Nuclear and Radiation Safety, within the framework of the Framework Agreement on the Multilateral Nuclear and Environmental Program in the Russian Federation and at the expense of the Northern Dimension Environmental Partnership Support Fund, announced a two-stage tender for the right to conclude a Contract Agreement for the performance of work, designated as "Unloading spent nuclear fuel (SNF) from the reactors of the Papa class nuclear submarine" head. No. 501".

At the stage of preparing a competitive application for participation in the competition, the enterprise invited scientific and design organizations located throughout the country to participate in the project. Below is a list of these organizations:

1. Joint Stock Company "Scientific Research Institute of Power Engineering named after Dollezhal" - technical designer of nuclear submarines of the "Papa" class;
2. Joint Stock Company "Experimental Design Bureau of Mechanical Engineering named after I.I. Afrikantova, a leading organization for the design and operation of nuclear reactors and having a licensed training center for training specialists;
3. ANO "Aspect-Conversion" - the organizer and coordinator of the development of sets of design, organizational and technological documentation;
4. Joint-Stock Company "East European Leading Research and Design Institute of Energy Technologies" - developer of technological documentation (transport and technological schemes, technological regulations, technical safety justifications, certificates of permission for the transportation of spent nuclear fuel, for the handling of spent nuclear fuel from dismantled nuclear submarines using protective containers TK -18, TUK-108/1);
5. Joint Stock Company “Scientific Research Design and Technological Bureau “Onega” – designer of technological equipment and developer of the technological process of unloading spent nuclear fuel;
6. Joint-Stock Company "Center for Shipbuilding and Ship Repair Technology" - designer of the onshore SNF unloading facility;
7. Federal State Unitary Enterprise "Krylov State Research Center". Issuance of a conclusion on the readiness of the enterprise, the three-compartment unit with nuclear power plants, the onshore complex and the personnel of Zvezdochka CS JSC for SNF unloading.

Based on the results of the competition, the enterprise received a Notice of acceptance of the proposal from the Customer (JSC FTSNRB) and a draft Contract, which was signed by Zvezdochka on May 22, 2013.

The main stages of work under this contract are:

• Placement of the reactor compartment unit in a floating dock. For the first time in the history of the Onshore SNF Unloading Facility “Zvyozdochka CS”, fuel will be unloaded from a ship located on a “solid” base (see Figure 4);
• Refinement of equipment for SNF unloading, including interdepartmental tests;
• Development of documentation for preparation for unloading and unloading of SNF;
• Infrastructure preparation;
• SNF unloading;
• RW management and preparation of 3 reactor units for storage afloat.

At the end of the project, at the expense of the Russian Federation, the reactor compartment of the dismantled nuclear submarine prepared for long-term storage, head. No. 501 with unloaded reactors will be delivered to the place of its last resting place - a long-term storage facility for RC units in Sayda-Guba, Murmansk region.

The above works must be carried out in full compliance with the requirements of Russian legislation, regulatory documents, international and state standards.

Before starting work, the enterprise could face a number of problems and risks that are due to the uniqueness of the reactors, the unknown actual state of the spent nuclear fuel due to the long stay of the spent nuclear fuel in the reactors. In addition, the APL 501 reactors and refueling equipment are non-serial products, as a result of which emergency situations may arise during both equipment testing and SNF unloading, which will require additional resources for updating and repairing equipment and (or) making changes to the documentation. These circumstances could cause an increase in the terms of SNF unloading.

At the same time, thanks to the high-quality study of the project at the preparatory stage, as well as the clear coordination of the work of subcontractors, the development and approval of documentation, the enterprise successfully passed interdepartmental tests of a set of refueling equipment and in September 2014 began unloading SNF from the first reactor, and in December the territory Zvezdochka CS JSC left the first special echelon, in the carriages of which spent nuclear fuel was placed in transport containers.

On March 18, 2015, the last cartridge with spent nuclear fuel was removed from its regular place, thus putting an end to the most dangerous stage of the project.

Of course, it is still too early to talk about the complete completion of the project, but already now it is possible to sum up intermediate results, the most important of which is the completion of spent nuclear fuel unloading. To a large extent, it is the implementation of this unprecedented stage of work on the project that removes the existing nuclear and radiation threats to the population and environment of the city of Severodvinsk and the Arkhangelsk region and other neighboring regions, as well as the basins of the White and Barents Seas.

Already in May of this year, the second batch of transport containers with spent nuclear fuel will be transferred to the Mayak Production Association. The radioactive waste will be processed and placed in safe storage, and the reactor unit with the unloaded SNF will be prepared for towing to a long-term storage facility for three-compartment units in the Murmansk Region. The actual operation to tow the reactor block is planned to be carried out during the navigation of the current year.

