Russian model subs and their towed sonar array

[southern or]

I was wondering, since I have a Typhoon kit and I'm working on a OSCAR II, has anyone ever attempted to make their very noticeable aft sonar compartments functional. Also, does anyone have any good pictures of them open or even what their towed sonar arrays look like? Also, why do they have them? The OSCAR II is the newer of the two OSCAR models and they added the boom to it. Plus, how does it work to avoid prop fouling? I tried google but I'm not sure what I'm looking for-or at. Plus I keep finding helicopter arrays-not sub ones.

[southern or]

Re: Russian model subs and their towed sonar array

I left out that I was also wondering why ICBM platform and what is basically a guided missile destroyer underwater need them in the first place?


Also, side question, Why didn't bow sonar arrays catch on in Russia?

[ssn705]

Re: Russian model subs and their towed sonar array

I'll try to hit all your questions here... As far as what a towed array looks like...well, a garden hose. What it looks like in a pod on the rudder...a garden hose on a reel. If the unit in question doesn't have the pod then the tube just goes to wherever the stowage drum is (normally a ballast tank). Prop fouling is avoided by the fact that the arrays are close to neutrally buoyant and your forward motion keeps it straight behind you. Submarine maneuvers are not very violent so you don't really get close to bringing the array into the screw. You don't want to back down with an array out and you would avoid excessive angles at very slow speeds. Why do you have towed arrays...placing the array behind you takes it away from own ship's noise therefore making it easier to hear other very quiet submarines (this is the simplest layman's explanation). The ability to hear other submarines and avoid them is why a boomer carries one. For bow arrays...Russia has always used cylindrical arrays or something similar in their boats while the US has used spheres. Virginia Block III and Severodvinsk have flipped the script. North Dakota and after have the LAB which is a cylindrical array variant while Sev has Irtysh-Amfora that has a bow sphere.

Think I got them all.

Cheers,

Dave

[southern or]

Re: Russian model subs and their towed sonar array

Thanks! you got me in the right direction.

Proportionally speaking, those pods are massive. I found this site finally, (https://battlemachines.wordpress.com) that even has photos of the Soviet sub pods being loaded. Yes, they are towed cable arrays, but because the space between the double hulls was too narrow they added the pods to house the drums.

As for the ND, anyone who knows something about it really doesn't want to talk about it. "Build it cheap and build it fast" are words that should've never been applied as it missed 2 delivery dates and the Navy refused it after it failed SUBSAFE. Last I read it finally was accepted and had a shakedown.

[ssn705]

Re: Russian model subs and their towed sonar array

Interesting article...plenty of errors including the captions, but great pictures in it.

Cheers,

Dave

[southern or]

Re: Russian model subs and their towed sonar array

Yeah, the internets isn't exactly known for it's accuracy. I was really confused on the "dive to escape" bit. According to the poor man's edition of Jane's subs, the LA's could probably keep pace with the depths of most of the Soviet fleet save for the Sierra classes. 750 meters is just insane-I want to know if that's crush depth or operational depth. As for their missile boats, yeah, most are at or close to 300m. Even though *some* could go deep, I seriously doubt it would or did help them, otherwise they wouldn't have became a semi green water sub navy thanks to Robert Hanssen .