Prospects for the cruiser TK-208 "Dmitry Donskoy"
The submarine "Dmitry Donskoy" at the pier. Photo by the Russian Ministry of Defense
In the early eighties, the newest heavy nuclear-powered strategic submarine missile cruiser TK-208 (since 2002 has been named “Dmitry Donskoy”), the lead ship of the new Project 941 “Akula”, entered the service of the USSR Navy. Over the next decades, this submarine participated in strategic nuclear deterrence and in the development of the naval component of nuclear forces. However, to date, due to moral and physical obsolescence, the ship has been withdrawn from service. fleet and plan to dispose of it. Such plans are predictably criticized - and other options for using the unique submarine are proposed.
Lead ship of the series
Project 941 “Shark” was developed in the first half of the seventies at the Leningrad design and installation bureau “Rubin” (now CDB MT “Rubin”). The construction of the submarines was entrusted to the Sevmash enterprise (Severodvinsk), which had the necessary production facilities. The Navy's plans included the construction of 10 ships, but the actual series was limited to 6 hulls. The construction of the rest was canceled at the preparation stage.
The lead ship, designated TK-208, was laid down on June 17, 1976. Construction on the slipway continued until September 1980, when the submarine was launched. In December of the following year, after all the work and testing, the cruiser was handed over to the customer. Soon he began full-time service in the Northern Fleet.
TK-208 and the next five similar “Sharks”, built before the end of the eighties, were carriers of R-39 intercontinental ballistic missiles. Like other SSBNs, Project 941 submarines were supposed to patrol in specified areas of the World Ocean and await commands to launch missiles at targets in the territory of a potential enemy.
The active service of the TK-208 continued until 1989, when the boat went to Sevmash for major repairs and modernization under Project 941U. Due to financial difficulties and changes in government policy, work was suspended in 1991. Repairs were restarted only in the middle of the decade, and with new goals. Now they have decided to remake the SSBN according to project 941UM or “09412” and make it an experimental carrier of a promising weapons.
Until recently, the TK-208 was used to support various exercises and tests. Photo by the Russian Ministry of Defense
The cruiser returned to the KSF in July 2002. In October of the same year, she was given the name “Dmitry Donskoy”. After the necessary preparation, the SSBN was involved in testing the promising R-30 Bulava SLBM. The first launch of such a product took place in September 2004. A year later, a full-scale product was launched against conditional targets at the Kura training ground. Until 2010 inclusive, the TK-208 crew conducted 15 test launches. Then similar tests were carried out using the new SSBN Project 955 "Borey".
Subsequently, “Dmitry Donskoy” regularly participated in various fleet events, incl. in parades. In particular, in the fall of 2022, it was reported that this submarine was participating in a testing program for new missile cruisers. In addition, the topic of future repairs and modernization with transfer to new weapons was regularly raised.
End of service
However, all plans for further development were abandoned. In July 2022, the TASS agency, citing its source in the military-industrial complex, reported the withdrawal of the TK-208 from the Navy's combat service. The ship is now awaiting disposal. At the same time, the name “Dmitry Donskoy” is transferred to the new SSBN Project 955A, laid down at Sevmash in July 2021.
The following reports about the fate of the lead “Shark” appeared only recently. On February 6, the All-Russian Fleet Support Movement again announced the withdrawal of the cruiser from the Navy. It is noted that in the near future it will be in Severodvinsk with the other two remaining SSBNs of Project 941 - TK-17 Arkhangelsk and TK-20 Severstal. Then they will be cut into metal.
Plans to scrap the unique ship have predictably drawn criticism. In addition, alternative proposals have emerged. For example, back in the summer of 2022, the public organization “Officers of Russia” came up with the idea of turning “Dmitry Donskoy” into a museum located in the Kronstadt Patriot Park. Following in the footsteps of the recent news the organization issued an open letter in which it again proposed making a museum out of the submarine, and also mentioned the possibility of modernizing and rearming the ship to give it new capabilities.
View of the stern. Photo by the Russian Ministry of Defense
How events will develop and what fate awaits “Dmitry Donskoy” is still unknown. Reports about the submarine's decommissioning and immediate dismantlement came from unofficial sources, while the Ministry of Defense does not disclose its plans. The situation should become clearer in the near future.
Causes and background
It should be noted that the Dmitry Donskoy and other Sharks, like any other submarines, would sooner or later have to complete their service. This outcome is predetermined by a number of factors common to the submarine fleet. In addition, in the case of Project 941, there were various reasons of their own.
