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Russian ALFA Class interceptor submarine

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Re: Russian ALFA Class interceptor submarine

#31

Post by freeone3000 »

MichaelMoser123 wrote: post #29
hangonhn wrote: post #9

This is tangentially related: I came across this Reddit post a while back that I found very insightful. In the area of submarine design, the Soviets/Russians are actually much more innovative than Americans. They seem much more willing to try new ideas whereas Americans stuck to a more conservative try and true design. https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3bzekv/what_...

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_sunken_nuclear_subma... the list of sunken Soviet submarines is much longer than the list of sunken US submarines, how is that explained?

They're more innovative. Move fast and break things, right?

Re: Russian ALFA Class interceptor submarine

#33

Post by willvarfar »

freeone3000 wrote: post #31
MichaelMoser123 wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_sunken_nuclear_subma... the list of sunken Soviet submarines is much longer than the list of sunken US submarines, how is that explained?

They're more innovative. Move fast and break things, right?

Early on they rushed poorly designed submarines out with poorly trained crews and poor leadership. There was also a blame culture eg welding rescue bouys to the hull because if they came loose accidentally then the factory would be punished!

This is well described eg in Nat Geo book on K19.

Re: Russian ALFA Class interceptor submarine

#34

Post by gandhium »

freeone3000 wrote: post #31
MichaelMoser123 wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_sunken_nuclear_subma... the list of sunken Soviet submarines is much longer than the list of sunken US submarines, how is that explained?

They're more innovative. Move fast and break things, right?

"Move fast and break things" doesn't sound right, when "things" are your own citizens.

But it's only my opinion, probably.

Re: Russian ALFA Class interceptor submarine

#35

Post by ben7799 »

rdtsc wrote: post #26

It was an experimental design and as the article says, it was very expensive. Titanium was not just expensive, but it was hard to use. Welding had to be done in an inert gas chamber. Imagine building an inert gas chamber for a submarine. More info about it here https://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/russias-alfa-class-was-the... I think that's a better overall article than the original link. New reactor design was experim…

They don't have to weld in an inert gas chamber.

Titanium welding is typically done by purging the air around the weld and/or pumping the inert gas into the parts being welded assuming they're tubes, etc.. A bunch of the gasses involved are heavier than air and that property can be used to come up with clever solutions.

Maybe the Russians built a giant chamber but that seems like a very non-russian solution considering their great awareness of KISS. More likely they found a way to seal an area around the weld and weld in sections that allowed them to pump inert gas into small areas near the welding equipment.

Re: Russian ALFA Class interceptor submarine

#36

Post by lostlogin »

gandhium wrote: post #34
freeone3000 wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They're more innovative. Move fast and break things, right?

"Move fast and break things" doesn't sound right, when "things" are your own citizens. But it's only my opinion, probably.

That’s exactly the way it’s been done over Russian history. Except for the long periods of moving slow and killing citizens.

Re: Russian ALFA Class interceptor submarine

#37

Post by vkou »

gandhium wrote: post #34
freeone3000 wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They're more innovative. Move fast and break things, right?

"Move fast and break things" doesn't sound right, when "things" are your own citizens. But it's only my opinion, probably.

There was a profound disregard for safety in most branches of the Red Army.

Re: Russian ALFA Class interceptor submarine

#38

Post by jacquesm »

sorokod wrote: post #30
jacquesm wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

'Zolotaya' -> made of gold or golden, 'Rybka' -> fish. The Polish currency is named 'złoty', which also has its roots in gold.

'Rybka' is the diminutive of fish - 'Ryba'

To nie ja, to rybka!

Re: Russian ALFA Class interceptor submarine

#39

Post by rpeden »

jabl wrote: post #23
Lionsion wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think the opponent Russian sub was an Alfa, though. That's the one that's sunk at the end of the movie.

Yes, that's correct. (And the US subs are 688 class.)

In the book, USS Ethan Allen (an SSBN) made an appearance as well.

Re: Russian ALFA Class interceptor submarine

#40

Post by zentiggr »

jabl wrote: post #23
Lionsion wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think the opponent Russian sub was an Alfa, though. That's the one that's sunk at the end of the movie.

Yes, that's correct. (And the US subs are 688 class.)

Fun fact - as I was reading Red October, I got a job as an electronics apprentice/tech at the yard in Portsmouth NH, and the first boat I stepped onto was the Dallas. Was a cool moment.
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