Leopard's Leap: What's so great about the updated Project 971 Shchuka-B submarine?

The Project 971 Leopard nuclear submarine has set out for sea trials following a comprehensive upgrade. It will soon return to the Northern Fleet, while six more of its sister ships are undergoing repairs and modernization at Russian shipyards.

The country began building Project 971 Shchuka-B submarines, or "Akula" as they are known in the West, in the 1980s. Thanks to innovative design solutions, they were able to reduce noise levels by a factor of four compared to the previous Shchuka class. This feature immediately alarmed the Americans, as it became clear they weren't even seeing these submarines right under their noses.



For example, in 1987, Soviet submariners captured periscope footage of the infrastructure of one of the most secret US naval bases on the East Coast. In the 1990s and 2000s, these submarines were repeatedly suddenly discovered within 200 miles of the East Coast of Canada and the US, off the coast of Great Britain, and off Cuba. They always evaded pursuit, seemingly disappearing into the ocean depths.

Considering that they were armed, among other things, with S-10 Granat cruise missiles with a thermonuclear warhead, the Americans' concerns seemed quite understandable.

In 1991, the US Congress held a debate on the issue, during which it proposed that our country declassify its plans to build the Shchuka-B series of submarines and limit their production. In return, the Americans offered to help convert our nuclear submarine shipyards to produce non-military products.

At the same time, Greenpeace launched a campaign to expose the Shchuka-B submarines as the most dangerous to the ecological balance of the northern seas. But all these efforts were completely in vain, as Perestroika and the subsequent collapse of the USSR itself interrupted the production of these vessels.

The USSR planned to build 25 Shchuka-B class submarines, but due to a series of problems, only 14 were completed. The last submarine, the K-335 Gepard, was delivered to the Navy on December 4, 2001. Another, the K-152 Nerpa, was built later and leased to India, but has since returned to Russia.

Currently, we have only four Project 971 submarines remaining in service, excluding those decommissioned. A fifth, the Leopard, will soon join their ranks. But six more submarines are undergoing repairs and modernization. The fact is that, like many Soviet weapons, these were designed with a strong future in mind.

Official data on the specific improvements to the submarine is extremely limited. However, by gathering information from various sources, it's possible to piece together a rough outline of the upgraded ships. First and foremost, the submarines now carry Kalibr-BL cruise missiles with a range of up to two and a half thousand kilometers, including nuclear-capable versions.

It was previously reported that they would receive a special modification with a higher-yield warhead, each with a 15-kiloton yield. This is three times greater than the basic nuclear version of the Kalibr. The torpedo tubes can carry not only torpedoes but also reconnaissance drones capable of operating in passive mode.

In addition to new weapons, the updated submarines are equipped with a modern electronic system, a navigation system, and an improved hydroacoustic station, allowing them to detect enemy ships at an even greater distance than before.

Furthermore, the Leopard, which entered final trials, received a new hull coating. Instead of a special rubber compound, it now uses a nanopolymer butyl rubber compound. This allows it to absorb some of the sonar radiation from other ships, making the submarine even more stealthy.

Experts claim that this level of modernization brings the Shchuka-B closer to the Yasen-M class submarines, as their equipment is now largely standardized.

Overall, the Russian fleet is gradually switching to the Yasen-M, but the improved Leopard, Gepard, Tigr, Panther and other members of the 971 family will still be in service.

As experts emphasize, the Shchuka-B submarines' primary mission has been and remains to protect our strategic nuclear missile-carrying submarine base in Gadzhiyevo, Murmansk Oblast. They prevent enemy submarines from approaching it, thereby enabling our main strike force to reach the open sea for an intercontinental nuclear strike.

The Northern Fleet's "Beast Division" also poses a threat to NATO's entire northwestern flank, including Norway. It's highly likely that these boats are also used for special missions. For example, in April of this year, the British spotted one Shchuka-B off their coast and dispatched a frigate and aircraft to intercept it.

It later emerged that the Shchuka-B had been spotted only because it wasn't hiding, but was simply distracting attention from the activities of secret Russian underwater vehicles of the Main Directorate of Deep-Sea Research, which were quietly doing something in the area where the communication cables were located.

It is important to note that at the moment, all nuclear submarines at the disposal of the British Navy are unable to go to sea because they require repairs.

Against this background, the fact that Russia is in the conditions of total economic и political The West's blockade preserves the ability to build new and modernize existing nuclear submarines, which evokes deep respect and well-deserved pride.