Ok, so I got asked this question at work... I know the Alpha had a Ti hull... Did the Akula?

Also how many Alphas did the Russkies have and how many are still around. Same goes for Akula class.

There wwere 14 Alphas constructed all appear to have been retired in the early 1990's.
The best information I can find reports 17 Akulas. All are supposedly still in service. I remember reading somewhere that one Akula has been leased to India.

I don't think the Akula was a titanium hull.

I can't prove it, though.

After doing some more digging,
There were 7 Alphas, apparently one is still in service somewhere, 6 are decommed awaiting recycling, and 1 is gone

Akula is a steel hull.

The other Ti hull boats were the Komsomolets (sunk in Berants Sea in 1989), and the Typhoons apparently are Ti Hulls.

Speaking of Alphas I remember a story on here a while back about the US getting an Alpha. Any follow up on that story?

I remember jokingly commenting that if the Russians were selling one, we ought to buy it, thinking it would be cheaper than building any more...but I doubt we have ever gotten our hands on one.

quote:

Originally posted by PO1_Kline:
I doubt we have ever gotten our hands on one.

Yes, that would be hard to be kept quiet I think????....

Oh, you'd be amazed how quiet we of the silent service can be when we want to be...which is most of the time.

Actually Kline there was a post on here last year with a news link talking about it. Supposedly we were going to get a broken Alpha and make it operational. I looked back and I think the thread has fallen off of here.

Now I know I am getting old and have cases of CRS but does anyone else remember the story?

Sorry. I hadn't read that one.

But if the russians are selling, maybe we ought to buy. It would make the "sub on sub" a lot more realistsic, don't you think? Add in a couple of foxtrots, maybe a typhoon....

I will re-learn nuclear power in russian...

They have a foxtrot tied up in Long Beach next to the Queen Mary as a museum ship.

I didn't know that. Maybe I can make that a day trip this summer when I go out to Tehachapi to visit my little sister, the rocket scientist...

The alpha's are useless. Their reactors are frozen solid for sure.

I think they were bismuth cooled and needed to be hooked up to shore steam when shut down.

Not much shielding on them ether they are probably hot as hell.

quote:

Originally posted by PO1_Kline:
Oh, you'd be amazed how quiet we of the silent service can be when we want to be...which is most of the time.

Just got to keep Tom Clancy out of the mix. Too bad he blew our cover on that whole "Red October" thing...

Well, nobody believed him anyway, so we got away with that one....


whew!

Tom Clancy is soooooo full of crap it isn't funny. Oh wait maybe it is. I read his book on submarines. There was so much wrong information in there it made for great reading. For his "indepth" research I am guessing he was hanging out in bars where boat sailors were. He was buying them drinks to get information. I can hear a conversation going like this:

Clancy: Well that is cool stuff boys. Excuse me while I go use the men's room. (He walks off)

Bubblehead#1: Holy crap he actually believed that.
Bubblehead#2: No Chit!! I could hardly keep a straight face. (Loud laughter)
Bubblehead#3: Ok when he comes back let's tell him .......................... And remember Keep A Straight Face.

Yeah...his description of a 688 made me wonder if I had really been on one....but that's better than dogging the bilge bay on "Crimson Tide"

Or the speical secret passage way outboard. That was one of the best comedies I have ever seen.

And, of course, the CO had forgotten about it, so Denzel could use it to sneak up on him....


Bad CO! Learn the boat!