Project 865 piranha. Ultra-small submarines "Piranha. Very small and very dangerous

Small special submarine ("MS"). The TTZ of the USSR Navy for the creation of a special small submarine was issued to the Malachite Design Bureau in 1976 (chief designer - L.V. Chernopyatov, later - Yu.K. Mineev). In 1984, Yu.K. Mineev was appointed chief designer of the project and on July 15, 1984, the lead submarine MS-520 was laid down at the Leningrad Admiralty Association plant (launched on August 20, 1986). The second submarine MS-521 was laid down there on December 1, 1987. Factory running and later state tests of the submarine were carried out in the Baltic Sea with the submarine based in Paldiski (Estonia). The first MS-520 submarine was accepted by the Navy for a one-year trial operation on December 30, 1988, the second - on December 25, 1990. Based in Liepaja, Baltic Fleet. The boats were withdrawn from the Navy in 1999, but back in 1998 they were cut into metal in one of the workshops of the Kronstadt Marine Plant.

Submarine MS-520 pr.865 "Piranha" - LOSOS on trials (Admiralty Shipyards for the Russian Submarine Fleet. St. Petersburg, "Gangut", 2003)

The withdrawal of the submarine MS-520 pr.865 "Piranha" - LOSOS from the workshop of the "Leningrad Admiralty Association" and launching with a Demag crane using a special beam (Admiralty Shipyards to the Russian Submarine Fleet. St. Petersburg, "Gangut", 2003 G.)

Submarine pr.865 "Piranha" LOSOS

Purpose of the submarine- the boat is designed to solve a variety of tasks of countering the enemy in shallow shelf conditions at depths from 10 to 200 m, carrying out activities in support of and in cooperation with divers and combat swimmers at depths of up to 60 m, reconnaissance, sabotage.

Submarine design- double-hulled. The material of the durable case is titanium alloy. Assembly and welding work to form a strong hull was carried out in one of the bays of workshop No. 9 of the Admiralty Shipyards. The main ballast tanks, manufactured by the Pella plant from fiberglass, were also installed here. The installation of a lightweight body and a fiberglass entrance hatch fence was also carried out. Tests of the pressure hull were carried out using internal hydraulic pressure. After testing, the housing was cut into two parts for installation of equipment. The boat was launched by a Demag floating crane using a specially designed beam and standard rods of the SHU-200 rescue device.

Engines: full electric propulsion

1 x diesel generator 220 hp

1 x 82 hp electric propulsion motor

Mover- 1 shaft and 1 fixed pitch screw in a rotating ring attachment.

Energy- standard - lead-acid; or more capacious silver-zinc batteries (battery capacity 1200 kilovolts - so in the source - deepstorm.ru).

Submarine performance characteristics:

Crew - 3 officers + sabotage and reconnaissance group (up to 6 people)

Length - 28.2 m

Width - 4.7 m

Draft - 3.9 m

Surface displacement - 218 tons

Full underwater displacement - 390 tons ("Weapons of Russia")

Fuel weight - 6500 kg

Surface speed - 6.43 knots

Underwater speed - 6.65 knots

Economic underwater speed - 4 knots

Surface cruising range - 1450 miles

Range in RDP mode - 1000 miles

Underwater range (silver-zinc batteries) - 250-260 miles

Underwater range (lead-acid batteries) - 134 miles

Immersion depth - 200 m

Autonomy - 10 days

Armament:

2 x mine-laying devices - torpedo tubes

Ammunition - 2 PMT mines or 4 high-power bottom mines or 2 Latush torpedoes (launched by torpedo engine)

2 x external containers for cargo (4 Proton-type divers' tugs or 2 Sirena-U divers' vehicles)

There is also an airlock chamber and a set of diving equipment for combat swimmers (with the ability to replenish the respiratory gas reserves from outside the submarine).

Attack, reconnaissance and sabotage submarine P-650

Russia will launch a flock of new Piranhas into the seas. The project is absolutely secret and I have no real characteristics of this predator. There isn't even a single real photograph. However, I managed to collect a certain amount of material that I personally found very interesting.

We will talk about the newest Russian midget submarine designed for special operations. And also to protect one’s own coastline, destroy surface and underwater ships, and attack enemy ground targets located at a considerable distance from the sea coast.

