The underwater enemy is the Los Angeles class nuclear submarine. US Navy Los Angeles class
The history of the atomic killers of the Los Angeles subject arose in 1906, when the house of emigrants from Ellis Island (New Jersey) burst into the hall of the Immigration Service of Ellis Island (New Jersey). Russian Empire- Abraham, Rachel and them six year old son Chaim.
The boy turned out to be no mistake - when he grew up, he enrolled in Naval Academy and became a four-star admiral in the United States Navy. In total, Hyman Rickover served in the Navy for 63 years and would have served for more years if he had not gotten into trouble receiving a bribe of 67 thousand dollars (Rickover himself denied it to the death, declaring that this “nonsense” had no impact on his decisions).
In 1979 after major accident on nuclear power plant"Three Mile Island" Hyman Rickover, supposedly an expert, was asked by Congress to testify. The problem sounded prosaic: “One hundred nuclear submarines of the US Navy move in the depths of the oceans - and not a single accident with an active reactor strip in 20 years. And then the newly built nuclear power plant, which was trembling, collapsed. Maybe Admiral Rickover knows some kind of magic word?
The elderly admiral's answer was simple: no secrets, all you need to do is work hard with the people. Deal with every specialist individually, remove fools from working with the reactor in one gulp and kick them out of the fleet. All high-ranking officials who, for some reason, interfere with the preparation of individual personnel in accordance with these principles and sabotage the implementation of my instructions, declare a merciless war and also expel them from the fleet. Ruthlessly “gnaw” contractors and engineers. Safety and reliability are the main principles of work, otherwise even the most powerful and current submarines will be sunk in piles in peace-loving times.
Admiral Rickover's principles (safety and reliability above all) formed the basis of the Los Angeles project - the most numerous series in the history of the nuclear submarine fleet, consisting of 62 multi-purpose nuclear submarines. The direction of the “Los Angeles” (or “Moose” - the nickname of the rooks in the Soviet fleet) is the war against enemy surface ships and submarines, the screening of aircraft carrier groups and deployment areas of strategic missile submarines. Covert mining, search, special operations.
If we take the tabular characteristics as a basis: “speed”, “immersion depth”, “number of torpedo tubes”, then against the background of the domestic “Typhoons”, “Anteev” and “Pike”, “Los Angeles” looks like a mediocre trough. A single-hull steel coffin divided into three compartments - any hole would be lethal for it. For comparison, the strong hull of the domestic multi-purpose nuclear submarine Project 971 “Shchuka-B” is divided into six sealed compartments. And the giant Project 941 Akula missile carrier has 19 of them!
A total of four torpedo tubes placed at an angle to the center plane of the hull. As a result, the “Moose” cannot fire at full speed - otherwise the torpedo will easily be broken by the incoming stream of water. For comparison, the Shchuka-B has 8 bow-mounted tubes and is capable of using its weapons over the entire range of operating depths and speeds.
The working depth of the Los Angeles is a total of 250 meters. A quarter of a kilometer is really a drop? For comparison, the working diving depth of the “Pike-B” is 500 meters, the maximum is 600!
Canonical image of the submarine "Los Angeles"
Rook speed. Amazingly, here things are not so bad for the American - in a submerged position, the “Moose” is capable of accelerating to 35 knots. The result is more than worthy, a total of six knots smaller than the unimaginable Soviet Lyra (Project 705). And this is without the use of titanium cases and hellish reactors with metal coolants!
On the other hand, sublime maximum speed has never been the most magnificent parameter of an underwater boat - already at 25 knots of acoustics the boats stop hearing anything due to the roar of the incoming water and the submarine becomes “deaf”, and at 30 knots the boat rumbles so much that it can be heard on the other side of the ocean. Exalted speed is a healthy, but not overly grandiose, quality.
The main weapon of any submarine is stealth. This parameter contains the rationale for the existence of a submarine fleet. Stealth is determined primarily by the level of the submarine's own noise. The level of the Los Angeles nuclear submarine's own noises did not simply meet international standards. Subject Los Angeles' submarine itself set global standards.
There were several reasons for the outstanding low noise of the Elks:
Single-hull design. The area of the wetted surface decreased, and, as a consequence, a hum from friction with the water when the boat moved.
The quality of the screws. By the way, the quality of manufacturing of the propellers of third-generation Soviet nuclear submarines also increased (and their noise decreased) after the detective story with the purchase of high-precision metal-cutting machines from Toshiba. Having found out about the hidden deal between the USSR and Japan, America made such a fuss that the low-power Toshiba almost lost access to the American market. It’s too late! “Pike-B” with newly made propellers has already entered the vastness of the World Ocean.
Some specific points, such as the rational placement of equipment inside the boat, depreciation of turbines and power equipment. The outlines of the reactor have a high degree of natural circulation of the coolant - this made it possible to abandon high-performance pumps, and, it turns out, reduce the noise of the Los Angeles.
It’s important for a submarine to be agile and secretive - to successfully complete tasks it is necessary to have a clear understanding of the surrounding environment, learn to navigate the surface of the water, find and identify surface and underwater targets. Long times, the only external detection weapons were a periscope and a hydroacoustic post with an analyzer in the form of an acoustic sailor’s ear. Give us another gyrocompass, demonstrating where Nord is under this damn water.
In Los Angeles everything is much more interesting. American engineers fought all-in - they dismantled all the equipment from the nasalized part of the rook, introducing torpedo tubes. As a result, the entire bow portion of the hull is occupied by a spherical antenna of the AN/BQS-13 hydroacoustic station with a diameter of 4.6 meters. Also, the submarine’s hydroacoustic complex includes a conformal side-scan antenna consisting of 102 hydrophones, an active high-frequency sonar for detecting natural obstacles (underwater rocks, ice hollows on the water surface, mines, etc.), as well as two towed inactive antennas of length 790 and 930 meters (including cable length).
Other information collection weapons include: equipment for measuring the speed of sound at unequal depths (an absolutely necessary weapon for accurately determining the distance to a target), AN/BPS-15 radar and AN/WLR-9 electronic reconnaissance system (for working on the surface), periscope All general overview(guy 8) and attack periscope (guy 15).
