Explained: Why the Navy Never Built Titanium Submarines Like Russia
Story by Brent M. Eastwood • Yesterday 12:00 PM
Why the Navy Never Built Titanium Submarines Like Russia - The Soviet Union once thought it had an edge over the United States in undersea warfare during the height of the Cold War.
The Russians designed their Lira-class boats with titanium hulls that would allow the submarines to be better propelled and dive faster, deeper, and quieter. They could maybe even outfox incoming American and NATO torpedoes.
The U.S. Navy never followed suit as the titanium hulls were more expensive and more challenging to build. Let’s take a closer look at the pros and cons of titanium subs to see if the navy made a good choice to pass or if it made a bad mistake.
Could This Be the Soviet Sub That Would Dominate the Americans?
The Soviet Project 705 “Lira” (also called the Alfa) nuclear submarine was state of the art in the 1960s. It was going to reach speeds previously unattainable and be the quietest sub in the Russian navy. Titanium would be used for Lira hulls and a new lead-cooled reactor would power the ship to allow it to dive and turn quickly. The Lira-class was the fastest submarine ever built – able to reach 41 knots. It could quickly attain that speed and adroitly switch directions when needed.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/explained-why-the-navy-never-built-titanium-submarines-like-russia/ar-AA14Qb5z?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=67f7094f64044922b309d4849cc69e3c&ei=25
