Akula-class submarine

	Akula-class SSN profile
Class overview
Name	Akula class
Builders	Komsomolsk-on-Amur; Severodvinsk;
Operators	Soviet Navy; Russian Navy; Indian Navy;
Preceded by	Victor class, Sierra class
Succeeded by	Yasen class
Cost	est. $1.55 billion (1995 dollars)
Built	1983–1999
In commission	1984–present
Planned	20
Completed	15
Cancelled	4 (1 Iribis suspended 42% complete since 1996)
Active	4 (4 active +6 on modernization in Russia)
Retired	4
General characteristics
Type	Nuclear attack submarine
Displacement	surfaced:; 8,140 tons Akula I and Akula I Improved; 8,450–8,470 tons Akula II and III; submerged:; 12,770 tons Akula I and Akula I Improved; 13,400–13,800 tons Akula II and III;
Length	110.3 m (362 ft) for Akula I and Akula I Improved; 113.3 m (372 ft) for Akula II and Akula III;
Beam	13.6 m (45 ft)
Draught	9.7 m (32 ft)
Propulsion	one 190 MW OK-650B/OK-650M pressurized water nuclear reactor (HEU <= 45%); 1 OK-7 steam turbine 43,000 hp (32 MW); 2 OK-2 Turbogenerators producing 2 MW; 1 seven-bladed propeller; 2 OK-300 retractable electric propulsors for low-speed and quiet maneuvering at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph);
Speed	10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced; 28–35 knots (52–65 km/h; 32–40 mph) submerged;
Endurance	100 days
Test depth	480 m (1,570 ft) test depth for Akula I and Akula I Improved; 520 m (1,710 ft) for Akula II and III; 600 m (2,000 ft) maximum operating depth;
Complement	73 for Akula I & Improved, 62 (31 officers) for Akula II & III.
Sensors and ; processing systems	MGK-540 active/passive suite; Flank arrays; Pelamida towed array sonar; MG-70 mine detection sonar;
Electronic warfare ; & decoys	Bukhta ESM/ECM; MG-74 Korund noise simulation decoys (fired from external tubes); MT-70 Sonar intercept receiver; Nikhrom-M IFF;
Armament	4 × 533 mm torpedo tubes (28 torpedoes) and 4 × 650 mm torpedo tubes (12 torpedoes). (K-152 Nerpa has 8 × 533 mm torpedo tubes) 40 torpedoes total; 1–3 × Igla-M surface-to-air missile launcher fired from sail (surface use only); Granat cruise missiles, now Kalibr;
Notes	Chiblis Surface Search radar; Medvyeditsa-945 Navigation system; Molniya-M Satellite communications; MGK-80 Underwater communications; Tsunami, Kiparis, Anis, Sintez and Kora Communications antennas; Paravan Towed VLF Antenna; Vspletsk Combat direction system;

The Akula class, Soviet designation Project 971 Shchuka-B (Russian: Щука-Б, lit. 'Pike-B', NATO reporting name Akula) is a series of fourth generation nuclear-powered attack submarines (SSNs) first deployed by the Soviet Navy in 1986. There are four sub-classes or flights of Shchuka-B, consisting of the original seven Project 971 boats (codenamed Akula I), commissioned between 1984 and 1990; six Project 971Is (Improved Akulas), commissioned between 1991 and 2009; one Project 971U (Akula II), commissioned in 1995; and one Project 971M (Akula III), commissioned in 2001. The Russians call all of the submarines Shchuka-B, regardless of modifications.

Some confusion may exist as the name Akula (Russian: Акула, meaning "shark" in Russian) was used by the Soviets for a different class of submarines, the Project 941, which is known in the West as the Typhoon class. The Project 971 was named Shchuka-B by the Soviets but given the designation Akula by the West after the name of the lead ship, K-284.

According to defense analyst Norman Polmar, the launch of the first submarine in 1985, "shook everyone [in the West] up", as Western intelligence agencies had not expected the Soviet Union to produce such a boat for another ten years.

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