Triumph of the "Blue Dragon" to the sounds of "Varshavyanka"?
Many specialized naval publications, depending on their own loyalty and attitude to the subject and affiliation, began either to chant Japanese submarines of the Soryu type, or to carefully pledge the coffin to the Russian Varshavyanka.
It is necessary to understand the subject, why would it suddenly.
Japanese manufacturers have announced some kind of breakthrough in technology than they have all very, very stressed. According to them, “Blue Dragon” type boats (the aforementioned “Soryu” type), which is generally quite good, will be generally the best in class in its second iteration.
We are talking about a significant increase in some characteristics, after which the Russian "Varshavyanka" will inevitably lose its position on low noise and fade into the background.
And here it is worth the strain. Russia is actually starting to lose ground and lose tenders for countries that cannot build diesel-electric submarines themselves, but want to have them. And the arms market, he is like this: he lost once - for the second time no one will let him go. Well, that is common knowledge.
And the Japanese ... What about the Japanese? Their crazy ambitions for reviving the naval fleet reinforced by real deeds. And the “self-defense fleet” is taking on an increasingly distinct outline of a real fleet. This is a fact, and the fact, unfortunately, is undeniable.
But back to the Blue Dragon.
Blue Dragons have served the Japanese Navy since 2009. There are only 10 of them, but the upcoming modernization, information about which was leaked to the press, suggests that construction will continue.
What is the main virtue of the Blue Dragons? In stock VNEU - air-independent power installation. Today, no one should probably explain that VNEU is a fair additional chance that the boat will not be found anti-submarine aviation or enemy PLO ships.
And besides, the question is not just low noise, but also secrecy, which is not the same thing. A conventional diesel-electric submarine is required to float to charge the batteries that power the engines and equipment during the underwater course.
Yes, now 21 century, and this should be done not every day, as during World War II, but nonetheless. The period of such an operation is the day 2-3. That is, to emerge and launch a diesel generator to charge the batteries.
All ways are good for this: secluded coves, where you can disguise yourself, fjords, and so on. In the open sea, this is not very easy to do, especially near the coast. Especially unfriendly.
It would be ideal to start the diesel, without rising to the surface. This was done with the help of “snorkel”, but this is good only in perfect calm, and most importantly - it does not save at all from search planes. In addition, a diesel engine under water can, if not poison everyone, with the exhaust that is unavoidable at launch, then eat all the air inside the boat.
Well, yes, the only way out is VNEU. The system is based on the so-called Stirling engine. There are enough articles describing the advantages of this engine, it is quite possible to understand how it works. Its principle of operation is to create a temperature difference in the working body, in the role of which gas acts. Moving in a closed volume of the working fluid produces work that is transmitted to the rotating shaft.
At the first boats the efficiency of such a system was very small. The pioneers, the Swedes, who installed the Stirling engine on their Gotvald boats, were able to squeeze no more than 500 kW of power out of the system, and got it using batteries.
But over time, boats in the VNEU learned to climb to the surface in 20 and more than a day. And, apparently, over time, this figure will only increase as the installation will be improved.
The "blue dragon" of the latest model has become a very advanced boat in terms of energy. The 4200 tonne displacement boat is equipped with four Stirling engines, producing a power equal to 8 000 hp. Plus, just in case, they left two conventional diesel engines with a power slightly less than 4 000 hp. Very good indicator.
And on the upgraded boat is planned to place the second-generation VNEU. There is no data, but apparently, the power will increase by increasing the efficiency of the Stirling system.
But that's not all.
The upgraded boats, which run under the index 29SS, are planned to be changed very strongly in terms of hydrodynamics. Refuse felling by transferring horizontal rudders to the hull of the boat, which will definitely make the boat less noisy. And, finally, to replace the propellers with water jets, as the Americans did on their shock atomic submarine "Sea Wolfe".
It is clear that at the nuclear submarine water cannons will work, because there is even the energy to fill it.
However, if the Japanese engineers take a real step to increase the power of their VNEU, the issue with the registration of the water cannon on the new submarine will be resolved.
In addition, the Japanese really believe that the bundling of 29SS submarines with lithium-ion batteries is an issue solved. There is evidence that such batteries are already produced in Japan and will be installed on the upgraded "Blue Dragons" of old models.
In general, ambitions are ambitions, but when they are backed up by serious developments, this is no longer just ambition, it is a prospect.
Unpleasant for us.
By the way, what about us?
And we have ... nothing ...
