Yankee class submarine

Damaged K-219 of Yankee class
Class overview
Name:	Yankee class
Builders:	Severodvinsk and Komsomolsk
Operators:	Soviet Navy
Preceded by:	Hotel class submarine
Succeeded by:	Delta class submarine
Completed:	34
Active:	0
Lost:	1
Retired:	33
General characteristics
Displacement:	7,700 tons Surfaced 9,300 tons submerged
Length:	132 m (433 ft)
Beam:	11.6 m (38 ft 1 in)
Draught:	8 m (26 ft 4 in)
Propulsion:	two pressurized water cooled reactors powering four steam turbines driving two shafts.
Speed:	Surfaced: 13 knots (24 km/h) Submerged: 27 knots (50 km/h)
Range:	unlimited
Complement:	120
Armament:	Yankee 1: 16 launch tubes for R-27 (SS-N-6 Serb) SLBM's, four 533 mm (21in) and two 400 mm (15.7in) torpedo tubes. Yankee II: The same as the Yankee I except 12 launch tubes for R-31 (SS-N-17 Snipe) SLBM's.

The Yankee class is the NATO classification for a type of nuclear-powered submarine that was constructed by the Soviet Union from 1968 onward. 34 units were produced under Project 667A Navaga (after the fish) and Project 667AU Nalim ("burbot"). 24 were built at Severodvinsk for the Northern Fleet while the remaining 10 built in Komsomolsk-na-Amurye for the Pacific Fleet. Two Northern Fleet units were transferred to the Pacific.^[1] The lead unit K-137 Leninets, receiving its honorific name 11 April 1970, two and one half years after being commissioned.

Contents 1 Service 2 Variants 3 General characteristics (Yankee I) 4 Units 5 Yankees in Fiction 6 Popular culture 7 Notes 8 References

Service

The Yankees were the first class of Soviet subs to have comparable ballistic missile firepower to their American counterparts. Yankee subs were quieter than their Hotel-class predecessors and had smoother lines that improved their submerged performance. The ships were armed with 16 ballistic missiles during the Cold War, and served in the Soviet front lines: in the 1970s up to three Yankees were continually stationed in a "patrol box" east of Bermuda^[2] and off the US Pacific coast. Their forward deployment was seen as a balance against the presence of American and NATO nuclear weapons in Western Europe.

One ship of the class, K-219, was lost on October 6, 1986 after an explosion and fire on board. The ship had been near Bermuda, and sank due to loss of buoyancy due to flooding. Four crewmen died before rescue arrived. At least one other ship in the class was involved in a collision with an American submarine. As a result of the SALT I and START I/II treaties, all boats of the Yankee-class have been decommissioned and/or disarmed.

Variants

There were eight different versions of the Yankee subs (all no longer in service):

• Yankee I (Project 667A): The baseline configuration, these were ballistic missile submarines that first saw service in 1968; 34 were built. The subs carried 16 SS-N-6 missiles, had 6 torpedo tubes, and carried 18 Type 53 torpedoes. They were the first Soviet SSBNs to carry their ballistic missiles within the hull (as opposed to the sail).

• Yankee II (Project 667AM/Navaga M-class): A single-ship class, this was a Yankee I submarine (K-140) converted to carry 12 SS-N-17 missiles, which was the Soviet Navy's first solid-fuelled SLBM. The existence of this individual prototype led to several theories about the Yankee II having a unique role in the Soviet arsenal that justified maintaining a single ship with such a unique weapon. One theory suggested that it was designed to perform an emergency satellite-launching function. Subsequently, it was proposed that the SS-N-17 may have had a retargeting capability to allow strikes on aircraft carrier battle groups.

