Submarine for $ 3 billion

2024 Author: Seth Attwood | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 15:55

The leading fourth generation nuclear submarine "Illinois" officially entered service with the US Navy. She received a tail number SSN 786 and became the 13th Virginia-class submarine in the US Navy. Its construction cost the USA $ 2.7 billion

US First Lady Michelle Obama attended the launch ceremony.

“I am overwhelmed with pride that I have become a part of this event,” she said, speaking at the military shipyard in Groton, Connecticut.

What is known about the new submarine?

The Illinois submarine is designed to carry out coastal operations and combat enemy submarine cruisers at depth, with Tomahawk cruise missiles on board. The length of the submarine is 115 meters, the number of the crew is 130 people.

It took almost five and a half years to build the submarine. It will bear the name USS Illinois - in honor of the home state of the wife of American President Michelle Obama. Michelle Obama's initials are engraved on one of the submarine's metal parts.

In October 2015, the US First Lady took part in the launching ceremony for the Illinois submarine. The wife of the American president managed to break a bottle of champagne on the bow of the submarine only on her third attempt, which is considered a bad omen.

In addition to standard weapons, Illinois also has equipment for special operations - unmanned underwater vehicles, an airlock for divers, a deck mount for a container or an ultra-small submarine.

The noise level of submarines of this class is lower than that of the Russian nuclear submarines of the 3rd generation of Project 971 "Shchuka-B". To achieve this level, new "jamming" coverings, a system of insulated decks and a new design of the power plant are used.

The submarine lacks a traditional periscope. Instead, a multifunctional telescopic mast is used, on which a television camera is installed, which transmits an image via a fiber-optic cable to a screen in the central post. Also on board there are antennas for electronic reconnaissance and communications, a laser sensor for infrared observation (used as a rangefinder).

Unmanned automatic devices with a battery life of up to 18 hours and a sonar resolution to detect underwater objects at a distance of 10 cm are used to detect mines.

Specifications

• Speed - 34 knots (62 km / h).

• Maximum immersion depth - up to 488 m.

• Crew - 100-120 people.

• Surface displacement - 7800 t.

• Length - 114.9 m.

• Hull width - 10, 5 m.

• Power plant - nuclear type GE S9G.

Armament:

Torpedo-mine

• 4 torpedo tubes, 26 torpedoes.

Rocket armament

• 12 vertical launchers for Tomahawk cruise missiles;

• 2 launchers of the revolving type, 6 Tomahawk cruise missiles each.

Solemn descent from the 3rd attempt to break a bottle of champagne is a bad omen