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136-410: The Project 705 submarines had a unique design among other submarines. In addition to the revolutionary use of titanium for its hull, it used a powerful lead-bismuth liquid metal cooled reactor as a power source, which greatly reduced the size of the reactor compared to conventional designs, thus reducing the overall size of the submarine, and allowing for very high speeds. However, it also meant that

272-592: A 25,000- nautical-mile (46,000 km; 29,000 mi) journey "around the world" (actually only between the Kola Gulf and the base at Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy around South America) without surfacing in 1966. The Northern Fleet had almost 50% of the Soviet Navy's submarines by 1986. From 1968 to 30 November 2005, the 7th Operational Squadron  [ ru ] was the main Atlantic operational force of

408-631: A batch reactor with an inert atmosphere at a temperature of 1,000 °C. Dilute hydrochloric acid is then used to leach the salt from the product. The processing of titanium metal occurs in four major steps: reduction of titanium ore into "sponge", a porous form; melting of sponge, or sponge plus a master alloy to form an ingot; primary fabrication, where an ingot is converted into general mill products such as billet , bar, plate , sheet , strip, and tube ; and secondary fabrication of finished shapes from mill products. Because it cannot be readily produced by reduction of titanium dioxide, titanium metal

544-464: A carbon monoxide atmosphere with chlorine gas before reducing it to titanium metal by the use of sodium. Pure metallic titanium (99.9%) was first prepared in 1910 by Matthew A. Hunter at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute by heating TiCl 4 with sodium at 700–800 °C (1,292–1,472 °F) under great pressure in a batch process known as the Hunter process . Titanium metal was not used outside

680-624: A component of smoke screens and catalysts ; and titanium trichloride (TiCl 3 ), which is used as a catalyst in the production of polypropylene . Titanium can be alloyed with iron , aluminium , vanadium , and molybdenum , among other elements. The resulting titanium alloys are strong, lightweight, and versatile, with applications including aerospace ( jet engines , missiles , and spacecraft ), military, industrial processes (chemicals and petrochemicals, desalination plants , pulp , and paper ), automotive, agriculture (farming), sporting goods, jewelry, and consumer electronics . Titanium

816-687: A couple of dozen are readily available commercially. The ASTM International recognizes 31 grades of titanium metal and alloys, of which grades one through four are commercially pure (unalloyed). Those four vary in tensile strength as a function of oxygen content, with grade 1 being the most ductile (lowest tensile strength with an oxygen content of 0.18%), and grade 4 the least ductile (highest tensile strength with an oxygen content of 0.40%). The remaining grades are alloys, each designed for specific properties of ductility, strength, hardness, electrical resistivity, creep resistance, specific corrosion resistance, and combinations thereof. In addition to

952-404: A double hull, where the internal hull withstands the pressure and the outer one protects it and provides an optimal hydrodynamic shape. The gracefully curved outer hull and sail were highly streamlined for high submerged speed and maneuverability. Apart from the prototypes, all six Project 705 and 705K submarines were built with titanium alloy hulls, which was revolutionary in submarine design at

1088-456: A level to avoid block obsolescence before 2030. The Northern Fleet has also received attention with respect to technological upgrades. The Fleet has received new combat aircraft (deployed within the 45th Air and Air Defence Army), enhanced shore-based missile assets (both surface-to-surface and surface-to-air) as well as new systems such as the Samarkand electronic warfare systems in 2017 and

1224-622: A lustrous transition metal with a silver color , low density , and high strength, resistant to corrosion in sea water , aqua regia , and chlorine . Titanium was discovered in Cornwall , Great Britain , by William Gregor in 1791 and was named by Martin Heinrich Klaproth after the Titans of Greek mythology . The element occurs within a number of minerals , principally rutile and ilmenite , which are widely distributed in

1360-438: A mixture of oxides and deposits coatings with variable refractive index. Also known is Ti 2 O 3 , with the corundum structure, and TiO , with the rock salt structure , although often nonstoichiometric . The alkoxides of titanium(IV), prepared by treating TiCl 4 with alcohols , are colorless compounds that convert to the dioxide on reaction with water. They are industrially useful for depositing solid TiO 2 via

1496-482: A new generation of submarines. This highly experimental nature mostly predetermined their future. In 1981, with the completion of the seventh vessel, production ended. All vessels were assigned to the Northern Fleet . The power plant for the boat was a lead-bismuth cooled, beryllium-moderated reactor. Such liquid metal cooled reactors have a number of advantages over other types: Even though 1960s technology

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1632-434: A reducing agent in organic chemistry. Owing to the important role of titanium compounds as polymerization catalyst, compounds with Ti-C bonds have been intensively studied. The most common organotitanium complex is titanocene dichloride ((C 5 H 5 ) 2 TiCl 2 ). Related compounds include Tebbe's reagent and Petasis reagent . Titanium forms carbonyl complexes , e.g. (C 5 H 5 ) 2 Ti(CO) 2 . Following

1768-472: A sample of manaccanite and confirmed that it contained titanium. The currently known processes for extracting titanium from its various ores are laborious and costly; it is not possible to reduce the ore by heating with carbon (as in iron smelting) because titanium combines with the carbon to produce titanium carbide. An extraction of 95% pure titanium was achieved by Lars Fredrik Nilson and Otto Petterson . To achieve this they chlorinated titanium oxide in

1904-465: A small, low drag, 1,500 ton , six compartment vessel capable of very high speeds (in excess of 40 knots (46  mph ; 74  km/h )) and deep diving. The submarine would operate as an interceptor , staying in harbor or on patrol route and then racing out to reach an approaching fleet. A high-power liquid-metal cooled nuclear reactor was devised, which was kept liquid in port through external heating. Extensive automation would also greatly reduce

2040-410: A solution could potentially decrease service times and increase reliability, it is still more expensive, and the idea of single-use reactors was unpopular in the 1970s. Furthermore, Project 705 does not have a modular design that would allow quick replacement of reactors, so such maintenance would take at least as long as refueling a normal submarine. Like most Soviet nuclear submarines, Project 705 used

2176-725: A variety of conditions, such as embrittlement , which reduce the integrity of the assembly welds and lead to joint failure. Titanium is very difficult to solder directly, and hence a solderable metal or alloy such as steel is coated on titanium prior to soldering. Titanium metal can be machined with the same equipment and the same processes as stainless steel . Common titanium alloys are made by reduction. For example, cuprotitanium (rutile with copper added), ferrocarbon titanium (ilmenite reduced with coke in an electric furnace), and manganotitanium (rutile with manganese or manganese oxides) are reduced. About fifty grades of titanium alloys are designed and currently used, although only

2312-467: A week, to process and can the 1,050 cans of uranium. The Sapphire Team finished recanning the uranium on 18 November 1994 at a cost of between ten and thirty million dollars (actual cost classified). The cans were loaded into 447 special fifty-five gallon drums for secure transport to the United States. Five C-5 Galaxys were dispatched from Dover Air Force Base , Delaware , to retrieve the team and

