Monday, September 22, 2008

Different Types Of Submarines

This Project 877EKM submarine, type Varshavyanka (Kilo Class according to the NATO designation), was built in 1988 for the Indian Navy by the Leningrad Admiralty Shipyard Association according to the project developed by the Rubin Central Design Bureau for Marine Engineering. The Navy of this friendly country has several submarines of that kind and, in terms of their combat and sea-going capabilities, they are well received by Indian submariners. Following its intensive operation, the need arose to repair INS Sindhuvir's sophisticated mechanisms and equipment. The Indian Navy (IN) Command took a decision to repair the submarine in Russia.

INS Sindhuvir sailing in the high seas

Among several Russian ship repair facilities, the choice fell on the Severodvinsk-based Zvyozdochka State Mechanical Engineering Enterprise, a specialized ship repair facility. The enterprise dates back to 1956 when it began to repair fishing vessels, tugs and transport ships. At present, Zvyozdochka is a recognized domestic ship repair leader. The enterprise has mastered the repair of diesel-electric submarines and optimized the technology of repair and modernization of nuclear-powered submarines. Commissioning of its first nuclear-powered submarine was a landmark in the history of the enterprise: the submarine's nuclear power plant was repaired and a new underwater-launched missile system installed. With the commissioning of a specialized production shop in 1974, the enterprise became the largest producer of propellers made of high-strength stainless steels, carbon steels, non-ferrous and titanium alloys, including those designed for nuclear-powered submarines, icebreakers, and cruise superliners. Every year the enterprise manufactures over 1000 propellers weighing from 20 kilograms to 50 tons.

The prestige of Zvyozdochka increased with the introduction of the Onega Research & Development Technological Bureau - elaborated technology involving the industrial method of re-equipment, modernization and repair of submarines of Projects 627A, 658M, 667A, 667B, 667BD, 667BDR and 667BDRM. Owing to this method, up to four submarines went down the slipways of the enterprise every year. And, most importantly, the submarines left the launching dock after repair with improved acoustic characteristics. Having repaired and modernized over 100 first, second and third-generation submarines, Zvyozdochka is currently able to repair ships of any class and purpose and even build new-project ships and vessels.

Today, Zvyozdochka is a comprehensive and well-equipped facility boasting hi-tech production potential. The enterprise has two covered berths with slipways, a floating dock, quays equipped with portal cranes, as well as main shops (hull building, pipe and copper works, outfitting shops, etc.), repair and assembly, machine-building and auxiliary shops. Zvyozdochka is fully engaged in ship repair and shipbuilding activities, including assembly, hull repair, docking, paintwork, electroplating, mechanical and propeller machining work, as well as repair of ship mechanisms and equipment. Main two-span covered berth No.1 features a total length of 216 metres, while the slipway is 204 metres long. Each span is equipped with a bridge crane with a load-lifting capacity of 100 tons. The slipway facility incorporates a flooding dock with portal cranes with a load-lifting capacity of 30 and 80 tons respectively, a transborder pit, self-propelled transborders for transverse movement of vessels, and self-propelled transport facilities for longitudinal movement of vessels.

Each facility features a load-lifting capacity of 12,500 tons. The floating dock is provided with a 139.5 m floor. The special and deep-water quays are equipped with two-three portal cranes with a load-lifting capacity of up to 80 tons. Each quay is provided with a plant to supply high-pressure nitrogen and air, low-pressure air and foam, fresh cold and hot water, electric power with required characteristics, and high-pressure steam. The hull-building shop with a working area of 9700 m2 has hi-tech equipment, a steel cleaning line, automated gas, plasma and oxygen-cutting machines, sheet bending power presses and rolls, and machine tools for machining edges of large-sized parts for welding. The pipe and copper works shop ensures all operations involving the bending and machining of pipes and tubes of 57 to 273 mm in diameter by means of unique equipment, as well as insulation and coating of comprehensive configuration pipes and tubes. The modern submarine cannot be visualized without anti-sonar coating that is prepared and applied by the special coating and painting shop.

INS Sindhuvir after repair

One of the main shops in ship repair technology is the outfitting shop furnished with heavy-duty press-forging and highly productive welding equipment. This shop also repairs and manufactures shipboard equipment, ventilation systems, etc. The machine-building, repair/assembly and auxiliary shops enable the Zvyozdochka staff to perform top-quality comprehensive repairs of any-project submarines independently, without involving other enterprises. The modern ship repair level, hi-tech stand and equipment base, highly qualified specialists and a suitable cost of labor attract potential customers' attention. Thus, as Director of the enterprise Nikolai Kalistratov says, India had good reason to choose Zvyozdochka.

