Editing Akula-class submarine (section)

{{Short description|Class of nuclear attack submarines}}
{{About|the Soviet/Russian submarine class with NATO reporting name "Akula"|the submarine class with native Russian name "Akula" (Акула)|Typhoon-class submarine}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2021}}
{| {{Infobox ship begin
| display title = ''Akula''-class submarine
}}
{{Infobox ship image
| Ship image = AkulaProjekt971U right.png
| Ship image size = 300px
| Ship caption = ''Akula''-class SSN profile
}}
|-
{{Infobox ship image
| Ship image = [[File:АПЛ "Кузбасс".jpg|300px]]
| Ship caption = 
}}
{{Infobox ship class overview
| Name = ''Akula'' class
| Builders = *[[Amur Shipbuilding Plant|Komsomolsk-on-Amur]]
* [[Sevmash|Severodvinsk]]
| Operators = {{ubl|{{navy|Soviet Union}}|{{navy|Russia}}|{{navy|India}}}}
| Class before = {{sclass2|Victor|submarine|4}}, {{sclass2|Sierra|submarine|4}}
| Class after = {{sclass2|Yasen|submarine|4}}
| Subclasses = 
| Cost = est. $1.55&nbsp;billion (1995 dollars)
| Built range = 1983–1999
| In service range = 
| In commission range = 1984–present
| Total ships building = 
| Total ships planned = 20
| Total ships completed = 15
| Total ships cancelled = 4 (1 ''Iribis'' suspended 42% complete since 1996)
| Total ships active = 4 (4 active +6 on modernization in Russia)
| Total ships laid up = 
| Total ships lost = 
| Total ships retired = 4
| Total ships preserved = 
| Total ships stricken = 
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
| Hide header = 
| Header caption = 
| Ship class = 
| Ship type = [[Attack submarine|Nuclear attack submarine]]
| Ship tonnage = 
| Ship displacement = *surfaced:
*8,140 tons Akula I and Akula I Improved
*8,450–8,470 tons Akula II and III
*submerged:
*12,770 tons Akula I and Akula I Improved
*13,400–13,800 tons Akula II and III
| Ship length = *{{convert|110.3|m|abbr=on}} for Akula I and Akula I Improved
*{{convert|113.3|m|abbr=on}} for Akula II and Akula III
| Ship beam = {{convert|13.6|m|abbr=on}}
| Ship height = 
| Ship draught = {{convert|9.7|m|abbr=on}}
| Ship draft = 
| Ship depth = 
| Ship hold depth = 
| Ship decks = 
| Ship deck clearance = 
| Ship ramps = 
| Ship ice class = 
| Ship power = 
| Ship propulsion = *one 190&nbsp;MW [[OK-650 reactor|OK-650B/OK-650M]] pressurized water [[nuclear reactor]] ([[highly enriched uranium|HEU]] <= 45%)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://lynceans.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Marine-Nuclear-Power-1939-2018_Part-3A_R1_Russia_submarines.pdf|access-date=18 April 2023|website=lynceans.org|title=Russian submarines|date=October 2018}}</ref>
*1 OK-7 [[steam turbine]] {{convert|43,000|hp|MW|abbr=on}}
*2 OK-2 Turbo[[Electrical generator|generators]] producing 2 MW
*1 seven-bladed [[propeller]]
*2 OK-300 retractable electric [[propulsor]]s for low-speed and quiet maneuvering at {{convert|5|kn}}
| Ship sail plan = 
| Ship speed = *{{convert|10|kn}} surfaced
*{{convert|28|-|35|kn}} submerged<ref name=Janes2008>{{cite book |editor-first=Stephen |editor-last=Saunders |date=2008 |title=Jane's Fighting Ships 2008-09 |location=[[Coulsdon]], UK |publisher=[[Jane's Information Group]] |page=644 |isbn=978-0-71062-845-9}}</ref>
| Ship range = 
| Ship endurance = 100 days<ref name="Podvodnye Lodki 2003"/>
| Ship test depth = *{{convert|480|m|abbr=on}} [[test depth]] for Akula I and Akula I Improved
*{{convert|520|m|abbr=on}} for Akula II and III
*{{convert|600|m|abbr=on}} [[maximum operating depth]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://rusnavy.com/news/navy/index.php?ELEMENT_ID=8610 |title=The Ship Day to be celebrated at SSN Kuzbass |website=Rusnavy.com |date=2010-01-28 |access-date=2012-10-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120917113157/http://rusnavy.com/news/navy/index.php?ELEMENT_ID=8610 |archive-date=2012-09-17 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
| Ship boats = 
| Ship capacity = 
| Ship troops = 
| Ship complement = 73 for Akula I & Improved,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.naval-technology.com/projects/akula/ |title=Specification: SSN Akula Class (Bars Type 971) Attack Submarine, Russia |website=Naval-technology.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110605033644/http://www.naval-technology.com/projects/akula/specs.html |archive-date=2011-06-05}}</ref> 62 (31 officers) for Akula II & III<ref>{{cite web |url=http://articles.janes.com/articles/Janes-Fighting-Ships/Typhoon-Akula-class-Project-941-941U-Russian-Federation.html |title=Typhoon (Akula) class (Project 941/941U) (Russian Federation) |website=Jane's Fighting Ships |date=2012-07-24 |access-date=2012-10-04 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130126160105/http://articles.janes.com/articles/Janes-Fighting-Ships/Typhoon-Akula-class-Project-941-941U-Russian-Federation.html |archive-date=2013-01-26 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
| Ship time to activate = 
| Ship sensors = * MGK-540 active/passive suite
* Flank arrays
* Pelamida [[towed array sonar]]
* MG-70 mine detection sonar
| Ship EW = * Bukhta [[Electronic warfare support measures|ESM]]/[[Electronic countermeasures|ECM]]
* MG-74 Korund noise simulation [[decoy]]s (fired from external tubes)
* MT-70 Sonar intercept receiver
* Nikhrom-M [[Identification friend or foe|IFF]]
| Ship armament = * 4 × 533 mm torpedo tubes (28 torpedoes) and 4 × 650 mm torpedo tubes (12 torpedoes). (K-152 ''Nerpa'' has 8 × 533 mm torpedo tubes) 40 torpedoes total
* 1–3 × [[9K38 Igla|Igla-M]] surface-to-air missile launcher fired from sail (surface use only)
* [[RK-55|Granat]] cruise missiles, now [[Kalibr]]
| Ship armour = 
| Ship armor = 
| Ship aircraft = 
| Ship aircraft facilities = 
| Ship notes = * Chiblis Surface Search [[radar]]
* Medvyeditsa-945 Navigation system
* Molniya-M Satellite communications
* MGK-80 Underwater communications
* Tsunami, Kiparis, Anis, Sintez and Kora Communications antennas
* Paravan Towed [[Very low frequency|VLF]] Antenna
* Vspletsk Combat direction system
}}
|}