2448-421: Is positron emission (with the exception of Ti which undergoes electron capture ), leading to isotopes of scandium , and the primary mode for isotopes heavier than Ti is beta emission , leading to isotopes of vanadium . Titanium becomes radioactive upon bombardment with deuterons , emitting mainly positrons and hard gamma rays . The +4 oxidation state dominates titanium chemistry, but compounds in

2584-472: Is 60% denser than aluminium, but more than twice as strong as the most commonly used 6061-T6 aluminium alloy . Certain titanium alloys (e.g., Beta C ) achieve tensile strengths of over 1,400 MPa (200,000 psi). However, titanium loses strength when heated above 430 °C (806 °F). Titanium is not as hard as some grades of heat-treated steel; it is non-magnetic and a poor conductor of heat and electricity. Machining requires precautions, because

2720-473: Is about 4 picomolar in the ocean. At 100 °C, the concentration of titanium in water is estimated to be less than 10 M at pH 7. The identity of titanium species in aqueous solution remains unknown because of its low solubility and the lack of sensitive spectroscopic methods, although only the 4+ oxidation state is stable in air. No evidence exists for a biological role, although rare organisms are known to accumulate high concentrations of titanium. Titanium

2856-548: Is also considered one of the most biocompatible metals, leading to a range of medical applications including prostheses , orthopedic implants , dental implants , and surgical instruments . The two most useful properties of the metal are corrosion resistance and strength-to-density ratio , the highest of any metallic element. In its unalloyed condition, titanium is as strong as some steels , but less dense. There are two allotropic forms and five naturally occurring isotopes of this element, Ti through Ti, with Ti being

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2992-500: Is also very hard, is found in cutting tools and coatings. Titanium tetrachloride (titanium(IV) chloride, TiCl 4 ) is a colorless volatile liquid (commercial samples are yellowish) that, in air, hydrolyzes with spectacular emission of white clouds. Via the Kroll process , TiCl 4 is used in the conversion of titanium ores to titanium metal. Titanium tetrachloride is also used to make titanium dioxide, e.g., for use in white paint. It

3128-854: Is an extremely rare mineral consisting of titanium dioxide. Of these minerals, only rutile and ilmenite have economic importance, yet even they are difficult to find in high concentrations. About 6.0 and 0.7 million tonnes of those minerals were mined in 2011, respectively. Significant titanium-bearing ilmenite deposits exist in Australia , Canada , China , India , Mozambique , New Zealand , Norway , Sierra Leone , South Africa , and Ukraine . About 210,000 tonnes of titanium metal sponge were produced in 2020, mostly in China (110,000 t), Japan (50,000 t), Russia (33,000 t) and Kazakhstan (15,000 t). Total reserves of anatase, ilmenite, and rutile are estimated to exceed 2 billion tonnes. The concentration of titanium

3264-692: Is co-equal in status with Russia's Military Districts. The Northern Fleet is tasked with responsibility for operations and defense in the Arctic seas along Northern Russia , including the Barents Sea and Kara Sea , as well as the northwestern maritime approaches to Russia including the Norwegian Sea and Atlantic Ocean. The Northern Fleet's headquarters and main base are located in Severomorsk , Murmansk Oblast , with secondary bases elsewhere in

3400-637: Is contained in meteorites , and it has been detected in the Sun and in M-type stars (the coolest type) with a surface temperature of 3,200 °C (5,790 °F). Rocks brought back from the Moon during the Apollo 17 mission are composed of 12.1% TiO 2 . Native titanium (pure metallic) is very rare. Naturally occurring titanium is composed of five stable isotopes : Ti, Ti, Ti, Ti, and Ti, with Ti being

3536-489: Is corroded by concentrated acids. Titanium is a very reactive metal that burns in normal air at lower temperatures than the melting point. Melting is possible only in an inert atmosphere or vacuum. At 550 °C (1,022 °F), it combines with chlorine. It also reacts with the other halogens and absorbs hydrogen. Titanium readily reacts with oxygen at 1,200 °C (2,190 °F) in air, and at 610 °C (1,130 °F) in pure oxygen, forming titanium dioxide . Titanium

3672-406: Is heated to this transition temperature but then falls and remains fairly constant for the β form regardless of temperature. Like aluminium and magnesium , the surface of titanium metal and its alloys oxidize immediately upon exposure to air to form a thin non-porous passivation layer that protects the bulk metal from further oxidation or corrosion. When it first forms, this protective layer

3808-829: Is manufactured using a flow production process known as the Armstrong process that is similar to the batch production Hunter process . A stream of titanium tetrachloride gas is added to a stream of molten sodium; the products (sodium chloride salt and titanium particles) is filtered from the extra sodium. Titanium is then separated from the salt by water washing. Both sodium and chlorine are recycled to produce and process more titanium tetrachloride. Methods for electrolytic production of Ti metal from TiO 2 using molten salt electrolytes have been researched and tested at laboratory and small pilot plant scales. The lead author of an impartial review published in 2017 considered his own process "ready for scaling up." A 2023 review "discusses

3944-426: Is not the case. It is paramagnetic and has fairly low electrical and thermal conductivity compared to other metals. Titanium is superconducting when cooled below its critical temperature of 0.49 K. Commercially pure (99.2% pure) grades of titanium have ultimate tensile strength of about 434  MPa (63,000  psi ), equal to that of common, low-grade steel alloys, but are less dense. Titanium

4080-565: Is obtained by reduction of titanium tetrachloride (TiCl 4 ) with magnesium metal in the Kroll process. The complexity of this batch production in the Kroll process explains the relatively high market value of titanium, despite the Kroll process being less expensive than the Hunter process. To produce the TiCl 4 required by the Kroll process, the dioxide is subjected to carbothermic reduction in

4216-511: Is one of the few elements that burns in pure nitrogen gas, reacting at 800 °C (1,470 °F) to form titanium nitride , which causes embrittlement. Because of its high reactivity with oxygen, nitrogen, and many other gases, titanium that is evaporated from filaments is the basis for titanium sublimation pumps , in which titanium serves as a scavenger for these gases by chemically binding to them. Such pumps inexpensively produce extremely low pressures in ultra-high vacuum systems. Titanium

Alfa-class submarine - Misplaced Pages Continue

4352-469: Is only 1–2  nm thick but it continues to grow slowly, reaching a thickness of 25 nm in four years. This layer gives titanium excellent resistance to corrosion against oxidizing acids, but it will dissolve in dilute hydrofluoric acid , hot hydrochloric acid, and hot sulfuric acid. Titanium is capable of withstanding attack by dilute sulfuric and hydrochloric acids at room temperature, chloride solutions, and most organic acids. However, titanium

4488-607: Is possible that some accidents could have been foreseen with more mature and better developed monitoring systems. Overall performance was considered good for an experimental system. The main reason behind the small crew complement and high automation was not just to allow a reduction in the size of the submarine, but rather to provide an advantage in reaction speed by replacing long chains of command with instant electronics, speeding up any action. Two loss-of-coolant accidents occurred in Alfa class submarines. In 1971, suboptimal welding on