• Yankee Notch (Project 667AT/Grusha-class): This conversion subs were attack submarines that first appeared in 1983; four Yankee I boats were rebuilt to this configuration. They incorporated a "notch waisted" center section, which replaced the old ballistic missile compartment, featuring eight 533 mm (21-inch) torpedo tubes for up to 40 SS-N-21 missiles or additional torpedoes. The forward torpedo tubes were retained as well, with some reports suggesting that the vessels may have also been able to fire 650 mm (26.5-inch) Type 65 torpedoes. The emphasis on additional SS-N-21 missile carriage suggested a tactical role for these submarines, or as second-strike nuclear submarines. Their configuration was a combination of SALT treaty limitations (which affected SLBMs but not cruise missiles) and a typical Soviet unwillingness to completely discard any military hardware that might still have some use. The conversion increased the overall length by 12 m (39.4 feet) to 141.5 m (464.2 feet), with a displacement of up to 11,500 tons submerged. While classed as SSNs (attack subs), these boats might also be considered SSGNs by virtue of their heavy missile armament.
• Yankee Sidecar (Project 667M/Andromeda-class) Also known as Yankee SSGN, this was another single-ship (in this case K-420) class, converted into an SSGN. It appeared in 1983, carrying 12 SS-NX-24 nuclear-tipped cruise missiles instead of the original ballistic missiles. The SS-NX-24 was an experimental cruise missile, with a supersonic flight regime and twin nuclear warheads. It was meant as a tri-service strategic weapon, and thus would have filled a rather different role than the tactically-oriented Oscar-class SSGNs of the same era. In the end, the missile was not adopted, and the K-420 became a weapon system without a weapon. It was fully 13,650 tons displacement (dived), and was even longer than the Yankee Notch to accommodate the massive cruise missiles; it was 153 m (501.8 feet) long overall.
• Yankee SSN 16 of this type were converted from the basic Yankee I specification. Some were not completely converted, although they cannot carry ballistic missiles, so they were called Yankee SSNX. They retained only their forward torpedo tubes, with the central missile sections having been removed. Some are being scrapped.
• Yankee Pod (Project 09774 "Akson") The Yankee Pod (also known as the Yankee SSAN) is a converted trials submarine K-403 "Kazan'", which was used for sonar equipment, with the namesake pod mounted atop the rudder (a la Victor III-class SSNs. It had other sensor systems incorporated as well, notably alongside the sail.
• Yankee Stretch (Project 09774) K-411, the Yankee Stretch conversion, is a "mothership" for Paltus-class mini-submarines. It is fully 160 m (525 feet) in length, making it the largest of the Yankee conversions. Like the Yankee Pod, it lacked missile armament. Its mission was believed to be a combination of oceanographic research, search and rescue, and underwater intelligence-gathering.^[3]

• Yankee Big Nose (project 09780 "Akson-2") is K-403 "Kazan'" modified again for trials of acoustic system for Russian submarines of the 4th generation: sonar system "Irtysh" with spherical antenna "Amfora", which occupies whole nose section of submarine. Modification of K-415 was started in 1987, but due to the end of the Cold War and lack of funds, this was never completed.

General characteristics (Yankee I)

• Length: 128.0 m (420 ft)
• Beam: 11.7 m (38 ft)
• Draught: 9 m (29 ft)
• Displacement: 7,760/11,500 tonnes surfaced/dived
• Speed: 28 knots (52 km/h)
• Power plant: 2 VM-4 reactors
• Hull: Low magnetic steel
• Crew: 114
• Compartments: 10
• Armament:
  • 6 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes for 18 Type 53 torpedoes or mines.
  • 16 SS-N-6 liquid-fueled ballistic missiles

