Typhoon class submarine

The Typhoon-class submarine is a ballistic missile-carrying, nuclear-powered submarine (SSBN) deployed by the Soviet Navy in the 1980s. With a displacement of up to 48,000 tons, the Typhoon is the largest submarine class ever built. The name stems from the use of the word "typhoon" (??????) by Leonid Brezhnev in a 1974 speech while describing a new type of nuclear ballistic missile submarine. The Typhoon class was developed under Project 941 as the Russian Akula-class (the Russian word for "Shark", although NATO uses the name Akula class to designate Russian Project 971 ????-? Shchuka-B-class subs).

Related Topics:
Submarine - Soviet Navy - 1980s - Leonid Brezhnev - 1974 - Akula class

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Typhoon-class subs feature multiple pressure hulls that simplify internal design while making the vessel much wider than a normal submarine (in the main body of the sub, two Delta-class pressure hulls lie parallel with a third, smaller pressure hull above them). This also greatly increases their survivability - even if one pressure hull is breached, the crew members in the other are safe and there is less potential for flooding.

Related Topics:
Pressure hull - Delta

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Typhoon subs are quieter (partly due to the vessels' massive size) and yet more maneuverable than their predecessors. Additionally, the Typhoon class features six torpedo tubes: two are designed to handle SS-N-15 missiles or Type 53 torpedoes, and the other four are designed to launch SS-N-16 missiles, Type 65 torpedoes, or mines.

Related Topics:
SS-N-15 - Type 53 torpedo - SS-N-16 - Type 65 torpedo - Mine

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Six Typhoon class submarines were built with each carrying 20 R-39 (SS-N-20) missiles with 10 nuclear warheads each. Originally, the submarines were designated by hull numbers only. Names were later assigned to the four vessels retained by the Russian Navy: Arhangelsk, Simbirsk, Severstal, and Dmitry Donskoi. The construction of an additional vessel was cancelled. Only one of these submarines, Dmitry Donskoi, is still in service with the Russian Navy, as a test platform for the Bulava missile currently under development. All the R-39 missiles have been retired.

Related Topics:
R-39 (SS-N-20) missile - Nuclear warhead - Russian Navy

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