Belgorod K-329 (Project 949A)

History

Belgorod (K-329) is a new nuclear-powered nuclear submarine of the Russian Navy, belonging to the "Antey" class Project 949A ( NATO codename "Oscar II") This class includes Kursk, which went missing with all crew in August 2000 and has several decommissioned and/or scrapped hulls (K-525, K-206, K -148, K- 173). Belgorod follows Kursk on the construction line, possibly marking the last ship to be introduced into the series.

Although her hull was originally laid in July 1992, as of December 2012 the ship was redesigned for special operations missions. She entered sea trials in June 2021 and is expected to enter service in mid-2022, as part of a new set of strategic weapons announced by the Russian leadership.

With this change, the ship does not have torpedo weapons like her sisters. Instead, it carries as many as six "Poseidon" (NATO: "Kanyon") unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs), which the Russians previously called "Status-6". The drones are nuclear-powered, nuclear-armed and autonomous, and were developed by the Rubin Design Bureau.

The system was introduced in official sources as early as 2015.

The boat has a typical tubular hull design with a length of sail ahead. The sail contains the bridge as well as the necessary means of communication, periscopes, snorkels and sensor masts.

Unlike sails, submersibles are mounted on the fuselage, with tail fins in a typical criss-cross arrangement, extending perpendicular to the surface plane. The propeller unit extends a distance aft of the hull.

There are 110 crew members inside, divided into several operational groups. Depending on the food storage and supply on board, the ship can stay at the station/patrol for up to 120 days.

With its two pressurized nuclear reactors, the ship has essentially unlimited range, making it an ideal strategic weapon/deterrent. The hull has been tested to 500 meters, reaching an impressive 32 knots offshore speed underwater.

Dimensions include 603.7 ft hull length and 49.2 ft beam.

As of May 2022, the vessel has left its home port in Severodvinsk, Russia, and is undergoing sea trials.

Specification

Base

Year of Service

2022

Origins

Russia

Status

Current program

Test, try.

supplement

110

staff

SHIPBUILDER

Sevmash - Russia

Class information

Class

Project 949A Share (Oscar II Class)

Class Size

16

ships

Class

Arkhangelsk (K-525); Murmansk (K-206); Krasnodar (K-148); Krasnoyarsk (K-173); Irkutsk (K-132); Voronezh (K-119); Smolensk (K-410); Chelyabinsk (K-442); Tver (K-456); Orel (K-266) ; Omsk (K-186); Tomsk (K-150); Kursk (K-141); Belgorod (K-329); Volgograd (K-135); Er (K-160)

Operator

Russia

Roles

Underwater Attack

Move subsurface to find, track and/or attack or reconnaissance areas.

Sea Patrol

Active patrolling of critical waterways and sea areas; also serves as a local deterrent against air and maritime threats.

Fleet Support

Provide support (fire or materiel) to major surface fleets in blue water environments.

Distinctive Features

Dimensions and Weight

Length

603.7ft

184.01m

Ray

49. 2 feet

3pm

Draft

29.5 feet

8.99m

Shift

17,635 t

No. submerged

29,765 t

Power and Performance

Installed Power:

2x OK-650M. 02 water-cooled nuclear reactors powering 2 250,000 hp steam turbines on 2 shafts aft.

Surface Velocity

23. 0 nodes

(26.5 km/h)

Underwater speed

32.0 nodes

(36.8 km/h)

Area

essentially infinite

Weapons

6 x Poseidon nuclear-powered, nuclear-armed Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (UUV) drones.

AIRCRAFT

None.