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Sergei Kovalev (engineer)

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Sergei Nikitich Kovalev
Сергей Никитич Ковалёв
Kovalev at the Kremlin in 2009.
Born(1919-08-15)15 August 1919
Died24 February 2011(2011-02-24) (aged 91)
CitizenshipSoviet Union
Russia
OccupationEngineer
Engineering career
DisciplineNaval architecture
Employer(s)Rubin design bureau
ProjectsTyphoon and Delta class SSBN
Significant advanceHead of Rubin Bureau

Sergei Nikitich Kovalev (Russian: Серге́й Ники́тич Ковалёв; 15 August 1919, Petrograd – 24 February 2011, Saint Petersburg) was a Russian engineer and architect who designed nuclear submarines for the Soviet Navy while leading the Rubin Design Bureau.

Career

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He was the chief designer for the following submarines: Project 658 (NATO reporting name: Hotel class), 658M (Hotel II), 667A Navaga (Yankee class), 667B (Delta I), 667BD (Delta II), 667BDR (Delta III), 667BRDM (Delta IV), and most famously project 941 Akula (Typhoon class).[1]

92 submarines were built to Kovalyov's designs. The only nuclear submarine designed by Rubin during the Cold War for which Kovalyov wasn't the chief designer was Project 685 Plavnik (NATO Mike class), the bureau's only SSN.[1]

Later life

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Kovalev remained semi-active in naval engineering throughout his life, designing ice-resistant platforms for hydrocarbon exploration on the Arctic shelf in later years.

An accomplished painter in his retirement, he was made an honorary member of the Saint Petersburg Union of Artists.

Awards and memberships

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Kovalev was given numerous awards for his service to the Soviet Union, including:

Memberships

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Vepr157 (July 8, 2014). "Pr. 941 Akula (NATO Typhoon)". Imgur. Retrieved 2022-11-15.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)