Typhoon class

   The Project 941 Akula boats, known in the West as Typhoon class, are the largest undersea vessels ever built. The Western name became that popular, that even Russians refer these boats as the Typhoon class. These submarines are based on a double hull design that comprises two separate pressure hulls joined by a single outer covering to give increased protection against anti-submarine weapons.

   The class was built specifically for operations with the Soviet Northern Fleet in the Arctic ice pack. The reinforced sail, advanced stern fin with horizontal hydroplane fitted aft of the screws and retractable bow hydroplanes allow the submarine to break easily through spots of thin ice within the Arctic ice shelf. Under the ice these boats are much harder to track and to engage.

   The first unit was laid down in 1976 at Severodvinsk and commissioned in 1980, achieving operational status in 1981. To arm the Typhoon, development of a fifth-generation submarine-launched ballistic missile, the R-39 Rif (Western reporting name SS-N-20 Sturgeon), began in 1973. A total of 6 Typhoon class vessels were commissioned between 1981-89, entering service to form part of the 1st Flotilla of Atomic Submarines, within the Western Theatre of the Northern Fleet, and based at Nyerpicha. Construction of a 7th vessel began in 1986, but was never completed. Eventually in 1990 this 7th unfinished submarine was scrapped.

   The R-39 allowed the submarine to fire the weapon from within the Arctic Circle and still hit a target anywhere within the continental US. A single missile could carry up to 10 warheads. Each submarine carried 20 of these intercontinental ballistic missiles.

   The Typhoons, were originally planned to be retrofitted with the improved R-39M Grom (Western reporting name SS-N-28) ballistic missiles. However these improved missiles had a number of successive testing failures and their development was eventually stopped.

   Three Typhoon class boats were decommissioned between 1996 and 1998. These submarines were scrapped between 2005 and 2009.

   In 2002 only two boats remained in active service in order to test the R-39M Grom or the new Bulava submarine-launched ballistic missiles, contravening the Co-operative Threat Reduction Program.

   In 2003 the Dmitry Donskoy was refitted as a test platform to carry the new Bulava missiles. One launcher of the new missile system was fitted. This submarine performed a number of tests. In 2005 it successfully launched the Bulava missile from submerged position while on the move.

   The Severstal and Arkhangelsk boats were in reserve since 2004 and 2006 respectively. There were two main reasons for that - lack of ballistic missiles for these submarines and funding problems. By that time production of R-39 missiles was stopped and existing missiles were gradually destroyed due to START I and START II nuclear weapons reduction treaties. The R-39 missile was officially decommissioned in 2004. So Russia had no missiles for its Typhoon class boats. Also it costs nearly twice to maintain a single Typhoon class submarine, comparing with a smaller but nearly as capable Delta IV class submarine, or the new Borei class submarine. Russian Navy planned to restore and refit with new missiles Severstal and Arkhangelsk submarines and bring them back to service, however it could not be done due to funding problems. The price of restoring one Typhoon class boat was similar to building two new Borei class ballistic missile boats. So Severstal and Arkhangelsk were inactive for more than 10 years. In 2013 it was announced that these two boats will be decommissioned and scrapped in 2018-2020. In 2017-2018 scrapping of these two boats began.

   By 2018 only one boat, the Dmitry Donskoy, remained operational. However its status was unclear. This boats was already significantly exceeding its planned service life of 25 years. It was planned to remain in service until 2019 as a platform for testing new weapons and sonars. Most likely that this last boat will be scrapped after 2019. The Typhoon class is being replaced with new Borei class submarines.