In December 1996, the Russian Rosvoorouzhenie State Corporation and India signed a set of contracts for the repair of the Indian Navy's INS Sindhuvir submarine. The contract volume involved the repair of the submarine hull, a number of systems, special technology and equipment as well as modernization. Prior to signing this contract, Zvyozdochka specialists executed large-volume preparatory work at the submarine's home base. They checked the technical condition of the submarine's hull, equipment, and all its systems and compiled a repair sheet incorporating all revealed defects and their remedy.

The contract stipulated rendering services to the submarine's crew: provision of comfortable apartments for officers and their families and hotels for seamen; provision of fully equipped working spaces, all types of communications, motor transport; and also offering an entertainment and recreation program for the submarine's crew. In June 1997, the Dockwise Company (Belgium) delivered the INS Sindhuvir to the Zvyozdochka facility where it was placed on the slipways of shop No.10 which had previously repaired dozens of different types of nuclear-powered submarines.

INS Sindhuvir was repaired in the Zvyozdochka's spacious berth provided with hull machining, welding and assembly, mechanical repair, pipe bending, outfitting, insulation & painting, and machining bays, as well as chemical cleaning, electroplating, and instrumentation and automatic equipment repair shops. All the sub's parts & elements, instruments & devices, systems & equipment were checked, repaired (if required), tested and examined. The results were entered into a computer system to create a repair electronic database. Replacement of a pressure hull section should be specially pointed out from the entire range of work executed on the submarine. The filling of Indian-made storage batteries with electrolyte was executed for the first time in Russia (this work was considerably more complicated than that done on Russian submarines).

Taking a closer look at the submarine repair process, Commodore P. Sakhi, Indian Navy's Attache in Russia, frequently visited the enterprise and met with Director Nikolai Kalistratov, submarine repair department chief Igor Orlov, and other specialists of the enterprise. Owing to a well-organized production process, the enterprise specialists and the Indian submariners worked concertedly and jointly solved all complex problems. As a result, Zvyozdochka repaired the submarine in compliance with the terms of the contract. The day of INS Sindhuvir's departure from the covered berth of Shop No.10, became a holiday not only for the submarine's crew and the enterprise's specialists but also for Severodvinsk inhabitants. The enterprise's central gates were thrown open to local people.

A grand meeting took place before a vast concourse, while a traditional bottle of champagne was broken against the ship's side and the submarine, mounted on the transborder, moved into the launching dock where it was put on water. Further factory tests and running trials of the submarine confirmed the high quality of repair. The Indian submariners were pleased. INS Sindhuvir will be in service with the Indian Navy for many years to come. Meanwhile Shop No.10 is expecting new orders. Actually, the enterprise's advanced technologies, it's high production capacity and unique stand base enable Zvyozdochka to repair two submarines at a time.

INS Kursura





The diesel-electric INS Kursura, commissioned in 1969 at the Baltic Sea port city of Riga (at the time part of the Soviet Union, now the capital of Latvia), was the fourth Foxtrot class submarine to be inducted into the Indian Navy. The submarine was decommisioned in 2001 after serving for almost 31 years and later hauled to RK beach in Vizag and opened as a museum in 2002. It is one of the few Russian built Foxtrot class submarines on display to the public and one of a few submarine museums of its kind in the world. Kursura has a length of over 91 meters (20 m longer than a Boeing 747!). Her sheer size can be fully appreciated as she is placed on a pedestal on the beach.

Indian Navy Submarines

Because of India's substantial coastline totalling 7516.5 kms, submarines, as the third arm of the Indian Navy (seventh largest in the world), were perceived as an integral part in safeguarding India's maritime territory. The Indian Navy currently maintains a fleet of 16 submarines in two naval bases located at Vizag (INS Virbahu) and Mumbai (INS Vajrabahu). Vizag and Mumbai are the bases for the Eastern and Western Naval Commands respectively. A third base, INS Kadamba is envisaged to become the biggest navy port (covering an area of almost 45 km2) east of the Suez Canal when fully completed. The navy base, located at Karwar (northern tip of the Arabian Sea coast of Karnataka), will also have berthing facilities for submarines. Ten diesel-electric patrol submarines built by Germany's HDW (Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft), now part of Thyssen Krupp Marine Systems, form the backbone of India's submarine fleet. Submarine retrofitting is handled by Hindustan Shipyard at Vizag.