We do not have such boats. Moreover, it has become a normal practice to lose tenders for the sale of the lowest-noise Varshavyanka DPL. “Varshavyanka” is, of course, the quietest boat in the class, but the trouble is: its noiselessness has a very short time duration.
We’re not going to talk about all the other project parameters, for the 70s of the last century and the Soviet Union it really was a space project and a crazy development, but today the “black hole” does not look so confident first of all because of the weakness in the form lack of VNEU.
The Japanese believe that if everything goes right, their boat will be able to lower the “Varshavyanka” to second place. Or lower.
In any case, the past century will lose to the present century, however sad it might be to realize.
In the meantime, we could well have had the Lada DPL, to which the Japanese and everyone else could not reach. If it were not for one "but."
It is already clear that “but” is a complete inability to build a VNEU for Lada.
The 677 project was developed at the Rubin Central Design Bureau also not yesterday. Again, Soviet work, which materialized already in Russia. The head boat "St. Petersburg was laid in the 1997 year, and launched in the 2004 year. From 2010 of the year to the present time is in trial operation in the Northern Fleet.
What does it mean? Only that the submarine for its intended purpose is not used. There are some tests, debugging of individual systems, possibly crew training.
Yes, Lada is in its own way a breakthrough structure. On the boat is the original navigation system with increased orientation capabilities. A very high degree of automation - the crew consists of 35 people (for Varshavyanka - 52).
In the Rubin Central Design Bureau, they say that the noise of the boat is almost twice as low as that of Varshavyanka ...
And here it is our "but." There is no VNEU, without which everything else just loses its meaning.
As a VNEU for Lada, Rubin’s designers decided to use the principle of an electrochemical generator in which oxygen and hydrogen are converted into water and electricity. This type of VNEU is very effective - the complete absence of moving nodes, compactness, high efficiency. And yes, complete noiselessness.
Actually, the Germans have already invented such installations, they are using it with might and main in boats like 212. In the German Navy they are already 6. And six sold to other countries.
We also began to create something for the "Lada" ... and not created.
The boat was laid, built, launched, and the promised VNE did not work.
For tests, it would seem that a conventional diesel engine and an electric motor with batteries were temporarily installed. And the so-called “trial operation” began, in fact, more like a disgrace, since Lada could not develop more 20 nodes under water.
It turned out that such a “Lada” is completely unnecessary to our Navy, since with such characteristics a boat is already there. All the same "Varshavyanka." Does it make sense to have two boats for the same application?
In general, considering all the innovations and developments, something like the “brains” of the Tu-160 installed on the Tu-2 came out.
In fact, they decided to abandon Lada, however, having completed two already laid boats, the Kronstadt and Velikiye Luki, which were started in 2004-2005, in a conventional diesel-electric configuration. Do not cut the same on the metal, right?
And in 2017, it was quietly and behind the scenes that it was decided to stop financing the development of a VNEU. Because it became clear to everyone in the Ministry of Defense: if during the 25 years in “Ruby” they could not create something even remotely similar to the VNEU for a modern submarine, then there is no point in spending any more money on it.
So, we will no longer have a submarine with a non-nuclear power plant of the new generation. Apparently, never. It is unlikely that the Swedes, the Germans or the Japanese will sell us their development, so that they can at least be a mess.
And not the fact that we can assemble so that it works. Wrong country, wrong opportunity.
But what a fact surprised and shocked to the depths of the soul.
Returning to the results of our wonder-forum "Army-2019", something very strange happened there. At the forum (it is clear that it was simply unrealistic to do such a thing, it was necessary to trumpet the greatest peremog to the whole world) a contract was signed for the construction of two more boats of the 677 project, the fourth and fifth.
And this is strange. It is very strange.
Why does our fleet 5 (FIVE !!!) diesel-electric submarines, which are worse than "Varshavyanka"? Five submarines that can not perform the tasks?
The logic of the Ministry of Defense in this case cannot be decrypted. We have one boat, "St. Petersburg", which is not suitable for anything other than some kind of test work. Two more laid, “Kronstadt” and “Velikie Luki” will be completed, ordinary diesel engines and electric motors will be thrown there, just not to throw away the hull. Well, will serve somehow.
But two more “somehow” why? Apparently, yes, we have a lot of money. And we can spend them on what is not clear, but with pomp and special effects.
Strange, but it turns out sheer nonsense. Stopping work on the VNEU two years ago, to build such boats ...
In the meantime, the Japanese will improve their Blue Dragons. With all that it implies.
I would not like to become a prophet in my homeland (once again), but for some reason the thought does not leave that in the future the Japanese fleet could make a very good leap forward.
