K-222: The Speediest Nuclear Submarine in History

[Article déjà publié le 12 octobre 2024]

While the Cold War was in full swing between the Western block and the Soviet block, the USSR, as the United States has each prepared for its possible open conflict. In this sense, the Soviet block had developed a formidable weapon, the K-222, the fastest submarine in history. Even today, no army has been able to match its speed.

A nuclear attack submarine at crazy speed

Put into service in 1969, just a few years after the Cuba crisis which almost plunged the world into irreversible chaos, the K-222, of the papa class was therefore a sna launcher of cruise missiles as well as atomic bombs.

In other words, from the waters, it had the capacity to reach targets at sea as on earth and to plunge the world into chaos. A double threat that mingled with its flagship characteristic: its speed.

Indeed, two years after his commissioning, he established a speed record that will never be broken. If his engineers hoped to see him spinning in the water at a speed of about 38 knots (70.37 km/h), they will be surprised to see that the K-222 had been flashed at 44.7 knots, or one Speed ​​of 82.78 km/h.

A certain asset to operate quickly. However, its speed is what led to its loss.

The end of K-222

Today, the K-222 is no longer used and has been dismantled because of many concerns. Indeed, as reported Iflscienceits very high speed led to structural defects even on the submarine and above all, produced a noise of nearly 100 decibels (DB), inside the passenger compartment.

In other words, at full speed, the submariners experiment, continuously, a sound equivalent to a concert, a passage of a train or even a picker. A noise that is difficult to bear by the human ear for long periods since according to the decibels scale we consider noise as dangerous between 80 and 100 decibels and painful between 100 and 130 dB.

But what caused the end of K-222 is not its noise. Indeed, what caused the use of the use of the submarine is due to an event during maintenance of the reactor. On September 30, 1980, a non-compliance with procedures led to an uncontrolled start-up of the reactor which damaged his heart.

It will be removed from the service in 1988 and dismantled in 2010. The aircraft was 106.6 meters long and could accommodate a crew of 82 men.

What is the average speed of a nuclear submarine?

If the K-222 has remained in history as the fastest submarine, the consequences linked to its speed allowed the other nations to learn from the construction of their buildings.

And today, we will always prefer a silent submarine to a quick but noisy submarine. The goal is to remain undetectable for everyone.

In general, nuclear attack submarines (SNA) are buildings that run in water at an average speed of 25 knots, or 46.3 km/h. But in 1997, six years after the end of the Cold War, the United States commissioned theUSS Seawolf. The latter, a SNA and standard bearer of his class was capable of reaching a speed evaluated at 35 knots or 64 km/h.

Compared to K-222, this speed did not prevent him from being removed from the service prematurely since he is currently still in the hands of the US Navy.

Source : Iflscience