Novikov
22-07-2005, 07:51
[OOC: I am currently unable to produce this vessel – carpet bombing has that effect on your industry - so this will serve as a design and reference page until further notice. Production rights will still be made available, however. I reserve the right to turn anyone away on my whims.]
SS-05 Víčor-Class SSN
[Project:]
The Víčor (Squall) is intended to serve as Novikov’s primary attack submarine as the new NVMF is rebuilt and gradually replaces or absorbs the Novikovian Home Guard Fleet, which is currently limited under treaty obligations to a handful of patrol submarines and corvettes. The Víčor will serve in a role similar to the US Navy’s Los Angeles-Class and Seawolf-Class submarines, operating abroad to fill a wide spectrum of role, including fleet defense and screening, convoy attack, and ASW deployment, as well as a secondary role as a SSGN Missile Sub. Other roles the Víčor can fill include fleet reconnaissance, mine laying, special forces deployment/retrieval, and precision chemical/biological attack. Because of these wide roles, the Víčor is equipped with a wide range of weapons and equipment, including Surface-Search Radar, a first-generation Novikovian Cruise Missile, and advanced sound-dampening systems.
[Hull:]
As all other modern Novikovian submarines, the Víčor will used the traditional teardrop shape incorporated into most submarines of the modern world. The distinctive teardrop shape gives the boat exceptional underwater performance and transmits water pressure throughout the hull on high-depth dives, giving the ship the highest dive depth possible. This depth is further increased through the use of small steel connecting rods, cementing the inner and outer hulls together. These rods, made of low-pressure, low-quality steel, taper to a wide joint with the inner hull, while each rod connects to the outer hull at several widely dispersed points in order to absorb as much of the external pressure as equally as possible and transmit it to the inner hull.
As stated, the Víčor is the first Novikovian submarine to use a dual-hull design to increase the survivability of the vessel when it is attacked. This decision comes from the bloody losses the NVMF suffered at the hands of the Royal Navy’s aircraft and escorts, who claimed the lives of over 12,500 Novikovian submariners during the War of Annexation.
The Víčor design calls for the hulls to be constructed of two different materials – HY100 and HY80 steel plate. The outer hull will be constructed of HY100 High-Pressure steel in order to give the hull maximum strength to protect against the force of weapons’ detonation shockwaves and the external pressure of a high-depth dive. The internal hull, however, will use the more conventional HY80 steel plate in an attempt to cut down on construction costs. A proposal has also been made that, if funding increases at optimum levels, the second batch of NVMF Víčors may replace their HY80 inner hulls with HY100, and the outer hulls will move to advanced Titanium construction, though currently the proposal has not been drafted, or even seriously considered by the Naval Board.
Both hulls will be fabricated using advanced welding techniques demonstrated to the world in the construction of the USS Seawolf in 1997. Because of a small shortage of proper welding materials needed in these construction methods, however, much of the inner hull will have to be welded conventionally, with support riveting used to strengthen essential sections of both inner and outer hulls.
As a final measure used to protect the vessel, a 9 cm layer of pressure-sealed rubber will line the inside of the outer hull and outside of the inner hull, in an attempt to marginally increase the hulls ability to compress from nearby weapons’ detonations without fracturing, as well as increase the watertight nature of the conventional welding/riveting used in the hulls’ construction.
[Propulsion:]
The Víčor uses a single, advanced version of the seawater cooled reactor used by the SS-03 Božstvo-o-Vojna Class SSGN, dubbed the R106 Advanced Nuclear Reactor by its design team. The R106 reactor, combined with a single five-bladed screw, leaves a formidable 42,600 shp of power to the ship, giving it a top speed of over 36 knots.
The R106 is also the first nuclear reactor to be designed solely for submarine use, and thus incorporates a variety of features which attempt to make the reactor and its cooling systems blend in with the sounds of the ocean around them. Foremost among these features is an innovative dual cooling system which uses four pipes opening in the submarine’s bow and flowing through the length of the ship to transmit seawater past the reactor as the ship moves, helping cool the vessel’s nuclear reactor without using a pressurized water system, and thus avoiding the telltale sounds which betray the submarine.
For this system to work, however, the ship needs to be moving at a reasonable rate, and, because the water density (and subsequently the cooling ability of this system) is far lower than that of pressurized pipes, the system is limited to a secondary role, playing second string to a standard pressurized water coolant. It does, however, cut down on the requirements of the pressurized water system by 1-5% depending on the speed the ship moves at – though the price is paid in a loss of up to 1.5 knots overall speed. This allows the pressurized water coolant to operate at a lower setting, and helps limit the noise made by that cooling system.
If the ship’s pressurized coolant is brought to it’s lowest setting, with the reactor running at a mere 5% of it’s maximum output – just enough to maintain power to all important electronics – the ship can switch over to a small electric battery derived from the SS-02 Meč’s ‘creeping’ electric motor. This electric motor is only capable of running for a short 32 minutes at standard output, making its usefulness quite limited, but during this time the ship is capable of running quieter than most conventional (non-nuclear) submarines, including the Meč.
[Electronic Detection Systems:]
The Víčor uses a wide variety of detection systems to help fill its primary role as an attack submarine, whether the target is a surface ship or another submarine. These systems include standard sonar arrays, surface search radar, passive hull array sonar,
QE-2 Acoustic Detection System:
The QE-2 System is the newest comprehensive sonar system purchased by the NHDF, and its debut in Novikov’s Fleets is intended to come with the introduction of the Víčor. This system is currently in use with the US Navy aboard the Los Angeles class submarine.
AN/BQQ-5 Sonar:
AN/BQQ-5 bow-mounted spherical array sonar acoustic system is deployed on SSN 637 and SSN 688 attack submarine classes. This low frequency passive and active search and attack sonar is supplied by IBM. The AN/BQQ-5E sonar with the TB-29 towed array and Combat Control System (CCS) Mk 2, known collectively as the QE-2 System, provides a functionally equivalent system for the Los Angeles (SSN-688) and Ohio (SSBN-726)-class submarines. Enhancements include increases in acoustic performance, improved combat control capabilities and replacement of obsolete equipment.
OPEVAL for AN/BQQ-5E system with the TB-29 Array completed in FY 1998; this system will provide quantum improvements in long-range detection and localization for SSN 688 and SSBN 726 Class Submarines. Engineering Change Proposal (ECP) 7001 to AN/BQQ-5E will provide Low Frequency Active Interference Rejection, Dual Towed Array Processing, and Full Spectrum Processing to SSN 688 and SSBN 726 Class Submarines.