Thus, in close cooperation with the leading design organizations of the country, with the support of the coordinator of the work on the disposal of the State Corporation "Rosatom" and financial support from the Customer of the work represented by JSC "FTSNRB", the enterprise has fulfilled its role in improving the environmental situation in the North-West region, the fate of the legendary nuclear submarine and the elimination of the threats emanating from it.

The authors

• Baranov Evgeny Vasilyevich, head of the design team for the decommissioning of nuclear submarines of the PAPA class, OAO TsS Zvyozdochka
• Sheptukhin Maksim Nikolaevich, Head of International Projects of Zvezdochka CS OJSC

The creation of a nuclear power plant and the first domestic nuclear submarine project 627, as well as successful missile launches from submarines inspired the strategists of the Navy. The fact is that the enemy of the USSR in the Cold War, the United States, was intensively building aircraft carriers and in 1960 had 18 strike, 20 escort and 12 anti-submarine aircraft carriers. They had means of protection against strikes from surface ships and aircraft, and a speed of 30 knots allowed them to evade attacks from diesel-electric submarines, which could go under water for a long time at a speed of 2-3 knots and only develop 18-20 for a short time. with aircraft carrier formations there would be submarines that developed more than 30 knots underwater and equipped with weapons with a range of 2-3 times more than torpedoes.

By 1958, we had accumulated experience that made it possible to start developing a long-term comprehensive plan for the creation of nuclear submarines for various purposes with torpedoes, ballistic and cruise missiles. Hundreds of research institutions and enterprises were involved in the work, giving them specific tasks. Thus, metallurgists - to obtain a high-strength stainless material for a durable body in order to significantly increase the depth of immersion, chemists - how to decompose sea water with minimal energy, releasing oxygen necessary for breathing, and destroy exhaled carbon dioxide, food workers - to develop a recipe and technology for making bread that remains fresh months.

At the beginning of 1958, the TsKB-16, TsKB-18 and SKB-143 submarine shipbuilding design bureaus were instructed to urgently carry out studies of nuclear-powered submarines with torpedo and missile weapons to determine the developers of power plants, new materials, weapons, electronic and other equipment. TsKB-16 (now SPMBM "Malachite") was instructed to prepare proposals agreed with the participants in the work for a government decree and ordered the creation of a project for a nuclear submarine. It is considered as the main link in solving the problem of the rise of submarine shipbuilding. On August 28, 1958, a government decree was issued "On the creation of a new, high-speed nuclear submarine, new power plants on the type and development of research, development and design work." They were instructed to do everything necessary in 5 - 6 years to create nuclear power plants with a mass reduced by 1.5 - 2 times, providing a double increase in underwater speed; materials that allow 1.5 times to increase the depth of immersion; small-sized, long-range ballistic, cruise missiles and torpedoes; hydroacoustic and navigation equipment; instruments and automation for controlling submarines at full speed; technical means to ensure habitability.

In the same year, they ordered to start designing an experimental boat of project 661, designed to combat aircraft carrier formations, developing more than 30 knots underwater, diving to 400 m and armed with ballistic or cruise missiles with an underwater launch. The head of TsKB-16 N.N. was appointed chief designer. Isanina.

This bureau was instructed to issue the main tasks to counterparties by the end of the year and provide them with performers, with the condition that they reduce the weight and size characteristics of the equipment they create. At the same time, it was forbidden to use the existing one; everything on a new ship must be original.

It was necessary to decide what its main weapon would be, to choose the type of coolant of the 1st circuit (water or a metal alloy), to determine the number and power of reactors, turbogenerators, the voltage and frequency of the main current, for the body - to select high-strength steel, aluminum or titanium alloys.

14 pre-draft versions of the project (out of 18) in July 1959 were submitted for consideration to the command of the Navy and the State Committee for Shipbuilding. They formed expert commissions on shipbuilding, energy, electrical engineering, materials, etc. The possibility of making a case from titanium alloys, the creation and production of which was still in its infancy, was discussed. Nevertheless, they took into account their advantages - anti-corrosion, low weight, non-magneticness, and they decided to make the Project 661 boat from such alloys. But only in January 1960, the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy, Admiral S.G. Gorshkov and Chairman of the State Committee of the USSR Council of Ministers for Shipbuilding B.E. Buto-ma reported to the government the proposals of TsKB-16 on the tactical and technical characteristics of the boat, which were approved on April 9, and on January 26, the assignment for its design was approved by the Minister of Defense. It was intended to destroy aircraft carriers with cruise missiles, test new models of weapons and equipment, hull materials, devices, systems and mechanisms.

