Russian Navy – Submarines

Drydock Severodvinsk 2018 — Sevmash Shipyards, Severodvinsk, with screening panels, showing a Typhoon Class SSBN, likely TK-208 Dmitriy Donskoy, undergoing work.

Russian Navy / Soviet Navy Submarines 25 submarine classes documented with 61 captures.

Ballistic Missile Nuclear-powered Submarines (SSBN)

Check out our 2022 comparative overview post on World ballistic missile boats.

Borei Class / Project 955 SSBN LOA 557′ / 169.8 m TDISP 24,000 tons submerged (5 active, 5 building, 2 more planned) 16 MIRV-equipped SLBM tubes/boat. The fourth boat, Knyaz Vladimir K-549, and later boats are Borei II class /Project 955A variant with a more streamlined missile compartment, different rudder fins, and a sail that does not project forwards at the top.

Knyaz Vladimir K-549 (2019) – Borei II, sea trials

Knyaz Vladimir Borei Class SSBN Severodvinsk 2018 — View of boat fitting out shows all 8 missile tubes on starboard side open.

Knyaz Oleg (2020) Borei II. Launched from SEVMASH shipyards, Severodvinsk in July 2020.

Yuriy Dolgorukiy K-535 (2013)

Borei Class Yury Dolgorev — Borei Class K-535 Yuriy Dolgorukiy, at time of commissioning in 2013. Credit: Mil.ru / CC BY

Alexander Nevsky K-550 (2013)

Delta III and IV Classes / Project 667BDR Kalmar and Project 667BDRM Delfin SSBN LOA 520′ / 158.5 m TDISP 18,200 tons submerged (21, approx.7 or less active, 2 converted to other roles) 16 MIRV-equipped SLBM tubes/boat

Delta IV class submarine 1994 NARA: 330-CFD-DN-SC-96-00524

N1401-SCN-S94-011 — Delta III class based at Northern Fleet 1997. The cataloguing info on this, according to a helpful commenter, is wrong, and this in fact documents an older Delta II class. NARA: 330-CFD-DN-SC-97-00214

Delta III submarine 1994 NARA: 330-CFD-DN-SN-96-00405

Podmoskovye BS-64 / Project 09787 Special Mission Submarine modified Delta IV Class (1986, modified 2016 – lengthened) new LOA 571′ / 174 m – science vessel with the ability to berth deep submergence submarines like the Losharik (see bottom of listing for this submersible).

Typhoon Class / Project 941 Akula SSBN (3 in reserve, 3 scrapped) World’s largest submarines LOA 574′ / 175 m TDISP 48,000 tons submerged. 20 MIRV-equipped SLBM tubes/boat. Last boat used as a test bed.

Typhoon class SSBN 1985 NARA: 330-CFD-DN-SN-86-00733

Typhoon_class_submarine — US Government, released 2012 by the National Reconnaissance Office / Public domain

Typhoon TK208 Severodvinsk 2019 — Same view as above, almost 37 years later, with the last active Typhoon, Dmitry Donskoy TK-208.

Typhoons -4- at Zapadnaya Litsa 2003 — Four Typhoon class SSBNs, all located at Zapadnaya Litsa in 2003. Most of these would later be located at Severodvinsk.

TK-208 Dmitry Donskoy (1981-2023) served with Northern Fleet, upgraded. It is intended for a museum boat.

Typhoon class at sea, ca. 2006. Courtesy of the Bellona Foundation.

TK-17 Arkhangelsk (1987) and TK-20 Severstal (1989) Both in reserve since 2006. TK-20 mislabeled as TK-18 in below capture.TK-202 (1983) Scrapped at Severodvinsk 2002-2005 with US financial aid

TK-202_Russian_Typhoon-class_submarine — TK-202 before dismantling at SEVMASH, Severomorsk dismantlement under the Cooperative Threat Reduction program implemented by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency. (DTRA photo)

The waterline view of the fictional Red October of Tom Clancy’s novel, distinguishable by the teardrop shaped towed sonar housing on the rudder. The Red October is described in the book as being 44′ / 13.4 m longer and about 8′ / 2.4 m wider than a standard typhoon, with 6 more missile tubes forward of the sail, and, of course, the caterpillar drive ports at bow and stern! Warsearcher Collection.