4624-545: Is procuring a new "lightened" class of Project 21180M icebreakers (which are two-thirds the displacement of the existing Project 21180 ship) with the first vessel being deployed with the Pacific Fleet in early 2023. These plans were formalized under the terms of a presidential executive order and Arctic strategy unveiled in October 2020. The icebreakers are designed to ensure the capacity of year-round navigation along

4760-483: Is surrounded by six oxide ligands that link to other Ti centers. The term titanates usually refers to titanium(IV) compounds, as represented by barium titanate (BaTiO 3 ). With a perovskite structure, this material exhibits piezoelectric properties and is used as a transducer in the interconversion of sound and electricity . Many minerals are titanates, such as ilmenite (FeTiO 3 ). Star sapphires and rubies get their asterism (star-forming shine) from

4896-681: Is the ninth-most abundant element in Earth 's crust (0.63% by mass ) and the seventh-most abundant metal. It is present as oxides in most igneous rocks , in sediments derived from them, in living things, and natural bodies of water. Of the 801 types of igneous rocks analyzed by the United States Geological Survey , 784 contained titanium. Its proportion in soils is approximately 0.5–1.5%. Common titanium-containing minerals are anatase , brookite , ilmenite , perovskite , rutile , and titanite (sphene). Akaogiite

5032-652: Is used in pyrotechnics as a source of bright-burning particles. Northern Fleet The Northern Fleet ( Russian : Северный флот , Severnyy flot ) is the fleet of the Russian Navy in the Arctic . According to the Russian ministry of defence: "The Northern Fleet dates its history back to a squadron created in 1733 to protect the territories of the Russian Empire , sea trade routes and fisheries in

5168-471: Is used in steel as an alloying element ( ferro-titanium ) to reduce grain size and as a deoxidizer , and in stainless steel to reduce carbon content. Titanium is often alloyed with aluminium (to refine grain size), vanadium , copper (to harden), iron , manganese , molybdenum , and other metals. Titanium mill products (sheet, plate, bar, wire, forgings, castings) find application in industrial, aerospace, recreational, and emerging markets. Powdered titanium

5304-514: Is widely used in organic chemistry as a Lewis acid , for example in the Mukaiyama aldol condensation . In the van Arkel–de Boer process , titanium tetraiodide (TiI 4 ) is generated in the production of high purity titanium metal. Titanium(III) and titanium(II) also form stable chlorides. A notable example is titanium(III) chloride (TiCl 3 ), which is used as a catalyst for production of polyolefins (see Ziegler–Natta catalyst ) and

5440-514: The Kirov -class battlecruiser and Kalinin , also entered service from 1980. Fortification of the southern reaches of the Barents Sea during the 1980s marked a Soviet naval strategy shift to an emphasis on bastion defense. Russia has continued to employ that strategy. In 1982, the 175th independent Naval Infantry Brigade was formed at Tumannyy, in Murmansk Oblast . In 1990,

5576-642: The 279th Shipborne Fighter Aviation Regiment . On 12 August 2000, the Kursk submarine disaster gained international attention when the Oscar -class submarine Kursk of the Northern Fleet perished in a torpedo accident during exercises in the Barents Sea near Murmansk Oblast, resulting in the deaths of 118 sailors. Beginning in the early 2000s, however, a renewed emphasis was placed on modernizing

Alfa-class submarine - Misplaced Pages Continue

5712-611: The ADCAP program, and the British Royal Navy the Spearfish torpedo program, to create torpedoes with the range, speed, and intelligence to reliably pursue Alfa-class submarines. The Alfas were intended to be only the first of a new generation of light, fast submarines, and before their decommissioning, there was already a family of derivative designs, including Project 705D, armed with long-range 650 mm torpedoes, and

5848-695: The Admiralty yard , Leningrad and at Sevmashpredpriyatiye (SEVMASH — Northern Machine-building Enterprise), Severodvinsk . The lead boat – the K-64 – was built in Leningrad. Leningrad built three subsequent Project 705 submarines, and Severodvinsk built three Project 705K submarines (only differing in the reactor plant; see below). The first vessel was commissioned in 1971. Project 705 boats were intended to be experimental platforms themselves, to test all innovations and rectify their faults, that would afterwards found

5984-535: The Baltic Fleet to Northern Russia . These ships departed from Kronstadt on 18 May 1933 and arrived at Murmansk on 5 August. Another destroyer, another patrol boat, another submarine, and two minesweepers joined the flotilla at Soroka in September 1933. Polyarny became the flotilla's main base , and a flight of MBR-2 flying boats joined the unit at Murmansk in September 1935. The Northern Flotilla

6120-576: The Buyan/M and Karakurt classes) have temporarily been able to deploy into Northern Fleet waters utilizing Russian internal waterways. In 2020, the Buyan-M class corvette Zelenyy Dol and the Karakurt-class corvette Odintsovo trained and conducted trials in Arctic waters having deployed to northern waters via the internal waterways. The deployment illustrated the Russian capacity to reinforce

6256-653: The Defense National Stockpile Center , until the stockpile was dispersed in the 2000s. As of 2021, the four leading producers of titanium sponge were China (52%), Japan (24%), Russia (16%) and Kazakhstan (7%). The Hunter process was the first industrial process to produce pure metallic titanium. It was invented in 1910 by Matthew A. Hunter , a chemist born in New Zealand who worked in the United States. The process involves reducing titanium tetrachloride (TiCl 4 ) with sodium (Na) in

6392-409: The Earth's crust and lithosphere ; it is found in almost all living things, as well as bodies of water, rocks, and soils. The metal is extracted from its principal mineral ores by the Kroll and Hunter processes. The most common compound, titanium dioxide , is a popular photocatalyst and is used in the manufacture of white pigments. Other compounds include titanium tetrachloride (TiCl 4 ),

6528-511: The Italian ships captured during the war and destined to be divided among the allies. During the war, the Northern Fleet secured safe passage for 1,463 ships in external convoys and 2,568 ships in internal convoys. Its submarines, torpedo boats, and aviation sank 192 enemy transport ships and 70 other hostile military ships. The Northern Fleet also damaged a total of 118 transport, military, and auxiliary ships. Soviet submarine K-21 , under

6664-745: The Malakhit Design Bureau , which would eventually become one of the three Soviet/Russian submarine design centers, along with Rubin Design Bureau and Lazurit Central Design Bureau . The project was highly innovative in order to meet demanding requirements: sufficient speed to successfully pursue any ship; the ability to avoid anti-submarine weapons and to ensure success in underwater combat; low detectability, in particular to airborne MAD arrays, and also especially to active sonars; minimal displacement; and minimal crew complement. A special titanium alloy hull would be used to create

6800-818: The Order of the Red Banner in 1965, it was officially known as the Red Banner Northern Fleet . During the Soviet era the Northern Fleet operated more than 200 submarines , ranging from diesel-electric to nuclear-powered ballistic missile classes. On 1 December 2014 the fleet became the core element of the newly established Northern Fleet Joint Strategic Command , including all Russian armed forces located in Murmansk and Arkhangelsk Oblasts and on Russia's offshore islands along its Arctic coast. It