N.N. Isanin knew how to work with a big start: pre-sketch design began before the studies were sent to Moscow. In May 1960, with a delay of only 4 months, five versions of the project were presented to the government, and on July 6 the main one was approved. At TsNII 45 and TsAGI, models of the future submarine, including self-propelled ones, were tested. In other enterprises, the weight, size and energy characteristics of equipment and weapons were specified. In general, under the control of the government, 133 research institutes, design bureaus and factories worked on the 661 project, which completed 363 works. In December 1960, the bureau submitted to Moscow a technical design for a submarine with a displacement of 5,200 tons and a diving depth of 400 m, made from titanium alloys for the first time in the world. This submarine was armed with cruise missiles of the Amethyst complex, equipped with a powerful system for detecting sonar signals and issuing data to missile weapons, had a water speed of more than 40 knots,

The light hull was made in the form of a body of revolution with a hemispherical fore end, the aft end was made elliptical, with the transition to bifurcated "pants" with propellers. Outside the bow of the pressure hull, five from the sides, 32.5 "containers for cruise missiles were placed with an inclination, and the pressure hull was made around them in 8 form of the "eight" 9 m high. The pressure hull was divided into 9 compartments. The bulkhead between the 1st and a horizontal platform served as 2. In the upper, 1st compartment, on the upper deck, there were 4 vehicles and racks with spare torpedoes, on the lower deck there was a missile firing control post, a medical unit, a latrine. there was a hydroacoustic complex, under it were silver-zinc batteries. The 3rd compartment was also a figure eight ", but without a horizontal platform, they arranged cabins and wardrooms for officers, cockpits and a dining room for foremen and sailors, a galley, pantries, placed under them The 4th compartment was cylindrical, 9 m in diameter, it hosted the main command post, power plant control, radio communications and radio reconnaissance cabins, a navigational enclosure, a gyro post, housing for officers and chief foremen, g aljun, dryer, pantries. Since there were reactors in the adjacent 5th compartment, the entrance to it was equipped with airlocks with biological protection.

In the 6th compartment, two main turbo-gear units were installed side by side, and in the 7th compartment, the same number of standalone turbogenerators with power protection and distribution systems were installed, and in the campus of the water chemistry laboratory. In an emergency, the 5th, 6th and 7th compartments were put into a special mode. Auxiliary equipment was placed in the 8th compartment. Passing from it to the 7th, it was necessary to pass the sanitary lock for decontamination. It also had a hatch to the upper deck with a coaming platform for receiving a rescue diving bell. In the 9th, aft, compartment there were drives for large and small horizontal and vertical rudders, trim tanks and a bilge post.

The construction of the submarine was entrusted to the Severodvinsk Plant No. 402, which began preparations for it in 1959 with the training of workers and the creation of an experimental site in shop No. 42 to master the technology of welding body parts from a titanium alloy. In 1961, TsNII-48 created such an alloy 48-OTZ with a yield strength of at least 60 kgf / mm! and developed a technology for the manufacture of large sheets with a thickness of 5-60 mm, profiles, forgings, shaped castings and - with the specialists of TsNII-138 - methods of manual, semi-automatic and automatic welding. The creation of unique component equipment was difficult, the deliveries of the alloy were delayed, the weapons had yet to be tested. By the end of 1962, the enterprises completed 204 works out of 380, plant No. 402 received only 872 tons of sheet and profile metal for experimental structures. In 1963, construction accelerated, and on December 28, the official laying of the ship took place in the 42nd shop.

In 1964 N.N. Isanin was transferred to SPMBM, and the following year, N.F. became the chief designer of project 661. Shulzhenko. Only on December 14, 1968, the boat was taken out of the shop, on the 21st it was launched and on the 26th it was presented for mooring trials. Even during construction, the low quality of the titanium alloy was revealed - cracks appeared in the sheets, and about 20% of the skin of the light hull had to be replaced. During mooring trials, despite the 100% luminescent control of the skin, leaks were found in 10 tanks of the main ballast, the ship had to be docked, and only in December 1969 did factory sea trials begin.

Winter in the White Sea is not the best time for this, but it was impossible to postpone testing until spring. Therefore, contrary to the proverb: “The fleet does not fight on Monday”, it was on Monday, and even on the 13th, that the submarine was “pushed” into the sea. On it was the regular crew of Captain 1st Rank Yu.F. Golubkov, acceptance certificate - K.M. Palkina, specialists-contractors and representatives of the customer. The eldest was the commander of the brigade of ships under construction, captain 1st rank V.V. Gorontsov, on December 17, after checking the power plant at full power, the K-162 developed 42 knots in a submerged position - this has never happened before!

On December 19, at sea, the boat was presented to the State Acceptance Commission, headed by Rear Admiral F.I. Maslov. During the tests, at speeds above 35 knots, they encountered a hitherto unknown phenomenon - a strong noise, like the roar of a jet aircraft; a huge pressure of water tore off the door in the wheelhouse fence, three hatches in the bow setting, slats on the input gratings of the main circulation routes and the fairing of the stern emergency buoy. As a result, on December 25, the boat returned to the factory for repairs, and the next day, F.I. Maslov and N.F. Shulzhenko flew to Moscow. After their report, the command of the Navy and the leadership of the Ministry of Shipping Industry decided to stop testing and transfer the K-162 to the fleet for a two-year trial operation. During the first year, the boat went out to sea 11 times, covered 31,410 miles underwater and 7,673 miles on the surface. In September - December 1970 she made a trip to the southern latitudes. During that period, the boat reached a submerged speed of 44.7 knots - this is a world record, and it remains unsurpassed ...