However, no cool sensors and sonars supported the San Francisco nuclear submarine - on January 8, 2005, the boat, performing at 30 knots (≈55 km/h), crashed into an underwater cliff. One sailor was killed, 23 more were injured, and the gorgeous antenna in the nasal part was smashed to pieces.
Asthenia torpedo weapons"Los Angeles" is to some extent compensated by a large assortment of ammunition - in total, on board the boat there are 26 remotely controlled Mk.48 torpedoes (caliber 533 mm, weight ≈ 1600 kg), SUB-Harpoon anti-ship missiles, SUBROC anti-submarine missile torpedoes, Tomahawk cruise missiles and “smart” Captor mines.
To increase the battle efficiency, 12 more vertical launch shafts for storing and launching Tomahawks began to be installed in the nasal parts of each Los Angeles, starting with the 32nd boat. In addition, some submarines are equipped with a Dry Deck Shelter container for storing combat swimmers’ equipment.
USS Greeneville (SSN-772) with Dry Deck Shelter attached to her hull
The modernization was carried out not “for show”, but based on a real combat experiment - Los Angeles aircraft are regularly used to strike coastal targets. “Moose” are covered in blood up to their horns - on the lists of those destroyed are Iraq, Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Libya...
The final 23 boats were built according to the modified "Improved Los Angeles" design. The submarines of this entity were especially suited for operations in high latitudes under the ice dome of the Arctic. The wheelhouse rudders of the boats were dismantled, replacing them with retractable rudders in the nasal part. The screw was enclosed in a profiled ring attachment, which further reduced the degree of hum. The radio-electronic “filling” of the boat has undergone partial modernization.
The final boat of the Los Angeles series, named Cheyenne, was heralded in 1996. At the time when the final boats of the series were completed, the first 17 units, having served their assigned period, were already being scrapped. The Elks still form the backbone of the US submarine fleet; as of 2013, 42 submarines of this entity will still be in service.
Returning to our original tare-bar-rasta-bar - what did the Americans end up with - a worthless tin "tub" with underrated characteristics or a highly effective underwater brawl complex?
Impeccable from the point of view of reliability, the Los Angeles has set a record that has not yet been broken by anyone - during 37 years of active operation on 62 boats of this entity, not a single major accident with damage to the active reactor strip was recorded. The Hyman Rickover tradition is still alive today.
As for the combat characteristics, the demiurges of the “Moose” can be praised a little. The Americans managed to build a successful ship with an emphasis on superior characteristics (stealth and detection weapons). The rook, undoubtedly, was the most important in the world in 1976, but by the mid-1980s, with the appearance of the first multi-purpose ships in the USSR Navy nuclear submarine project 971 "Pike-B", American submarine fleet Once again I found myself in the position of “catching up”. Realizing some of the disadvantages of the “Moose” compared to the “Pike-B”, in the States the development of the “SeaWolf” project arose - a formidable submarine cruiser at a cost of $3 billion dollars apiece (in total, they completed the construction of three “SeaWolfs”).
In general, a conversation about the boats of the subject “Los Angeles” is not so much a conversation about technology, but a conversation about the crews of these submarines. Man is the measure of everything. Actually, thanks to the preparation and scrupulous maintenance of the equipment, American sailors managed to not lose a single boat of this subject for 37 years.
Post scriptum. In April 1984, retired Admiral Hyman Rickover received a cool gift for his 84th birthday - the 7,000-ton battle submarine "Los Angeles" was named in his honor.
At periscope depth
Material from Wikipedia - the free encyclopedia
| Los Angeles class | ||
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| USS Los Angeles (SSN-688), lead project | ||
| Main characteristics | ||
| Ship type | PAYMENT | |
| Project designation | 688, 688i (improved) | |
| NATO codification | Los Angeles | |
| Speed (surface) | up to 17 knots | |
| Speed (underwater) | 30 knots (full), 35 knots (maximum, short-term) | |
| Working depth | 250-280 m | |
| Maximum immersion depth | 450 m | |
| Crew | 14 officers, 127 junior ranks | |
| Price | ~ $220 million | |
| Dimensions | ||
| Surface displacement | 6082-6330 t | |
| Displacement underwater | 6927-7177 t | |
| Maximum length (according to KVL) | 109.7 m | |
| Body width max. | 10.1 m | |
| Average draft (according to waterline) | 9.4 m | Power point |
| for project 688i NPP S6G (General Electric), for project 688 NPP S5W (Westinghouse Electric Corp) two turbines, two Fairbanks-Morse diesel generators 7 blade propeller |
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| Armament | ||
| Torpedo- mine weapons |
4 533-mm TA designed to fire Mk.46, Mk.48 torpedoes, as well as Harpoon missiles (6-8 missiles) | |
| Missile weapons | starting with SSN-751 San-Juan 12 vertical silos designed to launch Harpoon and Tomahawk missiles (688i only) |
Category on Wikimedia Commons |
Operators
USA- a total of 62 nuclear submarines were built.
