According to the Russian online newspaper Gazeta.ru, Russia is currently building fourth-generation submarines and designing the fifth generation. There is only a little information is known about the new submarines, but in the light of the information provided it is expected that they will eliminate the problems encountered by modern nuclear submarines.
It is likely that the underwater displacement of the Husky-class submarines will be more or less 12-13 thousand tons. The crew of the submarine is planned to be approximately 90 men. They will be smaller than the current 885M Yasen-M class SSGN, with the aim of increasing manoeuvrability and stealth characteristics.
Malakhit and being constructed by Sevmash for the Russian Navy
Reports say that Husky is designed to serve in two roles, fighting against submarines and destroying huge naval combatants with Tsirkon hypersonic missile. The anti-submarine role to fight submarines is especially considered against the Columbia and Vanguard-class SSBNs .
The second issue, to be armed with Tsirkon (Zircon) hypersonic missiles to destroy large surface combatants including nuclear aircraft carriers, cruisers and destroyers, amphibious assault ships, etc. The Tsirkon missile has a cruising speed of more than 8 mach and capable to hit the targets at a distance of 1,000 km.
Husky-class submarines will be less noisy than fourth-generation ones. They will have a composite hull using composites to make the bow and stern rudders, stabilizers, mast housing, propellers and axle lines. The materials will decrease the reflection of the opposing sonar and the weight of the submarine.
The Husky will have a unique system of integrated combat information with artificial intelligence.
The fifth-generation submarine is being designed by the Malakhit Bureau in St. Petersburg and could replace the Antey class SSGN of project 949A, as well as the SSN of project 971, the 671TMK class of Shchuka, the 945A of class Kondor and the project 945 of the Barracuda class.
According to some of the reports, the fifth-generation submarines will have a completely new reactor instead of the water-cooled one (VVER (water-water power reactor)). It is likely to be a development of the reactor installed in the Lira class SSN of project 705. “The main plant of the project was a reactor and a steam generator with a liquid crystal heat exchanger (lead and bismuth alloy) and a single steam turbine, ” said expert Konstantin Makienko.
Submarines with liquid metal plants exceeded second-generation VVER submarines twice in manoeuvrability and 1.5-2.5 times in power/weight ratio. They are 1.3 to 1.5 times better for specific weight indicators. However, the liquid metal requires constantly keeping the steam unit in a warm state and therefore triggers additional energy consumption.
In addition, special operations were necessary to prevent oxidation of the alloy, control its state and periodically remove the oxides to maintain the physical-chemical stability of the liquid crystal heat exchanger.
There is enough reason to believe that Husky will not face problems. The main plant is likely to be a single-axis unit and a single reactor with a steam turbine and increased steam parameters.
“There is no doubt that submarine builders want to create a manoeuvrable, fast and relatively small displacement submarine, considerably reduce crew, introduce effective weapons and complex automation. One of the main tasks is to decrease the underwater noise several times in relation to the previous submarines ”, said Makienko.
Article source: https://www.defesaaereanaval.com.br/
Adaptation and translation: Dorian Archus