K-162 was a kind of litmus test (albeit expensive) in the implementation of the program for a sharp rise in the submarine fleet. For 5 years, we have established the extraction and processing of titanium ores, the production of alloys from them, tested products from these alloys, which ensured the development of the nuclear and rocket-space industries and the construction of nuclear-powered ships of projects 670, 705,685 and other technical means. The designed nuclear power plant served as a prototype of such next-generation units, as well as the world's first submarine-launched P-70 cruise missiles, radio electronics, a high-pressure air system, and other devices and assemblies. And the K-162 itself remained in service until 1988.

The main performance characteristics of the submarine K-162 project 661:

normal displacement -5197 t; surface speed - 16 knots; underwater - more than 38 knots; armament: 10 Amethyst cruise missiles, 4 533 mm torpedo tubes, 12 torpedoes, Sigma-661 navigation system, PENS-9 periscope, RLK-101 surface target detection radar, Nichrome identification radar transponder , hydroacoustic complex "Rubin", hydroacoustic stations MG-509 t MGS-29; power plant - two V-S reactors with a capacity of 177 MW, the main turbo-gear unit 618 - two 40 thousand hp each, OK-3 turbogenerator - two 3 thousand kW each; maximum diving depth - 400 m, autonomy - 70 days; length - 106, 9 m, width of the outer hull -11.5 m, width along the stabilizers - 16.7 m, height along the roof of the cabin fence - 14.5 m, draft - 8 m, crew - 75 people

On the scheme of the nuclear submarine of project 661, the numbers indicate:

1 - bow torpedo tubes, 2 - spare torpedoes, 3 - bow compartment, 4 - 3rd compartment, 5 - strong cabin, 6 - pop-up rescue chamber, 7 - central post, 6 - emergency loading hatch, 9 - main turbo gears units, 10 - turbogenerators, 11-compartment of auxiliary mechanisms, 12 - compartment of steering mechanisms, 13 - vertical steering wheel, 14 - propellers, 15 - gyropost, 16 - hydroacoustic equipment, 17 - hydroacoustic baffle, 18 - missile containers, 19 - bow retractable horizontal handlebars.

Vsevolod ZHARKOV,
deputy chief designer
Federal State Unitary Enterprise
SPMBA "Malachite"

