Comparing Kilo 877s with TKMS Type 212A submarines

Further to Submarine Matters’ interest in Russian submarines Anonymous on April 13, 2018 provided the following data which Pete has put in the Table below.

Comparison between submarines	older model Kilo Project 877	TKMS Type 212A also Todaro
When first launched	Sept 1980	March 2002
When last launched	Oct 1999	July 2015 (Todaro batch)
Propulsion motors section length	4 motors = 2 main + 2 small “economical” “silent” motors, [1] 7m	1 PMSM 1.7m
Diesel engines	2, around 10m	1, around 10m Fuel cell 2.8m
Non-propulsion hull length	56.1m	40.0m
Total submarine length	70-73.8m (see sidebar)	56.0m to 57.2m (2nd batch) (see sidebar)

[1] Length of Kilo 877’s economic-silent motor + main motor (4.4MW) is around 7m. When compared to the 212A’s PMSM (of 2MW) at 1.7m long, miniaturization and simplification of propulsion motor system is probably necessary in Russian conventional submarines. 

Particularly in the narrows and rocky holes of the Baltic Sea, where the Kilo 877 encounters the 212A, the 212A having a much shorter length overall and having an X-plane tail may tend to make it more manoeuvrable hence able to hide in smaller holes than the Kilo 877. Although the effectiveness of the Kilo's internal thrusters/impeller tunnels may give Kilos some advantages (unassessible at this open source level). 

Diagram of Type 212A that highlights location and rough size of propulsion elements (Diagram courtesy Naval Technology).

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If 212A’s silent running Fuel Cell, (see above) at 2.8m long, is added into the comparison then the Kilo has less of an overly long propulsion problem.

Kilo Project 877 interior diagram above. (See much larger more readable diagram at source https://www.soumarsov.eu/Sous-marins/Post45/877/877_schemdet_agrandi.htm )

On the larger diagram the following parts can be identified:

1. Sonar base MGK-400 RUBIKON 

2. 533mm torpedo launch tubes 

3. First section (Front / torpedoes) 

4. Anchor windlass 

5. Front hatch  

6. Reserve torpedo with fast reloading device 

7. Front dive bars 

8. Crew quarters

9. Front battery 

10. MG-53 AVTOGRAF sonar interceptor

11. Place where officers/crew on watch stand in the fin/sail

12. Attack periscope PK-8.5 

13. Periscope PZNG-8M 

14. Schnorchel mast 

15. Diver's hatch

16. Radar mast MRK-50 KASKAD

17. ZAVESA direction finder mast 

18. MRP-25 radar interceptor mast 

19. STRELA-3 surface-to-air missile lookout container 

20. Second section

21. Command Post to Control Navigation Operations (PCNO) 

22. Third section (living area) 

23. Rear battery 

24. Fourth section (diesel generators) 

25. Diesel generator 

26. HP air cylinders 

27. Fifth installment (electric motors)

28. Main Electric Motor

29. Emergency signalling buoy 

30. Sixth Trim (Rear) 

31. Rear Panel 

32. Silent Electric Motor

33. Rear dive bar and rudder press 

34. Rudder support

This Youtube below (presented by Gisoo Misha Ahmady in traditional dress) is inside one of Iran's three largest submarines of the Russian (Saint Petersburg) built Iranian TAREG variant (Kilo class Project 877s). We can understand the difficulty of maintaining and monitoring the 877's Lead-acid batteries (LABs). In the loss of Argentine submarine ARA San Juan one of the LAB section was flooded with seawater resulting hydrogen gas leakage, on ignition fire, then catastrophic explosion. 

On the mainly English language Youtube above see: 

2 minute 31 seconds in to 2mins 48 secs : A crewman, in hot, humid, conditions manually measures
     the specific density of sulfuric acid in LABs. This density reduces with potentially dangerous 
     hydrogen discharge?

More specifically at:

  2:31 the crewman is checking LABs on the keel, because heights of right and left hand sides of
        LABs are the same.
  2:40 : Other LABs are on left hand side. They are also checked. Female announcer says there are 
         "roughly 80 members of the crew!" Is it the same crew size in Indian Kilos?

Anonymous and Pete