Indian Navy Submarine Fleet:

  • Sindhughosh (Type 877EM, Kilo) - 10 nos, delivered between 1986-2000
  • Shishumar (Type 209/1500) - 4 nos, delivered between 1984-1994
  • Foxtrot - 2 nos, delivered 1973-1974

Future Submarine Inductions

The Indian Navy has ordered six diesel-electric DCNS Scorpène SSK class submarines to be built at the Mazagon Dock located in Mumbai through a technology transfer tieup with DCNS/Navantia. The first submarine is planned to be inducted in 2012 followed by one per year. A nuclear-powered submarine is reportedly under constuction at Mazagon Dock.

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Air Craft Carrier


An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a sea-going airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power great distances without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations. They have evolved from wooden vessels used to deploy a balloon into nuclear powered warships that carry dozens of fixed and rotary wing aircraft.
Balloon carriers were the first ships to deploy manned aircraft, used during the 19th and early 20th century, mainly for observation purposes. The 1903 advent of fixed wing airplanes was followed in 1910 by the first flight of such an aircraft from the deck of a US Navy cruiser. Seaplanes and seaplane tender support ships, such as HMS Engadine, followed. The development of flat top vessels produced the first large fleet ships. This evolution was well underway by the mid 1920s, resulting in ships such as the HMS Hermes, Hōshō, and the Lexington class aircraft carriers.
World War II saw the first large scale use and further refinement of the aircraft carrier, spawning several types. Escort aircraft carriers, such as USS Barnes, were built only during World War II. Although some were purpose built, most were converted from merchant ships, and were a stop-gap measure in order to provide air support for convoys and amphibious invasions. Light aircraft carriers, such as USS Independence represented a larger, more "militarized" version of the escort carrier concept. Although the light carriers usually carried the same size air groups as escort carriers, they had the advantage of higher speed as they had been converted from cruisers under construction rather than civilian merchant ships.
Wartime emergencies also saw the creation or conversion of other, unconventional aircraft carriers. CAM ships, like the SS Michael E, were cargo carrying merchant ships which could launch but not retrieve fighter aircraft from a catapult. These vessels were an emergency measure during World War II as were Merchant aircraft carriers (MACs), such as Mv Empire MacAlpine, another emergency measure which saw cargo-carrying merchant ships equipped with flight decks. Battlecarriers were created by the Imperial JapaneseNavy to partially compensate for the loss of carrier strength at Midway.
Two of them were made from Ise class battleships during late 1943. The aft turrets were removed and replaced with a hangar, deck and catapult. The heavy cruiser Mogami concurrently received a similar conversion. This "half and half" design was an unsuccessful compromise, being neither one thing nor the other. Submarine aircraft carriers, such as the French Surcouf, or the Japaneseclass I-400 submarines, which were capable of carrying 3 Aichi M6A Seiran aircraft, were first built in the 1920s, but were generally unsuccessful at war. Modern navies that operate such ships treat aircraft carriers as the capital ship of the fleet, a role previously played by the battleship. The change, part of the growth of air power as a significant part of warfare, took place during World War II. This change was driven by the superior range, flexibility and effectiveness of carrier-launched aircraft.
Following the war, the scope of carrier operations continued to increase in size and importance. Supercarriers, typically displacing 75,000 tonnes or greater, have become the pinnacle of carrier development. Most are powered by nuclear reactors and form the core of a fleet designed to operate far from home. Amphibious assault ships, such as USS Tarawa or HMS Ocean, serve the purpose of carrying and landing Marines and operate a large contingent of helicopters for that purpose. Also known as "commando carriers" or "helicopter carriers", they have a secondary capability to operate VSTOL aircraft.
Lacking the firepower of other warships, carriers by themselves are considered vulnerable to attack by other ships, aircraft, submarines or missiles and therefore travel as part of a carrier battle group (CVBG) for their protection. Unlike other types of capital ships in the 20th century, aircraft carrier designs since World War II have been effectively unlimited by any consideration save budgetary, and the ships have increased in size to handle the larger aircraft: The large, modern Nimitz class of United States Navy carriers has a displacement nearly four times that of the World War II-era USS Enterprise yet its complement of aircraft is roughly the same, a consequence of the steadily increasing size of military aircraft over the years.