First of all, the physical wear and tear of structures and mechanisms, as well as the obsolescence of equipment, is important. Not every ship with a high degree of wear and tear is advisable to restore and return to service. This factor is aggravated in the case of unique small-scale samples - there may simply be no opportunity to carry out the necessary work. There may also be an infrastructure factor that limits the ability to operate a certain type of submarine.
Project 941 submarines differ from other domestic designs not only in their unique size and displacement, but also in their greater design complexity. Their maintenance and repair are particularly challenging. If there are problems in the economy, it becomes practically unsolvable. In addition, the plans for the Sharks were influenced by the appearance of the simpler Boreys.
After the collapse of the USSR, Akula-class submarines encountered problems with ammunition. The production of the R-39 SLBM was divided between the Union republics, and the collapse of the country led to its virtual stop. The Navy had a certain supply of ready-made missiles, but replenishing it turned out to be impossible. By the mid-XNUMXs, this reserve was used up in planned activities, and the ships were left without weapons.
"Sharks" in the database. Photo Militaryrussia.ru
Thus, “Dmitry Donskoy” and other remaining SSBNs pr. 941 over the past two decades have not been the most convenient asset of our fleet. Their operation and maintenance were not simple, and combat use was not possible due to the lack of standard missiles.
Modernization issue
However, the idea of preserving the “Sharks” in service for a long time was not abandoned. Until the mid-1990s, officials and unnamed media sources regularly spoke about the possibility of modernizing the ships and continuing their operation. At the same time, various ways to maintain combat effectiveness were proposed.
Thus, the possibility of developing the ideas of Project 09412 and completely transferring the Dmitry Donskoy to the new Bulava missiles was discussed. At the beginning of the 19s, one of its launchers received the ability to use such an SLBM, and it was proposed to carry out a similar re-equipment of the remaining 208. In this case, the TK-955 could become a successful addition to the new Project 17 SSBNs under construction. If there is an appropriate opportunity, the same restructuring could pass two other “Sharks” - TK-20 and TK-XNUMX.
The idea of rearmament of the submarine or submarines and their transfer to the multi-purpose class was expressed. To do this, launchers for cruise missiles of the Caliber family had to be placed in the silos. It was possible to fit five new products into the dimensions of the shaft installation. In this case, the former SSBN could carry 200 missiles to combat surface and coastal targets.
However, both rearmament options may have excessive complexity and cost. Also, when planning them, it is necessary to take into account the technical capabilities of the submarines themselves. It is quite possible that the Ministry of Defense assessed the available capabilities and considered the rearmament of the Sharks inappropriate.
Museum piece
In the absence of the possibility or need to preserve the Dmitry Donskoy and other submarine cruisers in service, the idea of turning such a submarine into a museum looks good. The positive consequences of such a step are clear and obvious. This unique achievement of domestic shipbuilding will be available to everyone. This will help preserve the heritage and pride in our achievements, and also contribute to the patriotic education of youth.
TK-17 "Arkhangelsk" at sea shortly before being transferred to reserve. Photo: Wikimedia Commons
However, converting a combat submarine into a museum is also not easy. To do this, it is necessary to remove the nuclear power plant and potentially dangerous units from the buildings, remove some mechanisms, make the internal volumes more accessible and convenient for placing the exhibition and working with visitors, etc. You will also have to find a suitable place for the museum submarine and solve other problems.
Obviously, rebuilding the SSBN for the museum will be extremely expensive. In this context, we should recall the recent process of “museumification” of the K-3 Leninsky Komsomol submarine. In the past, it was reported that about 50 million rubles were required to prepare for its rework. The restructuring itself cost 650 million. At the same time, the volume of work on K-3 was significantly less than it could be on TK-208.
The cost of rebuilding Dmitry Donskoy could easily exceed a billion rubles. Whether it is possible to find or raise such a sum for an interesting and useful project is unknown.
Uncertain Future
The renewal of the naval personnel of the Navy is carried out both through the construction of new pennants and through the decommissioning of obsolete ones. In addition, the military is characterized by pragmatism, and unnecessary combat units are put into reserve or written off. Their place in the ranks is taken by modern models with higher characteristics and improved combat qualities.
After several decades of service, the lead ship, Project 941, is being withdrawn from service. The further fate of the Dmitry Donskoy remains unknown, and there are no reasons for optimism or pessimism. Now everything depends on our Ministry of Defense - its decision will determine in what form the memory of the unique domestic project will remain.
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