The AN/BSY-1 ECP 1000, the AN/BQQ-5 Medium Frequency Active Improvement program and Improved Control Display Console Obsolete Equipment Replacement have been modified to become the basis of the Acoustics Rapid Commercial Off The Shelf Insertion (A-RCI) program. A-RCI is a multi-phased, evolutionary development effort geared toward addressing Acoustic Superiority issues through the rapid introduction of interim development products applicable to SSN 688, 688I Flight, and SSBN 726 Class Submarines. A-RCI Phases I and II introduce towed array processing improvements; A-RCI Phase III introduces spherical array processing improvements.
The Trident Submarine System Improvement Program develops and integrates command and control improvements needed to maintain Trident submarine operational capability through the life cycle of this vital strategic asset. The program conducts efforts needed to ensure platform invulnerability, and reduce life cycle costs. Recent efforts have included the development of AN/BQQ-6 Sonar to AN/BQQ-5E Sonar Translator.
TB-29 Towed Array:
The TB-29 submarine thin-line towed array is a Commercial Off-The-Shelf version of the legacy TB-29 towed array. These arrays will be used for back-fit on Los Angeles (SSN-688 and SSN-688I) submarines and forward-fit on the Virginia (SSN-774) class. Compared with the legacy array, the TB-29 uses COTS telemetry to significantly reduce the unit cost while maintaining equivalent array performance. Technical and Operational Evaluations are scheduled for FY 2001. The first three arrays will be delivered to the Fleet in FY 2002.
The AN/BQQ-5E sonar with the TB-29 towed array and Combat Control System (CCS) Mk 2, known collectively as the QE-2 System, provides a functionally equivalent system for the Los Angeles (SSN-688) and Ohio (SSBN-726)-class submarines. Enhancements include increases in acoustic performance, improved combat control capabilities and replacement of obsolete equipment.
Towed array technology has advanced rapidly with longer, multiline systems that have an increasing number of sensors for submarine-based ASW. The TB-29 is longer than the thin-line TB-23 and has a sensor location system. It is now available on a few platforms and will be deployed on the Seawolf and the nuclear-powered attack submarine, new version (NSSN). It will be the operational submarine-towed array for the foreseeable future. Many existing Navy tow cable systems have single coaxial conductors, one to two kilometers in length, on which power, uplink data, and downlink data are multiplexed (e.g. SQR-19, TB-23, TB-29). These systems typically run at uplink data rates of less than 12 Mbit/s due to bandwidth limitations of the long coaxial cable.
DMUX 20 Passive Sonar:
The DMUX Passive Sonar is currently used aboard the French Rubis Amethyste Class Attack Submarine. The DMUX 20 is a passive low frequency multi-function sonar, manufactured by TUS. This type of sonar offers a range of functions using several appropriately located specialized antennas (bow, flank, etc). Data from the various signal-processing systems is merged to enhance the information and then sorted to present the operators with a filtered and easily interpreted image. Onboard the Víčor, it provides a secondary sonar system to be used in support of the slightly more advanced AN/BQQ-5.
AN/BPS-15 Navigation/Surface Search Radar:
The AN/BPS-15 is carried on the Ohio-class submarines. The Navy has been procuring the AN/BPS-15H, a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) variant of the AN/BPS-15 radar navigation set, and its associated mast assembly for installation on new construction submarines and for backfit on SSN-688 class submarines. Procurement of the COTS variant has produced a substantial cost savings over a comparable system built to military specifications, has enhanced operational performance, and has improved navigational safety. The Navy established a new specification to eliminate the manpower intensive requirement for paper navigation charts on ships. Instead of paper charts, all ships will have the Electronic Chart Display Information Systems (ECDIS-N). ECDIS-N requires an upgrade to navigation radar systems. The AN/BPS-15(H) Submarine Navigation Radar is being made compliant with the Navy's new Electronic Chart Display Information Systems (ECDIS N) requirement. ECDIS N compliance mandates the elimination of paper navigation charts on submarines by upgrading their radar navigation systems with computer-based charts designed to international commercial-off-the-shelf standards.
DR 3000U Radar Warning Receiver:
The DR 3000U is a Radar Warning system used on most French submarines, including the Rubis Amethyste Attack Boat. The DR 3000U electronic support system is supplied by Thales, based in Malakoff, France. DR 3000U is a radar warning receiver (French Navy designation ARUR-13) operating in D to K bands. The system uses a masthead antenna array with omnidirectional and monopulse directional antennas and a separate periscope warning antenna. The system provides direction-finding with an accuracy greater than 1°.
[Navigation:]
Submarine navigation is provided through the use of the AN/BPS-15 Navigation Radar coupled with a standard Global Positioning System (GPS) – commercially available within Novikov. These two data inputs are linked into an onboard navigation computer, which plots the ship’s projected course and is capable of warning of obstacles such as shoals, shallow water, and surface hazards (if the ship is surfaced). This computer is automatically updated with the most recent drift charts available to the NVFM through one of Novikov’s standard N-Sat 1 communications satellites.
[Communications:]
Communications both in and out bound from the Víčor are controlled through a subsystem of the French SENIT 4 Tactical Information’s System, currently used ofboard the D647 Morsky-Orol Cruiser. The SENIT 4 controls the D647’s entire tactical display and, among it’s many tasks, routes incoming communications. In the Víčor, this ability was expanded upon by Novikovian engineers, expanding it to an entirely new system, aptly designated COM 1.
COM 1 is a run-of-the-mill communications system, operating the entire onboard communications system of the Víčor, including HF, VHF, and UHF Radio antennas and a Satellite Relay. The only discernable problem with these devices is that the ship must be surfaced in order to receive any communications – radio waves do not penetrate the ocean water well enough to reach a submerged vessel.
Another uniquely Novikovian flaw in the communications system lies not in it’s design, but in the fundaments of Novikov’s satellite program. Because Novikov has only one communications satellite in production – the N-Sat 1 – and this satellite is also internationally exported, it’s operating bands are widely know (27-32 MHz). This makes interception of satellite communications a serious problem – all the worse for submariners, who rely on secrecy for the success of their missions. Because of this, COM 1 has an advanced encryption and encoding system built in, which breaks down encrypted transmissions and decodes them automatically, as well as encodes and encrypts outbound transmissions in he same manner.
[Sound Reduction Systems:]
In addition to the R106’s specialized cooling system, the Víčor utilizes all forms of silencing systems to decrease the chance of sonar detection. To limit the possibility of detection, five different types of silencing serve to absorb sonar pings which strike the vessel – weakening the return strength and weakening an enemy’s contact once detection is made – and to limit the vessel’s platform noise and thus minimize the possibility of detection.
Platform noise is that noise generated by own ship other than the sonar system. Platform noise consists of radiated noise and crew generated noise. Control of this noise is the purpose of the shipboard noise control program. To control such noise, several precautions have been taken with all moving equipment inside the ship, and with any other equipment which could betray the vessels position through unwanted noise.
