Russian submarine Losharik

Actually pressure at -6000 meters should be 601 bar/Atm.

The real problem is not the hull anyway, it is the tightness of the propulsion axis and its endurance.

While it is quite simple to build a small hull capable to withstand pressure related with such deeps, designing and manufacturing of a suitable propulsion axis would be a real achievement.

Tanks the correction over the picture, it gave me a lots of doubts and confusion 🙂

6000Meters

I may be wrong but 6000 metres would make an external pressure of 600bar or approximatly 4 tons per sq inch.How thick a hull would you need for that!!!!!

Hi Tic tac

I think you are right about the third picture..

I have found the spanish source:

http://content.yudu.com/Library/A1n6wf/RevistaEjrcitosdelMu/resources/43.htm

Oh my god! :eek::eek:That is our magazine … we write a group of friends, and try to turn it into something increasingly serious.

Thanks!:):):)

1Saludo

Hi Tic tac

I think you are right about the third picture..

I have found the spanish source:

http://content.yudu.com/Library/A1n6wf/RevistaEjrcitosdelMu/resources/43.htm

And here is the russian:

http://ship.bsu.by/print.aspx?guid=102179

Interesting post. But I think the third picture in first post is a Kilo. I doubt very much this is the Losharik. The torpedo tubes resembles the 4 lower tubes on a Kilo, just above the waterline painted on this class. The position of the diving planes and the size and shape of the sail is also the same. I even found the picture when looking for other Kilo pictures to compare with here and here

Reg pictures – I searched the sub on the web in several languages, including russian and spanish. I´m not able to relocate the websites right now, but the spanish was a newspaper revue over the future plans for the russian fleet…

Very interesting informations about the armament. I have a few more questions:

* The operationel depth of up to 6.000 meters (claimed) – will that bring an advantage for the Losharik regarding sosus-measurements? Is the sub more difficult to detect when submerged to the maximum?

* Does the pretty unique interior – the separate compartments – mean, that the crew must work differently compared to normal subs? Has each chamber its own function – besides the reactor and the machine room?

(I’m not at all pretending to have any deep knowledge in this area, I just have some movies with subs and find this specific construction to be rather interesting 🙂

– I found the following information about Losharik on a spanish site and used Google Translate to translate it to english:

“It is without doubt one of the most mysterious of the Russian Navy. The information is scarce, although several things are certain: It is a nuclear powered submarine, its main feature is its huge capacity of immersion, which is constructed mostly of titanium (linking different areas of this material to form the inner hull and outer hull covering it with a “soft.” Thus, with a length of 50 meters, a width of 3.8 meters and a depth of 4.2 meters to its surface just 550 and 730 tons submerged, would be powered for a 15 MW reactor that it would reach up to 20 knots surfaced and 45 in immersion (figure hard to believe otherwise).
Regarding the key issue, its ability to dive, there is talk of up to 1000 or 1200 meters to 6000 would increase the use of ROVs. He is equipped with a crew-
tion of 14 to 16 people and a autonomíaa up to 50 days of food.
Nothing is known about its weapons, but logic dictates that will carry a battery of missile submarine torpedoes and even especially, a good supply of mines.
Only known that there is a unity in service with the Northern Fleet, and there are no photographs or even know anything about building more units.”

Regardless if this thing is meant to have a warfare application or not, if that data is real (a small nuclear submarine with 1000+/- displacement and special inner pressure hull), this is quite of achievement, a real achievement that has obvious military technological and industrial implications, especially the industrial ones are the important here.

This thing is way more important than any UAV or any stealth program.

Is probably a testbed, for a next generation of submarines, with better hulls, the double hull concept has achieved a completely new perspective, for practical applications.

I honestly doubt this thing could dive deeper than 3000m, but then who knows, anyway the ‘Mir’ which should be more solid, has a operational diving depth of 4000-5000m, as i recall it well…

I have been wondering why materials like concrete were never used for high pressure hulls, wonder if somebody has tested such idea (what I’m thinking is a concrete hull with a steel skin).

For it weapons, I would say that is clear the installation of at least 4 conventional tubes (the ones of 500+ mm, i think, I’m not an expert), looking at the picture again, seems to have 6 tubes, is a weapon, or at least is meant to fight.

IMO is a testbed for future programs, like the Mike class was

Thank you for the information, hope to find more, where did you get the pictures ‘POTV’?