6936-604: The Papa class ), was built at the SEVMASH shipyard in Severodvinsk and completed in 1972. The long build time was caused by numerous design flaws and difficulties in manufacture. Extensively tested, she was taken out of service following a reactor accident in 1980. She had a top speed of 41.2 knots (47.4 mph; 76.3 km/h) and a test depth of 400 m (1,300 ft). This combined with other reports created some alarm in

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7072-857: The Russian Armed Forces . In September of that year, the band as well as a band from Tromsø , Norway , where they performed "Norwegian March" and " Farewell of Slavianka " at the Murmansk Regional Philharmonic. From January 1, 2021 the Northern Fleet command was made a separate command within the Russian Armed Forces having equal status to the other Russian military districts. As such, it consists of naval forces (the Northern Fleet itself), land forces (14th Army Corps, plus naval infantry and coastal defence troops), as well as aviation and air defence assets (45th Air Force and Air Defence Army). That status

7208-691: The U.S. Navy and prompted the rapid development of the ADCAP torpedo program and the Sea Lance missile programs projects (the latter was cancelled when more definitive information about the Soviet project was known). The creation of the high-speed Spearfish torpedo by the Royal Navy was also a response to the threat posed by the reported capabilities of submarines of the Project 705. Production started in 1964 as Project 705 with construction at both

7344-860: The White Sea near the coast of the Kola Peninsula . The order of the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy of 25 May 2014 determined 1733 as the year of foundation of the Northern Fleet, and June 1 as its annual holiday". In its modern iteration, the Arctic Ocean Flotilla of the former Imperial Navy evolved into a full fleet of the Soviet Navy in 1933 as the Northern Flotilla. After being awarded

7480-572: The electrochemical principles involved in the recovery of metals from aqueous solutions and fused salt electrolytes", with particular attention paid to titanium. While some metals such as nickel and copper can be refined by electrowinning at room temperature, titanium must be in the molten state and "there is a strong chance of attack of the refractory lining by molten titanium." Zhang et al concluded their Perspective on Thermochemical and Electrochemical Processes for Titanium Metal Production in 2017 that "Even though there are strong interests in

7616-484: The sol-gel process . Titanium isopropoxide is used in the synthesis of chiral organic compounds via the Sharpless epoxidation . Titanium forms a variety of sulfides, but only TiS 2 has attracted significant interest. It adopts a layered structure and was used as a cathode in the development of lithium batteries . Because Ti(IV) is a "hard cation" , the sulfides of titanium are unstable and tend to hydrolyze to

7752-540: The +3 oxidation state are also numerous. Commonly, titanium adopts an octahedral coordination geometry in its complexes, but tetrahedral TiCl 4 is a notable exception. Because of its high oxidation state, titanium(IV) compounds exhibit a high degree of covalent bonding . The most important oxide is TiO 2 , which exists in three important polymorphs ; anatase, brookite, and rutile. All three are white diamagnetic solids, although mineral samples can appear dark (see rutile ). They adopt polymeric structures in which Ti

7888-452: The 2000s, focused on reinvesting in a region that had previously been abandoned for more than 15 years". Units were disbanded in the 1990s including the 6th and 3rd Submarine divisions in addition to aviation units. Previous units also included the 1st Submarine Flotilla, and the 7th Submarine Division of nuclear attack submarines. In 1989 the Soviet Navy had nearly 200 nuclear submarines in operation of which two-thirds were said to belong to

8024-493: The 279th Shipborne Fighter Aviation Regiment from Severomorsk-3 in Murmansk Oblast until disbanded on 1 May 1998. The 5th Naval Missile Aviation Division commanding the 524th and 574th Naval Missile Aviation Regiments. The 574th Regiment was based at Lakhta air base (Katunino), until disbanded in 2002. The 100th Independent Shipborne Fighter Aviation Regiment (in February 1993) and its personnel and equipment absorbed by

8160-557: The 45th Air Force and Air Defence Army, as well as the 14th Army Corps, fall under the Northern Fleet Joint Strategic Command , which was established in 2014 and is a military-administered district of equal status to the other four military districts of the Russian Armed Forces. Its jurisdiction is primarily within the northern region of European Russia and the Arctic Ocean. The formal status of

8296-582: The 88th Separate Fighter Bomber Regiment, along with the rest of the 36th Air Army , was pulled out of Hungary along with the rest of the Southern Group of Forces . In order to save the unit, which had a distinguished history, from being disbanded under the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe , defence minister Marshal Dmitry Yazov transferred it to the Northern Fleet, which was not subject to

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8432-464: The ASTM specifications, titanium alloys are also produced to meet aerospace and military specifications (SAE-AMS, MIL-T), ISO standards, and country-specific specifications, as well as proprietary end-user specifications for aerospace, military, medical, and industrial applications. Commercially pure flat product (sheet, plate) can be formed readily, but processing must take into account of the tendency of

8568-530: The American ADCAP or British Spearfish . However, the price for this was a very high noise level at burst speed. According to U.S. Naval Intelligence, the tactical speed was similar to Sturgeon -class submarines. Propulsion was provided to the crew by a 40,000 shp steam turbine, and two 100 kW electric thrusters on the tips of the stern stabilizers were used for quieter "creeping" (low speed tactical maneuvering) and for emergency propulsion in

8704-865: The Arctic". The Northern and Pacific fleets would continue to focus on "combat missions". If established, it was envisaged that the Arctic Fleet would maintain infrastructure separate from the Northern and Pacific fleets. The Northern Fleet's main base is Severomorsk . There are six more naval bases at Polyarnyy , Olenya Bay , Gadzhiyevo (Yagelnaya/Sayda), Vidyayevo (Ura Bay and Ara Bay), Bolshaya Lopatka (Litsa Guba), and Gremikha . Civilian Arktika nuclear-powered icebreakers are based at Murmansk . Shipyards are located in Murmansk, Severodvinsk , Roslyakovo , Polyarnyy, Nerpa , and Malaya Lopatka . Spent fuel storage sites include Murmansk, Gremikha, Severodvinsk and Andreyeva Bay . The Military Band of

8840-539: The Baltic and Black sea fleets until operational responsibility for the Atlantic Ocean was shifted in the 1950s because of more direct access. In September 1955, the Soviet navy became the first to launch a ballistic missile from a submarine. In June 1956, Northern Fleet Zulu-class submarine , (NATO designation Zulu IV 1/2) “Б-67” (B-67) became the first to carry ballistic missiles. The 2nd Cruiser Division

8976-553: The Barnaul-T air reconnaissance system in December 2021. Samarkand is designed to assess electromagnetic situation, search, detect and analyze radio emissions and Barnaul-T helps conduct reconnaissance round-the-clock. Russia's Northern Fleet in 2018 resumed regular air patrols of the Arctic by long-range anti-submarine aircraft and its share of modern samples of weapons and equipment exceeded 56 percent. An air defense regiment of