The first line of precautions used is the most basic. It consists of outfitting all moving machinery and pipes within the Víčor with resilient mounts. These mounts allow the said piece of machinery to be secured to the submarine’s superstructure, but these equipment mounts are either layered with or built completely of a rubber insulator. This insulator absorbs the heavier vibrations made by the said machinery and prevents them from being transmitted in the form of sound vibrations through the hull and into the surrounding water.
The second layer of protection operates of a similar principle. Most submarines today use some form of flexible rubber connections to mount pipes and hoses together, absorbing the vibration within the pipes at every joint and again limiting that vibration’s ability to travel through the hull into the water. This concept has been expanded upon on the Víčor, using both the standard flexible connections, and a thin, flexible rubber layering over the moving joints of most pieces of machinery. This rubber layering serves the same purpose as a flexible connection on a pipe, absorbing its vibrations at each joint. Because of machining concerns however, some essential pieces of equipment, namely those involved in the vessel’s propulsion, are without this system.
On all electronic equipment, and on most other surfaces which could increase the chance of detection (tables, chairs, small machinery, periscope mounts, etc.), the Víčor uses Distributed Isolation Material (DIM) to absorb possible sound vibrations, or to transmit them across a wider section of the hull in an attempt to make these vibrations blend with the ocean’s ambient noise.
To secure larger noise hazards such as the reactor’s pressurized cooling system and heavily traveled crew quarters, sound isolation areas have been built, using large amounts of DIM to absorb the noise radiating within one particular area of the ship. This precaution goes so far as to separate the flooring of important areas of the ship like the reactor chamber form the hull by placing DIM between all joints connecting the hull to the mentioned area. The dual-hull system, with its rubber linings, serves a similar purpose, separating the noisy inner hull from the surrounding water with a layer of rubber, steel, and open air. The many variations in pressure which sound waves must travel through in order to escape both hulls also serves to dampen noises inside the ship.
Finally, an effort has been made to ‘crew’ proof the ship, helping prevent crew mistakes which would cause sonar detection, and/or limiting the noise caused by these mistakes. These precautions include the use of rubber matting in all crew-traveled areas of the ship, the use of rubber liners on all hatches, and the use of only plastic, lightweight silverware and tools in all possible circumstances.
Because these preventive measures cannot guarantee the ship will go undetected, the Víčor also incorporates a layer of Sonar-Absorbent rubber tiles into its outer hull. These tiles, adapted from those found on the Russian Kilo-Class SSK, function in the same manner as all other sound-reducing systems onboard the ship, absorbing and trapping sonar pings within the ship, or transmitting them through the vessel to limit the amount of sound which is reflected back towards any hostile sonar array.
[Degaussing:]
A steel-hulled ship is like a huge floating magnet with a large magnetic field surrounding it. As the ship moves through the water, this field also moves and adds to or subtracts from the Earth's magnetic field. Because of its distortion effects on the Earth’s magnetic field, the ship can act as a trigger device for magnetic sensitive ordnance or devices which are designed to detect these distortions. The degaussing system is installed aboard ship to reduce the ship's effect on the Earth's magnetic field. In order to accomplish this, the change in the Earth's field about the ship's hull is "canceled" by controlling the electric current flowing through degaussing coils wound in specific locations within the hull. This, in turn, reduces the possibility of detection by these magnetic sensitive ordnance or devices.
The ship's permanent magnetization is the source of the ship's permanent magnetic field. The process of building a ship in the Earth's magnetic field develops a certain amount of permanent magnetism in the ship. The ship's induced magnetization depends on the strength of the Earth's magnetic field and on the heading of the ship with respect to the inducing (Earth's) field.
There are several different types of degaussing systems in the fleet today. The basic differences between them can be characterized as to what type of power supply they use, and what type of control circuitry they use. For example, some units use silicon-controlled rectifier solid-state power supplies (as in the SSM system). Other systems use motor generator sets (as in the RM-5 type systems), and still others use a mixture of the two (as in the GM-1A units).
The Main coil (M) compensates the induced and permanent vertical components of the ship's magnetic field (Z zone). It is installed in the horizontal plane at the waterline. As the ship changes hemispheres the coil current polarity must be manually adjusted.
The Forecastle permanent - Quarterdeck permanent coils (FP-QP) compensate for the longitudinal permanent component of the ship's magnetic field. The FP coil encircles approximately the forward 1/3 of the ship in the horizontal plane at the main deck. QP coil encircles approximately the after 1/3 of the ship in the horizontal plane at the quarterdeck. Any coil current changes require manual adjustment.
The Forecastle induced - Quarterdeck induced coils (FI-QI) are located in the same area as the FP-QP coils, they compensate for the longitudinal induced component of the ship's magnetic field. The FI-QI current is proportional to the horizontal component of the Earth's magnetic field along the ship's longitudinal axis. The FI-QI coil current is manually changed, by shifting the "H zone" switch on the switchboard, when the ship's location changes H zones. The degaussing system automatically compensates for heading changes by converting a gyro input signal to a magnetic heading.
The Athwartship coil (A) is installed in the vertical plane and extends from the keel to the main deck. It compensates the athwartship induced and athwartship's permanent components of the ship's magnetic field. The A coil current consists of permanent and induced components.
The Víčor uses these four main coil systems together to provide a maximum degaussing effect and protect itself from magnetic ordinance. Additional proposals have been made to isolate smaller areas of the ship, such as the control room and even something as small as individual pieces of equipment. However, the price the ship would pay in terms of power use would be staggering and until this problem is remedied, the NVMF will not attempt to implement degaussing on a scale smaller than those systems already in use.
[Armament:]
The Víčor sports a deadly mixture of torpedoes and missiles in order to give it a killing edge against its likely opponents. It sports six 550mm torpedo tubes mounted in the standard four bow, two aft formation found on previous Novikovian submarines. The change for 533mm to 550mm tubes was made in order to accommodate the somewhat wider American torpedoes which have proven superior to Novikov’s indigenous designs, however the change can be undone by simply inserting a rubber liner into the torpedo tube, a process which takes under a minute when done by a trained crewmember. These tubes are used to deliver a variety of ordinance, including British Spearfish and American M44 / M46 torpedoes and the Chinese YJ-8 Anti-Shipping Cruise Missile – essentially an upgraded version of the French Exocet.
Additionally, the Víčor is equipped with the SS-M-01 Líška Cruise Missile. This weapon is multi-purpose, designed to launch precision attacks on either enemy inland installations, or hostile shipping. It functions much like the American Tomahawk does, launching vertically from the back of the submarine and rising quickly to descend on its target. The Víčor carries eight Líškas in vertical tubes running along the spine of the boat, but carries no reloads.
