Narwhal-class nuclear submarine. US Navy Submarine Los Angeles

Over the course of twenty years, 62 Los Angeles-class submarines were built, which does not seem like a lot, especially in comparison with the thousands of copies of aircraft and tanks, but a submarine is a one-piece product and very expensive. The price ratio between a fighter jet and a submarine is the same as that of a modest runabout and a luxury limousine. Los Angeles boats are the most popular nuclear powered ships in the world.

Work on the Los Angeles project began in the late sixties. During these years the Soviet navy quickly increased in power. It became a global force and increasingly squeezed Americans around the world. The strengthening of the Soviets was a challenge that Washington could not help but respond to. The United States was most concerned about two things: the beginning of the construction of large aircraft-carrying ships in the Soviet Union and the rapid development of nuclear submarine forces. It was then that our country for the first time overtook the United States in the number of nuclear submarines. Los Angeles-class submarineWith their help Soviet Union in the event of a conflict, it could cut off sea communications and turn the United States into an isolated island. The Americans decided to respond with both quantity and quality. New US submarines were supposed to become silent champions long years. The USSR simply did not have technologies similar to the American ones at that time, in addition New episode was designed for advanced weapons: Tomahawk cruise missiles. The construction of boats began at two shipyards. The first-born of the series, Los Angeles itself was launched on November 12, 1976. Nine years later, the twentieth submarine of this type was built: Ganalulu. The first twenty Los Angeles aircraft had the same weapons, electronics and hydroacoustics.

The boats were equipped different types torpedoes to combat submarines and surface ships, Harpoon anti-ship missiles and, finally, most importantly, ultra-modern Tomahawks. The boat could carry three types of Tomahawks: for firing at ships up to 400 kilometers, for firing at coastal targets up to 2,800 kilometers with a conventional warhead, and a variant with the same range, but with a nuclear warhead. This was a revolution in the development of the fleet. For the first time, multipurpose submarines received nuclear missiles long range. In the event of a world war, Los Angeles becomes part of the missile attack force. Almost the entire world is in the affected area of ​​several dozen Los Angeles cities. The arsenal of the first boats of this type consisted of 14 torpedoes, 4 harpoons and eight tomahawks. All of them were launched only through 4 torpedo tubes, while two of them had to constantly contain only torpedoes - for the self-defense of the boat. It was obvious that, if necessary, the first Los Angeles would not be able to fire salvos of a large number of missiles, so starting with the Providence boat, these submarines were built with separate, vertical shafts for tomahawks. The designers managed to place as many as 12 launchers on board the new Los Angeles, and this without changing the dimensions and contours of the hull.

At the end of the eighties, the newest Soviet boats came very close to Los Angeles in terms of stealth, and surpassed them in diving depth, speed and some types of weapons. The US advantages have vanished like smoke. It was decided to modernize Los Angeles again. Starting from the fortieth boat "San Juan" until the end of the series, completed in 1996, these nuclear-powered ships were built according to the Los Angeles Improved project, i.e. Improved. Thanks to the use of special coatings, this modification has become even quieter. The submarine is better suited for working under ice. The rudders were moved from the wheelhouse to the bow of the ship. Of course, the new boats were equipped with the latest generation of electronics.

Los Angeles-class submarine

Length 110.3 m

Maximum hull width 10.1 m

Maximum diving depth 450-500 m

Crew 141 people

Surface speed 22 knots

Submerged speed 33 knots

Los Angeles saw action in real combat. Albuquerque, Norfolk and Miami against Yugoslavia, Pittsburgh and Jefferson City in the wars in Persian Gulf. Boats Augusto and Memphis were used for testing the latest weapons and combat information systems. Most of the later Los Angeles will remain in service for another 20 years. In the near future they will begin to be equipped with cutting-edge missiles. They will radically surpass Tomahawks in accuracy, range and speed. Western sources claim that we're talking about about supersonic cruise missiles ah with a firing range of 5000 kilometers. Los Angeles will retire gradually, the most popular nuclear submarine will be replaced by the next generation model: Virginia.

The US Navy has 51 Nuclear submarine type"Los Angeles", sixteen of them are stationed at Pacific Ocean and thirty-two in the Atlantic. The first nuclear submarine of the series entered service in 1976, the last - USS "Cheyenne" was completed in 1996. The ships were built by Newport News Shipbuilding and General Motors Electric Boat Division.