9112-628: The Moscow, Leningrad, Stalingrad, and North Caucasus campaigns. Among the air units of the Northern Fleet was the 121st Fighter Aviation Regiment. The Northern Fleet was reinforced with naval aircraft and ships from the Pacific Ocean and Caspian Sea . Great Britain and the United States temporarily provided HMS Royal Sovereign and USS  Milwaukee to the USSR in exchange for

9248-465: The North Pole region more than 300 times since then. Two nuclear submarines of the Northern Fleet made a journey under the Arctic ice cap and reached the Pacific Fleet for the first time in history in September 1963. More than 25 Soviet submarines did the same in the following years. The Northern Fleet was awarded the Order of the Red Banner on 7 May 1965. Two Northern Fleet submarines made

9384-810: The Northern Fleet ( Russian : Военный оркестр Северного флота ) is a military band unit of the Russian Armed Forces that is a branch of the Military Band Service of the Armed Forces of Russia . It is based at the fleet HQ in Severomorsk . The band also takes part in national events and holidays in Russia such as the Victory Day and Defender of the Fatherland Day holidays as well as the Navy Day fleet parade. It has taken part in

9520-510: The Northern Fleet as a command equal to that of other Russian military districts took effect on January 1, 2021. The Northern Fleet includes about two-thirds of all the Russian Navy's nuclear-powered ships. The flagship Kirov -class battlecruiser Pyotr Velikiy is named after Peter the Great . The Fleet staged a series of major Barents Sea exercises in January 2004 involving thirteen ships and seven submarines including Pyotr Velikiy , Admiral Kuznetsov , with President Vladimir Putin

9656-450: The Northern Fleet defended the coastlines of the Rybachy and Sredny peninsulas , secured internal and external transportation routes, and provided support to the maritime flank of the 14th Army . Naval Infantry and up to 10,000 Northern Fleet personnel participated in land warfare including the Petsamo-Kirkenes Operation of 1944. Northern Fleet Naval Infantry units caused tens of thousands of German casualties fighting during

9792-479: The Northern Fleet is illustrated by the fact that it constitutes its own district command within the Russian Armed Forces equal to the Armed Forces' other military districts. In January 2016, Defence Minister Sergey Shoygu announced that the 45th Air Force and Air Defence Army had been formed under control of the Northern Fleet in December 2015. Its territorial control center assumed combat duty in July 2018. Today both

9928-619: The Northern Fleet with cruise missile-armed light units, potentially drawn from the Russian Navy's two other western fleets or from the Caspian Flotilla. In 2021, the Karakurt-class corvette Sovetsk also made the transit from the Baltic to the White Sea for missile exercises. In late 2021 it was reported that the Russian Navy was considering the possible creation of a new fleet, termed the Arctic Fleet , which would be oriented to employing "ships and special equipment suitable for

10064-485: The Northern Fleet. By 1996, only half were still in service. The 57th Naval Missile Aviation Division of Tu-22s and electronic warfare Tu-16s from the Baltic Fleet at Bykhov , Mogilev Oblast , in the Byelorussian SSR transferred to the Northern Fleet in December 1991 as the 57th Combined Ship Aviation Division. The division commanded the 830th and 38th Shipborne Anti-Submarine Helicopter Regiments and

10200-796: The Northern Sea Route. The Russian Coast Guard provides additional armed patrol vessels in Arctic waters with a further expansion of its capabilities anticipated in the 2020s. As of early 2023, the Northern Fleet itself comprises about 32 surface warships (including major surface combatants, light corvettes, mine counter-measures vessels and amphibious units), though some units are under repair or otherwise not operational. Additional lighter patrol units, support ships and auxiliaries are also deployed. The Fleet also comprises around 33+ submarines (including ballistic missile submarines, cruise missile submarines, special purpose submarines as well as nuclear and conventional attack submarines). As with

10336-467: The Northern fleet armed with S-400 SAM launchers went on combat duty in Novaya Zemlya in the September 2019. Ground force modernization has also been a priority focus through the creation of the 14th Army Corps within the fleet and broader equipment modernization. A tank battalion of a Northern Fleet's separate motorized infantry brigade received the final batch of 26 T-80BVM tanks and completed

10472-468: The Project 705A ballistic missile variant that was intended be able to defend herself successfully against attack submarines, therefore not needing patrolled bastions . However, the main thrust of Russian/Soviet SSN development was instead focused toward the larger, quieter boats that eventually became the Akula -class submarine. The technologies and solutions developed, tested, and perfected on Alfas formed

10608-572: The Russian Navy, including the Northern Fleet. As argued in the Chatham House analysis: "Moscow's intentions for the Arctic are not Arctic-specific, but are related to the Kremlin's global ambitions for reviving Russia as a great power. Russia's force posture in the Arctic is informed by the changing geopolitical environment around its strained relations with the West". The importance attached to

10744-712: The Soviets created the White Sea Military Base to defend the coastline, bases, ports, and other installations. The White Sea Flotilla was established in August 1941 under the command of Rear-Admiral M. Dolinin. Subsequent commanders were Vice Admiral Georgy Stepanov (in October), Rear-Admiral Stepan Kucherov , and Vice-Admiral Yuriy Panteleyev . During the German-Soviet War of 1941 to 1945,

10880-644: The automation of the Alfa class. Project Sapphire was a covert United States military operation to retrieve 1,278 pounds (580 kg) of very highly enriched uranium fuel intended for the Alfa-class submarines from a warehouse at the Ulba Metallurgical Plant outside Ust-Kamenogorsk in far eastern Kazakhstan , where it was stored with little protection after the fall of the Soviet Union . The material, known as uranium oxide-beryllium,

11016-780: The ceremonial arrival of ships to the Northern Fleet Headquarters including the Vice-Admiral Kulakov and the USS Nicholas . It had taken part in the funerals of many of the victims of the Kursk submarine disaster in the fall of 2000. In mid-March 2018, it took part in a competition at the Murmansk Nakhimov Naval School , which was presided by Colonel Timofey Mayakin , the Senior Director of Music of

11152-1132: The collapse of the Russian Empire in 1917, the Soviet Navy replaced the Imperial Russian Navy and formed the White Sea Flotilla ( Беломорская флотилия , Belomorskaya flotiliya ) in March 1920, based in Arkhangelsk . The White Sea Flotilla replaced the Arctic Sea Flotilla and was renamed as the Naval Forces of the North Sea, but was later disbanded in January 1923. The Northern Flotilla was formed on August 5, 1933, by transferring patrol boats Smerch and Uragan , D-class submarines Dekabrist (D-1) and Narodovolyets (D-2) and two destroyers from

11288-545: The command of Captain Nikolai Lunin , attacked the German battleship Tirpitz at 71° 22' 2"N, 24° 34' 3"E. The К-21 logbook reports observation of two torpedo explosions, but no damage is reported by German sources. Ships were lost fighting against unequal odds. Patrol boat Tuman , a former trawler, was sunk by three Kriegsmarine destroyers at the entrance to Kola Bay on August 4, 1941. The icebreaker Sibiryakov

