Damaged hull of Russian submarine during Cuba visit raises questions

Photos of a Russian nuclear-powered submarine docked in Havana last week for military exercises showing some damage to its hull have raised questions on social media.

The nuclear-powered submarine Kazan and other vessels docked in Havana harbor on June 12 and left Monday after a five-day stay. Russia deployed warships and aircraft to the Caribbean Sea last week for planned military exercises – a move the US said it was not concerned about.

Observers of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war have shared photos of docked submarines on social media, pointing to gaping holes in the ship's hull.

Submarines are usually fitted with stealth coatings or anechoic tiles, which are designed to absorb sound waves, making them less vulnerable to attack and harder to track by enemy ships. It is common to see patches of missing tiles on submarine hulls.

Newsweek The Russian Defense Ministry has been contacted for comment by email.

“The Russian submarine began to break down while en route to Cuba,” wrote Igor Sushko, Ukrainian military blogger and executive director of the Wind of Change research group. post At X, formerly known as Twitter.

“Will it come back to Russia? I say the best course of action is to declare an emergency and go to a port a few hours away in Florida to defect.”

Netherlands-based data scientist Marijan Markus said on LinkedIn: “Russia's new nuclear submarine, the Kazan, has broken down on its way to Cuba. Its soundproofing panels are falling off, meaning the 'stealth' sub is probably very loud underwater and lights up gold.

“Anechoic tiles are replaceable but OMG that gaping hole on the right…,” Marcus wrote.

“While docked, Russian divers were seen around the sub, possibly trying to repair the tin tub. Amazingly, the sub is only 6 years old. Loss of note is a problem that western sabras also suffer from. Usually adhesive problems and constant compression and expansion of the hull.”

HI Sutton, a maritime safety researcher, said in a 2020 article for Forbes that anechoic coatings present an engineering challenge because they “must stay connected in the most challenging environments on earth.”

“The submarine's hull, despite being made of super-strong steel, flexes as the submarine goes deeper. And the casing is exposed to temperature changes,” he said.

“The US Navy is not alone in its challenges with stealth cloaking. The Royal Navy, which deploys in similar patterns, often has parts of the cloaking off. And the Russian Navy, which operates in the harsh Arctic, faces similar problems,” Sutton said. “Their challenges are exacerbated by the titanium hulls of some of its submarines, which appear to be more difficult to intercept.

“So the next time you see a submarine with visible spots where the coating has come off, know that this is a common problem that reflects difficult operating conditions. A solution is in the works.”

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