As you can see, Russia decided not only to abandon the traditional idea of ​​small submarines designed to deliver special groups to the enemy’s coast, but decided to expand the functionality of the Piranhas.

Model of the submarine "Piranha-T"

From 1990 to 1999, the USSR Navy, and then the Russian Navy, included two small Project 865 Piranha submarines: the experimental boat MS-520 and the serial boat MS-5621. Due to the collapse of the USSR, the project was closed due to lack of funding. “Piranhas” became the crown of Soviet shipbuilding in terms of small submarines.

For decades, work has been carried out on the development of special means of delivering “naval special forces” to enemy shores. And for many years, the main requirement for such underwater delivery vehicles was, for obvious reasons, stealth. This is how the ultra-small Triton submarines and a large number of delivery vehicles appeared in the USSR, which made it possible to literally infiltrate heavily guarded targets of a potential enemy.

Model of the Triton-class midget submarine

After many years of work on the creation of ultra-small submarines, the Project 865 Piranha submarine was developed at the St. Petersburg SPMBM Malachite. “Piranha” differed from its underwater predecessors in its increased displacement and, as a result, the ability to take on board not two people, but a group of six paratroopers. This does not include three crew members. In addition, the developers of Piranha managed to force the submarine to “dive” to a depth of 200 meters.

However, the Piranha was not only a cargo-passenger vehicle for special forces. Initially, the boat was designed as a full-fledged combat unit of the fleet, which, although it could not boast the full functionality of an attack submarine, could significantly complicate the life of the personnel of an enemy port, military base and other facilities located on the sea coast. To accomplish the task of “complicating life,” Project 865 boats were equipped with a whole arsenal of a wide variety of weapons and equipment, using which it was possible to successfully paralyze an entire region.

For example, the Piranha’s armament included a special PMT-1 mine-torpedo weapon system with acoustic detection. This complex made it possible to deploy mines through a 400-mm torpedo tube both in enemy waters and on combat patrol routes of enemy ships. Accordingly, through torpedo tubes it was possible not only to lay mines, but also to use special “Latush” torpedoes, which “worked” in a wide range of depths.

The Piranha submarines were not intended to conduct strategic operations, but 3-4 such submarines in a group could, by carrying out the planned activities, “process” the area in such a way that the enemy would need up to six months just to clear mines. This does not take into account other possible and very likely damage.

Small "Piranha" - small "Caliber"

Work on ultra-small submarines, thank God, did not stop with the collapse of the USSR. Many years of work culminated in the appearance of the P-650 boats at the Malachite Central Design Bureau, which can be called a continuation of the 865 project: there is some similarity in the characteristics and tasks performed by the boat.

The new boat is distinguished by a “modular design”, which allows the P-650 to be equipped specifically for those tasks that the boat will have to solve specifically on the upcoming voyage. For example, P-650E submarines can accommodate up to four Caliber cruise missiles. Or, if desired, 8 torpedoes of 400 mm caliber, and in the niches between the durable and light hull up to 12 bottom mines.

It is quite possible that this is not an exhaustive list of what may be on board the boat of this submarine. In any case, this is already a full-fledged multi-purpose diesel submarine, which, in addition to delivering naval special forces, can perform the following tasks:

• protection and defense of coastal and maritime borders through covert patrols;
• destruction of single surface ships and vessels, submarines;
• striking coastal targets;
• laying minefields;
• conducting reconnaissance of marine areas;
• targeting naval and aviation ships at the enemy;
• and other tasks.

At the moment, several projects of small submarines have been created (“Piranha – 450”, “Piranha – 650E”, “Piranha – 950”) with a displacement of up to 950 tons, which differ not only in displacement, but also in the composition of their weapons. Experts note such advantages of Russian submarines as diving depth (up to 300 meters) and long range – 2,000 nautical miles (3,700 kilometers).