Technique-Youth, No. 4 "2003

"K-162 is the fastest!" - said the sailors about the ultra-high-speed nuclear submarine. The designers who worked on the creation of military equipment in the USSR often managed to create samples that were ahead of the world level. However, for reasons of total secrecy, few people knew then about military-technical records.
7 records of the submarine K-162
Speed
On December 18, 1970, the Soviet multi-purpose nuclear submarine of project 661 "Anchar" K-162 reached a speed of 44.7 knots underwater, which corresponds to land standards of 82.78 km / h. Neither before nor after such a huge speed did submarine cruisers show.
The decision to design this submarine was made in 1959. In the Western European part of the country, not all the ruins of the past war had yet been removed, even in large cities horse-drawn transport was common, and a titanium nuclear submarine, the first titanium in the world, was laid on the stocks. For this boat, special Amethyst anti-ship missiles with an underwater launch were created, and especially powerful nuclear reactors were built. Much of the new submarine was implemented not only for the first time in the USSR, but also for the first time in the world. The commissioning of the K-162, without exaggeration, can be compared with the launch of the first man into space.
Price
Not so long ago, the cost of designing and building project 661 was announced - 240 million rubles. At the then official exchange rate, a little over $200 million. Mere pennies, given that now nuclear submarines cost a billion ... dollars. Fifty years ago even 200 million was expensive. And "Anchar" was called "goldfish". Although it can be said that the fabulous name meant: “goldfish” is able to fulfill any desire of its team.
Capabilities
For this submarine, there were truly no impossible tasks. She could catch up and pursue any warship, and if necessary, destroy it.
From September 25 to December 4, 1971 K-162 made a long trip to the Atlantic. During this campaign, the Soviet submarine literally stuck to the US aircraft carrier Saratoga. Despite the fact that the American ship developed and maintained a speed of 30 knots for a long time, it could not break away. As the then commander of the nuclear submarine Yuri Golubkov recalled, he felt a real opportunity to take any desired position relative to the aircraft carrier and destroy it with the first salvo.
There was a case when the K-162 worked out training tasks in the Barents Sea, almost in the same place where the Kursk died decades later. The crew of the boat recorded that it was being pursued by a foreign submarine. Due to its high speed and maneuverability, the K-162 itself went into the tail of an enemy submarine and kept it at gunpoint until it disappeared into neutral waters.
Characteristics
The main characteristics of the K-162: maximum length - 106.9 m, maximum width along the stabilizers - 16.7 m, normal displacement - 5200 tons, long full underwater speed - 37-38 knots, immersion depth (maximum / working) - 550 / 400 m, autonomy - 70 days, crew - 82 people, armament - 10 launchers of P-120 "Amethyst" missiles (placed in the bow of the submarine side by side outside the strong hull obliquely to the horizon), 4 torpedo tubes of 533 mm caliber with a total number received torpedoes 12 (of which 8 are spare). Torpedo tubes provided bubble-free firing of torpedoes from submarine submersion depths up to 200 m.
Uniqueness
"Goldfish" and remained the only one of its kind. And not only because it was too expensive - many of its performance characteristics no longer meet the requirements of the time. But a lot of know-how was worked out on it, which later, in a significantly improved form, was implemented on other projects of nuclear submarines - multi-purpose and strategic.
In the late 1970s, probably the most unique of the serial nuclear submarines in the world entered service with the Navy. These are multi-purpose submarines of project 705 "Lira", according to NATO classification - "Alpha". The boats were distinguished by their small size, a very high degree of automation, they were super-maneuverable and super-fast.
The underwater speed was equal to 41 knots, which was not much inferior to the record shown by the boat of the Anchar project. According to Western submarine specialists, it was almost impossible to dodge the Lira attack, and it was extremely difficult to hit it even with guided torpedoes - the Lir's maneuverability was higher, and the boat easily evaded torpedoes fired at it. Unfortunately, these excellent boats did not receive development either, and in the 1990s they were completely written off from the composition of the submarine forces of the Navy.
In May 1983, a Project 685 Plavnik K-278 deep-sea nuclear submarine was launched in Severodvinsk. She went down in history under the name "Komsomolets" as a boat that died due to a fire on board.
K-162 also remained the only one of its kind. It never really managed to work out technical innovations, many of which were revolutionary. She was in service too little, and in the 1990s, the Russian submarine fleet almost ceased to exist. However, two of the K-162's records remained unbeaten.
Depth August 4, 1985 "Komsomolets" plunged to a depth of 1027 meters. This is an absolute record for submarines. When surfacing at a depth of 800 meters, a torpedo salvo was fired. Never before had torpedoes been fired from such a depth. The invulnerability of the K-162 project was confirmed. At a depth of 800 meters, this submarine can only be hit by a nuclear charge, and it could hit any surface and submarine ship with a torpedo. Alas, as it seemed, the unsinkable titanium submarine sank on April 7, 1989 in the Norwegian Sea after a fire that occurred on board for an unknown reason.
The unique "Shark"
In the late 1970s, Project 941 Akula nuclear-powered strategic missile submarines began to be introduced into the USSR Navy. These were the largest submarines in the world. Underwater displacement was 48 thousand tons. For comparison, the American "Ohio" had an underwater displacement of 18.7 thousand tons. The "Sharks" also turned out to be the only catamaran-type boats in the world - they had two solid hulls independent of each other, between which there were launchers. This design significantly increased the survivability of the submarine cruiser. However, this did not save Project 941. After the collapse of the USSR, at the request of the United States, all cruisers were disarmed, their strategic missiles were physically destroyed, production technology and production lines were also eliminated. At present, the hulls of giant submarines still afloat are being dismantled - very bright symbols of the power of the strategic submarine fleet of the USSR.