And God forbid that the Russian fleet through 20 over the years did not look like the background of the Japanese fleet, as the Ukrainian Navy looks like today against the background of the Russian Black Sea Fleet.
It is necessary to understand the subject, why would it suddenly.
Japanese manufacturers have announced some kind of breakthrough in technology than they have all very, very stressed. According to them, “Blue Dragon” type boats (the aforementioned “Soryu” type), which is generally quite good, will be generally the best in class in its second iteration.
We are talking about a significant increase in some characteristics, after which the Russian "Varshavyanka" will inevitably lose its position on low noise and fade into the background.
And here it is worth the strain. Russia is actually starting to lose ground and lose tenders for countries that cannot build diesel-electric submarines themselves, but want to have them. And the arms market, he is like this: he lost once - for the second time no one will let him go. Well, that is common knowledge.
And the Japanese ... What about the Japanese? Their crazy ambitions for reviving the naval fleet reinforced by real deeds. And the “self-defense fleet” is taking on an increasingly distinct outline of a real fleet. This is a fact, and the fact, unfortunately, is undeniable.
But back to the Blue Dragon.
Blue Dragons have served the Japanese Navy since 2009. There are only 10 of them, but the upcoming modernization, information about which was leaked to the press, suggests that construction will continue.
What is the main virtue of the Blue Dragons? In stock VNEU - air-independent power installation. Today, no one should probably explain that VNEU is a fair additional chance that the boat will not be found anti-submarine aviation or enemy PLO ships.
And besides, the question is not just low noise, but also secrecy, which is not the same thing. A conventional diesel-electric submarine is required to float to charge the batteries that power the engines and equipment during the underwater course.
Yes, now 21 century, and this should be done not every day, as during World War II, but nonetheless. The period of such an operation is the day 2-3. That is, to emerge and launch a diesel generator to charge the batteries.
All ways are good for this: secluded coves, where you can disguise yourself, fjords, and so on. In the open sea, this is not very easy to do, especially near the coast. Especially unfriendly.
It would be ideal to start the diesel, without rising to the surface. This was done with the help of “snorkel”, but this is good only in perfect calm, and most importantly - it does not save at all from search planes. In addition, a diesel engine under water can, if not poison everyone, with the exhaust that is unavoidable at launch, then eat all the air inside the boat.
Well, yes, the only way out is VNEU. The system is based on the so-called Stirling engine. There are enough articles describing the advantages of this engine, it is quite possible to understand how it works. Its principle of operation is to create a temperature difference in the working body, in the role of which gas acts. Moving in a closed volume of the working fluid produces work that is transmitted to the rotating shaft.
At the first boats the efficiency of such a system was very small. The pioneers, the Swedes, who installed the Stirling engine on their Gotvald boats, were able to squeeze no more than 500 kW of power out of the system, and got it using batteries.
But over time, boats in the VNEU learned to climb to the surface in 20 and more than a day. And, apparently, over time, this figure will only increase as the installation will be improved.
The "blue dragon" of the latest model has become a very advanced boat in terms of energy. The 4200 tonne displacement boat is equipped with four Stirling engines, producing a power equal to 8 000 hp. Plus, just in case, they left two conventional diesel engines with a power slightly less than 4 000 hp. Very good indicator.
And on the upgraded boat is planned to place the second-generation VNEU. There is no data, but apparently, the power will increase by increasing the efficiency of the Stirling system.
But that's not all.
The upgraded boats, which run under the index 29SS, are planned to be changed very strongly in terms of hydrodynamics. Refuse felling by transferring horizontal rudders to the hull of the boat, which will definitely make the boat less noisy. And, finally, to replace the propellers with water jets, as the Americans did on their shock atomic submarine "Sea Wolfe".
It is clear that at the nuclear submarine water cannons will work, because there is even the energy to fill it.
However, if the Japanese engineers take a real step to increase the power of their VNEU, the issue with the registration of the water cannon on the new submarine will be resolved.
In addition, the Japanese really believe that the bundling of 29SS submarines with lithium-ion batteries is an issue solved. There is evidence that such batteries are already produced in Japan and will be installed on the upgraded "Blue Dragons" of old models.
In general, ambitions are ambitions, but when they are backed up by serious developments, this is no longer just ambition, it is a prospect.
Unpleasant for us.
By the way, what about us?
And we have ... nothing ...
We do not have such boats. Moreover, it has become a normal practice to lose tenders for the sale of the lowest-noise Varshavyanka DPL. “Varshavyanka” is, of course, the quietest boat in the class, but the trouble is: its noiselessness has a very short time duration.