Composition of the series
Currently in the US Navy there is 39 submarines type "Los Angeles":
| № | Name | Shipyard | Pawned | Lowered | In service | Decommissioned | Home port |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | SSN-688 "Los Angeles" | NNSB | 08.01.1972 | 06.04.1974 | 13.11.1976 | 23.01.2010 | |
| 2. | SSN-689 "Baton Rouge" | NNSB | 18.11.1972 | 26.04.1975 | 25.06.1977 | 13.01.1995 | |
| 3. | SSN-690 "Philadelphia" | GDEB | 12.08.1972 | 19.10.1974 | 25.06.1977 | 25.06.2010 | |
| 4. | SSN-691 "Memphis" | NNSB | 23.06.1973 | 03.04.1976 | 17.12.1977 | 01.04.2011 | |
| 5. | SSN-692 "Omaha" | GDEB | 27.01.1973 | 21.02.1976 | 11.03.1978 | 05.10.1995 | |
| 6. | SSN-693 "Cincinnati" | NNSB | 06.04.1974 | 19.02.1977 | 11.03.1978 | 29.07.1996 | |
| 7. | SSN-694 "Groton" | GDEB | 03.08.1973 | 09.10.1976 | 08.07.1978 | 07.11.1997 | |
| 8. | SSN-695 "Birmingham" | NNSB | 26.04.1975 | 29.10.1977 | 16.12.1978 | 22.12.1997 | |
| 9. | SSN-696 "New York City" | GDEB | 15.12.1973 | 18.06.1977 | 03.03.1979 | 30.04.1997 | |
| 10. | SSN-697 Indianapolis | GDEB | 19.10.1974 | 30.07.1977 | 05.01.1980 | 22.12.1998 | |
| 11. | SSN-698 "Bremerton" | GDEB | 08.05.1976 | 22.07.1978 | 28.03.1981 | Pearl Harbor | |
| 12. | SSN-699 "Jacksonville" | GDEB | 21.02.1976 | 18.11.1978 | 16.05.1981 | Pearl Harbor | |
| 13. | SSN-700 "Dallas" | GDEB | 09.10.1976 | 28.04.1979 | 18.07.1981 | Groton | |
| 14. | SSN-701 "La Jolla" | GDEB | 16.10.1976 | 11.08.1979 | 30.09.1981 | 03.02.2015 | |
| 15. | SSN-702 "Phoenix" | GDEB | 30.07.1977 | 08.12.1979 | 19.12.1981 | 29.07.1998 | |
| 16. | SSN-703 "Boston" | GDEB | 11.08.1978 | 19.04.1980 | 30.01.1982 | 19.11.1999 | |
| 17. | SSN-704 "Baltimore" | GDEB | 21.05.1979 | 13.12.1980 | 24.07.1982 | 10.07.1998 | |
| 18. | SSN-705 "City of Corpus Christi" | GDEB | 04.09.1979 | 25.04.1981 | 08.01.1983 | Guam | |
| 19. | SSN-706 "Albuquerque" | GDEB | 27.12.1979 | 13.03.1982 | 21.05.1983 | Preparation for write-off | |
| 20. | SSN-707 "Portsmouth" | GDEB | 08.05.1980 | 18.09.1982 | 01.10.1983 | 10.09.2004 | |
| 21. | SSN-708 "Minneapolis-Saint Paul" | GDEB | 20.01.1981 | 19.03.1983 | 10.03.1984 | 28.08.2008 | |
| 22. | SSN-709 "Hyman Rickover" | GDEB | 24.07.1981 | 27.08.1983 | 21.07.1984 | 14.12.2006 | |
| 23. | SSN-710 "Augusta" | GDEB | 24.07.1981 | 21.01.1984 | 19.01.1985 | 11.02.2009 | |
| 24. | SSN-711 "San Francisco" | NNSB | 26.05.1977 | 27.10.1979 | 24.04.1981 | San Diego | |
| 25. | SSN-712 "Atlanta" | NNSB | 17.08.1978 | 16.08.1980 | 06.03.1982 | 16.12.1999 | |
| 26. | SSN-713 "Houston" | NNSB | 29.01.1979 | 21.03.1981 | 25.09.1982 | Guam | |
| 27. | SSN-714 "Norfolk" | NNSB | 01.08.1979 | 31.10.1981 | 21.05.1983 | 11.12.2014 | |
| 28. | SSN-715 "Buffalo" | NNSB | 25.01.1980 | 08.05.1982 | 05.11.1983 | Guam | |
| 29. | SSN-716 "Salt Lake City" | NNSB | 26.08.1980 | 16.10.1982 | 12.05.1984 | 15.01.2006 | |
| 30. | SSN-717 "Olympia" | NNSB | 31.03.1981 | 30.04.1983 | 17.11.1984 | Pearl Harbor | |
| 31. | SSN-718 "Honolulu" | NNSB | 10.11.1981 | 24.09.1983 | 06.07.1985 | 02.11.2007 | |
| 32. | SSN-719 "Providence" | GDEB | 14.10.1982 | 4.08.1984 | 27.07.1985 | Groton | |
| 33. | SSN-720 "Pittsburgh" | GDEB | 15.04.1983 | 08.12.1984 | 23.11.1985 | Groton | |
| 34. | SSN-721 "Chicago" | NNSB | 05.01.1983 | 13.10.1984 | 27.09.1986 | Pearl Harbor | |
| 35. | SSN-722 "Key West" | NNSB | 06.07.1983 | 20.07.1985 | 12.09.1987 | Pearl Harbor | |
| 36. | SSN-723 "Oklahoma City" | NNSB | 04.01.1984 | 02.11.1985 | 09.07.1988 | Norfolk | |
| 37. | SSN-724 "Louisville" | GDEB | 24.09.1984 | 14.12.1985 | 08.11.1986 | Pearl Harbor | |
| 38. | SSN-725 "Helena" | GDEB | 28.03.1985 | 28.06.1986 | 11.07.1987 | San Diego | |
| 39. | SSN-750 Newport News | NNSB | 03.03.1984 | 15.03.1986 | 03.06.1989 | Norfolk | |
| 40. | SSN-751 "San Juan" | GDEB | 09.08.1985 | 06.12.1986 | 06.08.1988 | Groton | |
| 41. | SSN-752 "Pasadena" | GDEB | 20.12.1985 | 12.09.1987 | 11.02.1989 | Pearl Harbor | |
| 42. | SSN-753 "Albany" | NNSB | 22.04.1985 | 13.06.1987 | 07.04.1990 | Norfolk | |
| 43. | SSN-754 "Topeka" | GDEB | 13.05.1986 | 23.01.1988 | 21.10.1989 | San Diego | |
| 44. | SSN-755 "Miami" | GDEB | 24.10.1986 | 12.11.1988 | 30.06.1990 | 08.08.2013 | |
| 45. | SSN-756 "Scranton" | NNSB | 29.08.1986 | 03.07.1989 | 26.01.1991 | Norfolk | |
| 46. | SSN-757 "Alexandria" | GDEB | 19.06.1987 | 23.06.1990 | 29.06.1991 | Groton | |
| 47. | SSN-758 "Asheville" | GDEB | 09.01.1987 | 24.02.1990 | 28.09.1991 | San Diego | |
| 48. | SSN-759 "Jefferson City" | NNSB | 21.09.1987 | 17.08.1990 | 29.02.1992 | San Diego | |
| 49. | SSN-760 Annapolis | GDEB | 15.06.1988 | 18.05.1991 | 11.04.1992 | Groton | |
| 50. | SSN-761 "Springfield" | GDEB | 29.01.1990 | 04.01.1992 | 09.01.1993 | Groton | |
| 51. | SSN-762 Columbus | GDEB | 09.01.1991 | 01.08.1992 | 24.07.1993 | Pearl Harbor | |
| 52. | SSN-763 "Santa Fe" | GDEB | 09.07.1991 | 12.12.1992 | 08.01.1994 | Pearl Harbor | |
| 53. | SSN-764 "Boise" | NNSB | 25.08.1988 | 23.03.1991 | 07.11.1992 | Norfolk | |
| 54. | SSN-765 "Montpellier" | NNSB | 19.05.1989 | 23.08.1991 | 13.03.1993 | Norfolk | |
| 55. | SSN-766 "Charlotte" | NNSB | 17.08.1990 | 03.10.1992 | 16.09.1994 | Pearl Harbor | |
| 56. | SSN-767 "Hampton" | NNSB | 02.03.1990 | 03.04.1992 | 16.11.1993 | San Diego | |
| 57. | SSN-768 "Hartford" | GDEB | 22.02.1992 | 04.12.1993 | 10.12.1994 | Groton | |