Nine Los Angeles-class nuclear submarines were deployed during the Gulf War (1991), during which Tomahawk missile launchers were launched from two of them.

Los Angeles-class submarines are attack submarines, also equipped with means for combating enemy submarines, conducting reconnaissance operations, special operations, transfer of special forces, strikes, mining, search and rescue operations.

Missile weapons

Los Angeles-class nuclear submarines built after 1982. equipped with 12 vertical launchers for launching missiles. Nuclear submarines are equipped with combat information system CCS Msrk 2.

The missile armament consists of Tomahawk missile launchers in variants for attacking ground and surface targets. The Tomahawk missile launcher, in its version for attacking coastal targets, has a range of 2,500 km. The TAINS system (Tercom Aided Inertial Navigation System) controls the flight of the missile to the target at subsonic speed at an altitude of 20 to 100 m. The Tomahawk can be equipped with a nuclear warhead. The anti-ship version of the Tomahawk missile defense system is equipped with an inertial guidance system, as well as an active anti-radar homing head. range is up to 450 km.

The armament of the Los Angeles-class nuclear submarine also includes the Harpoon anti-ship missile. The Harpoon anti-ship missile system, modified for submarines, is equipped with an active radar homing head and has a 225 kg warhead. The range is 130 km. at transonic flight speed.

Torpedoes

The submarines have four 533mm torpedo tubes located in the middle part of the hull, as well as a Mark 117 torpedo firing control system. Ammunition includes 26 torpedoes or missiles launched from torpedo tubes, including Tomahawk missiles, Harpoon anti-ship missiles and Mark 48 ADCAP torpedoes. Gould Mark 48 torpedoes are designed to destroy both surface targets and high-speed submarines. The torpedo is controlled both with and without the transmission of commands via wire and uses an active and passive homing system. In addition, these torpedoes are equipped with a multiple attack system, which is used when the target is lost. The torpedo searches, captures and attacks the target.

The submarine can also accept mines of the Mobile Mark 67 and Captor Mark 60 models.

Electronic warfare equipment

The submarine's electronic warfare systems include the BRD-7 search system, the WLR-1H and WLR-8(v)2 detection systems, and the WLR-10 radar detection system. The AN/WLY-1 acoustic detection and countermeasures system is being tested to replace the existing WLR-9A/12 acoustic detection system. The submarine is equipped with a Mark 2 torpedo trap system.

Sonars and sensors

Los Angeles-class submarines are equipped with a large set of sonar equipment and sensors: passive towed antenna TV-23/29, side antenna BQG 5D, low-frequency passive and active sonar BQQ 5D/E, high-frequency active short-range sonar Ametek BQS 15 also used for ice detection, high-frequency active sonar MIDAS (Mine and Ice Detection Avoidance System), active search sonar Raytheon SADS-TG.

Power plant

The nuclear submarines are equipped with GE PWR S6G pressurized water reactors with a capacity of 26 MW, developed by General Electric. There is an auxiliary engine with a power of 242 kW. The service life of the reactor fuel elements is about 10 years.

Basic performance characteristics Los Angeles class

Normal displacement: 6080-6330 t
Total displacement: 6927-7177 t
Length: 110 m
Width: 10 m
Draft: 9.75 m
Power plant: single-shaft, S6G nuclear reactor, two steam turbines, power plant power 35,000 hp.
Speed: surface 22/ submerged 30 knots
Armament: 4 Harpoon and 8 Tomahawk missiles in 12 vertical launchers; 4 533 mm TA, ammunition 24 torpedoes Mk.48, Mk.46 or mines
Crew: 14 officers and 127 sailors