We’re not going to talk about all the other project parameters, for the 70s of the last century and the Soviet Union it really was a space project and a crazy development, but today the “black hole” does not look so confident first of all because of the weakness in the form lack of VNEU.
The Japanese believe that if everything goes right, their boat will be able to lower the “Varshavyanka” to second place. Or lower.
In any case, the past century will lose to the present century, however sad it might be to realize.
In the meantime, we could well have had the Lada DPL, to which the Japanese and everyone else could not reach. If it were not for one "but."
It is already clear that “but” is a complete inability to build a VNEU for Lada.
The 677 project was developed at the Rubin Central Design Bureau also not yesterday. Again, Soviet work, which materialized already in Russia. The head boat "St. Petersburg was laid in the 1997 year, and launched in the 2004 year. From 2010 of the year to the present time is in trial operation in the Northern Fleet.
What does it mean? Only that the submarine for its intended purpose is not used. There are some tests, debugging of individual systems, possibly crew training.
Yes, Lada is in its own way a breakthrough structure. On the boat is the original navigation system with increased orientation capabilities. A very high degree of automation - the crew consists of 35 people (for Varshavyanka - 52).
In the Rubin Central Design Bureau, they say that the noise of the boat is almost twice as low as that of Varshavyanka ...
And here it is our "but." There is no VNEU, without which everything else just loses its meaning.
As a VNEU for Lada, Rubin’s designers decided to use the principle of an electrochemical generator in which oxygen and hydrogen are converted into water and electricity. This type of VNEU is very effective - the complete absence of moving nodes, compactness, high efficiency. And yes, complete noiselessness.
Actually, the Germans have already invented such installations, they are using it with might and main in boats like 212. In the German Navy they are already 6. And six sold to other countries.
We also began to create something for the "Lada" ... and not created.
The boat was laid, built, launched, and the promised VNE did not work.
For tests, it would seem that a conventional diesel engine and an electric motor with batteries were temporarily installed. And the so-called “trial operation” began, in fact, more like a disgrace, since Lada could not develop more 20 nodes under water.
It turned out that such a “Lada” is completely unnecessary to our Navy, since with such characteristics a boat is already there. All the same "Varshavyanka." Does it make sense to have two boats for the same application?
In general, considering all the innovations and developments, something like the “brains” of the Tu-160 installed on the Tu-2 came out.
In fact, they decided to abandon Lada, however, having completed two already laid boats, the Kronstadt and Velikiye Luki, which were started in 2004-2005, in a conventional diesel-electric configuration. Do not cut the same on the metal, right?
And in 2017, it was quietly and behind the scenes that it was decided to stop financing the development of a VNEU. Because it became clear to everyone in the Ministry of Defense: if during the 25 years in “Ruby” they could not create something even remotely similar to the VNEU for a modern submarine, then there is no point in spending any more money on it.
So, we will no longer have a submarine with a non-nuclear power plant of the new generation. Apparently, never. It is unlikely that the Swedes, the Germans or the Japanese will sell us their development, so that they can at least be a mess.
And not the fact that we can assemble so that it works. Wrong country, wrong opportunity.
But what a fact surprised and shocked to the depths of the soul.
Returning to the results of our wonder-forum "Army-2019", something very strange happened there. At the forum (it is clear that it was simply unrealistic to do such a thing, it was necessary to trumpet the greatest peremog to the whole world) a contract was signed for the construction of two more boats of the 677 project, the fourth and fifth.
And this is strange. It is very strange.
Why does our fleet 5 (FIVE !!!) diesel-electric submarines, which are worse than "Varshavyanka"? Five submarines that can not perform the tasks?
The logic of the Ministry of Defense in this case cannot be decrypted. We have one boat, "St. Petersburg", which is not suitable for anything other than some kind of test work. Two more laid, “Kronstadt” and “Velikie Luki” will be completed, ordinary diesel engines and electric motors will be thrown there, just not to throw away the hull. Well, will serve somehow.
But two more “somehow” why? Apparently, yes, we have a lot of money. And we can spend them on what is not clear, but with pomp and special effects.
Strange, but it turns out sheer nonsense. Stopping work on the VNEU two years ago, to build such boats ...
In the meantime, the Japanese will improve their Blue Dragons. With all that it implies.
I would not like to become a prophet in my homeland (once again), but for some reason the thought does not leave that in the future the Japanese fleet could make a very good leap forward.
And God forbid that the Russian fleet through 20 over the years did not look like the background of the Japanese fleet, as the Ukrainian Navy looks like today against the background of the Russian Black Sea Fleet.
Information