| 58. | SSN-769 "Toledo" | NNSB | 06.05.1991 | 28.08.1993 | 24.02.1995 | Groton | |
| 59. | SSN-770 "Tucson" | NNSB | 15.08.1991 | 20.03.1994 | 18.08.1995 | Pearl Harbor | |
| 60. | SSN-771 "Columbia" | GDEB | 21.04.1993 | 24.09.1994 | 09.10.1995 | Pearl Harbor | |
| 61. | SSN-772 "Greenville" | NNSB | 28.02.1992 | 17.09.1994 | 16.02.1996 | Pearl Harbor | |
| 62. | SSN-773 "Cheyenne" | NNSB | 06.07.1992 | 16.04.1995 | 13.09.1996 | Pearl Harbor |
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Notes
see also
Links
- Encyclopedia of ships / Multi-purpose submarines / Los Angeles.
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An excerpt characterizing the Los Angeles-class submarines
At such moments, a feeling similar to the pride of a victim gathered in Princess Marya’s soul. And suddenly, at such moments, in her presence, this father, whom she condemned, either looked for his glasses, feeling near them and not seeing, or forgot what was just happening, or took an unsteady step with weak legs and looked around to see if anyone had seen him weakness, or, worst of all, at dinner, when there were no guests to excite him, he would suddenly doze off, letting go of his napkin, and bend over the plate, his head shaking. “He is old and weak, and I dare to condemn him!” she thought with disgust for herself at such moments.In 1811, in Moscow there lived a French doctor who quickly became fashionable, huge in stature, handsome, as amiable as a Frenchman and, as everyone in Moscow said, a doctor of extraordinary skill - Metivier. He was accepted into homes high society not as a doctor, but as an equal.
Prince Nikolai Andreich, who laughed at medicine, Lately, on the advice of m lle Bourienne, allowed this doctor to visit him and got used to him. Metivier visited the prince twice a week.
On Nikola’s day, the prince’s name day, all of Moscow was at the entrance of his house, but he did not order to receive anyone; and only a few, a list of which he gave to Princess Marya, he ordered to be called to dinner.
Metivier, who arrived in the morning with congratulations, in his capacity as a doctor, found it proper to de forcer la consigne [to violate the prohibition], as he told Princess Marya, and went in to see the prince. It so happened that on this birthday morning the old prince was in one of his worst moods. He walked around the house all morning, finding fault with everyone and pretending that he did not understand what they were saying to him and that they did not understand him. Princess Marya firmly knew this state of mind of quiet and preoccupied grumbling, which was usually resolved by an explosion of rage, and as if in front of a loaded, cocked gun, she walked all that morning, waiting for the inevitable shot. The morning before the doctor arrived went well. Having let the doctor pass, Princess Marya sat down with a book in the living room by the door, from which she could hear everything that was happening in the office.
At first she heard only Metivier's voice, then her father's voice, then both voices spoke together, the door swung open and a frightened woman appeared on the threshold. beautiful figure Metivier with his black crest, and the figure of the prince in a cap and robe with a face disfigured by rage and drooping pupils of the eyes.
- Do not understand? - the prince shouted, - but I understand! French spy, Bonaparte's slave, spy, get out of my house - get out, I say - and he slammed the door.
Metivier shrugged his shoulders and approached Mademoiselle Bourienne, who had come running in response to the scream from the next room.
“The prince is not entirely healthy,” la bile et le transport au cerveau. Tranquillisez vous, je repasserai demain, [bile and rush to the brain. Calm down, I’ll come by tomorrow,” said Metivier and, putting his finger to his lips, he hurriedly left.
Outside the door one could hear footsteps in shoes and shouts: “Spies, traitors, traitors everywhere! There is no moment of peace in your home!”
After Metivier left, the old prince called his daughter to him and the full force of his anger fell on her. It was her fault that a spy was allowed in to see him. .After all, he said, he told her to make a list, and those who were not on the list should not be allowed in. Why did they let this scoundrel in! She was the reason for everything. With her he could not have a moment of peace, he could not die in peace, he said.
- No, mother, disperse, disperse, you know that, you know! “I can’t do it anymore,” he said and left the room. And as if afraid that she would not be able to console herself somehow, he returned to her and, trying to assume a calm appearance, added: “And don’t think that I told you this in a moment of my heart, but I am calm, and I have thought it over; and it will be - disperse, look for a place for yourself!... - But he could not stand it and with that bitterness that can only be in a person who loves, he, apparently suffering himself, shook his fists and shouted to her:
- And at least some fool would marry her! “He slammed the door, called m lle Bourienne to him and fell silent in the office.
At two o'clock the chosen six persons arrived for dinner. The guests—the famous Count Rostopchin, Prince Lopukhin and his nephew, General Chatrov, the prince’s old comrade in arms, and young Pierre and Boris Drubetskoy—were waiting for him in the living room.