Multipurpose nuclear submarines Los type Angeles

The backbone of today's general-purpose submarine force of the US Navy is the Los Angeles-class nuclear submarine. Los Angeles-class nuclear submarines are designed to combat enemy submarines and surface ships, protect nuclear missile submarines and aircraft carrier strike formations. It is also envisaged that nuclear submarines will be used to protect sea and ocean communications, lay mines and strike enemy coastal targets with long-range cruise missiles.
The design of this nuclear submarine was developed at the end of 1971 by the American company Newport News Shipbuilding. The lead boat of the series, SSN688 Los Angeles, was laid down in January 1972, and in November 1976. came into operation. The construction of the entire series of 62 ships, gigantic even by American standards, was carried out until September 1996, when the nuclear submarine SSN773 Cheyenne entered service.
Los Angeles-class submarines have a single-hull architecture over most of their length and, unlike all previous series, do not have light hull structures in the area of ​​the auxiliary machinery compartments.
The hull, made of high-strength steel, is a cylindrical shell ending at the stern and bow with cones with hemispherical tops. The tubes of four torpedo tubes pass through the nose cone at an angle to the centerline plane. The robust housing is divided by transverse bulkheads into 3 compartments: central, reactor and turbine.
The first compartment is divided into three decks. It houses the central control post on the upper deck, the crew's living quarters on the second, the torpedo tubes and spare torpedoes on the third, and the battery and tanks in the hold. In the aft part there are rooms for auxiliary mechanisms and a tank. The second compartment contains a steam generating unit with an S6G reactor, and the third contains a steam turbine unit and other mechanical equipment.
The boat's buoyancy reserve is 15%.
The standard displacement of the Los Angeles-class nuclear submarine is 2000-2400 tons greater than that of previous series nuclear submarines, which is primarily due to the use of a more powerful nuclear power plant and new electronic equipment, as well as increased ammunition.
As the main power plant, the boat is equipped with a nuclear power plant developed by General Electric, the composition of which is standard for all serial nuclear boats. It includes a steam generating unit with an S6G reactor and two turbines that transmit rotation through a gearbox to a seven-bladed propeller.
Compared to previously used serial reactors of the S5W type from Westinghouse Electric Corp. The S6G reactor can deliver more than twice the power to the shaft and has higher percentage natural circulation of the primary coolant. This makes it possible to increase reliability and reduce noise by eliminating high-capacity pumps, and simplifies electrical equipment and control equipment. Its service life between recharges is about 10 years.
The armament on the Los Angeles-class nuclear submarine is combined into a torpedo-missile system, which has 4 torpedo tubes installed at an angle to the centerline of the boat, as well as ammunition for torpedoes, anti-submarine and anti-ship missiles and cruise missiles for firing at ground targets.
The typical ammunition load of the first subseries of nuclear submarines (SSN688-SSN718) consists of 14 torpedoes, four Harpoon anti-ship missiles and 8 Tomahawk cruise missiles.
Harpoon missiles on submarines are located in hermetically sealed capsules - launch containers in which anti-ship missiles are fired from the launch vehicle. After leaving the water, the capsule splits into three parts and sinks. The flight of the anti-ship missile continues while the launch accelerator is operating. At the same time, the consoles are automatically opened, the main engine is started and enters flight mode, and the launch accelerator is separated from the launch vehicle. The flight of the missile to the area where the target is located, the coordinates of which are determined by the ASBU according to the data of the SAC PL, occurs at a relatively low altitude (30m). After capturing the target with an active radar seeker during the final phase of the flight, the missile descends to the very surface of the water and hits the target or gains altitude, diving onto it.
The Tomahawk missile launcher, unlike the Harpoon missile launcher, does not have a sealed capsule. Its propulsion engine and the rocket itself are sealed during an underwater launch. After being fired from the TA, the missile moves underwater due to the energy of the water imparted to it by a turbopump. When the launch accelerator is subsequently turned on and in operation, the rocket is brought to the surface, where the wing consoles unfold and the air intake of the main engine, which is retracted flush with the body, is folded out. The latter is launched and enters flight mode, and the launch accelerator is separated from the rocket. For use with submarines, including Los Angeles-class nuclear submarines, several modifications of the Tomahawk missile launcher have been created for firing at ground targets with conventional (non-nuclear) warheads (TLAM) and nuclear warheads (TLAM-N), as well as for destroying ships and vessels ( TASM).