Service History
January 27, 1965 For the second time, it was included in the lists of ships of the Navy as KrPL K-162.
Autumn 1965. Formed the first crew.
December 31, 1969. Entered service.
January 9, 1970 Became part of the Red Banner Northern Fleet.
December 14, 1970. She arrived at her permanent base in Zapadnaya Litsa.
December 18, 1970. Tests took place, during which a world record for speed under water was set. Rear Admiral Vladimir Petrovich Maslov, Chairman of the State Acceptance Commission, Nikolai Fedoseevich Shulzhenko, Chief Designer, and Kuzma Mikhailovich Palkin, the responsible deliverer, agreed on a maneuver - the development of the maximum possible move. But for this, it was necessary to block the emergency protection of the turbines and switch to manual control of the main turbo-gear unit (GTZA). Alexander Skvortsov, an engineer from the turbine manufacturer at the Kirov Plant, took over the turbine control post. With a reactor power of 97%, a speed of 44.7 knots (82.78 km/h) was achieved at a depth of 100 m.
December 29, 1970. Enlisted in the 11th Divisional Division of the 1st Divisional Division of the KSF based on Zapadnaya Litsa.
March 30, 1971 The ship was given the task of reaching the Motovskaya measuring line and fixing the maximum speed not only according to its own (ship's) instruments, but also according to the observation of hydrographic vessels. This event was to take place on the day and hour of the opening of the XXIV Congress of the CPSU, to which it was supposed to send a report from the sea about the world speed record. Unfortunately, due to stormy weather, hydrographic vessels could not go to sea. And when the storm subsided, the decision to report to the congress was canceled. The senior on board - the chairman of the trial operation commission, the deputy commander of the 11th DiPL submarine, Captain 1st Rank Ernest Bouillon, allowed to develop the course at 100% of the reactor power. 2 tacks were made, a speed of 44.85 knots (83.06 km / h) was reached, and on the third tack they failed to control the turbines. The senior on board decided to stop the risky mode of movement. Thus, the world record for diving speed - 44.7 knots - remained in official documents.
September 25 - December 4, 1971 She made a long trip on full autonomy to the Atlantic Ocean (from the Greenland Sea to the Brazil Trench), where she demonstrated high speed qualities, pursuing the US strike aircraft carrier Saratoga. During the trip, there were 129 people on board (instead of 83 according to the state). In two and a half months, the boat surfaced only once.
October 24, 1972 - January 6, 1975 It was under repair at the Sevmash plant in Severodvinsk.
January 15, 1978 Assigned a new tactical number - K-222.
June 1984 It was transferred to the 50th DiPL of the 9th EPL based on Ura-bay, the village of Vidyaevo.
December 1984 Out of service. Laid up in Severodvinsk.
March 14, 1989. Excluded from the Navy.
November 7, 1999. The flag of the Navy has been lowered. The ship was handed over to the civilian crew of the Sevmash enterprise.
Last 20 years
Since 1988, the boat has been in reserve, stored at the naval base in Severodvinsk. In 2008, the dismantling of K-222 at Sevmash began. On July 23, 2008, the boat was transferred from the Sevmash Production Association to the berth of the Zvyozdochka ship repair center for further disposal. 2010 September-October: disposed of at OAO TsS Zvezdochka, a three-compartment unit is afloat near berth No. 27 (Severodvinsk).

In 2008, the Sevmash enterprise began dismantling the K-222 nuclear submarine. At first glance, this was an ordinary event. Submarines, like any other equipment, develop their resource and are decommissioned. Not all submarines manage to become a museum, most of them are cut into pieces. The boat K-222, which previously bore the number K-162, could not become a monument to itself and went for scrap. So sadly ended the fate of the record-breaking submarine, which gave its country not only several achievements, but also a number of useful technologies.

boats K-162 began in 1959, when the USSR Council of Ministers issued a resolution "On the creation of a new high-speed submarine with a new type of power plants and the development of research, development and design work for submarines." Before TsKB-16 (now SPMBM "Malachite") was given a very difficult task. It was necessary to create a submarine, the characteristics of which would exceed those of previous submarines, as well as to solve a number of technical issues. The main tasks facing the designers were as follows. To provide the possibility of missile firing from a submerged position, as well as to achieve the highest possible speed of the underwater course. It is noteworthy that in the terms of reference for the new project there was an unspoken ban on the use of existing materials, equipment and weapons. In other words, the customer, represented by the Ministry of Defense and the Council of Ministers, wanted to see a completely new design, made using new technologies.

N.N. was appointed the chief designer of the project, which received the index 661 and the name "Anchar". Isanin. From the fleet, the project was supervised by the captain of the 2nd rank Yu.G. Ilyinsky. Work on the creation of a new high-speed boat was very, very difficult. One way or another, almost four hundred organizations took part in the project: shipbuilders, metallurgists, electronic engineers, etc. Together, in 1960, a pre-draft version of project 661 was prepared. It is noteworthy that during the preliminary work, almost two dozen main and auxiliary versions of the project were worked out. At this stage of development, all the nuances of the design and equipment were actively discussed. For example, new Amethyst cruise missiles, old surface-launched missiles, or modified torpedoes with increased range were proposed as the main armament for the new submarine. In addition, the main material of construction could be steel, aluminum or titanium. As a result of the analysis of the possibilities and prospects of each option, it was decided to make a new boat from titanium and equip it with Amethyst cruise missiles with the possibility of an underwater launch.

Shortly after the completion of the pre-sketch design, the preparation of a full-fledged "white" project began. In 1961, it was approved, and about a year later, the construction of the lead submarine began at the Northern Machine-Building Enterprise. It is worth noting that the official laying of the K-162 nuclear submarine took place only at the end of 1963. The fact is that during the assembly work of the first structural elements, some technical flaws appeared. It took extra time to fix them. And after solving these problems, the construction of a new submarine went on for a long time and with great difficulties. First of all, the delay was due to the lack of titanium, which was needed not only for the new submarine, but also for the construction of some aircraft and missiles. As a result, the boat K-162 was launched only in December 1968.