Air Craft Carrier-Architecture

Air Craft Carrier-Architecture

SUB MARINE

A submarine is a watercraft that can operate independently underwater, as distinct from a submersible that has only limited underwater capability. The term submarine most commonly refers to large manned autonomous vessels, however historically or more casually, submarine can also refer to medium sized or smaller vessels, (midget submarines, wet subs), Remotely Operated Vehicles or robots. The word submarine was originally an adjective meaning "under the sea", and so consequently other uses such as "submarine engineering" or "submarine cable" may not actually refer to submarines at all. Submarine was shortened from the term "submarine boat".
Submarines are referred to as "boats" for historical reasons because vessels deployed from a ship are referred to as boats. The first submarines were launched in such a manner. The English term U-Boat for a German submarine comes from the German word for submarine, U-Boot, itself an abbreviation for Unterseeboot ("undersea boat").
Although experimental submarines had been built before, submarine design took off during the 19th century. Submarines were first widely used in World War I, and feature in many large navies. Military usage ranges from attacking enemy ships or submarines, aircraft carrier protection, blockade running, ballistic missile submarines as part of a nuclear strike force, reconnaissance and covert insertion of special forces. Civilian uses for submarines include marine science, salvage, exploration and facility inspection/maintenance. Submarines can also be specialised to a function such as search and rescue, or undersea cable repair. Submarines are also used in tourism and for academic research.
Submarines have one of the largest ranges in capabilities of any vessel, ranging from small autonomous or one- or two-man vessels operating for a few hours, to vessels which can remain submerged for 6 months such as the Russian Typhoon class. Submarines can work at greater depths than are survivable or practical for human divers. Modern deep diving submarines are derived from the bathyscaphe, which in turn was an evolution of the diving bell.
Most large submarines comprise a cylindrical body with conical ends and a vertical structure, usually located amidships, which houses communications and sensing devices as well as periscopes. In modern submarines this structure is the "sail" in American usage ("fin" in European usage). A "conning tower" was a feature of earlier designs: a separate pressure hull above the main body of the boat that allowed the use of shorter periscopes. There is a propeller (or pump jet) at the rear and various hydrodynamic control fins as well as ballast tanks. Smaller, deep diving and specialty submarines may deviate significantly from this traditional layout.

SUB MARINE

SUB MARINE

SUB MARINE1

SUB MARINE1

SUB MARINE II

SUB MARINE II

Sailing Ships

Sailing ship is now used to refer to any large, wind-powered, vessel. In technical terms, a ship was a sailing vessel with a specific rig of at least three masts, square rigged on all of them, making the sailing adjective redundant. In popular usage ship became associated with all large sailing vessels and when steam power came along the adjective became necessary.
specification:
There are many different types of sailing ship, but they all have certain basic things in common. Every sailing ship has a hull, rigging and at least one mast to hold up the sails that use the wind to power the ship. The crew who sail a ship are called sailors or hands. They take turns to take the watch, the active managers of the ship and her performance for a period.
Watches are traditionally four hours long. Some sailing ships use traditional ship's bells to tell the time and regulate the watch system, with the bell being rung once for every half hour into the watch and rung eight times at watch end (a four-hour watch).
Ocean journeys by sailing ship can take many months, and a common hazard is becoming becalmed because of lack of wind, or being blown off course by severe storms or winds that do not allow progress in the desired direction. A severe storm could lead to shipwreck, and the loss of all hands.
Sailing ships can only carry a certain quantity of supplies in their hold, so they have to plan long voyages carefully to include many stops to take on provisions and, in the days before watermakers, fresh water.

SAILING SHIPS

SAILING SHIPS

Sailing Ships

Sailing Ships

FRIGATE CLASS SHIPS



Basically a frigate [frĭg'-ĭt] is a warship. The term has been used for warships of many sizes and roles over the past few centuries.
In the 18th century, the term referred to ships which were as long as a ship-of-the-line and were square-rigged on all three masts (full rigged), but were faster and with lighter armament, used for patrolling and escort. In the 19th century, the armoured frigate was a type of ironclad warship and for a time was the most powerful type of vessel afloat.
In modern navies, frigates are used to protect other warships and merchant-marine ships, especially as anti-submarine warfare(ASW) combatants for amphibious expeditionary forces, underway replenishment groups, and merchant convoys. But ship classes dubbed "frigates" have also more closely resembled corvettes, destroyers, cruisers and even battleships.