The '''''Akula'' class''', Soviet designation '''Project 971 ''Shchuka-B''''' ({{langx|ru|Щука-Б||[[pike (fish)|Pike]]-B}}, [[List of Soviet and Russian submarine classes|NATO reporting name]] '''''Akula''''') is a series of fourth generation [[Nuclear marine propulsion|nuclear-powered]] [[attack submarine]]s (SSNs) first deployed by the [[Soviet Navy]] in 1986. There are four sub-classes or flights of Shchuka-B, consisting of the original seven Project 971 boats (codenamed ''Akula I''), commissioned between 1984 and 1990; six Project 971Is (Improved ''Akula''s), commissioned between 1991 and 2009; one Project 971U (''Akula II''), commissioned in 1995; and one Project 971M (''Akula III''), commissioned in 2001. The Russians call all of the submarines ''Shchuka-B'', regardless of modifications.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://rusnavy.com/nowadays/strength/ |title=In-service ships |website=Rusnavy.com |access-date=2012-10-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121005094347/http://rusnavy.com/nowadays/strength/ |archive-date=2012-10-05 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

Some confusion may exist as the name ''Akula'' (Russian: Акула, meaning '[[shark]]' in Russian) was used by the Soviets for a different class of submarines, the Project 941, which is known in the West as the {{sclass2|Typhoon|submarine|4}}. The Project 971 was named ''Shchuka-B'' by the Soviets but given the designation ''Akula'' by the West after the name of the lead ship, K-284.

According to defense analyst [[Norman Polmar]], the launch of the first submarine in 1985, "shook everyone [in the West] up", as Western intelligence agencies had not expected the Soviet Union to produce such a boat for another ten years.<ref>{{cite journal |first=Colin |last=Norman |jstor=1703462 |title=Quiet Soviet Subs Prompt Concern |journal=[[Science (journal)|Science]] |publisher=American Association for the Advancement of Science |volume=243 |issue=4899 |date=31 March 1989 |pages=1653–1654 |doi=10.1126/science.243.4899.1653 |pmid=17751269|bibcode=1989Sci...243.1653N }}</ref>