Project 971 Akula Class

The Project 971 Akula Class is a nuclear-powered attack submarine, and as the quietest Russian sub ever built, is ideal for stealthy engagement of coastal installations and mine laying missions. Akula class subs feature 650 millimeter and 533 millimeter torpedo tubes, utilizing cruise missiles, anti-submarine missiles, torpedoes, as well as mines. The Project 971 Akula Class sub features a double hull that is 110 meters long, a hull that is fitted with anechoic tiles. The 971 Akula Class sub has a diving depth of 600 meters, and can support a crew of 73 for 100 days.

The steel hull design of the Project 971 subs were launched as a cost-effective alternative to titanium-hulled subs. These Akula Class subs were built by the Amur Shipbuilding Plant Joint Stock Company at Komsomolsk, and at the Severodvinsk shipbuilding yard.

Propulsion

A single nuclear reactor drives a 7 blade propeller, for a maximum submerged speed of 33 knots, and a surface speed of 10 knots. Project 971 Akula Class Subs are fitted with a reserve motor system rated at 370 kilowatts for a speed of 3 to 4 knots. The reactor is a VM-5 pressure water reactor, joined with an OK-650B high-density reactor core.