The other day, Boris, who came to Moscow on vacation, wished to be introduced to Prince Nikolai Andreevich and managed to gain his favor to such an extent that the prince made an exception for him from all the single young people whom he did not accept.
The prince’s house was not what is called “light,” but it was such a small circle that, although it was unheard of in the city, it was most flattering to be accepted into it. Boris understood this a week ago, when in his presence Rostopchin told the commander-in-chief, who called the count to dinner on St. Nicholas Day, that he could not be:
“On this day I always go to venerate the relics of Prince Nikolai Andreich.
“Oh yes, yes,” answered the commander-in-chief. - What he?..
A small society gathered in an old-fashioned, high, with old furniture, the living room before dinner, looked like a assembled, solemn council of a court of law. Everyone was silent and if they spoke, they spoke quietly. Prince Nikolai Andreich came out serious and silent. Princess Marya seemed even more quiet and timid than usual. The guests were reluctant to address her because they saw that she had no time for their conversations. Count Rostopchin alone held the thread of the conversation, talking about the latest city and political news.
Lopukhin and the old general occasionally took part in the conversation. Prince Nikolai Andreich listened as the chief judge listened to the report that was being made to him, only occasionally declaring in silence or a short word that he was taking note of what was being reported to him. The tone of the conversation was such that it was clear that no one approved of what was being done in political world. They talked about events that obviously confirmed that everything was going from bad to worse; but in every story and judgment it was striking how the narrator stopped or was stopped every time at the border where the judgment could relate to the person of the sovereign emperor.
During dinner, the conversation turned to the latest political news, about Napoleon's seizure of the possessions of the Duke of Oldenburg and about the Russian note hostile to Napoleon, sent to all European courts.
“Bonaparte treats Europe like a pirate on a conquered ship,” said Count Rostopchin, repeating a phrase he had already spoken several times. - You are only surprised at the long-suffering or blindness of sovereigns. Now it comes to the Pope, and Bonaparte no longer hesitates to overthrow the head of the Catholic religion, and everyone is silent! One of our sovereigns protested against the seizure of the possessions of the Duke of Oldenburg. And then...” Count Rostopchin fell silent, feeling that he was standing at the point where it was no longer possible to judge.
“They offered other possessions instead of the Duchy of Oldenburg,” said Prince Nikolai Andreich. “Just as I resettled men from Bald Mountains to Bogucharovo and Ryazan, so he did the dukes.”
“Le duc d"Oldenbourg supporte son malheur avec une force de caractere et une resignation admirable, [The Duke of Oldenburg bears his misfortune with remarkable willpower and submission to fate," said Boris, respectfully entering into the conversation. He said this because he was passing through from St. Petersburg had the honor of introducing himself to the Duke. Prince Nikolai Andreich looked at young man as if he wanted to say something to him about this, but decided against it, considering him too young for that.
“I read our protest about the Oldenburg case and was surprised at the poor wording of this note,” said Count Rostopchin, in the careless tone of a man judging a case well known to him.
Pierre looked at Rostopchin with naive surprise, not understanding why he was bothered by the poor edition of the note.
– Doesn’t it matter how the note is written, Count? - he said, - if its content is strong.
“Mon cher, avec nos 500 mille hommes de troupes, il serait facile d"avoir un beau style, [My dear, with our 500 thousand troops it seems easy to express ourselves in a good style,] said Count Rostopchin. Pierre understood why Count Rostopchin was worried about the edition of the note.
“It seems that the scribblers are pretty busy,” said the old prince: “they write everything there in St. Petersburg, not just notes, but they write new laws all the time.” My Andryusha wrote a whole lot of laws for Russia there. Nowadays they write everything! - And he laughed unnaturally.
The conversation fell silent for a minute; The old general drew attention to himself by clearing his throat.
– Did you deign to hear about the latest event at the show in St. Petersburg? How the new French envoy showed himself!
- What? Yes, I heard something; he said something awkwardly in front of His Majesty.
“His Majesty drew his attention to the grenadier division and the ceremonial march,” continued the general, “and it was as if the envoy did not pay any attention and seemed to allow himself to say that in France we do not pay attention to such trifles.” The Emperor did not deign to say anything. At the next review, they say, the sovereign never deigned to address him.
Everyone fell silent: no judgment could be expressed on this fact, which related personally to the sovereign.
- Daring! - said the prince. – Do you know Metivier? I drove him away from me today. He was here, they let me in, no matter how much I asked not to let anyone in,” said the prince, looking angrily at his daughter. And he told his whole conversation with the French doctor and the reasons why he was convinced that Metivier was a spy. Although these reasons were very insufficient and unclear, no one objected.
Champagne was served along with the roast. The guests rose from their seats, congratulating the old prince. Princess Marya also approached him.
He looked at her with a cold, angry gaze and offered her his wrinkled, shaved cheek. The whole expression of his face told her that he had not forgotten the morning conversation, that his decision remained in the same force, and that only thanks to the presence of guests he was not telling her this now.
When they went out into the living room for coffee, the old men sat down together.
Prince Nikolai Andreich became more animated and expressed his thoughts about the upcoming war.
He said that our wars with Bonaparte would be unhappy as long as we sought alliances with the Germans and meddled in European affairs into which the Peace of Tilsit dragged us. We did not have to fight either for Austria or against Austria. Our policy is all in the east, but in relation to Bonaparte there is one thing - weapons on the border and firmness in politics, and he will never dare to cross the Russian border, as in the seventh year.
- And where, prince, are we supposed to fight the French! - said Count Rostopchin. – Can we take up arms against our teachers and gods? Look at our youth, look at our ladies. Our gods are the French, our kingdom of heaven is Paris.
He began to speak louder, obviously so that everyone could hear him. – The costumes are French, the thoughts are French, the feelings are French! You kicked out Metivier, because he is a Frenchman and a scoundrel, and our ladies are crawling after him. Yesterday I was at an evening, and out of five ladies, three were Catholics and, with the permission of the pope, on Sunday they sew on canvas. And they themselves sit almost naked, like signs of commercial baths, if I may say so. Eh, look at our youth, Prince, he would take the old club of Peter the Great from the Kunstkamera, and in Russian style he would break off the sides, all the nonsense would fall off!
