Russian ‘atomic sharks’: What is known about the world’s largest nuclear submarines?

These behemoth vessels were developed primarily to carry and launch R-39 ballistic missiles equipped with MIRV (Multiple independently targetable Reentry Vehicles) warheads, ensuring they could deliver a devastating nuclear strike even if their home country was attacked.

Key Facts About the Akula-Class Submarines:

Size and Dimensions:

Akula submarines are the largest ever built, measuring nearly 173 meters (568 feet) in length and 23.3 meters (76.4 feet) in width, with a displacement of 23,200 tonnes surfaced and 48,000 tonnes submerged. Their massive size was necessary to carry the oversized R-39 missiles, which were longer and heavier than their U.S. counterparts.

Ballistic Missiles and Armament:

Each Akula-class submarine could carry 20 R-39 (SS-N-20 Sturgeon) ballistic missiles. These missiles were 16 meters long, weighed 84 tonnes, and each could be equipped with up to 10 MIRV thermonuclear warheads. In addition to these strategic weapons, the submarines had six 533mm torpedo tubes capable of launching torpedoes or anti-submarine missiles for defense.

Unique Design for Survivability:

The Akula submarines featured a unique multi-hull structure. The five inner, habitable compartments, each within their own outer hull, were designed to increase the vessel’s survivability by reducing the likelihood of catastrophic damage if attacked. This structure made them more resilient than typical single-hull submarines.

Icebreaking Capability:

Akula-class submarines were engineered to operate in the Arctic, where they could break through ice as thick as 2.5 meters (8.2 feet) during surfacing without sustaining damage, ensuring their stealth and mobility in polar regions.

Logistics and Maintenance:

Due to the size of the R-39 missiles, special facilities were needed to reload these massive weapons. The Soviet Union built specialized cranes and a support vessel named Alexander Brykin that could reload these missiles at sea, providing the submarines with the ability to continue their nuclear deterrent mission even during wartime, when port facilities might be destroyed.

Role and Legacy:

The Typhoon-class submarines were a critical part of the Soviet Union’s second-strike nuclear capability, providing a powerful deterrent against a nuclear attack by ensuring that they could launch a retaliatory strike from anywhere in the world's oceans. Despite their immense power and cutting-edge technology, their size and complexity led to high maintenance costs.

In the years following the Cold War, the number of active Typhoon submarines has decreased due to disarmament treaties and the high cost of upkeep. However, they remain an iconic symbol of Cold War naval engineering and military strategy. Today, some Akulas have been retired or repurposed, but they still stand as a testament to the extreme lengths to which superpowers went to ensure their dominance in the nuclear arms race.