The disadvantage of the submarines of the first subseries was the impossibility of salvo firing of a significant number of cruise missiles, since there were only 4 torpedo tubes, some of which were supposed to contain torpedoes for self-defense. For this reason, the second subseries (SSN719-SSN750) was built with vertical launchers for Tomahawk cruise missiles located in the developed nose end of the pressure hull. Such launcher accommodates 12 Tomahawk missile launchers in special CLS launch containers developed by Westinghouse Electric Corp. They protect missiles from impact sea ​​water and ensure their firing from an underwater position.
The CLS launch container is a steel cylinder 7.6 m long and 0.61 m in diameter, the ends of which are sealed with special plugs. Centering and fastening of the rocket is carried out using a special support device at the bottom of the container and side fixing inserts. Under the support device is the firing system on the United Technologies Corp. gas generator. with a UTG 21 squib on solid rocket fuel grade 800. The signal to the detonator, which ignites the cartridge, is issued by the firing system launch unit.
The design of the CLS launch container allows it to be easily restored for reuse after the rocket is fired.
The vertical launch of the Tomahawk missile launcher from the Los Angeles-class submarine is controlled by equipment from Singer Co., compatible with the fire control system used on the boats. It provides the necessary data to the missile’s on-board equipment, controls the mechanism that opens the hatch with a waterproof lid over the corresponding launcher container, and issues a command to activate the firing system in this container. The excess pressure created by the gas generator pushes out the rocket, which easily destroys the upper end membrane plug, which can withstand significant external pressure.
During the development of the Los Angeles-class nuclear submarine, much attention was paid to the development of highly effective radio-electronic equipment. These, in particular, include the AN/BQQ-5 hydroacoustic complex, created on the basis of the AN/BQQ-2, which includes a spherical antenna AN/BQS-13 (4.57 m in diameter), a conformal noise direction-finding sonar, a towed antenna placed on the boat hull in a casing, and other hydroacoustic systems. It is serviced by four operators.
Submarines of this type are equipped with a special navigation complex MINI SINS, AN/BPS-15 radar, AN/WSC-3 satellite communication station, AN/BQS-15 mine detection sonar, AN/UYK-7 computer, Mk 117 fire control system and more. radio-electronic equipment.
During the construction of the Los Angeles-class nuclear submarine, the improvement of radio-electronic equipment was carried out on the basis of a unified control and monitoring system Mkll7. On ships of the third subseries (starting with SSN751), built according to the improved Improved Los Angeles project, the AN/USQ-82 (V) ship multiplex data transmission system is installed, which allows you to combine information coming from weapons and lighting systems, as well as from general ship systems and transmit it via multiplex cable.
Due to the use of acoustic coatings on the hull and other measures, submarines of this subseries have improved acoustic characteristics. These boats have become more suitable for use under ice, for which the wheelhouse rudders have been moved to the bow area.
According to available information, at the end of 1999 the following nuclear submarines of the first subseries were withdrawn from the fleet and prepared for dismantlement: Baton Rouge (SSN689), Omaha (SSN692), Cincinnati (SSN693), Groton (SSN694), Birmingham (SSN695), New York City (SSN696), Indianapolis (SSN697), Phoenix (SSN702), Boston (SSN703), Baltimore (SSN704), Atlanta (SSN712).
Thus, as of the beginning of 2000, combat strength The US Navy owned 51 of the 62 Los Angeles-class boats built. At the same time, boats of the first subseries Los Angeles (SSN688), Philadelphia (SSN690), Dallas (SSN700), La Jolla (SSN701), Buffalo (SSN715) in 1999-2000. it was planned to be retrofitted to install removable DDS deck containers with landing craft and to accommodate light divers from SEAL units.
In 1999-2003 for the use of ASDS landing craft, it was planned to retrofit the nuclear submarines Greeneville (SSN772), Charlotte (SSN766), Columbus (SSN762), Hartford (SSN768).