Everyone fell silent. The old prince looked at Rostopchin with a smile on his face and shook his head approvingly.
“Well, goodbye, your Excellency, don’t get sick,” said Rostopchin, getting up with his characteristic quick movements and extending his hand to the prince.
- Goodbye, my dear, - the harp, I will always listen to it! - said the old prince, holding his hand and offering him a cheek for a kiss. Others also rose with Rostopchin.
Princess Marya, sitting in the living room and listening to these talk and gossip of the old people, did not understand anything of what she heard; she only thought about whether all the guests noticed her father’s hostile attitude towards her. She did not even notice the special attention and courtesies that Drubetskoy, who had been in their house for the third time, showed her throughout this dinner.
Princess Marya, with an absent-minded, questioning look, turned to Pierre, who, the last of the guests, with a hat in his hand and a smile on his face, approached her after the prince had left, and they alone remained in the living room.
-Can we sit still? - he said, throwing his fat body into a chair next to Princess Marya.
“Oh yes,” she said. “Didn’t you notice anything?” said her look.
Pierre was in a pleasant, post-dinner state of mind. He looked ahead and smiled quietly.
“How long have you known this young man, princess?” - he said.
- Which one?
- Drubetsky?
- No, recently...
- What do you like about him?
- Yes, he is a nice young man... Why are you asking me this? - said Princess Marya, continuing to think about her morning conversation with her father.
“Because I made an observation, a young man usually comes from St. Petersburg to Moscow on vacation only for the purpose of marrying a rich bride.
– You made this observation! - said Princess Marya.
“Yes,” Pierre continued with a smile, “and this young man now behaves in such a way that where there are rich brides, there he is.” It’s like I’m reading it from a book. He is now undecided who to attack: you or mademoiselle Julie Karagin. Il est tres assidu aupres d'elle. [He is very attentive to her.]
– Does he go to them?
- Very often. And do you know a new style of grooming? - Pierre said with a cheerful smile, apparently in that cheerful spirit of good-natured ridicule, for which he so often reproached himself in his diary.
“No,” said Princess Marya.
- Now, in order to please Moscow girls - il faut etre melancolique. Et il est tres melancolique aupres de m lle Karagin, [one must be melancholy. And he is very melancholy with m elle Karagin,” said Pierre.
The US Navy has 51 Los Angeles-class nuclear submarines, sixteen of them are stationed at Pacific Ocean and thirty-two in the Atlantic. The first nuclear submarine of the series entered service in 1976, the last - USS "Cheyenne" was completed in 1996. The ships were built by Newport News Shipbuilding and General Motors Electric Boat Division.
Nine Los Angeles-class nuclear submarines were deployed during the war. Persian Gulf(1991), during which Tomahawk missile launchers were launched from two of them.
Los Angeles-class submarines are attack submarines, also equipped with means to combat enemy submarines, conduct intelligence activities, special operations, transfer of special forces, strikes, mining, search and rescue operations.
Missile weapons
Los Angeles-class nuclear submarines built after 1982. equipped with 12 vertical launchers for launching missiles. The nuclear submarines are equipped with the CCS Msrk 2 combat information system.
The missile armament consists of Tomahawk missile launchers in variants for attacking ground and surface targets. The Tomahawk missile launcher, in its version for attacking coastal targets, has a range of 2,500 km. The TAINS system (Tercom Aided Inertial Navigation System) controls the flight of the missile to the target at subsonic speed at an altitude of 20 to 100 m. The Tomahawk can be equipped with a nuclear warhead. The anti-ship version of the Tomahawk missile system is equipped with an inertial guidance system, as well as an active anti-ship radar head homing. range is up to 450 km.
The armament of the Los Angeles-class nuclear submarine also includes the Harpoon anti-ship missile. The Harpoon anti-ship missile system, modified for submarines, is equipped with an active radar homing head and has a 225 kg warhead. The range is 130 km. at transonic flight speed.
Torpedoes
The submarines have four 533mm torpedo tubes located in the middle part of the hull, as well as a Mark 117 torpedo firing control system. Ammunition includes 26 torpedoes or missiles launched from torpedo tubes, including Tomahawk missiles, Harpoon anti-ship missiles and Mark 48 ADCAP torpedoes. Gould Mark 48 torpedoes are designed to destroy both surface targets and high-speed submarines. The torpedo is controlled both with and without the transmission of commands via wire and uses an active and passive homing system. In addition, these torpedoes are equipped with a multiple attack system, which is used when the target is lost. The torpedo searches, captures and attacks the target.
The submarine can also accept mines of the Mobile Mark 67 and Captor Mark 60 models.
Electronic warfare equipment
Nuclear submarine electronic warfare systems include search engine BRD-7, WLR-1H and WLR-8(v)2 detection systems and WLR-10 radar detection system. The AN/WLY-1 acoustic detection and countermeasures system is being tested to replace the existing WLR-9A/12 acoustic detection system. The submarine is equipped with a Mark 2 torpedo trap system.
Sonars and sensors
Los Angeles-class submarines are equipped with a large set of sonar equipment and sensors: passive towed antenna TV-23/29, side antenna BQG 5D, low-frequency passive and active sonar BQQ 5D/E, high-frequency active short-range sonar Ametek BQS 15 also used for ice detection, high-frequency active sonar MIDAS (Mine and Ice Detection Avoidance System), active search sonar Raytheon SADS-TG.
The nuclear submarines are equipped with GE PWR S6G pressurized water reactors with a capacity of 26 MW, developed by General Electric. Available auxiliary engine power 242 kW. The service life of the reactor fuel elements is about 10 years.
The US Navy has 51 Los Angeles-class nuclear submarines, sixteen of them stationed in the Pacific Ocean and thirty-two in the Atlantic. The first nuclear submarine of the series entered service in 1976, the last, USS Cheyenne, was completed in 1996. The ships were built by Newport News Shipbuilding and General Motors Electric Boat Division.
Nine Los Angeles-class nuclear submarines were deployed during the Gulf War (1991), during which Tomahawk missile launchers were launched from two of them.
Los Angeles-class submarines are attack submarines, also equipped with means for combating enemy submarines, conducting reconnaissance operations, special operations, transporting special forces, striking, mining, and search and rescue operations.