INS GOTHAVARI

INS GOTHAVARI

INS GOTHAVARI

TYPE 16 GODAVARI CLASS:

Vessel Type:
Guided Missile Frigate.
Names & Pennant Numbers with commission dates:
Godavari F20 (10 December 1983) INS Ganga F22 (30 December 1985)INS Gomati F21(16 April 1988)
Structure:
The Type 16 Class frigates are a modification of the original Leander Class design with an indigenous content of 72% and a larger hull.
Displacement:
3600 tons standard.............3850 tons full load.
Dimensions:
Length - 126.4 metres.................Beam - 14.5 metres.................Draught - 4.5 metres.
Main Machinery:
Two turbines with 30,000 hp motors, two 550 psi boilers and two shafts.
Maximum Speed: 27 knots.
Maximum Range: 4500 miles at 12 knots.
Complement:
313 (incl. 40 Officers & 13 Aircrew).
Radar:
Air; One Signaal radar at D-band frequency (range - 145n miles; 264 km).........Air/Surface; One MR-310U Angara (NATO: Head Net-C) radar at E-band frequency (range - 70n miles; 128 km)..........Navigation/Helo Ctrl; Two Signaal ZW06 or Don Kay radars at I-band frequency..........Fire Control; Refer to 'Weapons' sub-section.
Sonar: The Bharat APSOH; hull mounted and provides active panoramic search & attack with medium frequency. The vessels also have a Fathoms Oceanic VDS (Variable Depth Sonar) and Type 162M sonar, which provides bottom classification with high frequency. INS Ganga has a Thomson Sintra DSBV 62; passive towed array sonar with very low frequency.
Weapons:
Four P-20M (SS-N-2D Styx) AShMs, fitted in single-tube launchers, with active radar (Mod 1) or infra-red (Mod 2) homing to 45n miles; 83 km at 0.9 Mach. Becomes a sea skimmer at the end of run. Has a 513 kg warhead.
INS Ganga and INS Gomati have been refitted with the Israeli Barak SAM system, with fire control provided by an EL/M-2221 STG radar.
The latter vessel was first sighted with the Barak in December 2002 and the system was reportedly operational by March 2003. It is probable that INS Godavari also has the Barak system, but that is yet to be confirmed through official channels. Prior to the fitment of the Barak system, these vessels had a single vertical launcher with the OSA-M (SA-N-4) SAM with SAR homing to 8n miles; 15 km at Mach 2.5, with a service ceiling of 3048 meters and a 50 kg warhead. A total of 20 OSA-M missiles were carried on board and they had a limited SSM capability. Fire control was provided by a single MPZ-310 (NATO: Pop Group) radar at F/H/I-band frequency, which has since been removed from the vessels that feature the Barak system.
Two 57mm (twin) guns at 90º elevation, 120 rds/min to 4.4n miles; 8 km, for use against ship- and shore-based targets. Fire control is provided by a single MR-103 (NATO: Muff Cob) radar at G/H-band frequency. In the CIWS role, the vessels are fitted with four AK-230 30mm gunmounts with 85º elevation and 500 rounds/min to 2.7n miles; 5 km with fire control provided by two MR-123 (NATO: Drum Tilt) radars at H/I-band frequency.
Features six 324mm ILAS 3 (2 triple) torpedo tubes, which fire the Whitehead A244S anti-submarine torpedo which has active/passive homing to 3.8n miles; 7 km at 33 knots with a 34 kg shaped charged warhead. INS Godavari has tube modifications for the Indian NST 58 version of A244S.
Weapons Control:
MR 301 MFCS and MR 103 GFCS.
Combat Data System: Selenia IPN-10 action data automation and a Immarsat communications (JRC) system.
Helicopters:
Two Sea King Mk.42B or a combination of one Sea King Mk.42B and one HAL Chetak. Usually one helicopter is carried with more than one air crew. French Samahé helicopter landing equipment is fitted. The Naval ALH can also be embarked.
Countermeasures:
Selenia INS-3 (Bharat Ajanta and Elettronica TQN-2) intercept and jammer is used for ESM/ECM purposes. Two chaff/flares are used as decoys. Will have the 'Super Barricade' decoys in due course. Also has a Graesby G738 towed torpedo decoy.