Life in a confined space through the eyes of a "passenger" on a Russian submarine missile carrier

Strategic missile submarines of the Tomsk type today form the basis of the naval strategic nuclear Forces (SNFMS) of modern Russia. At the beginning of the third millennium, they and the new-generation nuclear submarines of the Yuri Dolgoruky type (the first hull of this promising project will be built and brought to full readiness for a long time at the defense enterprise of Severodvinsk) will play an even more prominent role in the strategic component of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. Military analysts believe that due to the reduction of the aviation and ground components of the Russian Strategic Nuclear Forces (both carriers and ammunition), sea-based launch platforms will become the main guarantor of strategic parity between Russia and the United States of America. It is estimated that it is sufficient to maintain 10 to 15 units of the project based on the Northern and Pacific Fleets of the Russian Federation to fulfill this task.

It is possible that in the near future, these submarines will be widely used as sea-based spaceports. In any case, the global press has described in detail the launch of an automatic spacecraft into Earth orbit by a carrier rocket that was launched from the Bannoy-type submarine missile launcher.

But one way or another, all the tasks that these ships are designed to perform are being and will continue to be carried out by people working in the confined space of a submarine submerged in the depths of the world's oceans. Today, we will tell our readers about their lives in the "strong hull."

Yuri Gagarin, the first cosmonaut, called the Soviet nuclear submariners his colleagues when he visited a Soviet nuclear submarine for the first time. This comparison is not accidental, as the life support systems of spacecraft and submarines are largely identical. However, cosmonauts spend most of their time in confined spaces in a state of weightlessness, while aquanauts experience the challenges of pressure fluctuations in the depths of the sea. This is why the selection process for submarine service is almost as rigorous as for space missions, starting with a pressure chamber test. No matter how high the level of physical health and intelligence quotient of a naval academy applicant or a new recruit sailor may be, weak eardrums can become an insurmountable obstacle to joining the "strong hull" of a nuclear-powered ship or even a diesel-electric submarine.

For "passengers", that is, those who go to sea without being a crew member (officers of various staffs, trainees, military journalists, priests, etc.), no exceptions are made. They are thoroughly examined by medical specialists, take a light-diving training course, study the ship's structure and the basics of fighting for its survivability, pass tests, are tested and must be checked by the Federal Security Service. Only then can you get into the belly of the atomic "monster".

The permanent presence of "passengers" on all warships of the Navy has long been accepted. Due to a lack of funds for basic necessities, sea voyages have become rare, and as a result, many people, both necessary and unnecessary, board the "running" boat. In any case, newcomers become the target of jokes. They might, for example, be advised to find a bomb shelter in the compartments (which, of course, doesn't exist) or asked to disperse the radiation in their cabin by using a towel as a fan. While radiation is a serious concern, it is safely contained in the uninhabited reactor compartment and subject to strict monitoring.

All first-time submergers on board any submarine must pass the rite of passage as submariners and drink a cup of salty seawater to the last drop. Speaking of liquids. All sailors are allowed to drink dry wine underwater to remove radionuclides from their bodies. But do not let this confuse everyone who leads an anti-alcohol campaign. Getting pleasure from a serving of several tens of grams is problematic.

There's also something to eat in the "strong hull." Although the Navy, like all the Armed Forces, faces challenges with food supplies, nuclear submarines on combat duty receive almost full rations. Interestingly, unlike large surface ships, officers, midshipmen, and sailors on submarines share the same meal.

However, on all ships - and nuclear submarines are no exception - live creatures that always want to eat. They're rats. It is almost impossible to exterminate them. They are said to live even in the reactor compartment, where they enter by unknown means through sealed watertight bulkheads. Pressure drops in these rodents also do not matter. They are also not susceptible to claustrophobia.

Some crews take their budgerigars on the trip, who fly freely around the cabin of psychological unloading. Honestly, it is very pleasant to sit in leather slippers (the main footwear on boats) and in a robe similar to pajamas, swaying in a rocking chair among indoor flowers, growing luxuriantly under fluorescent lamps, and listening to the chirping of tropical birds! Especially when you know that, for example, three hundred meters above your head is an icy arctic desert. And here it's warm, with regenerated air and a beautiful view of the forest edge through the window simulators...

In fact, there are plenty of opportunities for active recreation during the rare hours when you're not working. Modern nuclear submarines have gyms, exercise equipment, small swimming pools, and even saunas (only Russian warships have real Finnish saunas). As experienced submariners say, the "stronghold" has everything from a bakery to a dental clinic.

By the way, the " strong hull "is what is inside the outer shell of the submarine, called the"light hull". In fact, "easy" is just a name. In terms of characteristics, it is not inferior to tank armor. Imagine a structure the size of a football field and the height of a ten-story building, submerged to a kilometer depth. Yes, even titanium alloys are not happy with this pressure! The inner hull of the submarine is reliably protected from seawater ingress. The exterior is full of cutouts, grilles and other holes that people familiar with the design of submarines on the example of the "Nautilus" from the novel by Jules Verne (not to be confused with the first nuclear submarine of the same name of the US Navy), are taken for portholes. There are no windows on the submarine: it moves by touch, often in complete silence. Her eyes are the navigator's chart and sonar station. And it is possible to float to the surface during several months of combat duty only in the event of an emergency. With the permission of the command. After returning to shore, sailors, like cosmonauts after a flight, learn to walk on land and breathe atmospheric air again. And, just so you know, Russian submarines returning from combat duty are greeted with... a pig, or rather, a whole roasted "milk" piglet for the crew. Every service has its own little charms...

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