The Akula Submarine


Designation: Anti-ship Submarine
Manufacturer: Kazminov Design Bureau
Country of origin: USSR
Serially produced at: Soviet Naval Yard

Key features:

• Twin RU-7 Morena light torpedo tubes
• Twin RU-20 Shkval high-pressure torpedo tubes
• High-strength titanium alloy inner hull
• Radenko propulsion system with twin rotors
• Under-hull halogen navigation light



In recent years, the Soviet Union has pursued an aggressive policy towards all perceived threats to its waterways, including the sinking of numerous civilian cargo ships and passenger liners. The symbol of this attitude is the Akula Sub, a stealthy and deadly underwater predator that is often regarded as a symbol of Soviet aggression. Despite its notoriety, however, the details of the Akula remained largely a mystery until an Allied dropship found a Soviet sailor adrift in deep water, miles from the nearest Soviet naval forces.

The sailor, an illiterate peasant who had been impressed into the Soviet Navy, was a crew member of the Akula Sub K-420. Whilst carrying out routine maintenance on one of the Akula’s torpedoes, he had accidentally damaged the torpedo’s motor, preventing an attack on the defenceless Allied vessel. The captain, unusually calm, ordered the sailor to attempt a repair inside a loaded torpedo tube, before the enemy could escape. He then jettisoned the damaged torpedo into the ocean along with the astonished sailor, who, resigned to his fate, swam to the surface to await capture.


The Akula Sub relies on its stealth and overwhelming firepower to defeat its enemies.

Based on evidence gleaned from the interrogation of the Soviet sailor, Allied commanders pieced together the full story of the Akula Sub. During its design phase, the Soviet Navy realised that it needed an effective ship-killer, but also that these vessels would be manned by poorly trained crews, often with no seafaring experience. Consequently, they chose the RU-7 torpedo as the Akula’s primary weapon. Based on the previous generation of Soviet torpedoes, the RU-7 is a tried-and-tested, reliable and effective design that is easy to use, even by an inexperienced crew.

Soviet commanders realised, however, that a far more powerful weapon was needed to deal with the new generation of larger and more powerful ships; thus, the Akula-class submarines were also equipped with the brand-new RU-20 high-pressure torpedoes. Monstrous in both size and power, the RU-20s give the Submarine an enormous destructive capability. However, their power is offset by a slow rate of fire, trading a prolonged reload time and firing sequence for high reliability.

Beyond the Submarine’s technical specifications, the captured sailor also provided an insight into life aboard an Akula Sub. The frenetic pace of Soviet naval operations requires submarines to remain at sea for years without stopping. These long voyages, in cramped quarters, prowling hundreds of metres below sea level in search of prey, take a heavy psychological toll on the crews, and Akula captains rule with an iron fist to maintain discipline and efficiency. Failure is not tolerated, and reprimands are severe. Some critics argue that these extreme conditions undermine the Akula’s ability to carry out its missions successfully, but its effectiveness, particularly against enemy naval forces, suggests otherwise. Indeed, the price of failure seems to be the very force that hones both the crew and the Submarine, transforming them into a deadly weapon.


Reconnaissance on the battlefield has at least revealed the following facts about the Akula Submarines:

• Dive! Dive!- Akula Submarines spend most of their time submerged, needing to surface only to fire their RU-7 torpedoes. As most land and air units are unable to target them whilst submerged, the Akulas are able to roam most seas with impunity. They excel at escorting more vulnerable vessels, such as the Dreadnought, as well as carrying out operations against enemy naval bases.

-Heavy destroyer- The RU-20 high-pressure torpedoes are extremely powerful, but have no internal guidance. This allows them to be fired whilst submerged; however, they cannot track targets, instead travelling in a straight line. They also lack the ability to distinguish between allies and enemies, and more than one Soviet vessel has been sunk because it accidentally found itself in the path of one of these Desolators.

-Countermeasure- The Soviet Union’s enemies have begun constructing defensive structures on the water’s surface, which can target and even destroy submerged Akula Subs. The RU-20’s long range and destructive power make it a valuable asset for a shrewd Commander looking to take out these defences.

-High Technology - Their titanium alloy hulls make the Akulas very expensive, and the Soviet Admiralty allocates them sparingly to commanders in the field. Furthermore, they require the construction of a Super-Reactor to charge their advanced batteries. This means that Akulas are usually found in the most intense combat zones.