In connection with the continuous strengthening of the NATO fleet, as well as the possibility of war, the Soviet command decided to turn its attention to the construction of mini-submarines that would be capable of operating in rivers, in shallow waters, and on the territory of enemy fleet bases. To bring these goals to life, the naval leadership commissioned the Leningrad Design Bureau "Malachite" to design a mini-submarine. The boat under development received the designation Project 865 and the code “Piranha”. Subsequently, 2 submarines of this type were created in Leningrad - the experimental boat MS-520 and the lead boat of the MS-521 series. Only 2 boats were built, both of which were in service from 1990 to 1999.

For many years, midget and small submarines were not built or designed by the domestic industry. Their design resumed only in the 70s of the last century. Since 1973, the Malachite Design Bureau began work on the submarine Project 865 Piranha. The main designers of the boat were Yu. K. Mineev, S. M. Bavilin, L. V. Chernopyatov. The small submarine was intended to carry out special missions in shallow, coastal and difficult-to-navigate areas in which the operations of conventional submarines were either impossible or seriously hampered, including in conditions of serious anti-submarine defense.

Initially, the chief designer for the project was L.V. Chernopyatov, but in 1984 he was replaced by Yu.K. Mineev. The main observer for this project from the USSR Navy was Captain 2nd Rank A.E. Mikhailovsky. There was no experience in creating and designing such technical means in the country at that time. For this reason, we had to work almost from scratch. At the same time, the novelty of the task assigned to the designers and engineers led to a very large number of model and full-scale tests of the boat, experimental work, and various experiments on individual structural elements, technological processes and devices. For this reason, the laying of the first experimental submarine of Project 865 took place only in July 1984 at the Leningrad Admiralty Association.

To carry out the tasks assigned to them, the Piranha submarines were equipped with a specialized diving complex, which included 2 outboard sealed automated containers (diameter 0.62 m, length 12 m) intended for storing individual means of propulsion for divers and diving equipment and a dry lock chamber for saboteur divers to enter the sea in a submerged position. In addition, there were 2 outboard permeable devices (diameter 537 mm). The Piranha submarines were equipped with a modern complex of electronic weapons, which included small-sized navigation, communication and surveillance equipment (radar and hydroacoustic) and an automated control system, which made it possible to reduce the crew size to a minimum (only 3 people).

The weapon complex was located in the middle part of the boat's superstructure and consisted of 2 cargo containers, in which 2 Sirena-UME type transporters or 4 Proton towing vehicles could be located. In addition, there were 2 mine-laying devices, which contained mines of the PMT type (up to 4 mines of high power, the use of nuclear charges is possible), or 2 grids for 400-mm Latouche torpedoes, which were used at the entire range of diving depths “by self-exit”. For unloading, loading, and also securing diving equipment on the boat there was a retractable tray. The controls and drives of the tray were located inside the durable body of the mini-submarine. The mine-laying device was a permeable launch grid with guide tracks of a pneumo-mechanical ejector device, which ensured that the mines were pushed out in the direction of the submarine's movement - forward. According to the second option, torpedoes could be used instead of mines.

In addition to a variety of special equipment and weapons, the submarine had increased stealth. This was achieved through the use of a non-magnetic housing, low-noise mechanisms, perfect acoustic protection and the use of a diesel-electric power plant with full electric propulsion. The boat used a diesel generator with a power of 160 kW, as well as a low-speed all-mode main electric motor with a power of 60 kW. The Project 865 boat could use a lead-acid battery with a total capacity of 1200 kW-hours or a silver-zinc battery with twice the capacity.

The midget submarine Project 865 had a displacement of 319 tons in a submerged position, and 218 tons in a surface position. The dimensions of the boat were 28.2 x 4.7 x 5.1 meters. At the same time, the boat was double-hulled (light and durable hull), had a developed superstructure and one shaft. To ensure increased controllability and maneuverability of the boat at low speed, a propulsion unit with a propeller in a rotating nozzle was mounted on it.

In the central post of the mini-submarine there was an operator's console, information display equipment and an instrument stand, controls for the main devices and systems. The boat's instrumentation system included sound-underwater communications, sonar, radar and other devices. There was a battery pit located under the central post (CP) deck deck. Closer to the bow of the operator's console there was a retractable shaft of the radar complex, a periscope and an entrance hatch. The spherical bulkhead limiting the CPU had an entrance hatch to the airlock chamber, which could also be used for decompression. The bulkhead had a gateway for transferring objects from the CPU to the chamber and a porthole to observe the divers. Control devices for the divers' locking system were also located here.

