(RoyalPatriot.com )- The 19fortyfive website reports that Sierra-II class submarines are still in service even though designed during the close of the Cold War. Despite their age, Russia may use the two ships for the foreseeable future.
The Sierra-II class is a derivative of the Sierra class of nuclear-powered assault submarines created by the Soviet Union. The first Project 945 was built with a titanium hull in the 1970s. Titanium is lighter and more durable than steel, but it’s challenging to deal with on a large scale.
Nizhniy Novgorod and Pskov, the only two Sierra-II class ships constructed, were put down between 1986 and 1989. Two Kondors had a bigger sail, sonar array, and escape pod than Sierra-Is. Due to configuration adjustments, torpedo tubes were shrunk.
Sierra-IIs are not promoted as much as contemporary submarines, therefore, limited facts are known regarding their capabilities.
The Nizhniy Novgorod and Pskov, commissioned in 1990 and 1993, have six 530mm tubes that can launch torpedoes or missiles, including cruise missiles. The ships may also use Wake Object Detection Systems placed on their sails to detect hostile submarines. With a 90-megawatt OK-650B reactor, the Sierras can attain 35 knots underwater and 19 knots on the surface.
Russian navy officials aim to keep Nizhniy Novgorod and Pskov in service for many years. In the middle of the 2000s, Russian navy officials were persuaded they needed to upgrade the Kondors and much of Russia’s nuclear submarine force. In 2008, the Rubin Central Design Bureau proposed upgrading Project 945s and 945As. The upgrading of both has run into funding problems by 2015 and seemed to be de-prioritized compared to the Typhoon and Oscar classes’ initiatives.
Russian military commanders think Nizhniy Novgorod and Pskov can undergo one more modernization before decommissioning. The commander of the Northern Fleet’s 7th Submarine Division told TV Zvezda’s “Military Inspection” that the Sierra-IIs’ resilience will allow them to undergo extensive refits over their service life to extend their stay in the fleet. This would contrast with the likely decision to retire the Dmitri Donskoi, the last Typhoon-class sub.
Russian Sierra-IIs are expected to continue plying the open oceans for some time unless serious, inevitable flaws or structural obstacles are found in the vessels that lead Moscow to lose trust in their long-term endurance.
