Shock is our way! The event took place in 1971, in the fall. The Soviet nuclear submarine (tactical number K-162, project 661 "Anchar") with a strong, like armor, hull made of titanium approached the stern of the ship "Saratoga". Attack aircraft carrier of the 6th US Navy planned to easily come off. However, the unusual racer easily avoided the miracle of foreign naval equipment, appearing in front of his nose. The team of "laggards" was shocked by the phenomenal speed capabilities. Only so remained the "shy" fastest submarine! The world was not and is not equal to it. However, on the pages of the Guinness Book of Records about this - not a word. Military secrets do not tolerate hype.
You're lying, you won’t leave!
The unsurpassed pride of the States, a Lexington-type ship sailed from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic port of Miami, to its permanent base. Suddenly, foreign sailors saw: in the depths they were overtaken by a huge "whale" - a submarine, the dimensions of which are comparable to the dimensions of a house on four floors. As it turned out, it was impossible to leave: the deep boat for several hours in a row effortlessly overtook the aircraft carrier, which scored 30 knots (55.56 km / h). This was not surprising: Anchar (K-162) developed 44.7 knots (80.4 km / h).
The power of just one turbine was enough to gain and maintain fantastic speed. The fastest submarine flying like a car along the highway on planet Earth has never been seen before. The confusion of observers grew. The terrible "Old Lady" (one of the nicknames of "Saratoga") looked completely helpless. Soviet technology directly in front of the enemy demonstrated an absolute world record for the speed of underwater movement. And it did not belong to the States, but to a country in which, some thought, bears walk in the streets.
Decent answer
Crazy eyewitnesses could not understand: how can epithets of “tremendous speed” and “fastest” be applied to Russian “floating bast shoes”? "No submarine cooler"? Yes, it is not in vain that they say: it is better to believe and be deceived than to be deceived without believing. It turns out, as much as possible! It is known that in March 1971, a speed of 44.85 knots (83.05 km / h) could be recorded on the Motovskaya measuring line (a section of the coastal water area).
Victory was required to be achieved in the presence of observers from hydrographic vessels. In those days they loved to make dedications to major party events. They wanted to coincide this feat with the opening of the XXIV Congress of the CPSU. The storm began, hydrologists could not go to sea. When the weather settled, they decided not to report. While it was storming, with a 100% load on the power of nuclear reactors, the submarine set a new record, those same 44.85 knots.
Having made two laps in the wind, in the third they encountered problems and a command was voiced to stop the risky experiment. Thus, the figure of 44.7 entered the world record. The bar has not yet been overcome. In the mid 70-ies of the XX century, Soviet designers counted on an increase in production volumes, adjustment of serial production of new items. But this did not happen, although even modern submarines of the Northern Fleet do not reach the indicators of half a century ago.
Due to the high cost (costs accounted for 1% of the state’s budget), the high-speed “carrier killer” turned out to be the only one, unique and, as mentioned above, top-secret. For many years, information was not brought to all military personnel. One can only guess about the degree of penetration into the topic of civilians. One way or another, this was the harsh response of socialism to the capitalist "imperial manners."
We will show you Kuz'kin mother!
Learn more about how and why the fastest submarine was born. The Cold War reigned in the world, the parties, personifying two different political systems, fiercely competed in arms buildup. In the mid-20th century, the United States developed a special military program. A stake was made on a strategy of realistic deterrence, of which the ocean strategy became a part.
The offensive forces changed the direction of the main power, there was a sharp redirection from land to sea. The system was supported with the help of “floating airfields” - groups of attack aircraft carriers. The country of victorious socialism urgently needed not only modern, new technology. It was about that the fastest submarine was about to appear. The USSR did not manage to set up large ships in the 60s of the last century: the war to protect the Fatherland from the Nazi invaders died out relatively recently. The country barely recovered from the devastation. There was a solution: the head of state Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev decided to show his self-confident Kuzkin mother in the form of an unsurpassed submarine fleet.
It’s nice to bang straight from the depths
An important place for the regular improvement of the military equipment of the USSR was allotted even before the fastest submarine appeared. In the world of tough confrontation, in the wake of the ocean strategy, such a need has reached its climax. As you know, the submarines of the Country of the Soviets of the sixties sample had a serious drawback: missiles could be launched to hit a target only when rising from a depth, after surfacing.