Air defense for the Víčor is provided through a pair of SA-19 Grizzly missiles modified with a watertight casing to allow their launch underwater and a general waterproofing and saltwater protection for the missile’s vital electronics.. The SA-19 missiles are not linked to any form of onboard air-search radar, instead they are simply fired in the direction of the enemy aircraft, intending for their seeker heads to track the target after clearing the water and reaching attack velocity.
YJ-8 Cruise Missile:
The C-801 missile was developed in response to the Navy's need for small-scale missiles. Said to be derived from the French Exocet, the C-801 bears little external resemblance to this missile apart from nearly identical length and diameter, and in fact the triple control surfaces are rather similar to those found on the American Harpoon [though the Harpoon is only about 80% the size of the C-801]. After 8 years of R&D, the C801 ship-to-ship missile passed final design tests in September 1985 directly hitting targets in all six test launches. The final design of this missile was approved in 1987. The C-801 missile is the second generation of antiship missiles developed by China.
The terminal guidance radar with monopulse system possesses high anti-jamming capabilities. The high precision radio altimeter allows the missile to have minimum-altitude flight above the sea. It uses a semi-armor-piercing anti-personnel blast warhead which relies on the missile's kinetic energy to pierce the deck of a ship, penetrate into and explode in the ship's interior. During final design flight tests, one missile attacked and sank a target ship with displacement of 10,000 tons. C-801 has a hit percentage of over 75%.
Spearfish Torpedo:
The Novikovian submarine fleet uses the Spearfish as its primary large torpedo, intended to be used on fast moving or rapidly maneuvering targets such as enemy submarines – in particular the Russian Akula, said to be capable of speeds over 40 knots. The Spearfish is larger then most submarine crews would like, taking almost twice the space of the smaller American MK 44 and MK 46 torpedoes. What this size allows for, however, is a tremendous range and speed for a torpedo. The Spearfish is reportedly capable of running at speeds in excess of 70 knots, easily able to outpace even the fastest opponents, and tests have shown it’s range to be an astounding 23,000 meters when running at 60 knots.
MK 44 / MK 46 Torpedoes:
The MK 44 and MK 46 are the standard weapons for use onboard the Víčor. The MK 44 was chosen because of its small size and ease of procurement – the weapon is widely used around the world. The MK 46, on the other hand, was chosen to be a mid-line weapon, having the size and price benefits of the MK 44, with much of the speed that the Spearfish enjoys – 45 knots. Thus, the MK 46 is considered the standard weapon to be used aboard the Víčor.
SS-M-01 Líška Cruise Missile:
The Líška was designed as the Novikovian equivalent to the American Tomahawk program, and was scheduled to enter production shortly before Novikov was invaded and its production facilities seized. Only thirteen actually reached completion, and all were destroyed following the government’s capitulation.
The Líška (Fox) is a multi-role missile, designed principally to attack targets up to 1,050 km inland. Its size is slightly larger than that of its American predecessor, caused mainly by an advanced guidance system which includes a rearch radar component designed to engage ship-sized targets if programmed to, and a larger, 600 kg payload. Modifications can be made to the weapon’s ordinance to allow it to carry Chemical or Biological agents in large quantities, allowing the Víčor to serve as a deterrent to NBC attacks on Novikov.
The Líška is GPS guided when attacking land-based or otherwise static targets. Stabalized by two gyroscopes, it maneuvers itself over the programmed target and descends rapidly in a near-vertical dive to deliver its ordinance.
The difficulty then lies not in reaching the target, but simply in surviving long enough to complete its attack. The Líška is sub-sonic, flying at 900 km/h, and, like all cruise missiles, is highly vulnerable to air defenses, both land and ship based. This problem is especially prevalent when launching attacks on ship targets using its search radar, as it is unable to skim the water while attempting to acquire its target. An attempt to remedy this problem has not been made, and the problem remains.
SA-19 Grisom Surface-Air Missile:
The SA-19 GRISOM (9M111) is a radar command guided, two-stage surface to air missile mounted on the 2S6 Integrated Air Defense System. The 2S6 vehicle is fitted with two banks of four missiles in blocks of two, which can be elevated vertically independent of each other. The SA-19 can engage aerial targets moving at a maximum speed of 500 meters/second at altitudes ranging from 15 to 3,500 meters, and at slant ranges from 2400 to 8000 meters. The missile's high-explosive fragmentation warhead is actuated by a proximity fuse if the missile passes within 5 meters of the target. The SA-19 is supported by the HOT SHOT radar system, which consists of a surveillance radar with a maximum range of 18 km, and a tracking radar with a maximum range of 13 km. The semi-automatic radar to command line-of-sight engagement requires the gunner to track the target using the roof-mounted stabilized optical sight. The SA-19 is claimed to have a kill probability of 0.65.
Onboard the Víčor, the SA-19 is fitted with a watertight plastic casing which covers the launching missile until it clears the water, upon which the casing will simply break away. Because the casing covers the missile’s engines, the entire system is launched clear of the ship through a redirected burst of pressurized air taken from the submarine’s ballasts. Because this leaves a bubble trail, the weapon should only be fired if the submarine has already been located, as any firing before that will alert the enemy aircraft to the sub’s position.
These devices are targeted by simply pointing the weapon in the correct direction- done through the use of small stabilizing fins on the watertight casing - and letting the HOT SHOT tracking radar actually find and engage the target. Because of this, the SA-19 cannot be used while friendly aircraft are in the area, as it has no way of telling friend from foe.
[Statistics:]
Displacement: 6,366.7 Metric Tons
Dimensions: 112.5 meters x 10.35 meters x 8.5 meters
Propulsion: R106 Pressurized Water Reactor (42,600 shp) or Standard Electric Motor (1,010 shp), Single Shaft, Five-Bladed Screw
Crew: 124
Sonar: AN/BQQ-5 Active/Passive, DMUX 20 Passive, TB 29 Towed Array
Radar: AN/BPS-15 Surface Search / Navigation Radar
Countermeasures: DR 3000U ESM
Design Features: Free-Flow Seawater Cooling for Reactor, Rubber Sonar-Absorbent Tiles, Dual Hull, DIM Floor Tiling, Standard Sound-Reduction Features
Armament: Six 550mm Torpedo Tubes (Can be converted to 533mm), Two SA-19 Grisom SAM Launchers (Naval Variant), Eight Líška Cruise Missiles
Stores: 20 Torpedoes (2 Spearfish, 18 MK 44 / 46), 6 YJ-8 Anti-Shipping Cruise Missiles, 6 SA-19N Naval SAMs (Stored in the weapon system), provisions for 8 more torpedoes mounted on hull (Any type)
Endurance: Limited by food stores – 4 months unreplenished.
