Rubin Design Bureau

Rubin Design Bureau, formally the Rubin Central Design Bureau for Marine Engineering, is a Saint Petersburg naval architecture and engineering organization and one of Russia's three principal submarine-design centers. The other two are Malakhit Marine Engineering Bureau and Lazurit Central Design Bureau. The three organizations are named after minerals: ruby, malachite and lazurite. Rubin's historical role has been especially prominent in the design of ballistic-missile and other nuclear submarines for the Soviet and Russian navies; the bureau states a design lineage covering more than two-thirds of the Soviet and Russian Navy's nuclear submarines. The bureau traces its institutional origins to the Russian Navy's decision in January 1901 to commission a combat-submarine design from naval officers Mikhail Beklemishev and Ivan Goryunov together with naval architect Ivan Bubnov. Their proposal was approved later that year, leading to construction of the submarine Dolphin at the Baltic Shipyard. The commission responsible for the work subsequently changed names and organizational forms several times before becoming the institution now associated with Rubin. Early designs included submarines of the Kasatka, Minoga, Akula, Morzh and Vepr families. During the interwar period, the organization operated as Technical Bureau No. 4 and later as the Central Design Bureau for Special Military Shipbuilding No. 2. In 1937 it became Central Design Bureau No. 18, commonly called TsKB-18. Its engineers designed the Dekabrist, Leninets and Shchuka classes, while also investigating air-independent propulsion concepts. By the beginning of the Second World War, 206 submarines had been built to designs associated with TsKB-18. During the Siege of Leningrad, the bureau was evacuated to Gorky, where it continued its work. After the war, Rubin's predecessor developed Project 613, known in NATO terminology as the Whiskey class. The diesel-electric design entered Soviet service in 1951 and became the largest Soviet submarine series, with 215 boats commissioned; a number were also constructed in China. Subsequent work included Project 641, the Foxtrot class, and Project 658, the Hotel class. The latter was adapted for underwater launch of ballistic missiles, marking the bureau's expanding role in strategic naval systems. The Cold War established Rubin as a central Soviet designer of submarine-launched ballistic-missile platforms. Project 667A, the Yankee class, entered service in 1967 and became the basis for a large family of strategic submarines. Its successors included the Delta I, Delta II, Delta III and Delta IV variants. The bureau's nuclear submarine portfolio later expanded to the Oscar and Typhoon classes. In 1966, TsKB-18 adopted the name Rubin. Igor Spassky became bureau head in 1974, succeeding Pavel Pustyntsev, and remained an influential figure into the post-Soviet period. Following Perestroika and the transition to a market economy, Rubin retained its defense specialization while pursuing civilian and mixed-technology work. Projects described in reference material include offshore oil-production platforms developed with outside companies, participation in the Sea Launch space-launch system, Arctic submarine cargo concepts, underwater gas-transfer infrastructure, high-speed rail technology and low-floor tram designs. Rubin also worked with Italy's Fincantieri on the S1000 diesel-electric submarine concept, which incorporated an Italian-developed fuel-cell air-independent propulsion system. In the strategic-submarine field, its later work included the fourth-generation Borei ballistic-missile submarine family. The bureau therefore combines a legacy of military ship design with marine engineering and selected transportation and industrial-technology projects.

Rubin's institutional history begins with the Russian Navy's January 1901 decision to develop a combat submarine. The assignment went to Lieutenant Mikhail Beklemishev, Lieutenant Ivan Goryunov and naval architect Ivan Bubnov, who worked at the Baltic Shipyard. Their design was submitted in May 1901, approved in July, and ordered as Torpedo Boat No. 113, later named Dolphin. Bubnov subsequently led the submarine-construction commission that evolved through successive reorganizations into Rubin's predecessor. Dolphin's completion in 1903 encouraged further submarine development. By 1918, dozens of submarines belonging to several early Russian classes had entered naval service, including boats designed by Bubnov. In 1926 the commission became Technical Bureau No. 4, and in 1932 it was reorganized as the Central Design Bureau for Special Military Shipbuilding No. 2 under Boris Malinin. This period produced the Dekabrist, Leninets and Shchuka classes. Engineers also explored closed-cycle, air-independent propulsion during the 1930s. In 1937 the organization became Central Design Bureau No. 18, or TsKB-18, and was placed under the Soviet defense-industrial administration. By the start of the Second World War, submarines based on 19 TsKB-18 designs had been built. The bureau was evacuated from Leningrad to Gorky during the city's siege and continued submarine work there. In the postwar era it developed Project 613, the Whiskey-class diesel-electric submarine. The design entered service in 1951 and became the Soviet Union's largest submarine series, while also being transferred for production in China. Under Pavel Pustyntsev, who led the organization from 1951 to 1974, Rubin's predecessor developed Project 641, the Foxtrot class, and helped establish Soviet expertise in missile submarines through Project 658, the Hotel class. Project 667A, the Yankee class, followed in the 1960s and entered service in 1967. Its later derivatives formed the Delta family of strategic submarines. The bureau received Lenin Prizes for work associated with the Yankee and Delta programs. TsKB-18 adopted the Rubin name in 1966. The bureau later designed the Oscar class and the large Typhoon class, while Igor Spassky succeeded Pustyntsev as head in 1974. After Perestroika, Rubin continued work on strategic submarines, including the Borei family, but also sought commercial engineering opportunities. Its post-Soviet activities included offshore platforms, participation in Sea Launch, Arctic cargo-vessel concepts, underwater gas-transfer facilities, high-speed trains, trams and cooperation with Fincantieri on the S1000 air-independent-propulsion submarine concept. The organization remains principally associated with Russian submarine and naval engineering.