11424-445: The control room. While such automation is common on aircraft, other military ships and submarines have multiple, separate teams performing these tasks. Crew intervention was required only for course changes or combat and no maintenance was performed at sea. Due to these systems, the combat shift of Alfa submarines consisted only of eight officers stationed in the control room. While nuclear submarines typically have 120 to 160 crew members,

11560-416: The creation of potentially effective, selective, and stable titanium-based drugs. Titanium was discovered in 1791 by the clergyman and geologist William Gregor as an inclusion of a mineral in Cornwall , Great Britain. Gregor recognized the presence of a new element in ilmenite when he found black sand by a stream and noticed the sand was attracted by a magnet . Analyzing the sand, he determined

11696-559: The division was renamed the 2nd Anti-Submarine Warfare Division. On 1 July 1958, the Northern Fleet raised the Soviet Navy ensign over the first Soviet nuclear submarine , K-3 Leninskiy Komsomol . Following the 1958 voyage of USS Nautilus , the Leninskiy Komsomol (named for Vladimir Lenin 's Komsomol ) traveled under the Arctic ice and surfaced at the North Pole on 17 July 1962. Russian submarines have visited

11832-524: The early 1950s, titanium came into use extensively in military aviation, particularly in high-performance jets, starting with aircraft such as the F-100 Super Sabre and Lockheed A-12 and SR-71 . Throughout the Cold War period, titanium was considered a strategic material by the U.S. government, and a large stockpile of titanium sponge (a porous form of the pure metal) was maintained by

11968-445: The evaporator section corroded and leaked steam into the primary system. Pressure increased in the primary system, which was designed to withstand the full pressure in this incident. However, a procedural step mandating that a valve to a sensitive manometer be closed during operation had not been followed. As a result, the high pressure could reach the sensitive instrument and broke through it, pouring Polonium-contaminated aerosols into

12104-573: The event of an engineering casualty. Electrical power was provided by two 1,500 kW turbogenerators, with a backup 500 kW diesel generator and a bank of 112 zinc-silver batteries . The OK-550 plant was used on Project 705, but later, on 705K, the BM-40A plant was installed due to the low reliability of the OK-550. While more reliable, BM-40A still turned out to be much more demanding in maintenance than older pressurized water reactors . The issue

12240-413: The existing nuclear-powered submarines of the Northern Fleet are also aging rapidly. It is currently unclear whether the new Yasen-class, and other potential follow-on models, can be produced in sufficient numbers, and on a timely basis, to replace aging older nuclear submarines on a one-for-one basis. In this regard, reports suggest that Russian third-generation nuclear submarines have not been modernized to

12376-590: The fleet. The Museum of the Air Forces of the Northern Fleet was opened on 20 August 1976, in the closed settlement of Safonovo, Murmansk Oblast . Aircraft carriers began entering service with the Fleet in the 1970s. The lead unit of the Kiev class of heavy aircraft-carrying cruisers, Kiev , became operational in 1977, and Admiral Gorshkov was commissioned in 1987. Large nuclear-powered missile-carrying cruisers,

12512-510: The foundation for future designs. The suite of submarine control systems was later used in the Akula -class, or Project 971 attack submarines that have a crew of 50, more than the Alfa but still less than half as many as other attack submarines. The Akula -class submarines represent a hybrid of the Alfa and Victor III classes, combining the stealth and towed sonar array of the Victor III with

12648-434: The greater Kola Bay area. The current commander is Admiral Aleksandr Moiseyev , who has held the position since May 2019. In June 2020, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed an executive order making the Northern Fleet an independent military-administrative entity, effective January 1, 2021. That status was abolished on February 26, 2024 by a new presidential decree (effective since March 1, 2024) and fleet became part of

12784-558: The industry for finding a better method to produce Ti metal, and a large number of new concepts and improvements have been investigated at the laboratory or even at pilot plant scales, there is no new process to date that can replace the Kroll process commercially." The Hydrogen assisted magnesiothermic reduction (HAMR) process uses titanium dihydride . All welding of titanium must be done in an inert atmosphere of argon or helium to shield it from contamination with atmospheric gases (oxygen, nitrogen, and hydrogen). Contamination causes

12920-494: The inhabited part of the reactor compartment. While the reactor could have been repaired, it was decided to replace it entirely with a new one. Alfas, as with almost all other nuclear submarines, were never actually used in combat. However, the Soviet government still made good use of them, by exaggerating the planned number of vessels, which were assumed to allow naval superiority to be gained by shadowing major ship groups and destroying them in case of war. The US replied by starting

13056-497: The initially proposed crew number was 14 — all officers, except the cook. Later it was considered more practical to have additional crew aboard that could be trained to operate the new generation of submarines and the number was increased to 27 officers and four warrant officers. Also, given that most of the electronics were newly developed and failures were expected, additional crew was stationed to monitor their performance. Some reliability problems were connected with electronics, and it

13192-522: The laboratory until 1932 when William Justin Kroll produced it by reducing titanium tetrachloride (TiCl 4 ) with calcium . Eight years later he refined this process with magnesium and with sodium in what became known as the Kroll process. Although research continues to seek cheaper and more efficient routes, such as the FFC Cambridge process , the Kroll process is still predominantly used for commercial production. Titanium of very high purity

13328-592: The locals. It was then renamed the 88th Independent Shipboard Attack Air Regiment . An analysis of the Northern Fleet produced by Chatham House in the UK notes that: "After the fall of the Soviet Union, the Kremlin paid little attention to the Arctic. During the 1990s, the Russian Arctic was at best considered a burden fraught with socio-economic problems. Little was done there until an ‘Arctic revival’ began in

13464-431: The material can gall unless sharp tools and proper cooling methods are used. Like steel structures, those made from titanium have a fatigue limit that guarantees longevity in some applications. The metal is a dimorphic allotrope of a hexagonal close packed α form that changes into a body-centered cubic (lattice) β form at 882 °C (1,620 °F). The specific heat of the α form increases dramatically as it

13600-503: The metal to springback . This is especially true of certain high-strength alloys. Exposure to the oxygen in air at the elevated temperatures used in forging results in formation of a brittle oxygen-rich metallic surface layer called " alpha case " that worsens the fatigue properties, so it must be removed by milling, etching, or electrochemical treatment. The working of titanium is very complicated, and may include Friction welding , cryo-forging , and Vacuum arc remelting . Titanium

13736-403: The most abundant (73.8%). As a metal , titanium is recognized for its high strength-to-weight ratio . It is a strong metal with low density that is quite ductile (especially in an oxygen -free environment), lustrous, and metallic-white in color . Due to its relatively high melting point (1,668 °C or 3,034 °F) it has sometimes been described as a refractory metal , but this