Often in this position, the submarines were "spotlighted" by the enemy and destroyed (if they did not have time to "dodge" in time). Soon, the Amethyst appeared - a missile system capable of launching from the depths covered with darkness. It was created under the control of the designer of space rocket technology Vladimir Chelomei (photo above). The novelty was immediately adopted, although the mass of the warhead became smaller, as well as the firing range. All these seemingly negative factors with a margin were compensated by the ability to deliver a hidden surprise strike.
Secret mission
It was assumed that a constantly moving target would track the all-seeing "eye" of the autonomous control and guidance system. This made it possible to simplify the task of avoiding patrol vessels (escort ships) of a possible enemy. It was intended to install ten P-70 shells (cruise missiles) on board at once. Like air, we needed the most powerful submarine! In the world of ships capable of sinking and operating under water, under no circumstances could there be “clones” and competitors.
Not even hundreds, but thousands of specialists were involved in the work, all of them signed an obligation to not disclose state secrets. The design decisions that were used earlier were immediately swept away: the submarine of the future was born. We were guided by the cruise missile range with the beautiful name "Amethyst". It is small - eighty kilometers. In order for the submarine to dynamically approach floating airfields at a distance of attack, it was necessary to endow it with high speed capabilities (equivalent to torpedo ones).
Fancy and ergonomic
In an atmosphere of tension and secrets, the best submarine was born. In the world and in the country no one knew the name of the project manager. Unquestioned scientific authority, a high-class specialist in shipbuilding, Academician Nikolai Isanin (as the notorious designer of the Vostok spacecraft Sergei Korolev was once) was a highly classified figure. Under his sensitive and strict leadership, the team worked around the clock. At a certain stage, the leadership took control of Nikolai Shulzhenko. Painstaking, strenuous activity bore fruit.
In December 1960, the project of the submarine of the future was ready. The number of avant-garde technical solutions was “off scale” - 398: the steering wheel is like an airplane, telemechanics, television cameras, automation, and, of course, the very durable titanium case that the Sevmash plant manufactured in Severodvinsk in 1962. K-162 itself was laid at the same enterprise in December 1963 (serial number 501). An important role was given to ergonomics.
Four potential circumnavigations
Energy was provided by two nuclear reactors. Project 661 included a two-shaft steam power installation (40,000 horsepower each, 2 times higher than the indicators of all foreign and domestic "brothers"). Largely due to this, the title "fastest submarine" was won. In a world where a peaceful atom was just being mastered, a model of technology on the brink of science fiction gave our country self-confidence.
Nuclear fuel in reactors would be enough for four round-the-world voyages (with increased efficiency and safety). "Celebrity Biography" of the past in a short line: the boat (since January 1978 was listed under tactical number K-222) was launched in 1968; decommissioned in 1988; finally disposed of in 2010 at Sevmash.
Noise is not good
The best submarine in the world could not be mass-produced for a number of reasons. Cool titanium case was extremely difficult to manufacture. By the end of the 80s of the twentieth century, the P-70 Amethyst missiles (main armament) were out of date. A potential adversary has developed new detection devices. Hydroacoustic systems with a high degree of guarantee easily found the location of K-162 (K-222). The situation was complicated by the high noise of Anchara.
Anti-submarine aircraft developed. At the thunderstorm of the oceans "whale" (the Soviet sailors for the high cost and brilliance called the boat "Golden Fish") there was less and less chance of survival. It would seem that recycling, which began in 2008, is an ordinary event. Humanity has not yet invented the perpetual motion machine. Everything once becomes unusable. But it was the only record holder that could become a museum of achievements in design and engineering. Do not save.
Dust overgrown
K-222 went for scrap, like a rusty bed or an old kettle. And this is a submarine equipped with the Sigma-661 (all-latitude), Radan-1, and Nichrome systems (it determined the property belongs to a certain state), the carrier of the Rubin sonar system! Breaking - not building ... There is an opinion: today a beautiful tourist site could increase its popularity.
After a long secret existence, the most powerful submarine would probably have told a lot of interesting things about its difficult life. There are not many miracles in the world as it seems. Fans of technology believe that Anchar was one of the unusual objects and phenomena. Nevertheless, the experience of titanium structures was used in other designs (685, 705, 945, 945A, etc.), and the Amethyst rockets were still useful on Skat boats (built according to project 670).