Yankee Class / Project 667A SSBN LOA 433-520′ / 132-158.5 m (several variants) TDISP 9,400 tons submerged (34, 1, K-219, lost, rest retired and scrapped) 16 SLBM tubes/boat (Yankee I)

K-219 on the surface after having been damaged by a missile propellant fire October 1986, before it sank NARA: 330-CFD-DN-ST-87-00760

K-403 Kazan “Big Nose” – Project 09780 Akson-2 – (1971 – ca. 2008) LOA ca. 505′ / 153.9 m one of last Yankees, experimental boat for trials of new Irtysh sonar, dismantled 2010 at Severodvinsk.

BCA282A7-EA96-4133-A1A0-26D870DBC921 — K-403 Kazan ca. 1996-2000. Credit: АО «Центр судоремонта „Звёздочка“», Attribution, via Wikimedia Commons

Yankee Class big nose Severodvinsk 2004 — Identification of K-403 based on wikipedia article on Yankee Class, which lists this boat as dismantled in the nearby drydock, in 2010. This boat was in multiple Severodvinsk captures 2004-2010.

Cruise Missile Nuclear-powered (SSGN) and conventionally-powered (SSG) submarines

Oscar II Class / Project 949A SSGN LOA 508′ / 154.8 m maximum TDISP 19,400 tons submerged (12 built: 8 active, 1 fitting out as special mission variant, 2 scrapped, 1 lost)

Oscar II class submarine, showing the distinctive wide body, 1994 NARA: 330-CFD-DN-SN-96-00408

A model of an Oscar II class, built by the author as a young man. Credit: Warsearcher.com

Belgorod K-329 (launched 2019, projected to enter service 2020) Project 09852 Heavily modified research “science” submarine derived from an uncompleted Oscar II Class – World’s longest submarine LOA ca. 580′ / 176.8 m TDISP unknown, likely around 24,000 tons submerged (identification from HI Sutton’s site Covert Shores).

Belgorod Sevmash 2019 — According to HI Sutton’s website, this is Belgorod, the modified Oscar II class sub that has raised a lot of attention. It does appear consistent – a lengthened Oscar II hull with the cruise missile compartments removed, giving the hull a much narrower look. The sail is about the right size and the rudder like other Oscar boats. Oscars have more length below the water aft for the propellers than a Typhoon class, making a length of 580′ / 176.8 m possible (indicated in yellow). The identification is mostly a case of elimination – it is clearly not a Typhoon and no other submarine (in the World) is this length

Oscar I class / Project 949 SSGN LOA 469′ / 143 m TDISP 16,500 tons submerged (2, both scrapped)

A Soviet Oscar I Class nuclear-powered cruise missile attack submarine underway, 1988. Note differences in the stern rudder. NARA: USN 330-CFD-DD-ST-88-09447

K-206 Murmansk (1983) and K-525 (1980) Arkhangelsk, both scrapped 2004-2011 Severodvinsk, with British financial assistance.

Juliett Class / Project 651 SSG LOA 298′ / 90.8 m TDISP 4,100 tons submerged (16, all retired, 1 preserved)

K-24 (1965 – 1994) museum boat Peenemünde, Germany, U-boat Museum as “U-461”K-77 (1965 – 1992) – museum submarine Providence RI, USA, used as “K-19” in the movie Widowmaker, starring Harrison Ford, in Halifax NS. Purchased by Saratoga Museum and towed to Collier Point Park, displayed 2002-2007 . Sank 2007 at its moorings and was scrapped by 2009 after US navy divers raised most of the deteriorated sub.

K-77 Providence 2010 — Capture is annotated to highlight location of the K-77 during scrapping

K-77 Providence 2018 — Capture is annotated to highlight location of the K-77 during scrapping

Attack Submarines (SSN) Nuclear powered and (SS) conventional

Akula Class / Project 971 Shchuka-B SSN LOA 362-372′ / 110.3-113.4 m TDISP 8,100 – 13,500 tons submerged (15 built over several variants, about 10 in service or refitting)

Sierra Class / Project 945 LOA 351-360′ / 107-109.7 m TDISP 9,000 tons submerged. (4, 2 active, 2 Sierra class and 2 Sierra II class with extended sail, service since 1984)

Victor I Class / Project 671 Yorsh SSN LOA 305′ / 93 m TDISP 7,200 tons submerged. (16 all retired, service 1967)

Victor class sub model chatham dockyard uk 2020 — Sub model used in the James Bond movie The World is Not Enough, now on display at Chatham Historic Dockyard near HMS Gannet.