The aft flat bulkhead, equipped with a gas-tight door, separated the CPU from the electromechanical compartment, where a diesel generator, a DC propulsion motor, compressors, fans, pumps and other equipment were located on a special shock-absorbing platform disconnected from the durable hull. The noise-absorbing coating on the submarine's hull structures, combined with a two-stage shock absorption system, provided the mini-submarine with a very small acoustic field. At the same time, the electromechanical compartment was uninhabited; while the boat was on a voyage, it was visited only to check the condition of the equipment. The screw, which was installed in a rotating ring attachment, also served as a vertical rudder.

The crew of the mini-submarine included only 3 people. All of them were officers: a commander-navigator, an electronic weapons assistant and an electromechanical assistant. In addition to the crew, the boat could take on board a reconnaissance and sabotage group of 6 people. It was the saboteurs, in fact, who were the main "" of the submarine. Combat swimmers could leave the submarine both on the ground and at depths of up to 60 meters. While outside the submarine, they had the ability to replenish the gas mixture in their breathing devices, as well as use electricity supplied from the boat through wires. The autonomy of the Project 865 submarine was 10 days.

A direct development of the Piranha-type boats could be the Piranha-2 mini-submarines with a normal displacement of 400 tons, which had an air-independent (anaerobic) power plant that used Kristall-20 fuel cells. The maximum underwater speed of such a submarine was supposed to be 12 knots, and the cruising range was about 1200 nautical miles. It was planned to arm the boat with 2-8 torpedoes in special launchers on a light hull. At the beginning of 1993, Malachite began promoting its submarine on the international market. At the same time, the normal displacement was increased to 250 tons, and the crew increased to 4 people. In general, on the basis of the Project 865 submarine, a whole family of submarines with a displacement from 130 to 920 tons was developed.

The fate of the ships of this project turned out to be quite sad. Already in March 1999, both built boats were towed to Kronstadt, where they were cut into scrap metal. They did not serve even 10 years in the fleet. There were several reasons for the withdrawal of the submarines from the fleet: first of all, the lack of funding, as well as the opinion of a number of naval officers that such submarines were unnecessary for the Russian fleet. It is worth noting that before the mini-submarines were cut into scrap metal, one of them took part in the filming of the comedy “Peculiarities of National Fishing.”

Tactical and technical characteristics of "Piranha":

Dimensions: length – 28.3 m, width – 4.7 m, height – 5.1 m.
Displacement – ​​surface – 218 tons, underwater – 319 tons.
Underwater speed - 6.7 knots, surface speed - 6 knots.
Cruising range - full 1000 miles, continuous underwater - 260 miles.
Maximum diving depth is 200 m.
Navigation autonomy – 10 days.
Crew – 3 people + up to 6 combat swimmers
Armament - 2 torpedoes 400 mm Latouche torpedoes or 4 mines.

Information sources:
-http://www.navy.su/navyfrog/sub/piranya/index-photo.html
-http://ship.bsu.by/ship/102077
-http://bastion-karpenko.narod.ru/VVT/865.html
-http://www.navy.su/navyfrog/sub/piranya/index.html

30 years ago, the USSR Navy adopted the experimental small submarine (SPL) for special purposes "MS-520" of Project 865 "Piranha". The uniqueness of the ship was that the submarine could carry out special operations in shallow and coastal areas with a depth of 10-200 m, where it was difficult or impossible for conventional submarines to reach.

How this project, legendary in the history of the Soviet and Russian navies, was created, was recalled by the participants of the scientific and practical conference held at the Admiralty Shipyards on January 18, 2018. The website portal also managed to penetrate the veil of secrecy of the legendary reconnaissance submarine.

Design work

The Piranha MPL project was developed by the Malachite design bureau. Design work on the Piranha had a difficult start, recalls the chief designer of the project, Yuri Konstantinovich Mineev. The customer, represented by the First Main Directorate of the Navy, set the designers an extremely difficult task - to create a ship with a displacement of 70-80 tons, capable of carrying on board a group of reconnaissance divers with equipment and means of transportation, as well as weapons. The first development of Project 865 began in 1974. Since then, Piranha has had several chief designers.