Speed-Primary Engines: 20 knots Surfaced (13 Cruising) / 36 knots Submerged (25 Cruising)
Speed-Secondary Engine: 2 knots Surfaced / 3 knots Submerged
Maximum Depth: 400 meters (Recommended) / 560 meters (Crush Depth)
Operating Cost: 21 million USD / year
Cost: 910 million USD
Production Rights: 250 billion USD
SS-05 Víčor-Class SSN
[Project:]
The Víčor (Squall) is intended to serve as Novikov’s primary attack submarine as the new NVMF is rebuilt and gradually replaces or absorbs the Novikovian Home Guard Fleet, which is currently limited under treaty obligations to a handful of patrol submarines and corvettes. The Víčor will serve in a role similar to the US Navy’s Los Angeles-Class and Seawolf-Class submarines, operating abroad to fill a wide spectrum of role, including fleet defense and screening, convoy attack, and ASW deployment, as well as a secondary role as a SSGN Missile Sub. Other roles the Víčor can fill include fleet reconnaissance, mine laying, special forces deployment/retrieval, and precision chemical/biological attack. Because of these wide roles, the Víčor is equipped with a wide range of weapons and equipment, including Surface-Search Radar, a first-generation Novikovian Cruise Missile, and advanced sound-dampening systems.
[Hull:]
As all other modern Novikovian submarines, the Víčor will used the traditional teardrop shape incorporated into most submarines of the modern world. The distinctive teardrop shape gives the boat exceptional underwater performance and transmits water pressure throughout the hull on high-depth dives, giving the ship the highest dive depth possible. This depth is further increased through the use of small steel connecting rods, cementing the inner and outer hulls together. These rods, made of low-pressure, low-quality steel, taper to a wide joint with the inner hull, while each rod connects to the outer hull at several widely dispersed points in order to absorb as much of the external pressure as equally as possible and transmit it to the inner hull.
As stated, the Víčor is the first Novikovian submarine to use a dual-hull design to increase the survivability of the vessel when it is attacked. This decision comes from the bloody losses the NVMF suffered at the hands of the Royal Navy’s aircraft and escorts, who claimed the lives of over 12,500 Novikovian submariners during the War of Annexation.
The Víčor design calls for the hulls to be constructed of two different materials – HY100 and HY80 steel plate. The outer hull will be constructed of HY100 High-Pressure steel in order to give the hull maximum strength to protect against the force of weapons’ detonation shockwaves and the external pressure of a high-depth dive. The internal hull, however, will use the more conventional HY80 steel plate in an attempt to cut down on construction costs. A proposal has also been made that, if funding increases at optimum levels, the second batch of NVMF Víčors may replace their HY80 inner hulls with HY100, and the outer hulls will move to advanced Titanium construction, though currently the proposal has not been drafted, or even seriously considered by the Naval Board.
Both hulls will be fabricated using advanced welding techniques demonstrated to the world in the construction of the USS Seawolf in 1997. Because of a small shortage of proper welding materials needed in these construction methods, however, much of the inner hull will have to be welded conventionally, with support riveting used to strengthen essential sections of both inner and outer hulls.
As a final measure used to protect the vessel, a 9 cm layer of pressure-sealed rubber will line the inside of the outer hull and outside of the inner hull, in an attempt to marginally increase the hulls ability to compress from nearby weapons’ detonations without fracturing, as well as increase the watertight nature of the conventional welding/riveting used in the hulls’ construction.
[Propulsion:]
The Víčor uses a single, advanced version of the seawater cooled reactor used by the SS-03 Božstvo-o-Vojna Class SSGN, dubbed the R106 Advanced Nuclear Reactor by its design team. The R106 reactor, combined with a single five-bladed screw, leaves a formidable 42,600 shp of power to the ship, giving it a top speed of over 36 knots.
The R106 is also the first nuclear reactor to be designed solely for submarine use, and thus incorporates a variety of features which attempt to make the reactor and its cooling systems blend in with the sounds of the ocean around them. Foremost among these features is an innovative dual cooling system which uses four pipes opening in the submarine’s bow and flowing through the length of the ship to transmit seawater past the reactor as the ship moves, helping cool the vessel’s nuclear reactor without using a pressurized water system, and thus avoiding the telltale sounds which betray the submarine.
For this system to work, however, the ship needs to be moving at a reasonable rate, and, because the water density (and subsequently the cooling ability of this system) is far lower than that of pressurized pipes, the system is limited to a secondary role, playing second string to a standard pressurized water coolant. It does, however, cut down on the requirements of the pressurized water system by 1-5% depending on the speed the ship moves at – though the price is paid in a loss of up to 1.5 knots overall speed. This allows the pressurized water coolant to operate at a lower setting, and helps limit the noise made by that cooling system.
If the ship’s pressurized coolant is brought to it’s lowest setting, with the reactor running at a mere 5% of it’s maximum output – just enough to maintain power to all important electronics – the ship can switch over to a small electric battery derived from the SS-02 Meč’s ‘creeping’ electric motor. This electric motor is only capable of running for a short 32 minutes at standard output, making its usefulness quite limited, but during this time the ship is capable of running quieter than most conventional (non-nuclear) submarines, including the Meč.
[Electronic Detection Systems:]
The Víčor uses a wide variety of detection systems to help fill its primary role as an attack submarine, whether the target is a surface ship or another submarine. These systems include standard sonar arrays, surface search radar, passive hull array sonar,
QE-2 Acoustic Detection System:
The QE-2 System is the newest comprehensive sonar system purchased by the NHDF, and its debut in Novikov’s Fleets is intended to come with the introduction of the Víčor. This system is currently in use with the US Navy aboard the Los Angeles class submarine.
AN/BQQ-5 Sonar:
AN/BQQ-5 bow-mounted spherical array sonar acoustic system is deployed on SSN 637 and SSN 688 attack submarine classes. This low frequency passive and active search and attack sonar is supplied by IBM. The AN/BQQ-5E sonar with the TB-29 towed array and Combat Control System (CCS) Mk 2, known collectively as the QE-2 System, provides a functionally equivalent system for the Los Angeles (SSN-688) and Ohio (SSBN-726)-class submarines. Enhancements include increases in acoustic performance, improved combat control capabilities and replacement of obsolete equipment.
OPEVAL for AN/BQQ-5E system with the TB-29 Array completed in FY 1998; this system will provide quantum improvements in long-range detection and localization for SSN 688 and SSBN 726 Class Submarines. Engineering Change Proposal (ECP) 7001 to AN/BQQ-5E will provide Low Frequency Active Interference Rejection, Dual Towed Array Processing, and Full Spectrum Processing to SSN 688 and SSBN 726 Class Submarines.
The AN/BSY-1 ECP 1000, the AN/BQQ-5 Medium Frequency Active Improvement program and Improved Control Display Console Obsolete Equipment Replacement have been modified to become the basis of the Acoustics Rapid Commercial Off The Shelf Insertion (A-RCI) program. A-RCI is a multi-phased, evolutionary development effort geared toward addressing Acoustic Superiority issues through the rapid introduction of interim development products applicable to SSN 688, 688I Flight, and SSBN 726 Class Submarines. A-RCI Phases I and II introduce towed array processing improvements; A-RCI Phase III introduces spherical array processing improvements.