November Class / Project 627 Kit SSN LOA ca. 355′ / 108.2 m TDISP 4,300 tons submerged (14, all retired, 1 preserved, service 1959-1990)

K3PLA — K-3 Credit: pliskin1, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

K-3 Leninsky Komsomol original Project 627 boat (1957-1988) preserved for future museum boat near Murmansk.

St. Petersburg / Lada Project 677 Class SS LOA 236′ / 71.9 m TDISP 2,700 tons submerged (2 active, 2 building)

Lada class ss at Kronstadt — Lada class submarine behind a Kilo, June 2012. The Ladas are smaller, with hydroplanes on the sail and rear rudder that project upwards, unlike Kilos. This photo was taken in the same location as the below capture. Credit: Natalia Semenova, CC BY 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Kilo Class / Project 877 Paltus SS LOA 230-242′ / 70.1-73.8 m TDISP 3,000 – 3,900 tons submerged (70 built, about 60 still in service with many navies)

B-871 Alrosa (1990( only Kilo in service that is equipped with a pump jet propulsor. Ukrainian Navy service 1991-1997. Long service in Black Sea Fleet.

RP Orzel 291 (1986) As of 2020 this may be the oldest Kilo in service.

ORP_Orzeł_291_2012_2_maja_Oksywie — ORP Orzel at her regular berth in Gdynia Dockyards, ca. 2012. Credit: Pomuchelskopp, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Tango Class / Project 641B SOM SS LOA 299′ / 91.1 m TDISP 3,800 tons submerged (18, all retired, 3 preserved)

B-307 (1980 – 2001) Toyiatti Museum, Samara

B-307 Tango class Samara 2018 — Note torpedo positioned half in one of the bow tubes.

B-396 (1980 – 2003) Moscow Naval MuseumB-515 (1976 – 2002) preserved in Hamburg U-boat museum

Foxtrot Class / Project 641 SS LOA 299′ / 91.1. m TDISP 4,500 tons submerged (74, 7 preserved, 1 lost)

B-427 Scorpion (1971) – was a museum submarine beside the RMS Queen Mary, 1998-ca. 2012, but will now likely be scrappedB-39 (1967) museum submarine since 2005 at San Diego CA. Update Oct. 2021 the San Diego Maritime Museum has decided to scrap this boat.B-49 (1967) waiting for restoration near Strood on Medway River, UK, since 2003. Known as “U-475 Black Widow”, and confusingly has also been known as B-39 (not to be confused with the San Diego boat).B-413 (1968-1999) Museum boat at Museum of the World’s Oceans, KaliningradB-440 (1970-1998) B-440 Museum boat, on display in Vytegra.B-821 (1965-1995) Museum boat at Zeebrugge, Belgium, scrapped in 2019

INS Kursura S-20 (1969-2001) Variant of Foxtrot design for Indian Navy. Museum boat.

Zulu Class / Project 611 SS LOA 295′ / 89.9 m TDISP 2,400 tons submerged (26 built, 1 known to still exist) 6 boats modified to take missiles (5 of which are called Zulu V boats)

Zulu Amsterdam 1 20190919_103812 — The B-80 as it existed in 2019. Photo courtesy of Tom Smyth.

B-80_Soviet_submarine_Amsterdam — B-80 Zulu Class boat, Amsterdam, 2008. Courtesy Anrie [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)]

B-80 (1957 – 1990) sold to Dutch entrepreneurs, to Den Helder where it was briefly a floating bar, then to Amsterdam, several efforts to convert or preserve it failed. Scrapped at Vlaardingen during 2020.