***********

Edit: for it dimensions , I think, IMO, this submarine is a bit larger, with 6-7m of width can you tell me from were comes the dimensions that you are quoting in your post?

Just a hunch, but she looks like something meant for mineral exploration, not necessarily battle. Maybe they want a way to speed delivery of samples to the surface, therefore the tubes. Something that small wouldn’t be necessarily good for much other than operating in a narrow window of opportunity.

Very interesting informations about the armament. I have a few more questions:

* The operationel depth of up to 6.000 meters (claimed) – will that bring an advantage for the Losharik regarding sosus-measurements? Is the sub more difficult to detect when submerged to the maximum?

* Does the pretty unique interior – the separate compartments – mean, that the crew must work differently compared to normal subs? Has each chamber its own function – besides the reactor and the machine room?

(I’m not at all pretending to have any deep knowledge in this area, I just have some movies with subs and find this specific construction to be rather interesting 🙂

– I found the following information about Losharik on a spanish site and used Google Translate to translate it to english:

“It is without doubt one of the most mysterious of the Russian Navy. The information is scarce, although several things are certain: It is a nuclear powered submarine, its main feature is its huge capacity of immersion, which is constructed mostly of titanium (linking different areas of this material to form the inner hull and outer hull covering it with a “soft.” Thus, with a length of 50 meters, a width of 3.8 meters and a depth of 4.2 meters to its surface just 550 and 730 tons submerged, would be powered for a 15 MW reactor that it would reach up to 20 knots surfaced and 45 in immersion (figure hard to believe otherwise).
Regarding the key issue, its ability to dive, there is talk of up to 1000 or 1200 meters to 6000 would increase the use of ROVs. He is equipped with a crew-
tion of 14 to 16 people and a autonomíaa up to 50 days of food.
Nothing is known about its weapons, but logic dictates that will carry a battery of missile submarine torpedoes and even especially, a good supply of mines.
Only known that there is a unity in service with the Northern Fleet, and there are no photographs or even know anything about building more units.”

but then i took a look over the bow of the submarine, and saw torpedo tube doors….

I really thought this thing was only meant for deep sea and miner exploration…

Or launch bays for small UUVs (which have short ranges, so deploying and recovering them at depth in the correct location makes sense)… or for grapple arms/sampling equipment, which then bring the sample inside the hull.

Any military usefulness?

Funny that i was about to tell you that not everything in the military has an immediate military application…but then i took a look over the bow of the submarine, and saw torpedo tube doors….

I really thought this thing was only meant for deep sea and miner exploration…but seems it does have its evil applications, these russians are crazy.

For it military usefulness , i would say that carrying a decent sonar down there turns you the best submarine detector ever, and the most silent one

Any military usefulness?

6.000 meters

Was about to ask why the spherical modules, i think i can understand it better now.

Very interesting submarine, what is it displacement?, seems to be too large for a submersible, more information please, this thing is very interesting

If is nuclear powered thins thing is quite of achievement, although i doubt it…

Diving depth 6000 meters?????? 6 kilometers, 3.7 miles, 19.500 feet! mariners trench here we come 😉

Passing the Twins now Captain, shall I order reduced speed?

Got to love Hunt For Red October!!!

The project number is considered to be 10831K (or 10832).

Diving depth 6000 meters?????? 6 kilometers, 3.7 miles, 19.500 feet! mariners trench here we come 😉

Russianshipbuilding.ru has som interesting information:

“Newspaper Izvestiya claims that initially it was not planned to report on the completion of the building in the open sources. That was the restriction of the customer – the Russian navy”

More from the source:

http://shipbuilding.ru/eng/news/2003/08/20/losharik/print.phtml

They say that the submarine in this dry dock is Losharik.

It is known both as Project 210

Which is incorrect, the serial number used in the factory was 01210 and that lead to this wrong pr.210.

A new auxiliary submarine (SSAN) was launched at Severodvinsk Shipyard on 6 August 2003. Nicknamed ‘Losharik’, she is likely to be employed for scientific research and is reported to be similar to but not the same as the Uniform class. It is known both as Project 210 and as Project 10831. It has a pennant number of AS 12 and is reported to have become operational in 2007

http://www.janes.com/articles/Janes-Fighting-Ships/Introduction-Submarines–Auxiliary-submarines-SSA-N-Russian-Federation.html