Missile weapons
Los Angeles-class nuclear submarines built after 1982. equipped with 12 vertical launchers for launching missiles. The nuclear submarines are equipped with the CCS Msrk 2 combat information system.
The missile armament consists of Tomahawk missile launchers in variants for attacking ground and surface targets. The Tomahawk missile launcher, in its version for attacking coastal targets, has a range of 2,500 km. The TAINS system (Tercom Aided Inertial Navigation System) controls the flight of the missile to the target at subsonic speed at an altitude of 20 to 100 m. The Tomahawk can be equipped with a nuclear warhead. The anti-ship version of the Tomahawk missile defense system is equipped with an inertial guidance system, as well as an active anti-radar homing head. range is up to 450 km.
The armament of the Los Angeles-class nuclear submarine also includes the Harpoon anti-ship missile. The Harpoon anti-ship missile system, modified for submarines, is equipped with an active radar homing head and has a 225 kg warhead. The range is 130 km. at transonic flight speed.
Torpedoes
The submarines have four 533mm torpedo tubes located in the middle part of the hull, as well as a Mark 117 torpedo firing control system. Ammunition includes 26 torpedoes or missiles launched from torpedo tubes, including Tomahawk missiles, Harpoon anti-ship missiles and Mark 48 ADCAP torpedoes. Gould Mark 48 torpedoes are designed to destroy both surface targets and high-speed submarines. The torpedo is controlled both with and without the transmission of commands via wire and uses an active and passive homing system. In addition, these torpedoes are equipped with a multiple attack system, which is used when the target is lost. The torpedo searches, captures and attacks the target.
The submarine can also accept mines of the Mobile Mark 67 and Captor Mark 60 models.
Electronic warfare equipment
The submarine's electronic warfare systems include the BRD-7 search system, the WLR-1H and WLR-8(v)2 detection systems, and the WLR-10 radar detection system. The AN/WLY-1 acoustic detection and countermeasures system is being tested to replace the existing WLR-9A/12 acoustic detection system. The submarine is equipped with a Mark 2 torpedo trap system.
Sonars and sensors
Los Angeles-class submarines are equipped with a large set of sonar equipment and sensors: passive towed antenna TV-23/29, side antenna BQG 5D, low-frequency passive and active sonar BQQ 5D/E, high-frequency active short-range sonar Ametek BQS 15 also used for ice detection, high-frequency active sonar MIDAS (Mine and Ice Detection Avoidance System), Raytheon SADS-TG active search sonar.
Power plant
The nuclear submarines are equipped with GE PWR S6G pressurized water reactors with a capacity of 26 MW, developed by General Electric. There is an auxiliary engine with a power of 242 kW. The service life of the reactor fuel elements is about 10 years.
TTD
Speed (surface) up to 17 knots
Speed (underwater) 30 knots (full), 35 knots (maximum, short-term)
Working diving depth 250-280 m
Maximum diving depth 450 m
Crew 14 officers, 127 junior ranks
Cost ~ $220 million.
Dimensions
Surface displacement
6082-6330 t
Underwater displacement 6927-7177 t
Maximum length (according to KVL)
109.7 m
Body width max. 10.1 m
Average draft (according to waterline) 9.4 m
The Los Angeles-type atomic killers began in 1906, when a family of emigrants from the Russian Empire - Abraham, Rachel and their six-year-old son Chaim - entered the hall of the Immigration Service of Ellis Island (New Jersey). The kid turned out to be no slouch - when he grew up, he entered the Naval Academy and became a four-star admiral in the US Navy. In total, Hyman Rickover served in the Navy for 63 years and would have served more if he had not been caught taking a bribe of 67 thousand dollars (Rickover himself denied it to the end, declaring that this “nonsense” had no influence on his decisions).
In 1979, after a major accident at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant, Hyman Rickover, as an expert, was called to testify before Congress. The question sounded prosaic: “One hundred nuclear submarines of the US Navy are moving in the depths of the oceans - and not a single accident with the reactor core in 20 years. And then the new nuclear power plant standing on the shore collapsed. Maybe Admiral Rickover knows some magic word?
The elderly admiral's answer was simple: there are no secrets, you just need to work with people. Personally communicate with each specialist, immediately remove fools from working with the reactor and kick them out of the fleet. To all high ranks who, for some reason, interfere with cooking personnel in accordance with these principles and sabotages the implementation of my instructions, declare a merciless war and also expel them from the fleet. Ruthlessly “gnaw” contractors and engineers. Safety and reliability are the main areas of work, otherwise even the most powerful and modern submarines will be sunk in batches in peacetime.
Admiral Rickover's principles (safety and reliability above all) formed the basis of the Los Angeles project - the largest series in the history of the nuclear submarine fleet, consisting of 62 multi-purpose nuclear submarines. The purpose of the “Los Angeles” (or “Moose” - the nickname of the boats in the Soviet fleet) is to fight enemy surface ships and submarines, cover aircraft carrier groups and deployment areas of strategic submarine missile carriers. Covert mining, reconnaissance, special operations.
If we take as a basis only the tabular characteristics: “speed”, “immersion depth”, “number of torpedo tubes”, then against the background of domestic “Typhoons”, “Anteev” and “Pike”, “Los Angeles” looks like a mediocre trough. A single-hull steel coffin divided into three compartments - any hole would be fatal to it. For comparison, the durable hull of the domestic multi-purpose nuclear submarine Project 971 “Shchuka-B” is divided into six sealed compartments. And the giant Project 941 Akula missile carrier has 19 of them!
There are only four torpedo tubes located at an angle to the center plane of the hull. As a result, the “Moose” cannot fire at full speed - otherwise the torpedo will simply be broken by the incoming stream of water. For comparison, the Shchuka-B has 8 bow-mounted tubes and is capable of using its own over the entire range of operating depths and speeds.
The working depth of the Los Angeles is only 250 meters. A quarter of a kilometer – is that really not enough? For comparison, the working depth of the Shchuka-B is 500 meters, the maximum is 600!