The Los Angeles class of atomic killers began in 1906, when a family of immigrants from Russian Empire– Abraham, Rachel and their six-year-old son Chaim. The kid turned out to be no slouch - when he grew up, he entered the Naval Academy and became a four-star admiral in the US Navy. In total, Hyman Rickover served in the Navy for 63 years and would have served more if he had not been caught taking a bribe of 67 thousand dollars (Rickover himself denied it to the end, declaring that this “nonsense” had no influence on his decisions).

In 1979, after a major accident at nuclear power plant Three Mile Island Hyman Rickover, as an expert, was called to testify before Congress. The question sounded prosaic: “One hundred nuclear submarines of the US Navy are moving in the depths of the oceans - and not a single accident with the reactor core in 20 years. And here the one standing on the shore fell apart new nuclear power plant. Maybe Admiral Rickover knows something Magic word»?

The elderly admiral's answer was simple: there are no secrets, you just need to work with people. Personally communicate with each specialist, immediately remove fools from working with the reactor and kick them out of the fleet. All high ranks who, for some reason, interfere with the training of personnel in accordance with these principles and sabotage the implementation of my instructions, declare a merciless war and also expel them from the fleet. Ruthlessly “gnaw” contractors and engineers. Safety and reliability are the main areas of work, otherwise even the most powerful and modern submarines will be sunk in batches in peacetime.

Admiral Rickover's principles (safety and reliability above all) formed the basis of the Los Angeles project - the largest series in the history of the nuclear submarine fleet, consisting of 62 multi-purpose nuclear submarines. The purpose of the “Los Angeles” (or “Moose” - the nickname of the boats in the Soviet fleet) is to fight enemy surface ships and submarines, cover aircraft carrier groups and deployment areas of strategic submarine missile carriers. Covert mining, reconnaissance, special operations.

If we take as a basis only the tabular characteristics: “speed”, “immersion depth”, “number of torpedo tubes”, then against the background of domestic “Typhoons”, “Anteev” and “Pike”, “Los Angeles” looks like a mediocre trough. A single-hull steel coffin divided into three compartments - any hole would be fatal to it. For comparison, the durable hull of the domestic multi-purpose nuclear submarine Project 971 “Shchuka-B” is divided into six sealed compartments. And the giant Project 941 Akula missile carrier has 19 of them!

There are only four torpedo tubes located at an angle to the center plane of the hull. As a result, the “Moose” cannot fire at full speed - otherwise the torpedo will simply be broken by the incoming stream of water. For comparison, the Shchuka-B has 8 bow-mounted tubes and is capable of using its own over the entire range of operating depths and speeds.
The working depth of the Los Angeles is only 250 meters. A quarter of a kilometer – is that really not enough? For comparison, the working depth of the Shchuka-B is 500 meters, the maximum is 600!

Canonical image of the Los Angeles-class nuclear submarine

On the other hand, high maximum speed has never been the most important parameter of a submarine - already at 25 knots of acoustics the boats stop hearing anything due to the noise of the incoming water and the submarine becomes “deaf”, and at 30 knots the boat rumbles so much that it can be heard at the other end of the ocean. High speed- a useful, but not very important quality.

The main weapon of any submarine is stealth. This parameter contains the whole meaning of the existence of the submarine fleet. Stealth is determined primarily by the submarine's own noise level. The noise level of the Los Angeles-class nuclear submarines did not just meet international standards. The Los Angeles-class submarine itself set world standards.
There were several reasons for the exceptional low noise of the Elks:

Single-hull design. The area of ​​the wetted surface decreased, and, as a result, the noise from friction with the water when the boat moved.

The quality of the screws. By the way, the manufacturing quality of the third-generation Soviet nuclear submarine propellers also increased (and their noise decreased) after the detective story with the purchase of high-precision metal-cutting machines from Toshiba. Having learned about the secret deal between the USSR and Japan, America threw such a scandal that poor Toshiba almost lost access to the American market. Late! “Pike-B” with new propellers have already entered the vastness of the World Ocean.

Some specific points, such as rational placement of equipment inside the boat, depreciation of turbines and power equipment. The reactor circuits have greater degree natural circulation of the coolant - this made it possible to abandon high-capacity pumps, and, consequently, reduce the noise of the Los Angeles.

It is not enough for a submarine to be fast and secretive - to successfully complete its missions, it is necessary to have a specific understanding of the surrounding environment, learn to navigate the water column, find and identify surface and underwater targets. For a long time, the only means of external detection were a periscope and a hydroacoustic post with an analyzer in the form of an acoustic sailor’s ear. Well, there’s also a gyrocompass that shows where the North is under this damn water.

Other means of collecting information include: equipment for measuring the speed of sound at various depths(completely necessary remedy For precise definition distance to target), AN/BPS-15 radar and AN/WLR-9 electronic reconnaissance system (for surface work), general overview periscope (type 8) and attack periscope (type 15).
However, no cool sensors and sonars did not help the San Francisco nuclear submarine - on January 8, 2005, a boat traveling at 30 knots (≈55 km/h) crashed into an underwater rock. One sailor was killed, 23 more were injured, and the luxurious antenna in the bow was smashed to pieces.

