Silent sub: Russian noiseless Borei class

spikey360

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What have the Russians done to make the submarines 'almost noiseless'?

Noise signature is the worst enemy of a submarine, no matter what it carries or can do.
By increasing the number of blades in the propeller and changing the shape of the blades. As a result, the bubbles produced near the propellers is reduced thereby reducing noises.
This is a well known and old design modification.

In the Borei, they've also made a hydrodynamically efficient hull to decrease broadband noises and used a pump jet propulsion engine to further decrease noise.
 

sob

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It is not just the cavitation noise that are to be reduced. A modern sub has huge number of pumps and auxiliary motors working, leave aside the engine, this is especially more for the nuclear subs.

Modern Subs undergo a very high degree of Vibration analysis of all rotating equipment ( Including the IN) to reduce their vibration signatures.
 

Damian

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However, if a submarine can dive under the thermocline, they are virtually invisible.
Unless there are other subs also under thermocline.

The US for it's part keeps building bigger and bigger subs, but they are yet to match Russia in dive capabilities, automation and some other key areas.
The Americans have solution but the solution is... well difficult for today welding techniques.
 

Austin

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Austin

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how do we compare it with the nuclear submarine Akula -2 leased to India? in terms of capabilities/performance?????
According to Sevmash official announcement the 955 Borei class is 5 times quiter than Akula-2 and Oscar 2 SSN

According to latest US Office Naval Intelligence Estimates the noise chart is shown below

 

K Factor

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Russia is reportedly sea testing a nuclear-powered sub believed superior in many ways to some of America's best subs.

U.S. sub experts suspect the Gepard may move as fast and as quietly as America's best fully operational subs, the Los Angeles-class subs, as well as have the capacity to dive deeper and to harness more firepower.

"In many respects, it's a superior submarine," says independent submarine expert Norman Polmar. "We know it's at least as quiet as an improved L.A.'s. Whether it's quieter I can't say."

Russians Test Super-Quiet Sub - ABC News
LA Class is good but not cutting edge. The master of the underwater world is the Seawolf Class - the most lethal sub in the world. Pity only 3 of them were made due to the collapse of the USSR.
You can call it the equivalent of F-22 under water.

The Virginia class, although relatively cheap still beats any Russian SSN (won't even bring Chinese SSNs into the comparison and insult the USN).
 

Austin

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Undoubtly the Virginia class and Se Wolf class are silent compared to Akula class submarine specially at higher tactical speed while at slow speed ~ 8 knots the Akula are very quite and difficult to detect as US found out.

But it would be only Holllywood style PR campaign to view submarine superiority in the narrow reigms of noise , there is far more to a submarine then silence and silence is just one of the tactical parameters other equally critical parameters for a submarine are its Sensors ( Acoustic/Non Acoustic ) , Knowledge of the captain of its surrounding/operating environment , his own Weapons system capability and opposition weapon system capability , Depth and Speed and Noise that submarine can operate , Traning of the submarine crew.

A submarine its captain and crew has to be equally good in all the tactical capability described above and lacking in any or one of these can make him as vulnerable against iis likely opposition.
 

SATISH

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LA Class is good but not cutting edge. The master of the underwater world is the Seawolf Class - the most lethal sub in the world. Pity only 3 of them were made due to the collapse of the USSR.
You can call it the equivalent of F-22 under water.

The Virginia class, although relatively cheap still beats any Russian SSN (won't even bring Chinese SSNs into the comparison and insult the USN).
In SSBN nothing beats the Typhoon/Akula class...I rest my case...
 

Austin

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In SSBN nothing beats the Typhoon/Akula class...I rest my case...
Best and Worst are relative , Put a Typhoon in waters of Pacific or Atlantic it would be vulnerable put a Typhoon in Arctic environment and it would rule like a undisputed kind.

Typhoon was uniquely designed to survive and fight in Arctic Environment covered with ICE , it had the ability by its design to break through 3 meters of ICE if required something any submarine trying to attempt would rupture their pressure hull.

Typhoon was also designed to remain submarged longer 4-6 months and had large and comfortable facility for its crew with enough reserve potential and food.
 

SATISH

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Best and Worst are relative , Put a Typhoon in waters of Pacific or Atlantic it would be vulnerable put a Typhoon in Arctic environment and it would rule like a undisputed kind.

Typhoon was uniquely designed to survive and fight in Arctic Environment covered with ICE , it had the ability by its design to break through 3 meters of ICE if required something any submarine trying to attempt would rupture their pressure hull.

Typhoon was also designed to remain submarged longer 4-6 months and had large and comfortable facility for its crew with enough reserve potential and food.
And that is why that behemoth was a threat. That was like the B-2 of the submarines.
 

cobra commando

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First Borey-Class Strategic
Sub Ready for Combat Patrols - Russian Navy


GADZHIYEVO (Murmansk region), April 16 (RIA Novosti) – The first Borey-class ballistic missile submarine could be put on combat duty this year after taking weaponry on board, a senior Russian Navy commander said Wednesday. "Upon receiving new weapons on board this year, the Yury Dolgoruky submarine will be ready to perform its duties," said Rear Admiral Alexander Moiseev, commander of the submarine forces of the Northern Fleet. The Yury Dolgoruky joined the Northern Fleet in January 2013 while the second Borey-class boat, the Alexander Nevsky, was commissioned by the Navy in December last year. The third boat, the Vladimir Monomakh, is undergoing sea and state trials, and the fourth Borey- class submarine, the Knyaz Vladimir, has been under construction at the Sevmash shipyard in northern Russia since July 2012.

The Borey is Russia's first post- Soviet ballistic missile submarine class and will form the mainstay of the strategic submarine fleet, replacing aging Typhoon, Delta-3 and Delta-4 class boats. Russia expects eight Borey-class submarines to enter service by 2020. The new Borey-class boats, with a length of nearly two football fields, can carry sixteen Bulava missiles, each fitted with up to 10 independently-targetable nuclear warheads. Ballistic missile submarines comprise one leg of Russia's strategic nuclear triad along with land-based ICBMs and the bomber force.

First Borey-Class Strategic Sub Ready for Combat Patrols - Russian Navy | Defense | RIA Novosti
 

cobra commando

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SEVERODVINSK, July 27 (RIA Novosti) - The fifth strategic nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine "Knyaz Oleg" (Borei- class) and the fourth multi- purpose attack submarine "Krasnoyarsk" (Yasen-class) in the next decade will become the basis for the Navy, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Yuri Borisov said on Sunday. "I think that these ships in the coming decades will form the basis of the Navy and are guaranteed to provide the defense capability and the security of our country," Borisov told reporters after the ceremony of laying down the submarines at the Sevmash plant in Severodvinsk, as part of the celebrations of the Russian Navy Day. According to Borisov, "the contract has real money, the [contracting] companies have a real production capacity and human resources." Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin assured earlier that Knyaz Oleg and Krasnoyarsk submarines will be assembled in time. The Russian Navy currently has 60 submarines, about 10 of which are nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines, and more than 30 are multipurpose nuclear sumbmarines, with the rest being diesel and special purpose vessels.
Fifth Borei Class, Fourth Yasen Class Submarines to Form Backbone of Russian Navy | Russia | RIA Novosti
 

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