50s: Starting with a storage ring

Chapter 863 The target appears
As a titanium alloy nuclear submarine, the Alfa-class achieved "six firsts" in the history of the Soviet Navy.

It was the first time a new combat intelligence and command system had been used on a submarine.

Everyone knows that in the fields of computers, information equipment, and electronic equipment, Russia has always been at a disadvantage.

It was truly remarkable that they were able to develop such an intelligence command system in the late 1960s.

It was the first to use a high-power reactor with liquid metal coolant, which has a power density four times that of a conventional reactor, thus giving it an extremely high speed.
It also has a 400 Hz, 380 volt AC power system, which greatly reduces the size of electronic devices;
It is equipped with a pneumatic-hydraulic torpedo launching device, which can release torpedoes in seawater at extreme depths;

It is also equipped with a floating life pod that can ensure the escape of all crew members in an emergency;

It was the first to adopt a three-dimensional streamlined conning tower, a fully retractable elevator system, and a folding bow elevator, giving it excellent maneuverability and controllability.

This series of technologies were considered high-tech innovations at the time, and coupled with the titanium alloy hull, the Alfa-class submarines were indeed ahead of most contemporary submarines.

Of course, since it is a new technology, it must mean that the technology is not mature enough, and various failures are inevitable.

The first three ships, in particular, were constantly anchored, spending most of the year in the dock for repairs.

Now Sun Zhiwei is going to check if there is an Alfa-class submarine undergoing repairs in the shipyard.

Next to the shipyard is a naval museum, located on the cruiser "Aurora", which is moored right next to the shipyard.

Taking advantage of the opportunity to visit the cruiser "Aurora", Sun Zhiwei approached the shipyard and finally saw the submarine dock in the shipyard.

阿芙乐尔号巡洋舰于1900年5月在海军造船厂下水，1917年11月7日晚9时45分，该舰奉命开炮，发出进攻冬宫的信号。

The Aurora's gunfire officially heralded the October Revolution. It survived three revolutions and four wars and remains in service with the navy to this day.

However, it is now stuck in port and no longer sails, and a naval museum belonging to the Cultural Affairs Bureau has been built on board.

While touring the Aurora, Sun Zhiwei also kept an eye on the situation at the Admiralty Shipyard.

The Admiralty Shipyard has two open slipways, five indoor slipways, and two floating docks capable of building conventional submarines and deep-sea vessels.

The Admiralty Shipyard is known for building large icebreakers and various types of submarines. In the 1950s, it built the world's first nuclear-powered ship, the "Lenin" nuclear-powered icebreaker.

In the 1960s, the Admiralty Shipyard transferred the construction of large surface ships to the nearby Baltic Shipyard and began to focus on the construction of submarines.

He had already spotted an Alfa-class titanium nuclear submarine in an open-air dock. Dense scaffolding surrounded the submarine, and many workers were busy working around it.

The Alfa-class submarine's distinctive streamlined shape is unforgettable. Although it only displaces 3200 tons, its titanium alloy hull cannot conceal its unique charm.

Sun Zhiwei peered inside the submarine and found that many engineers were gathered around the reactor, discussing something.

This made it clear to him immediately that the reactor, which used liquid metal coolant, had malfunctioned again.

However, this malfunction shouldn't be a major problem; otherwise, the engineers wouldn't have dared to get so close. Judging from the ship's design, it should belong to the fifth ship built later at the Severodvinsk shipyard, entering service in December 1977. It is an improved Alfa-class K-type submarine.

Compared to the previous ships, many of the ship's malfunctions have been eliminated. The only problem that remains unsolved is the corrosion resistance of the liquid metal reactor.

This is a very troublesome problem. If it cannot be completely solved, this kind of submarine will require frequent maintenance, and Sun Zhiwei's side does not have the conditions to maintain the nuclear submarine reactor.

Judging from their actions, they are currently conducting a reactor ignition test, indicating that the ship has been repaired and is about to set sail. His arrival has come at just the right time.

The museum on the Aurora was not very big. Sun Zhiwei followed the tour guide for a while, and when the tour was about to end, he did not linger. Instead, he followed the tour guide off the ship and left the dock.

That evening, Sun Zhiwei secretly returned to the dock area through an underground tunnel, and then found the shipyard's database in the basement of the shipyard's office building.

This data room is divided into two parts. One part contains commonly used data, such as the blueprints of ships under construction in the shipyard, so that engineers can easily access them at any time.

The other part is the storage warehouse, which contains blueprints for ships that have ceased production. Once these are stored, they are registered with the Navy Department, and it is no longer the shipyard's right to reopen them.

In the sealed warehouse, he discovered the complete set of construction blueprints for the Alfa-class submarine.

Although not as heavy as the 20-ton blueprints for an aircraft carrier, the blueprints for a submarine still weigh two tons. This amount of blueprints cannot be copied by taking a picture.

Fortunately, production of the Alfa-class submarines has long ceased, and the blueprints and documents are currently in a state of storage.

Even if the shipyard's engineers wanted to take a look, they would at least need to submit an application, and then obtain approval from the Navy Department and the Soviet high command.

The process is incredibly complicated. Even if you start submitting a report today, it might not be approved by the time the Soviet Union collapses.

With that in mind, he decided to pack up all the blueprints and take them with him. Of course, he only took the paper documents.

As for the safe outside, it was left untouched. Since there was space available, he didn't even need to break the seal when he took the documents.

These two tons of blueprints contain not only the construction blueprints for a submarine, but also the material formulas for various building materials and the construction techniques for the equipment.

Many of these technologies, such as the welding technology for titanium alloys, remain unique to the Admiralty Shipyard even in the 21st century.

With these features in place, the difficulty of maintaining and repairing submarines in the later stages can be greatly reduced.

After receiving the blueprints, Sun Zhiwei went to see the Alfa-class submarine with the hull number "K-123" in the dock.

The dock was still brightly lit, and shipyard workers were dismantling the scaffolding.

Sun Zhiwei noticed that a small number of soldiers were boarding the ship. They were probably there for testing. Once all the crew members were present, the ship could set sail.

Sun Zhiwei immediately understood that the ship had been repaired and would soon be leaving port.

(End of this chapter)