USS San Francisco (SSN-711) after colliding with an underwater obstacle

To increase combat effectiveness, 12 more vertical launch silos for storing and launching Tomahawks began to be installed in the bow of each Los Angeles, starting with the 32nd boat. In addition, some submarines are equipped with a Dry Deck Shelter container for storing combat swimmers' equipment.
Modernization was carried out not “for show”, but based on reality combat experience– “Los Angeles” aircraft are regularly used to strike coastal targets. "Moose" are covered in blood up to their horns - on the list of destroyed targets are Iraq, Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Libya...

USS Greeneville (SSN-772) with Dry Deck Shelter attached to her hull

Returning to our initial conversation - what did the Americans end up with - a worthless tin "tub" with understated characteristics or a highly effective underwater combat system?

Purely from a reliability point of view, the Los Angeles has set a record that has not yet been broken by anyone - during 37 years of active operation on 62 boats of this type, not a single serious accident involving damage to the reactor core was recorded. The Hyman Rickover tradition is still alive today.

As for the combat characteristics, the creators of the “Moose” can be praised a little. The Americans managed to build a generally successful ship with an emphasis on the most important characteristics (stealth and detection means). The boat was undoubtedly the best in the world in 1976, but by the mid-1980s, with the advent of the first multi-purpose nuclear submarines of Project 971 “Pike-B” in the USSR Navy, the American submarine fleet again found itself in a “catch-up” position. Realizing that the Los was somewhat inferior to the Pike-B, the United States began developing the SeaWolf project, a formidable submarine cruiser priced at $3 billion apiece (they completed the construction of three SeaWolfs in total).

In general, a conversation about Los Angeles-class boats is not so much a conversation about technology, but a conversation about the crews of these submarines. Man is the measure of everything. It is thanks to the preparation and careful maintenance of equipment that American sailors In 37 years we managed not to lose a single boat of this type.

Post scriptum. In April 1984, retired Admiral Hyman Rickover received a cool gift for his 84th birthday—a 7,000-ton Los Angeles-class submarine attack ship named in his honor.

The history of Los Angeles-type atomic killers began in 1906, when a family of emigrants from the Russian Empire - Abraham, Rachel and their six-year-old son Chaim - entered the hall of the Immigration Service of Ellis Island (New York). The kid turned out to be no slouch - when he grew up, he entered the Naval Academy and became a four-star admiral in the US Navy. In total, Hyman Rickover served in the Navy for 63 years and would have served more if he had not been caught taking a bribe of 67 thousand dollars (Rickover himself denied it to the end, declaring that this “nonsense” had no influence on his decisions).

In 1979, after a major accident at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant, Hyman Rickover, as an expert, was called to testify before Congress. The question sounded prosaic: “One hundred nuclear submarines of the US Navy are moving in the depths of the oceans - and not a single accident with the reactor core in 20 years. And then the new nuclear power plant standing on the shore collapsed. Maybe Admiral Rickover knows some magic word?

The elderly admiral's answer was simple: there are no secrets, you just need to work with people. Personally communicate with each specialist, immediately remove fools from working with the reactor and kick them out of the fleet. All high ranks who, for some reason, interfere with the training of personnel in accordance with these principles and sabotage the implementation of my instructions, declare a merciless war and also expel them from the fleet. Ruthlessly “gnaw” contractors and engineers. Safety and reliability are the main areas of work, otherwise even the most powerful and modern submarines will be sunk in batches in peacetime.

If we take as a basis only the tabular characteristics: “speed”, “immersion depth”, “number of torpedo tubes”, then against the background of domestic “Typhoons”, “Anteev” and “Pike”, “Los Angeles” looks like a mediocre trough. A single-hull steel coffin divided into three compartments - any hole would be fatal to it. For comparison, the durable hull of the domestic multi-purpose nuclear submarine Project 971 “Shchuka-B” is divided into six sealed compartments. And the giant Project 941 Akula missile carrier has 19 of them!

There are only four torpedo tubes located at an angle to the center plane of the hull. As a result, the “Moose” cannot fire at full speed - otherwise the torpedo will simply be broken by the incoming stream of water. For comparison, the Shchuka-B has 8 bow-mounted tubes and is capable of using its weapons over the entire range of operating depths and speeds.
The working depth of the Los Angeles is only 250 meters. A quarter of a kilometer – is that really not enough? For comparison, the working depth of the Shchuka-B is 500 meters, the maximum is 600!

