Research submarine Project 20120 B-90 "Sarov". Photo by Sevmash, 2008.

Research submarine Sarov — a large diesel-electric submarine ("B"). Designed for testing weapons and equipment of nuclear submarines. Based with the Northern Fleet.

Nature of the Vessel

"Sarov" is a submarine for testing and working out the application of various weapons systems, and also, in all likelihood, for testing an auxiliary nuclear power plant and new types of reactors for nuclear submarines.

Possibly, either from the outset or prospectively, an auxiliary nuclear power plant based on a reactor designed by Afrikantov OKBM (Experimental Design Bureau of Mechanical Engineering) (manufactured in 2006, according to media reports) is being or will be tested aboard the submarine.

The internet also features several other proposed roles for the submarine, which appear doubtful:

  • a research submarine carrier of a new type of large-caliber missile-torpedo armament (1 oversized launch tube);
  • a research submarine carrier of a large-caliber autonomous underwater vehicle with a nuclear power plant (if so, this may refer to a vehicle analogous to the AUV of the PALTUS class, which according to Western sources is deployed from YANKEE STRETCH and DELTA III STRETCH submarines);
  • a research submarine carrier of 8 autonomous underwater vehicles

History

The sole submarine of the "Sargan" project — B-90 (yard number 137) — was laid down at the Krasnoye Sormovo Plant plant (city of Nizhny Novgorod) on 18 September 1988 and was left unfinished (the planned Navy delivery date was 1993). Construction was halted in 1998 at 40% completion. The decision to complete construction at the Sevmash production association was made in October 2001. The hull of the "Sargan" submarine arrived at the Sevmash production association in Severodvinsk in August 2003 for completion under the revised (June 2003) Project 20120 (chief designer A.P. Praselin). The keel plate was re-laid on 19 March 2006. On 26 May 2007, by order No. 025 of the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy, the submarine was named "Sarov." On 14 December 2007, the submarine was moved out of the Sevmash assembly shop, and on 24 December 2007 was launched (in Severodvinsk). Mooring trials began on 1 January 2008. In July 2008 the submarine completed factory sea trials and state trials and was accepted into the Navy on 7 August 2008. Based with the Northern Fleet (2009 — Severodvinsk).

Development of the preliminary design of the "Sargan" test-bed submarine was begun in 1988 by TsKB MT "Rubin," chief designer A.V. Belov (completed in March 1988). In March 1989, the technical design was approved and work on the production drawings began. There is speculation that the hull design was based on the Project 877B submarine.

Specifications

The following data are based on analysis of open sources and are of a speculative nature.

Construction

"Sarov" is a double-hulled submarine. Along the sides of the forward section of the hull are conformal streamlined blisters — most likely intended to house an additional compensating ballast system used when testing experimental torpedoes and other weapons. There is also an opinion that these are a vestige of the original "Sargan" design of unknown purpose, which for now (or perhaps permanently) is not in use.

Engines and Power Plant

  • 1 × diesel generator
  • 1 × propulsion electric motor

An auxiliary power unit "Kristall-27," developed by JSC SKBK and based on fuel cells, enabling the submarine to extend its autonomous underwater endurance to 60–90 days. The unit is distinguished by intermetallic and cryogenic storage of hydrogen and oxygen, as well as a low-temperature electrochemical generator with an alkaline matrix electrolyte. It may be installed behind the sail casing in a submarine section with a superstructure.

According to information from http://zakupki.gov.ru, on 14 May 2009 an open tender was held for the R&D project "Rozn'" (declared void) providing for full-scale tests by November 2010 of a mock-up high-temperature steam turbine unit with an electric generator rated at 100 kW (mock-up components: turbine, electric generator, condenser, oil supply system, auxiliary equipment; requirements: nominal steam temperature — 850°C, electrical output — 80–100 kW, rotation speed — 24,000 rpm, nominal pressure — 3 MPa) with determination of power, gas-dynamic, and vibration-acoustic characteristics up to 3,200 Hz. The R&D project "Rozn'" envisions the creation of low-noise, compact, advanced energy sources using nuclear-hydrogen fuels for submarines. The tender participant as of 14 May 2009 was ZAO "NPVP Turbokon" (Kaluga). The contract value for the R&D work was 39 million rubles.

Crew

Crew — 52 persons (officers and warrant officers)

Technical Characteristics

Length — 72.6 m (98.5 m according to http://maps.google.com) Beam — 9.9 m (12.5 m according to http://maps.google.com) Draft — 7 m

Surface displacement — 2,300 tons Submerged displacement — 3,950 tons

Surface speed — 10 knots Submerged speed — 17 knots Maximum diving depth — 300 m

Standard endurance — 45 days Submerged endurance — up to 20 days

Armament

Armament: torpedo tubes (2) and a large-caliber launch tube in the bow section of the hull.

Speculative information — submarine B-90 "Sarov" may be used for testing systems under the R&D project "Skif" of the State Rocket Center "KB named after Makeev" (formerly SKB-385, Miass). "Skif" is an R&D project, likely involving the creation of a submarine-launched missile or torpedo system using a rocket motor. Initial work under the R&D project "Spilit" was successfully carried out by Department No. 118 of the State Rocket Center jointly with Leningrad submarine design bureaus from 1988 onward. After a competitive tender in the early 1990s, the State Rocket Center began full-scale development of the R&D project "Skif" on commission from the Russian Ministry of Defense. In the late 1990s, the State Rocket Center, at the proposal of TsKB MT "Rubin," was to have become the lead organization for the development of both the weapon system and the "Skif" complex (this was not approved). Production of experimental units under the "Skif" project began in the first quarter of 2005 (tentatively). The first successful tests under the R&D project "Skif" were conducted with a system launch in October 2008.

The launch of the system is most likely carried out through a specially designed launch tube of original construction located in the bow section of the submarine. In 2009, the system under the R&D project was tentatively either in the stage of refinement of the experimental unit(s), or in the stage of full-scale tests in the hydraulic test facility of the State Rocket Center "KB named after Makeev," or in the stage of design trials aboard the research submarine B-90 "Sarov," or at some other stage of development. The presumed purpose of the R&D project is the creation of a submarine-launched strike system.

Equipment

Equipment: integrated sonar system, radar, radar signal detection system, radio communications suite, navigation complex, periscope(s). Submarine B-90 "Sarov" is equipped with a pop-up rescue capsule (such capsules had previously been installed only on nuclear submarines).

Status

National registry : Russian Federation.

2008–2009 — 1 unit in service with the Navy, Severodvinsk, Northern Fleet.

2009 — from at least 30 June through 14 September (or longer) — submarine B-90 "Sarov," according to http://maps.google.com, is at the Zvezdochka ship repair plant (Severodvinsk).

Sources

See Also