13872-507: The most abundant (73.8% natural abundance ). At least 21 radioisotopes have been characterized, the most stable of which are Ti with a half-life of 63 years; Ti, 184.8 minutes; Ti, 5.76 minutes; and Ti, 1.7 minutes. All other radioactive isotopes have half-lives less than 33 seconds, with the majority less than half a second. The isotopes of titanium range in atomic weight from 39.002  Da ( Ti) to 63.999 Da ( Ti). The primary decay mode for isotopes lighter than Ti

14008-414: The needed crew numbers to just 16 men. The practical problems with the design quickly became apparent and in 1963 the design team was replaced and a less radical design was proposed, increasing all main dimensions and the vessel weight by 800 tons and almost doubling the crew. A prototype of a similar design, the Project 661 or K-162 (since 1978 K-222 ) cruise missile submarine (referred to by NATO as

14144-530: The oxide with release of hydrogen sulfide . Titanium nitride (TiN) is a refractory solid exhibiting extreme hardness, thermal/electrical conductivity, and a high melting point. TiN has a hardness equivalent to sapphire and carborundum (9.0 on the Mohs scale ), and is often used to coat cutting tools, such as drill bits . It is also used as a gold-colored decorative finish and as a barrier layer in semiconductor fabrication . Titanium carbide (TiC), which

14280-475: The presence of chlorine . In this process, the chlorine gas is passed over a red-hot mixture of rutile or ilmenite in the presence of carbon. After extensive purification by fractional distillation , the TiCl 4 is reduced with 800 °C (1,470 °F) molten magnesium in an argon atmosphere. The van Arkel–de Boer process was the first semi-industrial process for pure Titanium. It involves thermal decomposition of titanium tetraiodide . Titanium powder

14416-505: The presence of titanium dioxide impurities. A variety of reduced oxides ( suboxides ) of titanium are known, mainly reduced stoichiometries of titanium dioxide obtained by atmospheric plasma spraying . Ti 3 O 5 , described as a Ti(IV)-Ti(III) species, is a purple semiconductor produced by reduction of TiO 2 with hydrogen at high temperatures, and is used industrially when surfaces need to be vapor-coated with titanium dioxide: it evaporates as pure TiO, whereas TiO 2 evaporates as

14552-440: The presence of two metal oxides: iron oxide (explaining the attraction to the magnet) and 45.25% of a white metallic oxide he could not identify. Realizing that the unidentified oxide contained a metal that did not match any known element, in 1791 Gregor reported his findings in both German and French science journals: Crell's Annalen and Observations et Mémoires sur la Physique . He named this oxide manaccanite . Around

14688-564: The pressure hull would make up for increases in weight of the reactor, sonar system, and transverse bulkheads. The common myth that the Alfas could dive to 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) or deeper is rooted in Western intelligence estimates made during the Cold War. A suite of new systems was developed for these submarines, including: All the systems of the submarine were fully automated and all operations requiring human decision were performed from

14824-603: The provisions of the treaty. In May 1990 the aircraft and personnel were moved to Olen'ya Airbase , near Olenegorsk, Murmansk Oblast where they operated in support of the Soviet Navy . In May 1994, after the Russian Ministry of Defence had ordered the retirement of the MiG-23/27 family, the unit was re-equipped with the Sukhoi Su-25 and its aircraft were allowed to deteriorate, being stripped for scrap by

14960-611: The reactor had a short lifetime and had to be kept warm when it was not being used. As a result, the submarines were used as interceptors, mostly kept in port ready for a high-speed dash into the North Atlantic . Project 705 was first proposed in 1957 by M. G. Rusanov and the initial design work led by Rusanov began in May 1960 in Leningrad with design task assigned to SKB-143, one of the two predecessors (the other being TsKB-16) of

15096-432: The reactors proved better than relying on the coastal facilities. Four vessels were decommissioned due to freezing of the coolant. Both the OK-550 and the BM-40A designs were single-use reactors and could not be refueled as the coolant would inevitably freeze in the process. This was compensated for by a much longer lifetime on their only load (up to 15 years), after which the reactors would be completely replaced. While such

15232-530: The rearmament procedure in November 2019. The 76th Guards Air Assault Division and the 98th Guards Airborne Division , strategic reserve formations from the Russian Airborne Forces , might be deployed to help protect the Kola Peninsula , in certain circumstances. While the Northern Fleet has traditionally emphasized the deployment of larger warships and submarines, new missile boats (of

15368-672: The recreated Leningrad Military District . On June 19, 1916, the Imperial Russian Navy formed the Arctic Ocean Flotilla ( Флотилия Северного Ледовитого океана , or Flotiliya Severnogo Ledovitogo okeana ) during World War I to safeguard transportation routes of Allied ships through the Barents Sea from the Kaiserliche Marine of the German Empire . After the October Revolution and

15504-587: The same time, Franz-Joseph Müller von Reichenstein produced a similar substance, but could not identify it. The oxide was independently rediscovered in 1795 by Prussian chemist Martin Heinrich Klaproth in rutile from Boinik (the German name of Bajmócska), a village in Hungary (now Bojničky in Slovakia). Klaproth found that it contained a new element and named it for the Titans of Greek mythology . After hearing about Gregor's earlier discovery, he obtained

15640-406: The seventh in 1996. K-123 underwent a refit between 1983 and 1992 and had her reactor compartment replaced with a VM-4 pressurized water reactor . After being used for training she was officially decommissioned July 31, 1996. Decommissioning of the ships entailed the singular complication that, the reactor being cooled by liquid metals, the nuclear rods became fused with the coolant when the reactor

15776-456: The steam system allowed moisture to leak into an area where it picked up chlorides and then condensed and dripped onto primary coolant pipes containing the liquid metal coolant. This caused corrosion and breakage of the primary coolant pipes on Task Order 900. A move towards an integral pool-type reactor was considered the appropriate design evolution after this. The second incident occurred on Project 705K (Task Order 105). Steam generator tubes in

15912-488: The subs were in harbor. The facilities completely broke down early in the 1980s and since then the reactors of all operational Alfas were kept constantly running. While the BM-40A reactors are able to work for many years without stopping, they were not specifically designed for such treatment and any serious reactor maintenance became impossible. This led to a number of failures, including coolant leaks and one reactor broken down and frozen while at sea. However, constantly running

16048-517: The success of platinum-based chemotherapy, titanium(IV) complexes were among the first non-platinum compounds to be tested for cancer treatment. The advantage of titanium compounds lies in their high efficacy and low toxicity in vivo . In biological environments, hydrolysis leads to the safe and inert titanium dioxide. Despite these advantages the first candidate compounds failed clinical trials due to insufficient efficacy to toxicity ratios and formulation complications. Further development resulted in

16184-515: The surface fleet, some submarines are not operational; others are in reserve and inactive. Nevertheless, programs to modernize the Russian Navy are continuing with the Northern Fleet traditionally having a priority focus with respect to major combatants. As of early 2024, the Northern Fleet has formed several new units. Attribution: This article includes content derived from the Great Soviet Encyclopedia , 1969–1978, which