Project 661 involved the creation of a double-hull submarine with extensive use of titanium parts in the design. The light hull of the boat had a circular section, but its stern part was made according to the "forked stern" scheme. Two fairings carried the shafts of two propellers, separated from each other by five meters. Such a scheme received the unofficial name "pants" and was later used in several submarine projects. Inside the light body was placed durable, which had an original design. In the bow of the submarine, it consisted of two partially overlapping horizontal cylinders (the cross section of this design resembles the number 8). Each of them had a diameter of five and a half meters, but due to overlapping sections, the height of the entire structure was nine meters, which converged with the diameter of the cylindrical middle and aft parts of the pressure hull. Interestingly, the "pipes" of the bow of the pressure hull were considered separate compartments. In the upper cylinder - the first compartment of the boat - they placed torpedo tubes of 533 mm caliber, a supply of torpedoes, loaders, etc. In addition, the missile control post was located in the first compartment. The second compartment contained part of the batteries and hydroacoustic equipment. In the third compartment (located immediately after the “eight-shaped” part of the solid body) were the living quarters and the rest of the batteries. The fourth compartment was intended for the central post, the power plant control post and several auxiliary rooms. The fifth compartment was given over to the reactor, the sixth - to the turbines, the seventh - to the turbogenerators and switchboards, and the eighth housed the compressors, auxiliary equipment, etc. Finally, in the stern, in the ninth compartment, rudder drives were mounted. Bow horizontal rudders were placed in front of the boat and, if necessary, were removed under the light hull.

When developing the reactor for project 661, two options were considered: water-water and with a metal coolant (an alloy of lead and bismuth). As a result of comparing the complexity of structures and prospects, the first option was chosen. With a lower efficiency, such a reactor could be made within a few months and did not require additional time and money. As a result, the boat received two reactors with its own steam generating units (V-5R, 250 tons of steam per hour), GTZA-618 turbo-gear units and OK-3 alternating current turbogenerators (380 volts, 50 hertz) with a capacity of 3000 kilowatts each. Despite the use of the already mastered water-to-water circuit, several original technical solutions were applied in the design of the reactors of the Project 661 boat, which increased the efficiency of work. Finally, a rather bold decision was the exclusion of backup diesel generators from the power equipment. In case of problems with the main power plant, the submarine was equipped with two groups of silver-zinc batteries with 152 cells each.

The new high-speed submarine project involved the use of the latest electronic systems. So, navigation in the surface and underwater positions was planned to be carried out using the Sigma-661 all-latitude system, automatic course and depth control was assigned to the Shpat complex, and general ship systems and devices were controlled using the Signal-661 system. The “ears” of the new submarine were the MGK-300 Rubin sonar system. He could simultaneously accompany two targets and at the same time issue data on them to the weapons control system. The detection of mines was carried out by the Radian-1 system. For visual observation of the environment, the project 661 submarine was planned to be equipped with a PZNS-9 periscope with a built-in coordinate calculator. Finally, two radar stations and the Nichrome nationality identification system were included in the equipment of the boat.

Four 533-mm torpedo tubes with auxiliary equipment and ammunition load of 12 torpedoes were placed in the first compartment of the Project 661 boats. The control of torpedo firing was assigned to the Ladoga-P-661 complex, and the design of the devices made it possible to attack targets from a depth of up to 200 meters. The main armament of the Project 661 boats was to be the P-70 Amethyst anti-ship cruise missiles developed at OKB-152 under the direction of V.N. Chelomeya. In the bow of the boat, on the sides of the "eight" of the first two compartments, there were ten containers with missiles, five on board. The missiles were intended to be launched from a submerged position. To do this, the boat had to go to a depth of 30 meters and fill the container with water. At the command of the crew of the submarine, the rocket left the container with the help of the starting engine, and after rising into the air, the solid propellant sustainer was turned on. All rockets could be fired in two volleys with a break of a few seconds. Despite the difficulties with development and testing, the Amethyst missile became the world's first underwater-launched anti-ship missile. It is noteworthy that the missile containers were not located vertically, but at an angle of 32.5 ° to the main plane of the submarine. The fact is that with a vertical launch, it would be necessary to complicate the missile control system to bring it to a horizontal low-altitude trajectory. With an inclined launch, this task was much easier, which influenced the placement of missile containers.

The complexity of the development and construction of a new boat, the design of which was dominated by titanium parts, led to a rather high cost of the project. Because of this, even before the end of the assembly, the K-162 submarine was nicknamed the "Goldfish", hinting at the cost of metal raw materials. Nevertheless, at the end of 1968, the submarine was launched, and a little later, its tests began. In 1969, during tests, the K-162 was able to reach an underwater speed of 42 knots (about 78 km / h). At the same time, the power plant operated only at 80% of its full capacity. Thus, the estimated maximum speed set by the original terms of reference was exceeded by four knots.