The Trident Submarine System Improvement Program develops and integrates command and control improvements needed to maintain Trident submarine operational capability through the life cycle of this vital strategic asset. The program conducts efforts needed to ensure platform invulnerability, and reduce life cycle costs. Recent efforts have included the development of AN/BQQ-6 Sonar to AN/BQQ-5E Sonar Translator.
TB-29 Towed Array:
The TB-29 submarine thin-line towed array is a Commercial Off-The-Shelf version of the legacy TB-29 towed array. These arrays will be used for back-fit on Los Angeles (SSN-688 and SSN-688I) submarines and forward-fit on the Virginia (SSN-774) class. Compared with the legacy array, the TB-29 uses COTS telemetry to significantly reduce the unit cost while maintaining equivalent array performance. Technical and Operational Evaluations are scheduled for FY 2001. The first three arrays will be delivered to the Fleet in FY 2002.
The AN/BQQ-5E sonar with the TB-29 towed array and Combat Control System (CCS) Mk 2, known collectively as the QE-2 System, provides a functionally equivalent system for the Los Angeles (SSN-688) and Ohio (SSBN-726)-class submarines. Enhancements include increases in acoustic performance, improved combat control capabilities and replacement of obsolete equipment.
Towed array technology has advanced rapidly with longer, multiline systems that have an increasing number of sensors for submarine-based ASW. The TB-29 is longer than the thin-line TB-23 and has a sensor location system. It is now available on a few platforms and will be deployed on the Seawolf and the nuclear-powered attack submarine, new version (NSSN). It will be the operational submarine-towed array for the foreseeable future. Many existing Navy tow cable systems have single coaxial conductors, one to two kilometers in length, on which power, uplink data, and downlink data are multiplexed (e.g. SQR-19, TB-23, TB-29). These systems typically run at uplink data rates of less than 12 Mbit/s due to bandwidth limitations of the long coaxial cable.
DMUX 20 Passive Sonar:
The DMUX Passive Sonar is currently used aboard the French Rubis Amethyste Class Attack Submarine. The DMUX 20 is a passive low frequency multi-function sonar, manufactured by TUS. This type of sonar offers a range of functions using several appropriately located specialized antennas (bow, flank, etc). Data from the various signal-processing systems is merged to enhance the information and then sorted to present the operators with a filtered and easily interpreted image. Onboard the Víčor, it provides a secondary sonar system to be used in support of the slightly more advanced AN/BQQ-5.
AN/BPS-15 Navigation/Surface Search Radar:
The AN/BPS-15 is carried on the Ohio-class submarines. The Navy has been procuring the AN/BPS-15H, a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) variant of the AN/BPS-15 radar navigation set, and its associated mast assembly for installation on new construction submarines and for backfit on SSN-688 class submarines. Procurement of the COTS variant has produced a substantial cost savings over a comparable system built to military specifications, has enhanced operational performance, and has improved navigational safety. The Navy established a new specification to eliminate the manpower intensive requirement for paper navigation charts on ships. Instead of paper charts, all ships will have the Electronic Chart Display Information Systems (ECDIS-N). ECDIS-N requires an upgrade to navigation radar systems. The AN/BPS-15(H) Submarine Navigation Radar is being made compliant with the Navy's new Electronic Chart Display Information Systems (ECDIS N) requirement. ECDIS N compliance mandates the elimination of paper navigation charts on submarines by upgrading their radar navigation systems with computer-based charts designed to international commercial-off-the-shelf standards.
DR 3000U Radar Warning Receiver:
The DR 3000U is a Radar Warning system used on most French submarines, including the Rubis Amethyste Attack Boat. The DR 3000U electronic support system is supplied by Thales, based in Malakoff, France. DR 3000U is a radar warning receiver (French Navy designation ARUR-13) operating in D to K bands. The system uses a masthead antenna array with omnidirectional and monopulse directional antennas and a separate periscope warning antenna. The system provides direction-finding with an accuracy greater than 1°.
[Navigation:]
Submarine navigation is provided through the use of the AN/BPS-15 Navigation Radar coupled with a standard Global Positioning System (GPS) – commercially available within Novikov. These two data inputs are linked into an onboard navigation computer, which plots the ship’s projected course and is capable of warning of obstacles such as shoals, shallow water, and surface hazards (if the ship is surfaced). This computer is automatically updated with the most recent drift charts available to the NVFM through one of Novikov’s standard N-Sat 1 communications satellites.
[Communications:]
Communications both in and out bound from the Víčor are controlled through a subsystem of the French SENIT 4 Tactical Information’s System, currently used ofboard the D647 Morsky-Orol Cruiser. The SENIT 4 controls the D647’s entire tactical display and, among it’s many tasks, routes incoming communications. In the Víčor, this ability was expanded upon by Novikovian engineers, expanding it to an entirely new system, aptly designated COM 1.
COM 1 is a run-of-the-mill communications system, operating the entire onboard communications system of the Víčor, including HF, VHF, and UHF Radio antennas and a Satellite Relay. The only discernable problem with these devices is that the ship must be surfaced in order to receive any communications – radio waves do not penetrate the ocean water well enough to reach a submerged vessel.
Another uniquely Novikovian flaw in the communications system lies not in it’s design, but in the fundaments of Novikov’s satellite program. Because Novikov has only one communications satellite in production – the N-Sat 1 – and this satellite is also internationally exported, it’s operating bands are widely know (27-32 MHz). This makes interception of satellite communications a serious problem – all the worse for submariners, who rely on secrecy for the success of their missions. Because of this, COM 1 has an advanced encryption and encoding system built in, which breaks down encrypted transmissions and decodes them automatically, as well as encodes and encrypts outbound transmissions in he same manner.
[Sound Reduction Systems:]
In addition to the R106’s specialized cooling system, the Víčor utilizes all forms of silencing systems to decrease the chance of sonar detection. To limit the possibility of detection, five different types of silencing serve to absorb sonar pings which strike the vessel – weakening the return strength and weakening an enemy’s contact once detection is made – and to limit the vessel’s platform noise and thus minimize the possibility of detection.
Platform noise is that noise generated by own ship other than the sonar system. Platform noise consists of radiated noise and crew generated noise. Control of this noise is the purpose of the shipboard noise control program. To control such noise, several precautions have been taken with all moving equipment inside the ship, and with any other equipment which could betray the vessels position through unwanted noise.
