History of the Russian Submarine Service - Part Four

Those Attacking from under the Dark Deep

The first post-war Soviet submarines construction period is characterized by construction of underwater ships with improved performance characteristics (as compared to the Great Patriotic War subs). Apart from cruising capacity, endurance and submergence capacity improvement, surface and submerge speed, number of torpedo-tubes and, of course, displacement were significantly increased. However, their power installations still remained diesel-electric. Various experiments on integrated engine submarine construction had been conducted; a pilot submarine with this type of power installation had been designed but no further impulse was given to this branch of submarine power engineering.

During this period submarines of the two main types, se-going and ocean-going (with increased cruising capacity and endurance) were built. Ocean-going submarines sailed not only the neighboring seas but the most distant water areas of the World Ocean. By that time, several underwater ships had already been armed with ballistic and cruise missiles. However, even those latest ocean-going submarines had shortcomings the main of which were their inability to stay submerged for long periods of time and maneuver at high speed as well as the necessity to recharge their storage batteries and replenish high-pressure air supply using snorkel equipment (a special device securing diesel functioning under water) or surfacing.

During the post-war period, the USA together with NATO countries launched a global nuclear-missile system. Being put in such conditions, the Navy underwater forces were given absolutely new tasks – destruction of enemy nuclear-powered missile carriers with the purpose of preventing them from delivering nuclear-missile attacks on our country; return nuclear-missile attacks targeting his strategic objectives; destruction of his aircraft-carriers and other important surface ship forces as well as anti-submarine forces, landing troops and convoys both in the ocean and at their bases. These determined the purpose of the new submarines as well as the nature of the tasks to be fulfilled by them and a general trend of the Navy underwater forces development.

Starting from the middle of the 1950th, a new era in the Navy development was initiated, namely the formation of the ocean nuclear-missile fleet and, first of all, the construction of nuclear-powered torpedo submarines and, later, missile-carrying submarines and strategic nuclear-missile systems. In due course, the underwater vessels construction was divided into two key branches.

The first one included strategic submarines intended for delivering nuclear-missile attacks on the enemy’s most important military-economic objectives. Such submarines were armed with long-range “ship-to-surface” ballistic or cruise missiles with nuclear warheads and torpedoes for self-defence.

The second branch concentrated on the so-called multi-purpose submarines meant for destroying enemy nuclear-powered underwater missile-carriers, surface ships and transports as well as for reconnaissance and guard operations. Multi-purpose submarines incorporate various types of submarines which are armed with “ship-to-ship” missiles, torpedoes and subsurface-to-subsurface missiles. They are also capable of laying mines using their torpedo-tubes.

With nuclear power installations invention, submarines have really become underwater vessels rather than just “diving’ ones as they used to be before. Nowadays, the sufficient energy reserve allows them to stay submerged for a long period of time and surface at a periscope depth only to find their bearings in the ocean either by stars, sun, or using space technology and radio-navigation systems.

In July 1962, the nuclear-powered submarine Leninsky Komsomol under the command of Captain Second Rank L.M. Zhiltsov sailed under the ice to the North Pole. One year later, in September 1963, the complement of the submarine under Captain Second Rank Y.A. Sysoev surfaced right in the North Pole and hoisted our National flag and ensign above the ice-hummocks. In February-March 1966, several nuclear-powered submarines under the command of Rear Admiral A.I. Sorokin circumnavigated the globe.

Entirely new weather conditions and, first of all, extended periods of underwater navigation as well as abundance of complex, sophisticated devices and weaponry on board demands much of very crew member. A sailor, if put in such conditions, has to be strictly disciplined , courageous, cool under pressure, determined and physically strong; he also has to be able to take correct decisions quickly in any situation and be capable of great psychological endurance. All the next generations of our submariners should keep all the above-mentioned in mind.

One of the latest trends in the Navy development of the most developed countries has been a further build-up of strategic potential focusing, first and foremost, on modification of the underwater nuclear-missile forces which are the basis of the Fleet striking power.

The recent years have shown that only highly-developed industrialized countries with powerful economic potential and a very high level of technological and scientific advances have been capable of this kind of development which is characterized by introduction of state of the art technology and the very latest weaponry for armed battles at sea, conduction of tactical exercises and military training as well as keeping the navy in perfect fighting trim all the time.

In terms of arms and Armed Forces development, our country is switching over to an entirely new military doctrine based on the principle of “sensible sufficiency” as far as country defence is concerned.