On December 18, 1970, the submarine, which entered service with the Soviet Navy, set a world speed record that has not been beaten to this day. With manual control of the turbo-gear unit and reactor protection, it was possible to bring the power plant to 97% of the maximum power. At a depth of 100 meters, this allowed the boat to accelerate to 44.7 knots (82.8 km / h). Before and after the K-162, not a single submarine in the world went at such a speed. When accelerating to high speeds, several interesting phenomena were observed. For example, upon reaching the threshold of 35-36 knots, hydrodynamic noise appeared from the turbulences of the oncoming flow that flowed around the boat. This unexpected phenomenon could unmask the submarine while performing a combat mission, but it was considered a sufficient price for high speed. In addition, in a number of cases, the submarine could evade pursuit by enemy ships.

Soon after the secret record was set, the crew of the K-162 boat had the opportunity to test their speed potential in practice. In the autumn of 1971, during the K-162 campaign in the Atlantic Ocean, the paths of the Soviet submarine and the American aircraft carrier Saratoga crossed. As a result, an entry appeared in the logbook of the American ship, stating that for several hours he tried to break away from an unknown submarine, but could not do it even at full speed, at a speed of 30 knots. The submarine, in turn, maneuvered around the aircraft carrier, but did not lag behind. Commander K-162 Captain 1st Rank Yu.F. After this incident, Golubkov noted that the characteristics of the boat made it possible to choose the most convenient position for attacking enemy ships.

The service of the K-162 submarine, with interruptions for repairs, continued until 1984, when it was laid up. In 1978, the boat was renamed K-222, and under this number she ended her service. In March 1989, the Golden Fish was expelled from the combat strength of the navy, and ten years later the flag was lowered. Then, for several years, K-222 stood at the pier awaiting disposal, which began in 2008.

Unfortunately, the K-162 or K-222 submarine remained the only project 661 ship. Along with its high performance, it turned out to be too expensive for mass production. The robust titanium case, for all its advantages, was very difficult to manufacture. In addition, by the end of the eighties, the main armament of the boat, the P-70 Amethyst missiles, had become obsolete. It is also worth noting that by the same time, a potential enemy had new sonar systems that could reliably detect the K-162 at fairly large distances. The high noise of the boat at high speeds only exacerbated this situation. In light of the development of anti-submarine aviation, a high-speed submarine simply had no chance. Therefore, the "Golden Fish" was left alone, and then written off.

Nevertheless, the experience gained in the design and construction of the K-162 was not in vain. Developments in titanium structures were actively used in several further projects, and weapons in the form of P-70 missiles were used on Project 670 Skat submarines.

According to the websites:
http://deepstorm.ru/
http://atrinaflot.narod.ru/
http://vmfrussia.ru/
http://flot.com/
http://vpk.name/

The nuclear submarine K-162 ("Anchar", in the NATO classification - PAPA) was laid down on December 28, 1963 in Severodvinsk and put into operation on December 31, 1969. The boat received its second name "Golden Fish" due to the high cost and exceptional combat opportunities. A speed of 44.7 knots (more than 80 km/h) was set on the nuclear submarine, which is still an absolute world record for submarines.
On August 28, 1958, a party and government decree was adopted "On the creation of a new high-speed submarine from new types of power plants and the development of research, development and design work for submarines." The priority tasks were to increase the speed of the underwater course and the depth of immersion in comparison with the 1st generation nuclear submarines by one and a half to two times. It was planned to create a power plant of reduced dimensions with a decrease in the total specific gravity of reactors and turbines by 1.5 - 2 times, a new small-sized missile anti-ship complex with an underwater launch, long-range high-speed two-plane torpedoes capable of being used at immersion depths twice as large as on boats of existing projects . It was supposed to introduce new structural materials, which, in combination with the adoption of other measures, would reduce the displacement and size of nuclear submarines. All this was supposed to ensure the qualitative superiority of Soviet submarines over promising American submarines. As part of this decision, the development of an experimental high-speed nuclear submarine of project 661 (code "Anchar") began at TsKB-16 of the State Committee for Shipbuilding (now - SPMBM "Malakhit"). Works on this topic were considered by the leadership of the shipbuilding industry as the highest priority. A very unusual requirement was put forward before the creators of the ship - to abandon the use of previously mastered technical solutions, materials and equipment. Everything is only new, the most promising! Central Research Institute No. 45 (now the Central Research Institute named after Academician A. N. Krylov) took an active part in the work on project 661. The Institute investigated both the actual "ship" issues related to the creation of a new nuclear-powered ship, and the issues of the combat effectiveness of a high-speed submarine. Three alternative main structural materials for the manufacture of a durable case were considered - steel, aluminum or titanium. In the end, it was decided to choose titanium. This made it possible to drastically reduce the mass of the hull (and, consequently, the displacement of the ship). Thus, one of the most important unmasking features of the boat, its magnetic field, was significantly reduced. As a result, in 1959, a government decree was issued on the creation of titanium alloys for the manufacture of rolled sheets, stampings, forgings, pipes, etc.
After considering two types of reactors - a simpler and mastered pressurized water and a promising liquid metal (primary coolant - an alloy of lead and bismuth) - the first was chosen as more realistic in terms of creation, although it has worse specific parameters.