1. 1996Borei development begins

   Development started on the fourth-generation Borei ballistic-missile submarine family.

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2. 1966Rubin name adopted

   TsKB-18 was renamed Rubin, linking it with the mineral-themed names of Russia's principal submarine-design bureaus.

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3. 1947Project 613 completed

   The bureau completed the design of the Project 613 diesel-electric submarine, later called the Whiskey class by NATO.

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4. 1937Organization becomes TsKB-18

   The bureau was reorganized and designated Central Design Bureau No. 18.

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5. 1903Dolphin completed

   The submarine Dolphin, originally ordered as Torpedo Boat No. 113, was completed and tested successfully.

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6. 1901Combat-submarine design commission established

   The Russian Marine Ministry assigned Beklemishev, Goryunov and Bubnov to design a combat submarine, creating the institutional lineage that later developed into Rubin.

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A state-linked Russian defense and marine-engineering institution specializing in strategic submarine design, while also undertaking selected civilian maritime, industrial and transportation projects.

• Project 613Diesel-electric submarine1951

  A postwar medium-displacement torpedo submarine designed by Rubin's predecessor and commissioned by the Soviet Navy in 1951. Known as the Whiskey class in NATO terminology, it became the largest Soviet submarine series, with 215 boats commissioned. The design also supported industrial cooperation with China, where approximately 25 to 30 related boats were built.

• Project 641Diesel-electric submarine1963

  The Project 641, or Foxtrot-class, submarine was developed during the 1950s under bureau head Pavel Pustyntsev. Seventy-five boats were commissioned by 1963, making the class an important postwar conventional-submarine program for the Soviet fleet.

• Yankee classNuclear ballistic-missile submarine1967

  Based on Project 667A, the Yankee class was a second-generation Soviet nuclear ballistic-missile submarine. It entered service in 1967 and became the foundation for a broad family of strategic submarines, including later Delta variants with improved missiles and multiple-warhead capability.

• Delta classNuclear ballistic-missile submarine1972

  The Delta designation covers several strategic-submarine projects derived from Rubin's Soviet missile-submarine work: Delta I, Delta II, Delta III and Delta IV. These boats extended the Yankee lineage through improvements to missile range, payload and submarine capability.

• Typhoon classNuclear ballistic-missile submarine1976

  The Typhoon class, based on Project 941, was a large Soviet strategic-submarine design whose development began in 1976. It is among Rubin's most internationally recognizable submarine projects and represented a major expansion in the scale of nuclear ballistic-missile submarines.

• Borei classNuclear ballistic-missile submarine1996

  The Borei, also called the Dolgorukiy class in reference material, is a fourth-generation ballistic-missile submarine family developed in the post-Soviet period. Work on the program began in 1996 and continued Rubin's strategic-submarine design role for Russia.

• S1000Air-independent-propulsion submarine concept2006

  The S1000 was a joint Rubin–Fincantieri diesel-electric submarine concept using a fuel-cell air-independent propulsion system developed in Italy. The proposed boat was approximately 56.2 metres long with a displacement of about 1,000 tonnes, and a mock-up was shown at Euronaval in 2006.

• 2006Present the S1000 submarine conceptProduct launch

  Rubin pursued international industrial cooperation and work on non-nuclear submarine technology with Italy's Fincantieri.

  What changed. The two companies developed an air-independent-propulsion submarine concept and exhibited a mock-up at Euronaval.

  Aftermath. The S1000 demonstrated Rubin's attempt to extend its engineering portfolio beyond Russian strategic-submarine programs.

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• 1996Begin development of the Borei submarine familyProduct launch

  Rubin continued its strategic-submarine design work after the Soviet period by developing a fourth-generation ballistic-missile submarine family.

  What changed. Development of the Borei, or Dolgorukiy, class began.

  Aftermath. The program became a major continuation of Rubin's role in Russian nuclear-submarine design.

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• 2006S1000 submarine concept presented at Euronaval

  Rubin and Fincantieri displayed a mock-up of the S1000 diesel-electric submarine concept using fuel-cell air-independent propulsion technology.

  Product launch
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• 1996Borei submarine program begins

  Development of the fourth-generation Borei ballistic-missile submarine family began during the post-Soviet period.

  Product generationProduct launch
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• 1976Rubin develops the Typhoon-class submarine design

  Development began on Project 941, known internationally as the Typhoon class, one of the bureau's best-known strategic submarine programs.

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• 1967Project 667A Yankee-class strategic submarine enters service

  The Project 667A design became the first and largest member of a major Soviet nuclear ballistic-missile submarine family.

  Product generationProduct launch
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• 1951Project 613 submarine design enters Soviet naval service

  The Project 613 diesel-electric submarine, later classified by NATO as Whiskey, entered Soviet service after its postwar development by Rubin's predecessor organization.

  Product generationProduct launch
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1. Rubin Design Bureau