The main difficulty when working on Piranha was that at that time the Soviet Union had no experience in designing and creating the technical means necessary to solve such problems. Underwater equipment for cruising submarines was impossible to use due to its size.

There was simply no one to supply the equipment in the smallest detail, explains Yuri Mineev. Apparently, for this reason, the terms of reference were signed not for the entire cycle of work, but only for the preliminary design.

In addition, as the design work progressed, requirements changed. The number of divers has increased, and the displacement has increased. To improve handling, the ship had to be reconfigured. However, in 1981 the technical project was approved. The development of working design documentation was completed in 1983.

It should be noted that during the development of the unique project, a significant number of model and full-scale tests, as well as experimental work, were carried out. In particular, models of all the main rooms and individual areas of the double-sided space were made. The crew also underwent testing on a special full-scale stand "Coral".

Main characteristics

The result was a submarine 30 m long, 4.7 m wide and with a displacement of 220 tons. The ship's draft was 3.9 m, the maximum diving depth was 200 m, and the underwater speed was 6.6 knots.

The crew of the Piranha consisted of three people. The boat could also carry a group of combat swimmers of six people. For the first time in Soviet shipbuilding, divers exited outside (at a depth of up to 60 m) not through torpedo tubes, but in a more comfortable way - through the airlock chamber.

The ship's armament consisted of two 400 mm torpedoes or two mines. The Piranha power plant included a 160 kW diesel generator and a 65 kW electric propulsion motor.

It is noteworthy that for Piranha, according to Yuri Mineev, two power plant options were developed: diesel-electric and electrochemical generators (ECG). As you can see, the ship was supposed to be equipped with the most advanced technologies.

Yu.K. Mineev and General Director of Admiralty Shipyards JSC A.S. Buzakov

The boat also turned out to be advanced in terms of stealth. The acoustic field of the ship was reduced to a minimum due to a shock-absorbing platform separate from the main hull, on which a diesel generator, pumps, fans, a compressor and other “noisy” equipment were located. Additional sound insulation was provided by the noise-absorbing coating of the hull structures. As a result, during exercises in the Baltic Sea, neither a destroyer nor a large anti-submarine ship could detect the boat.

With an autonomy of 10 days, the cruising range of the Piranha was 1000 miles. To operate at longer ranges, options for delivery vehicles were being explored. A Project 667A nuclear submarine and a dry cargo ship were considered as a carrier.

Construction

The first Piranha was laid down at the Leningrad Admiralty Association in 1984. From a construction point of view, there were no special problems, recalls the former director of the shipyard, Vladimir Leonidovich Alexandrov.

However, there were some peculiarities. So, since titanium is a fairly thin metal, special stretch marks were made for welding it so that the structure remained motionless. Mirrors were used for welding in hard-to-reach places.

But the most difficult stage in the construction of the Piranha, according to Vladimir Alexandrov, was the testing. Especially a lot of effort went into the first boat. At the same time, the second one took off.

Initial plans included the construction of twelve Project 865 ships, then this number was reduced to six. As a result, two submarines were built: the experimental MS-520 and the lead submarine MS-521.

Participants in the design and construction of the small submarine "Piranha"

Service

Construction of MS-520 was completed in 1988, MS-521 in 1990. Both ships entered service with the 157th separate submarine brigade in the Latvian city of Liepaja.

The sailors highly appreciated the combat and operational qualities of the Project 865 boats. According to the commander of the second crew, Captain 3rd Rank Sergei Vladimirovich Smaznov, there were no comments on the ship’s handling.

Comparing a submarine with a child, Sergei Smaznov believes that after a difficult birth a worthy child was born. However, difficulties began at the training stage, when the “Piranhas” ended up in a large brigade.

Events taking place in the country also played a role. In 1991, under the guise of rescue vehicles, secret submarines had to be urgently evacuated to Kronstadt, where they were removed from the fleet and then disposed of by 2000.

When asked why this happened, the participants in the design and construction answer that no one fought for unique boats. As a result, commercial interests (according to some sources, titanium submarine hulls were sold to the United States) prevailed over others.