Romeo Class SS LOA 251′ / 76.5 m TDISP 1,800 tons submerged (133 built)

Slava 84 (transferred to Bulgarian Navy, service 1986-2011)

Romeo SS Varna 2008 — This shows both Slava 84 and Nadezhda 83, the boat that was cannibalized to keep Slava semi-operational.

S-49 (1961-ca. 2019) Sevastopol Bay, modification of design in 1972 to Project 633RV, with larger 650 mm tubes fitted above bow for test anti-submarine guided missiles “Veter” (NATO SS-N-16 “Stallion”). Two of the 533mm tubes were also retrofitted to fire the similar “Vodopad” ASW missiles. Decommissioning date based on russianships.info entry.

Submarine_PZS-50_Project_633RV_2008_G5 — S-49 at Pivdenna bay, Sevastopol, 2008. Credit: George Chernilevsky, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Bravo Class/Project 690 Kefal LOA 240′ / 73.2 m TDISP 2,900 tons submerged. (4 built, 1 derelict left, in Kherson, Ukraine, service 1967-1995). Intended as an ASW training submarine, with combat capability.

Whiskey Class/ Project 613B SS LOA 249′ / 75.9 m TDISP 1,300 submerged (236 built-21 in China, 2 preserved)

Whiskey Class patrol submarine, 1983 NARA: 330-CFD-DN-SN-84-01499

Ex-S-290 transferred to Indonesia as KRI Pasopati (1952 – 1994) museum boat since 1998, Surabaya.S-189 (1954-1990) Museum boat Saint Petersburg

S-174 (1953-1993) also known as U-359. Museum boat at Nakshov, Denmark from 1994-2010. Scrapped at Fredrikshavn, 2011. Originally intended to represent the peace between East and West.

Rrufeja 514 (1956-1995) originally Soviet S-360, one of 4 boats ceded to Albania. Museum boat, Pasha Liman naval base.

Training submarines based an old Whiskey class hulls. According to @TheSubHunter1 (twitter) this is UTS-247, originally S-229 (1955).

Quebec Class Coastal submarine LOA 184′ / 56.1 m TDISP 540 tons submerged (30 built, 2 preserved)

Submarine_M-296_2016_G1 — M-296 (also called M-305) on display in Odessa, Ukraine Credit: George Chernilevsky / Public domain

M-296 also called M-305 on display as a memorial in Odessa, at the Museum of the Heroic Defense of Odessa, Ukraine (dates of service not known)M-261 (1955) Weapons of Victory Museum, Krasnodor

K-Class SS LOA 320′ / 97.5 m TDISP 2,600 submerged (12, 5 sunk during Second World War, 1 preserved)

K-21 (1941 – 1959) training boat ca. 1960 – 1980, Memorial boat in Severomorsk since 1983

S-Class “Stalinets” attack submarines LOA 255′ / 77.7 m TDISP Submerged 1,050 tons (56 built, several war losses, some boats transferred post-war to People’s Liberation Army Navy (China)

S-56 (1941-1955) Museum boat, Vladivostok.

Dekabrist class LOA 249′ / 75.9 m TDISP 1,300 tons submerged (6 built, 4 lost, 1 preserved)

D-2_Narodovolets — D-2 Narodovolets on display in Saint Petersburg DL24 / Public domain

D-2 Narodovolyets (1931-1987) 1956-87 Training ship in Kronstadt. Museum / memorial boat near Saint Petersburg, since 1994

Test Submarine

Sarov / Project 20120 test boat (2008) LOA 322′ / 98.1 m TDISP unknown. According to analyst HI Sutton, this boat is equipped with a small nuclear reactor, which powers the electric-drive motors. This is a test boat for KANYON “Poseidon” long-range nuclear armed, nuclear-powered torpedo. This boat is based out of the Zvezdochka shipyard, Severodvinsk.

Sarov class SSV drawing. Credit: Mike1979 Russia, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Deep Submergence nuclear powered submarine

Losharik unique deep diving nuclear-powered submarine (2003) LOA 240′ / 73.2 m TDISP 2,100 tons submerged. For special missions, can be fitted to both Podmoskovye and Belgorod submarines (see above). This boat was extensively damaged and 14 crew members killed 1 July 2019, reportedly in Ura Bay. It appears to have been operating near a mothership at the time.

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