The first line of precautions used is the most basic. It consists of outfitting all moving machinery and pipes within the Víčor with resilient mounts. These mounts allow the said piece of machinery to be secured to the submarine’s superstructure, but these equipment mounts are either layered with or built completely of a rubber insulator. This insulator absorbs the heavier vibrations made by the said machinery and prevents them from being transmitted in the form of sound vibrations through the hull and into the surrounding water.
The second layer of protection operates of a similar principle. Most submarines today use some form of flexible rubber connections to mount pipes and hoses together, absorbing the vibration within the pipes at every joint and again limiting that vibration’s ability to travel through the hull into the water. This concept has been expanded upon on the Víčor, using both the standard flexible connections, and a thin, flexible rubber layering over the moving joints of most pieces of machinery. This rubber layering serves the same purpose as a flexible connection on a pipe, absorbing its vibrations at each joint. Because of machining concerns however, some essential pieces of equipment, namely those involved in the vessel’s propulsion, are without this system.
On all electronic equipment, and on most other surfaces which could increase the chance of detection (tables, chairs, small machinery, periscope mounts, etc.), the Víčor uses Distributed Isolation Material (DIM) to absorb possible sound vibrations, or to transmit them across a wider section of the hull in an attempt to make these vibrations blend with the ocean’s ambient noise.
To secure larger noise hazards such as the reactor’s pressurized cooling system and heavily traveled crew quarters, sound isolation areas have been built, using large amounts of DIM to absorb the noise radiating within one particular area of the ship. This precaution goes so far as to separate the flooring of important areas of the ship like the reactor chamber form the hull by placing DIM between all joints connecting the hull to the mentioned area. The dual-hull system, with its rubber linings, serves a similar purpose, separating the noisy inner hull from the surrounding water with a layer of rubber, steel, and open air. The many variations in pressure which sound waves must travel through in order to escape both hulls also serves to dampen noises inside the ship.
Finally, an effort has been made to ‘crew’ proof the ship, helping prevent crew mistakes which would cause sonar detection, and/or limiting the noise caused by these mistakes. These precautions include the use of rubber matting in all crew-traveled areas of the ship, the use of rubber liners on all hatches, and the use of only plastic, lightweight silverware and tools in all possible circumstances.
Because these preventive measures cannot guarantee the ship will go undetected, the Víčor also incorporates a layer of Sonar-Absorbent rubber tiles into its outer hull. These tiles, adapted from those found on the Russian Kilo-Class SSK, function in the same manner as all other sound-reducing systems onboard the ship, absorbing and trapping sonar pings within the ship, or transmitting them through the vessel to limit the amount of sound which is reflected back towards any hostile sonar array.
[Degaussing:]
A steel-hulled ship is like a huge floating magnet with a large magnetic field surrounding it. As the ship moves through the water, this field also moves and adds to or subtracts from the Earth's magnetic field. Because of its distortion effects on the Earth’s magnetic field, the ship can act as a trigger device for magnetic sensitive ordnance or devices which are designed to detect these distortions. The degaussing system is installed aboard ship to reduce the ship's effect on the Earth's magnetic field. In order to accomplish this, the change in the Earth's field about the ship's hull is "canceled" by controlling the electric current flowing through degaussing coils wound in specific locations within the hull. This, in turn, reduces the possibility of detection by these magnetic sensitive ordnance or devices.
The ship's permanent magnetization is the source of the ship's permanent magnetic field. The process of building a ship in the Earth's magnetic field develops a certain amount of permanent magnetism in the ship. The ship's induced magnetization depends on the strength of the Earth's magnetic field and on the heading of the ship with respect to the inducing (Earth's) field.
There are several different types of degaussing systems in the fleet today. The basic differences between them can be characterized as to what type of power supply they use, and what type of control circuitry they use. For example, some units use silicon-controlled rectifier solid-state power supplies (as in the SSM system). Other systems use motor generator sets (as in the RM-5 type systems), and still others use a mixture of the two (as in the GM-1A units).
The Main coil (M) compensates the induced and permanent vertical components of the ship's magnetic field (Z zone). It is installed in the horizontal plane at the waterline. As the ship changes hemispheres the coil current polarity must be manually adjusted.
The Forecastle permanent - Quarterdeck permanent coils (FP-QP) compensate for the longitudinal permanent component of the ship's magnetic field. The FP coil encircles approximately the forward 1/3 of the ship in the horizontal plane at the main deck. QP coil encircles approximately the after 1/3 of the ship in the horizontal plane at the quarterdeck. Any coil current changes require manual adjustment.
The Forecastle induced - Quarterdeck induced coils (FI-QI) are located in the same area as the FP-QP coils, they compensate for the longitudinal induced component of the ship's magnetic field. The FI-QI current is proportional to the horizontal component of the Earth's magnetic field along the ship's longitudinal axis. The FI-QI coil current is manually changed, by shifting the "H zone" switch on the switchboard, when the ship's location changes H zones. The degaussing system automatically compensates for heading changes by converting a gyro input signal to a magnetic heading.
The Athwartship coil (A) is installed in the vertical plane and extends from the keel to the main deck. It compensates the athwartship induced and athwartship's permanent components of the ship's magnetic field. The A coil current consists of permanent and induced components.
The Víčor uses these four main coil systems together to provide a maximum degaussing effect and protect itself from magnetic ordinance. Additional proposals have been made to isolate smaller areas of the ship, such as the control room and even something as small as individual pieces of equipment. However, the price the ship would pay in terms of power use would be staggering and until this problem is remedied, the NVMF will not attempt to implement degaussing on a scale smaller than those systems already in use.
[Armament:]
The Víčor sports a deadly mixture of torpedoes and missiles in order to give it a killing edge against its likely opponents. It sports six 550mm torpedo tubes mounted in the standard four bow, two aft formation found on previous Novikovian submarines. The change for 533mm to 550mm tubes was made in order to accommodate the somewhat wider American torpedoes which have proven superior to Novikov’s indigenous designs, however the change can be undone by simply inserting a rubber liner into the torpedo tube, a process which takes under a minute when done by a trained crewmember. These tubes are used to deliver a variety of ordinance, including British Spearfish and American M44 / M46 torpedoes and the Chinese YJ-8 Anti-Shipping Cruise Missile – essentially an upgraded version of the French Exocet.
Additionally, the Víčor is equipped with the SS-M-01 Líška Cruise Missile. This weapon is multi-purpose, designed to launch precision attacks on either enemy inland installations, or hostile shipping. It functions much like the American Tomahawk does, launching vertically from the back of the submarine and rising quickly to descend on its target. The Víčor carries eight Líškas in vertical tubes running along the spine of the boat, but carries no reloads.
Air defense for the Víčor is provided through a pair of SA-19 Grizzly missiles modified with a watertight casing to allow their launch underwater and a general waterproofing and saltwater protection for the missile’s vital electronics.. The SA-19 missiles are not linked to any form of onboard air-search radar, instead they are simply fired in the direction of the enemy aircraft, intending for their seeker heads to track the target after clearing the water and reaching attack velocity.