Canonical image of the Los Angeles-class nuclear submarine
Boat speed. Surprisingly, things are not so bad for the American here – in a submerged position, the “Moose” is capable of accelerating to 35 knots. The result is more than worthy, only six knots less than the incredible Soviet Lyra (project 705). And this is without the use of titanium cases and scary reactors with metal coolants!
On the other hand, high maximum speed has never been the most important parameter of a submarine - already at 25 knots of acoustics the boats stop hearing anything due to the noise of the incoming water and the submarine becomes “deaf”, and at 30 knots the boat rumbles so much that it heard at the other end of the ocean. High speed- a useful, but not very important quality.
The main weapon of any submarine is stealth. This parameter contains the whole meaning of the existence of the submarine fleet. Stealth is determined primarily by the submarine's own noise level. The noise level of the Los Angeles-class nuclear submarines did not just meet international standards. The Los Angeles-class submarine itself set world standards.
There were several reasons for the exceptional low noise of the Elks:
Single-hull design. The area of the wetted surface decreased, and, as a result, the noise from friction with the water when the boat moved.
The quality of the screws. By the way, the manufacturing quality of the third-generation Soviet nuclear submarine propellers also increased (and their noise decreased) after the detective story with the purchase of high-precision metal-cutting machines from Toshiba. Having learned about the secret deal between the USSR and Japan, America threw such a scandal that poor Toshiba almost lost access to the American market. Late! “Pike-B” with new propellers have already entered the vastness of the World Ocean.
Some specific points, such as rational placement of equipment inside the boat, depreciation of turbines and power equipment. The reactor circuits have a high degree of natural coolant circulation - this made it possible to abandon high-capacity pumps and, consequently, reduce the noise of the Los Angeles.
It is not enough for a submarine to be fast and secretive - to successfully complete its missions, it is necessary to have a specific understanding of the surrounding environment, learn to navigate the water column, find and identify surface and underwater targets. For a long time, the only means of external detection were a periscope and a hydroacoustic post with an analyzer in the form of an acoustic sailor’s ear. Well, there’s also a gyrocompass that shows where the North is under this damn water.
In Los Angeles everything is much more interesting. American engineers played all-in - they removed all equipment from the bow of the boat, including torpedo tubes. As a result, the entire bow of the hull is occupied by a spherical antenna of the AN/BQS-13 hydroacoustic station with a diameter of 4.6 meters. Also, the submarine’s hydroacoustic complex includes a conformal side-scan antenna consisting of 102 hydrophones, an active high-frequency sonar for detecting natural obstacles (underwater rocks, ice fields on the water surface, mines, etc.), as well as two towed passive antennas of 790 and 930 meters (including cable length).
Other means of collecting information include: equipment for measuring the speed of sound at various depths (an absolutely necessary tool for accurately determining the distance to a target), AN/BPS-15 radar and AN/WLR-9 electronic reconnaissance system (for work on the surface), periscope general view (type 8) and attack periscope (type 15).
However, no cool sensors and sonars helped the San Francisco nuclear submarine - on January 8, 2005, a boat traveling at 30 knots (≈55 km/h) crashed into an underwater rock. One sailor was killed, 23 more were injured, and the luxurious antenna in the bow was smashed to pieces.
USS San Francisco (SSN-711) after colliding with an underwater obstacle
The weakness of the Los Angeles torpedo armament is to some extent compensated for by a wide range of ammunition - in total on board the boat there are 26 remotely controlled Mk.48 torpedoes (caliber 533 mm, weight ≈ 1600 kg), SUB-Harpoon anti-ship missiles, SUBROC anti-submarine missile torpedoes, cruise missiles "Tomahawk" and "smart" mines "Captor".
To increase combat effectiveness, 12 more vertical launch silos for storing and launching Tomahawks began to be installed in the bow of each Los Angeles, starting with the 32nd boat. In addition, some submarines are equipped with a Dry Deck Shelter container for storing combat swimmers' equipment.
Modernization was carried out not “for show”, but based on reality combat experience– “Los Angeles” aircraft are regularly used to strike coastal targets. "Moose" are covered in blood up to their horns - on the list of destroyed targets are Iraq, Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Libya...
USS Greeneville (SSN-772) with Dry Deck Shelter attached to her hull
The last 23 boats were built according to the modified "Improved Los Angeles" project. Submarines of this type were specially adapted for operations in high latitudes under the Arctic ice dome. The boats' wheelhouse rudders were removed and replaced with retractable rudders in the bow. The screw was enclosed in a profiled ring nozzle, which further reduced the noise level. The radio-electronic “stuffing” of the boat has undergone partial modernization.
The last boat of the Los Angeles series, called Cheyenne, was built in 1996. At the time when the last boats of the series were completed, the first 17 units, having served their due period, were already being scrapped. The Elks still form the backbone of the US submarine fleet; as of 2013, 42 submarines of this type are still in service.
Returning to our initial conversation - what did the Americans end up with - a worthless tin "tub" with understated characteristics or a highly effective underwater combat system?
Purely from a reliability point of view, the Los Angeles has set a record that has not yet been broken by anyone - during 37 years of active operation on 62 boats of this type, not a single serious accident involving damage to the reactor core was recorded. The Hyman Rickover tradition is still alive today.
As for the combat characteristics, the creators of the “Moose” can be praised a little. The Americans managed to build a generally successful ship with an emphasis on the most important characteristics(stealth and detection means). The boat was undoubtedly the best in the world in 1976, but by the mid-1980s, with the advent of the first multi-purpose nuclear submarines of Project 971 “Pike-B” in the USSR Navy, the American submarine fleet again found itself in a “catch-up” position. Realizing that the Los was somewhat inferior to the Pike-B, the United States began developing the SeaWolf project, a formidable submarine cruiser priced at $3 billion apiece (they completed the construction of three SeaWolfs in total).
In general, a conversation about Los Angeles-class boats is not so much a conversation about technology, but a conversation about the crews of these submarines. Man is the measure of everything. It was thanks to the preparation and careful maintenance of the equipment that American sailors managed to not lose a single boat of this type for 37 years.
Post scriptum. In April 1984 retired admiral Hyman Rickover received a cool gift for his 84th birthday - a 7,000-ton Los Angeles-class submarine attack ship named in his honor.