{
  "id": "akula",
  "name": "Akula Class (Project 971 Shchuka-B Class)",
  "aliases": [],
  "domain": "naval",
  "country": "RUS",
  "category": "Nuclear-powered attack submarine",
  "status": null,
  "fielded": 1984,
  "operators": [
    "RUS"
  ],
  "prolif_count": 1,
  "summary": "The Akula Class (Project 971 Shchuka-B Class) Russian Nuclear-Powered Attack Submarine is a nuclear-powered attack submarine of Soviet origin. The name Akula is the NATO reporting name for what is called the Project 971 Shchuka-B submarine in Russia.",
  "specs": [
    {
      "k": "crew",
      "v": 73,
      "src": [
        "weg-akula"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "length_m",
      "v": 110.3,
      "src": [
        "weg-akula"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "beam_m",
      "v": 15.4,
      "src": [
        "weg-akula"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "",
      "label": "Draft",
      "section": "dims",
      "v": "9.7 m",
      "src": [
        "weg-akula"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "",
      "label": "Displacement (surface)",
      "section": "dims",
      "v": "8,140 tons",
      "src": [
        "weg-akula"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "displacement_t",
      "v": 12770,
      "src": [
        "weg-akula"
      ],
      "conf": "medium",
      "label": "Displacement (submerged)"
    },
    {
      "k": "propulsion",
      "v": "1 x OK-9BM",
      "src": [
        "weg-akula"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "",
      "label": "Engine power",
      "section": "mobility",
      "v": "47,600 total shp",
      "src": [
        "weg-akula"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "",
      "label": "Endurance",
      "section": "mobility",
      "v": "100 days",
      "src": [
        "weg-akula"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "",
      "label": "Surface Search / Navigation Radar",
      "section": "firecontrol",
      "v": "1 x MRK-50 Albatros-series (Snoop Pair) surface search/navigation.",
      "src": [
        "weg-akula"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "",
      "label": "Low-Frequency Sonar Suite",
      "section": "firecontrol",
      "v": "1 x MGK-540 Skat-3 (Shark Gill) low-frequency suite",
      "src": [
        "weg-akula"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "",
      "label": "Flank Array Sonar",
      "section": "firecontrol",
      "v": "1 x passive flank array",
      "src": [
        "weg-akula"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "",
      "label": "Low-Frequency Active / Passive Sonar",
      "section": "firecontrol",
      "v": "1 x MGK-503 low frequency active/passive system",
      "src": [
        "weg-akula"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "",
      "label": "High-Frequency Active Mind Avoidance Sonar",
      "section": "firecontrol",
      "v": "1 x MG-519 high-frequency active mine avoidance",
      "src": [
        "weg-akula"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "",
      "label": "Towed Passive Low-Frequency Hydrographic Array Sonar",
      "section": "firecontrol",
      "v": "1 x large aperture towed passive low-frequency linear hydrographic array.",
      "src": [
        "weg-akula"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "",
      "label": "Hull Armor",
      "section": "protection",
      "v": "This class differs in appearance from the SIERRA-I and -II classes in having a longer, much more streamlined sail. There is a steel pressure hull rather than the titanium on the SIERRA-class boats.",
      "src": [
        "weg-akula"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "",
      "label": "Countermeasures",
      "section": "protection",
      "v": "6 x 533-mm external tubes for MG-104 and MG-114 programmable torpedo decoys (2 per tube).",
      "src": [
        "weg-akula"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "",
      "label": "NBC Water Washdown System",
      "section": "protection",
      "v": "Yes",
      "src": [
        "weg-akula"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "",
      "label": "EW Intercept",
      "section": "protection",
      "v": "1 x Amber Light intercept and 1 x Rim Hat intercept.",
      "src": [
        "weg-akula"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "",
      "label": "Torpedo System: bow mounted torpedo tubes",
      "section": "armament",
      "v": "4 x bow 650-mm tubes [unknown no. Type 86R and Type 88R/SS-N-16 Stallion ASW missiles and/or Type 65-76 torpedoes carried] and 4 x bow 533-mm tubes [unknown no.",
      "src": [
        "weg-akula"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "",
      "label": "Mine System: mines",
      "section": "armament",
      "v": "42 x mines in lieu of missiles and/or torpedoes.",
      "src": [
        "weg-akula"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "armament",
      "v": "18 x 9K32 Strela-2 (SA-7 Grail)",
      "src": [
        "weg-akula"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "hulls",
      "v": 10,
      "src": [
        "weg-akula"
      ],
      "conf": "medium",
      "note": "Hulls listed in the source card"
    }
  ],
  "payloads": [
    {
      "name": "18 x 9K32 Strela-2 (SA-7 Grail)",
      "role": "Surface-to-Air Missile",
      "src": [
        "weg-akula"
      ],
      "conf": "medium",
      "caps": {
        "Type": "Surface-to-Air Missile",
        "Guidance": "Proportional navigation logic",
        "Launcher": "1 x shoulder-launched SAM system",
        "Length": "1.44 m"
      },
      "range_km": 3.7
    }
  ],
  "variants": [
    {
      "name": "Akula",
      "text": "Commissioned: 1984 Status: Decommissioned in 2001. Fleet: Pacific Fleet",
      "src": [
        "weg-akula"
      ]
    },
    {
      "name": "Ak Bars",
      "text": "Commissioned: 1988 Status: Decommissioned in 2002 Fleet: Northern Fleet",
      "src": [
        "weg-akula"
      ]
    },
    {
      "name": "Delfin",
      "text": "Commissioned: 1987 Status: Decommissioned in 2011. Fleet: Pacific Fleet",
      "src": [
        "weg-akula"
      ]
    },
    {
      "name": "Kashalot",
      "text": "Commissioned: 1988 Status: Decommissioned in 2019. Fleet: Pacific Fleet",
      "src": [
        "weg-akula"
      ]
    },
    {
      "name": "Pantera",
      "text": "Commissioned: 1990 Status: Active, overhaul, and modernization completed in 2007. Fleet: Northern Fleet",
      "src": [
        "weg-akula"
      ]
    },
    {
      "name": "Volk",
      "text": "Commissioned: 1991 Status: Overhaul and modernization to finish in 2023. Fleet: Northern Fleet",
      "src": [
        "weg-akula"
      ]
    },
    {
      "name": "Bratsk",
      "text": "Commissioned: 1989 Status: Overhaul and modernization to finish in the second half of 2021. Fleet: Northern Fleet",
      "src": [
        "weg-akula"
      ]
    },
    {
      "name": "Tigr",
      "text": "Commissioned: 1993 Status: Overhaul to finish in 2022. Fleet: Northern Fleet",
      "src": [
        "weg-akula"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "art": "submarine",
  "image": null,
  "verified": null,
  "changelog": [
    {
      "date": "2026-10-10",
      "change": "Entry created from the Worldwide Equipment Guide (ODIN), bulk import"
    }
  ],
  "url": "https://www.defensepedia.com/systems/akula.html",
  "sources": {
    "weg-akula": {
      "title": "Akula Class (Project 971 Shchuka-B Class) Russian Nuclear-Powered Attack Submarine",
      "publisher": "U.S. Army TRADOC G-2 Worldwide Equipment Guide (ODIN)",
      "url": "https://odin.t2com.army.mil/WEG/Asset/Akula_Class_Project_971_Shchuka-B_Class_Russian_Nuclear-Powered_Attack_Submarine",
      "published": "2026-03-20",
      "tier": 1,
      "checked": "2026-10-10"
    }
  }
}