YJ-8 Cruise Missile:
The C-801 missile was developed in response to the Navy's need for small-scale missiles. Said to be derived from the French Exocet, the C-801 bears little external resemblance to this missile apart from nearly identical length and diameter, and in fact the triple control surfaces are rather similar to those found on the American Harpoon [though the Harpoon is only about 80% the size of the C-801]. After 8 years of R&D, the C801 ship-to-ship missile passed final design tests in September 1985 directly hitting targets in all six test launches. The final design of this missile was approved in 1987. The C-801 missile is the second generation of antiship missiles developed by China.
The terminal guidance radar with monopulse system possesses high anti-jamming capabilities. The high precision radio altimeter allows the missile to have minimum-altitude flight above the sea. It uses a semi-armor-piercing anti-personnel blast warhead which relies on the missile's kinetic energy to pierce the deck of a ship, penetrate into and explode in the ship's interior. During final design flight tests, one missile attacked and sank a target ship with displacement of 10,000 tons. C-801 has a hit percentage of over 75%.
Spearfish Torpedo:
The Novikovian submarine fleet uses the Spearfish as its primary large torpedo, intended to be used on fast moving or rapidly maneuvering targets such as enemy submarines – in particular the Russian Akula, said to be capable of speeds over 40 knots. The Spearfish is larger then most submarine crews would like, taking almost twice the space of the smaller American MK 44 and MK 46 torpedoes. What this size allows for, however, is a tremendous range and speed for a torpedo. The Spearfish is reportedly capable of running at speeds in excess of 70 knots, easily able to outpace even the fastest opponents, and tests have shown it’s range to be an astounding 23,000 meters when running at 60 knots.
MK 44 / MK 46 Torpedoes:
The MK 44 and MK 46 are the standard weapons for use onboard the Víčor. The MK 44 was chosen because of its small size and ease of procurement – the weapon is widely used around the world. The MK 46, on the other hand, was chosen to be a mid-line weapon, having the size and price benefits of the MK 44, with much of the speed that the Spearfish enjoys – 45 knots. Thus, the MK 46 is considered the standard weapon to be used aboard the Víčor.
SS-M-01 Líška Cruise Missile:
The Líška was designed as the Novikovian equivalent to the American Tomahawk program, and was scheduled to enter production shortly before Novikov was invaded and its production facilities seized. Only thirteen actually reached completion, and all were destroyed following the government’s capitulation.
The Líška (Fox) is a multi-role missile, designed principally to attack targets up to 1,050 km inland. Its size is slightly larger than that of its American predecessor, caused mainly by an advanced guidance system which includes a rearch radar component designed to engage ship-sized targets if programmed to, and a larger, 600 kg payload. Modifications can be made to the weapon’s ordinance to allow it to carry Chemical or Biological agents in large quantities, allowing the Víčor to serve as a deterrent to NBC attacks on Novikov.
The Líška is GPS guided when attacking land-based or otherwise static targets. Stabalized by two gyroscopes, it maneuvers itself over the programmed target and descends rapidly in a near-vertical dive to deliver its ordinance.
The difficulty then lies not in reaching the target, but simply in surviving long enough to complete its attack. The Líška is sub-sonic, flying at 900 km/h, and, like all cruise missiles, is highly vulnerable to air defenses, both land and ship based. This problem is especially prevalent when launching attacks on ship targets using its search radar, as it is unable to skim the water while attempting to acquire its target. An attempt to remedy this problem has not been made, and the problem remains.
SA-19 Grisom Surface-Air Missile:
The SA-19 GRISOM (9M111) is a radar command guided, two-stage surface to air missile mounted on the 2S6 Integrated Air Defense System. The 2S6 vehicle is fitted with two banks of four missiles in blocks of two, which can be elevated vertically independent of each other. The SA-19 can engage aerial targets moving at a maximum speed of 500 meters/second at altitudes ranging from 15 to 3,500 meters, and at slant ranges from 2400 to 8000 meters. The missile's high-explosive fragmentation warhead is actuated by a proximity fuse if the missile passes within 5 meters of the target. The SA-19 is supported by the HOT SHOT radar system, which consists of a surveillance radar with a maximum range of 18 km, and a tracking radar with a maximum range of 13 km. The semi-automatic radar to command line-of-sight engagement requires the gunner to track the target using the roof-mounted stabilized optical sight. The SA-19 is claimed to have a kill probability of 0.65.
Onboard the Víčor, the SA-19 is fitted with a watertight plastic casing which covers the launching missile until it clears the water, upon which the casing will simply break away. Because the casing covers the missile’s engines, the entire system is launched clear of the ship through a redirected burst of pressurized air taken from the submarine’s ballasts. Because this leaves a bubble trail, the weapon should only be fired if the submarine has already been located, as any firing before that will alert the enemy aircraft to the sub’s position.
These devices are targeted by simply pointing the weapon in the correct direction- done through the use of small stabilizing fins on the watertight casing - and letting the HOT SHOT tracking radar actually find and engage the target. Because of this, the SA-19 cannot be used while friendly aircraft are in the area, as it has no way of telling friend from foe.
[Statistics:]
Displacement: 6,366.7 Metric Tons
Dimensions: 112.5 meters x 10.35 meters x 8.5 meters
Propulsion: R106 Pressurized Water Reactor (42,600 shp) or Standard Electric Motor (1,010 shp), Single Shaft, Five-Bladed Screw
Crew: 124
Sonar: AN/BQQ-5 Active/Passive, DMUX 20 Passive, TB 29 Towed Array
Radar: AN/BPS-15 Surface Search / Navigation Radar
Countermeasures: DR 3000U ESM
Design Features: Free-Flow Seawater Cooling for Reactor, Rubber Sonar-Absorbent Tiles, Dual Hull, DIM Floor Tiling, Standard Sound-Reduction Features
Armament: Six 550mm Torpedo Tubes (Can be converted to 533mm), Two SA-19 Grisom SAM Launchers (Naval Variant), Eight Líška Cruise Missiles
Stores: 20 Torpedoes (2 Spearfish, 18 MK 44 / 46), 6 YJ-8 Anti-Shipping Cruise Missiles, 6 SA-19N Naval SAMs (Stored in the weapon system), provisions for 8 more torpedoes mounted on hull (Any type)
Endurance: Limited by food stores – 4 months unreplenished.
Speed-Primary Engines: 20 knots Surfaced (13 Cruising) / 36 knots Submerged (25 Cruising)
Speed-Secondary Engine: 2 knots Surfaced / 3 knots Submerged
Maximum Depth: 400 meters (Recommended) / 560 meters (Crush Depth)
Operating Cost: 21 million USD / year
Cost: 910 million USD
Production Rights: 250 billion USD