Soviet SSGN: K-222 1970-1988 K-222 was the unique Project 661 “Anchar” (NATO “Papa class”), a nuclear-powered cruise-missile submarine developed and bult by the Soviet Navy during the Cold War. She was developed before the Alfa class SSNs as a new generation titanium-built record speed submarine. Development and construction took a decade, but she was successful … Read more
Nuclear attack submarine: Prototype K-278 Komsomolets completed 1983. K-278 Komsomolets was the sole boat built in the Project-685 Plavnik (“fin”) class, NATO reporting “Mike”-class. This was a rather large nuclear-powered attack submarine of the Soviet Navy, unique for her record depth rating. She had been built to experiment dives deep enough to make classic torpedo … Read more
Project 971 Shchuka-B (NATO “Akula”) Nuclear attack submarines: 20 planned, 15 completed 1983-1999, 4 active, 6 modernized. The Soviet Project 971 Shchuka-B (“Pike-B”, NATO reporting name Akula) were fourth generation nuclear-powered attack submarines deployed from 1986 and arguably the last of the cold war. Given the way the program evolved and was hit by the … Read more
Project 949 Granit (NATO OSCAR I) Project 949A Antey (NATO OSCAR II) Missile Launching Nuclear powered Attack Submarines (SSGN): 20 planned, 14 completed 1979-1992, 6 active. In the top tier of Soviet most outstanding submarines, are probably the Alfa class SSNs, Typhoon class SSBNs and Oscar class SSGNs. The latter, known as the Project 949 … Read more
Project 945 Barrakuda (NATO SIERRA I) Project 945A Kondor (NATO SIERRA II) Nuclear attack submarines: 5 planned, 4 completed 1979-1992, partly active. On this last leg on our long trip on Cold War soviet submarines ending this year, are submarines currently in service. These are 3rd generation soviet SSNs, and arguably among the best overall, … Read more
Project 705 Lira (NATO “ALFA”) nuclear attack submarines 7 submarines: K-64, K-123, K-316, K-432, K-373, K-493, K-463 The world’s fastest SSN was already in 1960 a Soviet submarine, the first with two nuclear reactors, with a tested underwater speed of 31 knots: Project 627 “Kit” (NATO “November”). In the mid-1960s it was clear that the … Read more
Project 941 Akula nuclear powered ballistic missile submarines 6 ballistic submarines built 1976-89: TK-208, 202, 12, 13, 47, 20, 210 (cancelled) service until 1998-2020. The Typhoon class was one of the most outstanding piece of kit ever created in the Soviet Union, a naval “superweapon” to place in the same basket as the Oscar class … Read more
Project 667BDRM Delfin nuclear missile attack submarines 7 ballistic submarines (Delta IV) built 1981-90: K-51, 84, 64, 114, 117, 18, 407 The Delta IV class SSBNs (in Russian Raketnyy Podvodnyy Strategicheskogo Nazhacheniya or RPKSN) were the last of the Delta serie, and last SSBNs (with the Typhoons) built in the Soviet Union. The next Russian … Read more
Project 641B Som (NATO “TANGO”) conventional attack submarines 18 submarines (1972-2016), B-series (random numbers). The B-443 class or Project 541B Som (“Catfish”), NATO “Tango” were a serie of diesel-electric attack submarines built in Krasnoye Sormovo, Gorkiy, Soviet Union, to replace the Foxtrot-class submarines of the Black Sea Northern Fleets. The first was completed in 1972, … Read more
Project 667BDR ‘Kalmar’ nuclear missile attack submarines 14 ballistic submarines (Delta III). The Delta III class SSBNs of the ex-Soviet, now Russian Navy are originally known as the Project 667BDR Kaľmar (Squid): Fourteen large ballistic missile submarine, double hulled design, within low magnetic steel outer hull and designed around their sixteen new RSM-50 R-29R “Vysota” … Read more