16320-420: The test depth and offered additional protection to the crew in case of attack. To further enhance survivability, the ship was equipped with an ejectable rescue capsule. The original test depth requirement specified for Project 705 was 500 metres (1,600 ft), but after the preliminary design was completed, SKB-143 proposed relaxing this requirement to 400 metres (1,300 ft). Reducing test depth and thinning

16456-401: The time due to the cost of titanium and the technologies and equipment needed to work with it. The difficulties in the engineering became apparent in the first submarine that was quickly decommissioned after cracks developed in the hull. Later, metallurgy and welding technology were improved and no hull problems were experienced on subsequent vessels. American intelligence services became aware of

16592-429: The uranium, but four were forced to turn back because of bad weather. Only a single C-5, carrying 30,000 pounds of supplies Tennesseans had donated for Ust-Kamenogorsk area orphanages, got through. Eventually a second C-5 arrived, and the two planes carried the uranium to Dover, from where it was transported to Oak Ridge to be blended down for reactor fuel. The first vessel was decommissioned in 1974. five more in 1990 and

16728-456: The use of titanium alloys in the construction by retrieving metal shavings that fell from a truck as it left the St. Petersburg ship yard. The pressure hull was separated into six watertight compartments, of which only the third (center) compartment was manned and others were accessible only for maintenance. The third compartment had reinforced spherical bulkheads that could withstand the pressure at

16864-531: Was 43–45 kn (49–52 mph; 80–83 km/h) for all vessels, and speeds of 41–42 kn (47–48 mph; 76–78 km/h) could be sustained. Acceleration to top speed took one minute and reversing 180 degrees at full speed took just 40 seconds. This degree of maneuverability exceeds all other submarines and most torpedoes that were in service at the time. Indeed, during training the boats proved able to successfully evade torpedoes launched by other submarines, which required introduction of faster torpedoes such as

17000-542: Was aboard the Typhoon class ballistic missile submarine Arkhangelsk . The exercise was marred by two RSM-54 SLBM launch failures aboard Novomoskovsk and Kareliya . Submarines have traditionally been the strongest component of the Northern Fleet. Several new classes of submarines are in production to replace older models including: Borei/Dolgorukiy-class SSBNs , Yasen-class SSGNs , Khabarovsk-class SSGNs and Lada-class conventionally-powered submarines . However,

17136-884: Was abolished on February 26, 2024 by a new presidential decree (effective since March 1, 2024) which transferred the Northern Fleet to the re-formed Leningrad Military District. Additional capability in Arctic waters is provided by civilian icebreakers operated by the state-owned Rosatom company as well as other companies (Rosmorport, Gazprom Neft ) and a Project 21180 vessel built for the Russian Navy . This icebreaker fleet, which includes seven nuclear-powered vessels operated by Rosatom, has been described as "crucial to military access and operations". Additional nuclear-powered Project 22220 (three in service, two more building and two additional ships planned as of early 2023) and Project 10510 (one vessel building) icebreakers have entered service, or are under construction/planned, to augment and replace those in service. The Navy, in turn,

17272-569: Was barely sufficient to produce reliable LMRs, which are even today considered challenging, their advantages were considered compelling. Two power plants were developed independently, BM-40A by OKB Gidropress (Hydropress) in Leningrad and OK-550 by the OKBM design bureau in Nizhniy Novgorod, both using a eutectic lead - bismuth solution for the primary cooling stage, and both producing 155 MW of power. Designed burst speed in tests

17408-411: Was constructed to deliver superheated steam to the vessels' reactors when the reactors were shut down. A smaller ship was also stationed at the pier to deliver steam from her steam plant to the Alfa submarines. Coastal facilities were treated with much less attention than the submarines and often turned out unable to heat the submarines' reactors. Consequently, the plants had to be kept running even while

17544-531: Was formed on 31 May 1956 at Severomorsk , Murmansk Oblast. Its ships included the Sverdlov -class cruisers (Project 68) Murmansk , Aleksandr Nevskiy , and Molotovsk , and the 121st Destroyer Brigade, with 11 Gnevny , Ognevoy , and Skory -class destroyers. On 5 June 1969, the division was reorganised with the 170th Destroyer Brigade (8 Project 56 destroyers) and the 10th Anti-Submarine Warfare Brigade (10 Project 42 and 50 ASW vessels). On 1 April 1961,

17680-421: Was made in small quantities when Anton Eduard van Arkel and Jan Hendrik de Boer discovered the iodide process in 1925, by reacting with iodine and decomposing the formed vapors over a hot filament to pure metal. In the 1950s and 1960s, the Soviet Union pioneered the use of titanium in military and submarine applications ( Alfa class and Mike class ) as part of programs related to the Cold War. Starting in

17816-511: Was on wire shelves while others were sitting on the floor. The cans were covered with dust. Word soon came that Iran had officially visited the site looking to purchase reactor fuel. Washington set up a tiger team , and on 8 October 1994 the Sapphire Team flew out of McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base in three blacked out C-5 Galaxy cargo planes with 130 tons of equipment. It took the team six weeks, working twelve-hour shifts, six days

17952-550: Was produced by the Ulba plant in the form of ceramic fuel rods for use by the submarines. "The Kazakh government had no idea that this material was there", Kazakh officials later told Harvard's Graham Allison, a national-security analyst. In February 1994 it was uncovered by Elwood Gift, an engineer from the Y-12 plant at Oak Ridge, Tennessee , stored in quart sized steel cans in a vault about twenty feet wide and thirty feet long. Some of it

18088-631: Was quickly expanded in the years after it was formed, receiving new ships, airfields , coastal and air defence artillery. On May 11, 1937, the fleet entered its current form when it was renamed to the Northern Fleet ( Северный флот , Severnyy flot ). The Northern Fleet blocked the Finnish military base at Petsamo through the Winter War of 1939 and 1940. By June 1941, the fleet included 8 destroyers, 15 submarines, 2 torpedo boats, 7 patrol boats, 2 minesweepers, and 116 airplanes. In August 1940,

18224-552: Was stopped and conventional methods for disassembling the reactor were unavailable. France 's Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives designed and donated special equipment for a dedicated dry-dock (SD-10) in Gremikha , which was used to remove and store the reactors until they could be dismantled. Titanium Titanium is a chemical element ; it has symbol Ti and atomic number 22. Found in nature only as an oxide , it can be reduced to produce

18360-487: Was sunk on August 25, 1942 by the German pocket battleship Admiral Scheer while defending two convoys. The patrol ship Brilliant (formerly trawler Murmany ) was sunk by a submarine. The Northern Fleet received the following awards: The White Sea Flotilla was reestablished under the fleet in December 1945 and the White Sea Naval Base in December 1956. The Northern Fleet was considered secondary to

18496-403: Was that the lead/bismuth eutectic solution solidifies at 125 °C (257 °F). If it ever hardened, it would be impossible to restart the reactor, since the fuel assemblies would be frozen in the solidified coolant. Thus, whenever the reactor is shut down, the liquid coolant must be heated externally with superheated steam . Near the piers where the submarines were moored, a special facility

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