However, there were attempts to save the Piranha project boats. Thus, Sergei Smaznov repeatedly appealed to the country’s leadership and politicians, including Vladimir Putin and Vladimir Zhirinovsky. As you can see, this did not bring any results.

Sergey Smaznov demonstrates V. Zhirinovsky's answer

The designers also did not sit idly by. Design Bureau "Malachite" prepared conservation drawings for the MPL "Piranha", recalls Yuri Mineev. The boat was supposed to be installed on the embankment near the Nakhimov School. However, as often happens, everything came down to funding, which was not found.

Does the Piranha project have a future? According to conference participants, the field of ultra-small submarines continues to develop abroad. Malachite is still working on this topic: on the basis of Piranha, a whole family of coastal boats has been developed. Perhaps someday in the future the Russian fleet will again need such ships.

In the mid-70s, the Navy command was concerned about the lack of small submarines in the fleet that could be used for reconnaissance and counteraction purposes. Therefore, in 1976, the Malachite design bureau was given the task of designing a midget submarine. The project determined that such a submarine was intended for use in shallow water areas at depths from 10 to 200 meters, where it could carry out sabotage tasks in order to counter the enemy, as well as conduct reconnaissance. It was necessary to place a diving complex on it to perform special tasks at depths of up to 60 meters, as well as electronic and mine-torpedo weapons.

Design work began several years before receiving the technical specifications in 1974 under the leadership of designer Sergei Mikhailovich Bavilin, and since 1976 it was carried out by chief designer Lev Vladimirovich Chernopyatov, then, since 1984, Yuri Konstantinovich Mineev. The features of the future Project 865 Piranha submarine were: titanium hull; an outboard complex for storing, delivering and using diving equipment, as well as mine and torpedo weapons; both small-sized equipment and mechanical; high degree of automation.

The laying of the first experimental submarine MS-520 of Project 865 “Piranha” took place at the Leningrad Admiralty Association in July 1984. The design is a double-hulled ship with a developed superstructure, which houses weapons and special diving equipment. Length - 28.2 m, width 4.7 m. For maneuverability at low speeds and in shallow water, a propulsion system with a propeller in a rotating attachment was provided.
In 1987, the second submarine MS-521 was laid down, and in 1988 the fleet received the lead submarine MS-520. In 1990, the second submarine was transferred to the fleet.

The submarine's crew consisted of 3 people: a commander, also known as a navigator, an electronic weapons assistant, and an electromechanical assistant. Also on board was a sabotage group of 6 people. To carry out special operations for landing and receiving saboteur divers, a diving complex was provided, which included an airlock chamber located in the bow. The equipment necessary for divers was stored in two containers located in the superstructure. While outside, divers could use electricity supplied from it through wires and replenish the supply of gas mixtures for breathing.

Both submarines performed well during testing and in the first years of operation by the fleet. But, unfortunately, they did not serve even 10 years. In 1998, the first, and in 2001, the second, these unique small submarines were withdrawn from the fleet and disposed of in Kronstadt.
There were several reasons for the withdrawal: the complexity of operation, since, due to its specific nature, going to sea was associated with certain difficulties, and the opinion of a number of senior naval ranks about the uselessness of ultra-small submarines. And, of course, the main reason is the lack of funding.

It is worth adding that simultaneously with the construction of Project 865 submarines, work was underway to create an ultra-small Project 8652 submarine (Piranha-2) with a power plant that uses an electrochemical generator. The technical project was approved in 1991, but further work was stopped due to lack of funding. Malachite is still promoting this boat on the international market. To date, the displacement has been increased to 250 tons, and the crew has grown to 4 people.

Tactical and technical characteristics of "Piranha":
Dimensions: length – 28.3 m, width – 4.7 m, height – 5.1 m;
Displacement: surface – 218 tons, underwater – 319 tons;
Speed: underwater – 6.7 knots, surface – 6 knots;
Cruising range: full 1000 miles, continuous underwater - 260 miles;
Maximum diving depth: 200 m;
Navigation autonomy: 10 days;
Crew: 3 people + up to 6 combat swimmers;
Armament: 2 torpedoes 400 mm Latouche torpedoes or 4 mines