Canonical image of the Los Angeles-class nuclear submarine

On the other hand, high maximum speed has never been the most important parameter of a submarine - already at 25 knots of acoustics the boats stop hearing anything due to the noise of the incoming water and the submarine becomes “deaf”, and at 30 knots the boat rumbles so much that it heard at the other end of the ocean. High speed is a useful, but not very important quality.

The main weapon of any submarine is stealth. This parameter contains the whole meaning of the existence of the submarine fleet. Stealth is determined primarily by the submarine's own noise level. The noise level of the Los Angeles-class nuclear submarines did not just meet international standards. The Los Angeles-class submarine itself set world standards.
There were several reasons for the exceptional low noise of the Elks:

Single-hull design. The area of ​​the wetted surface decreased, and, as a result, the noise from friction with the water when the boat moved.

The quality of the screws. By the way, the manufacturing quality of the third-generation Soviet nuclear submarine propellers also increased (and their noise decreased) after the detective story with the purchase of high-precision metal-cutting machines from Toshiba. Having learned about the secret deal between the USSR and Japan, America threw such a scandal that poor Toshiba almost lost access to the American market. Late! “Pike-B” with new propellers have already entered the vastness of the World Ocean.

Some specific points, such as rational placement of equipment inside the boat, depreciation of turbines and power equipment. The reactor circuits have a high degree of natural coolant circulation - this made it possible to abandon high-capacity pumps and, consequently, reduce the noise of the Los Angeles.

It is not enough for a submarine to be fast and secretive - to successfully complete its missions, it is necessary to have a specific understanding of the surrounding environment, learn to navigate the water column, find and identify surface and underwater targets. For a long time, the only means of external detection were a periscope and a hydroacoustic post with an analyzer in the form of an acoustic sailor’s ear. Well, there’s also a gyrocompass that shows where the North is under this damn water.

Other means of collecting information include: equipment for measuring the speed of sound at various depths (an absolutely necessary tool for accurately determining the distance to a target), AN/BPS-15 radar and AN/WLR-9 electronic reconnaissance system (for work on the surface), periscope general view (type 8) and attack periscope (type 15).
However, no cool sensors and sonars helped the San Francisco nuclear submarine - on January 8, 2005, a boat traveling at 30 knots (≈55 km/h) crashed into an underwater rock. One sailor was killed, 23 more were injured, and the luxurious antenna in the bow was smashed to pieces.

USS San Francisco (SSN-711) after colliding with an underwater obstacle

To increase combat effectiveness, 12 more vertical launch silos for storing and launching Tomahawks began to be installed in the bow of each Los Angeles, starting with the 32nd boat. In addition, some submarines are equipped with a Dry Deck Shelter container for storing combat swimmers' equipment.
The modernization was not carried out “for show”, but based on real combat experience - Los Angeles aircraft are regularly used to strike coastal targets. "Moose" are covered in blood up to their horns - on the list of destroyed targets are Iraq, Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Libya...

USS Greeneville (SSN-772) with Dry Deck Shelter attached to her hull

Returning to our initial conversation - what did the Americans end up with - a worthless tin "tub" with understated characteristics or a highly effective underwater combat system?

Purely from a reliability point of view, the Los Angeles has set a record that has not yet been broken by anyone - during 37 years of active operation on 62 boats of this type, not a single serious accident involving damage to the reactor core was recorded. The Hyman Rickover tradition is still alive today.

As for the combat characteristics, the creators of the “Moose” can be praised a little. The Americans managed to build a generally successful ship with an emphasis on the most important characteristics (stealth and detection means). The boat was undoubtedly the best in the world in 1976, but by the mid-1980s, with the advent of the first multi-purpose nuclear submarines of Project 971 “Pike-B” in the USSR Navy, the American submarine fleet again found itself in a “catch-up” position. Realizing that the Los was somewhat inferior to the Pike-B, the United States began developing the SeaWolf project, a formidable submarine cruiser priced at $3 billion apiece (they completed the construction of three SeaWolfs in total).

In general, a conversation about Los Angeles-class boats is not so much a conversation about technology, but a conversation about the crews of these submarines. Man is the measure of everything. It was thanks to the preparation and careful maintenance of the equipment that American sailors managed to not lose a single boat of this type for 37 years.

Post scriptum. In April 1984, retired Admiral Hyman Rickover received a cool gift for his 84th birthday—a 7,000-ton Los Angeles-class submarine attack ship named in his honor.