Units

Yankee class — significant dates

#	Project	Shipyard	Laid down	Launched	Commissioned	Status
K-137	667A, 667AU	SEVMASH, Severodvinsk	November 4, 1964	September 11, 1966	November 6, 1967	Decommissioned April 3, 1994 for scrapping[4]
K-140	667A, 667AM	SEVMASH, Severodvinsk	September 19, 1965	August 23, 1967	December 30, 1967	Decommissioned April 19, 1990 for scrapping[1]
K-26	667AU	SEVMASH, Severodvinsk	December 30, 1965	December 23, 1967	September 3, 1968	Decommissioned July 17, 1988 for scrapping[1]
K-32	667A	SEVMASH, Severodvinsk	February 25, 1966	April 25, 1968	October 26, 1968	Decommissioned April 19, 1990 for scrapping[1]
K-216	667A	SEVMASH, Severodvinsk	June 6, 1966	August 6, 1968	December 27, 1968	Decommissioned 1985 for scrapping[1]
K-207	667A	SEVMASH, Severodvinsk	November 4, 1966	September 20, 1968	May 30, 1968	Decommissioned May 30, 1989 for scrapping[1]
K-210	667A	SEVMASH, Severodvinsk	December 16, 1966	December 29, 1968	August 6, 1969	Decommissioned July 17, 1988 for scrapping[1]
K-249	667A	SEVMASH, Severodvinsk	March 18, 1967	March 30, 1969	September 27, 1969	Decommissioned July 17, 1988 for scrapping[1]
K-253	667A, 667AT	SEVMASH, Severodvinsk	June 26, 1967	June 5, 1969	November 28, 1969	Decommissioned for scrapping[1]
K-395	667A, 667AT	SEVMASH, Severodvinsk	September 8, 1967	July 28, 1969	December 5, 1969	Decommissioned for scrapping[1]
K-339	667A	Leninskiy Komsomol Shipyard, Komsomolsk	February 23, 1968	June 23, 1969	December 24, 1969	Decommissioned April 19, 1990 for scrapping[1]
K-408	667A, 667AT	SEVMASH, Severodvinsk	January 20, 1968	September 10, 1969	December 25, 1969	Decommissioned July 17, 1988 for scrapping[1]
K-411	667A, 667AN	SEVMASH, Severodvinsk	May 25, 1968	January 16, 1970	August 31, 1970	Decommissioned for scrapping[1]
K-418	667A	SEVMASH, Severodvinsk	June 29, 1968	March 14, 1970	September 22, 1970	Decommissioned March 17, 1989 for scrapping[1]
K-420	667A, 667M	SEVMASH, Severodvinsk	October 12, 1968	April 25, 1970	October 29, 1970	Decommissioned for scrapping[1]
K-423	667A, 667AT	SEVMASH, Severodvinsk	January 13, 1969	April 7, 1970	November 13, 1970	Decommissioned for scrapping[1]
K-434	667AU	Leninskiy Komsomol Shipyard, Komsomolsk	February 23, 1969	May 29, 1970	November 30, 1970	Decommissioned March 17, 1989 for scrapping[1]
K-426	667A	SEVMASH, Severodvinsk	April 17, 1969	August 28, 1970	December 22, 1970	Decommissioned April 19, 1990 for scrapping[1]
K-236	667AU	Leninskiy Komsomol Shipyard, Komsomolsk	November 6, 1969	August 4, 1970	December 27, 1970	Decommissioned September 1, 1990 for scrapping[1]
K-415	667A, 667AK-2	SEVMASH, Severodvinsk	July 4, 1969	September 26, 1970	December 30, 1970	Decommissioned August 6, 1987 for scrapping[1]
K-403	667A, 667AK-1	SEVMASH, Severodvinsk	August 18, 1969	March 25, 1971	August 12, 1971[1]	Decommissioned - Scrapping underway in 2010 [5]
K-389	667A	Leninskiy Komsomol Shipyard, Komsomolsk	July 26, 1970	June 27, 1971	November 25, 1971	Decommissioned April 19, 1990 for scrapping [1]
K-245	667AU	SEVMASH, Severodvinsk	October 16, 1969	August 9, 1971	December 16, 1971	Decommissioned March 14, 1992 for scrapping[1]
K-219	667AU	SEVMASH, Severodvinsk	May 28, 1970	October 8, 1971	December 31, 1971[1]	Lost October 3, 1986
K-252	667A	Leninskiy Komsomol Shipyard, Komsomolsk	December 25, 1970	September 12, 1971	December 31, 1971	Decommissioned March 17, 1989 for scrapping [1]
K-214	667AU	SEVMASH, Severodvinsk	February 19, 1970	September 1, 1971	February 8, 1972	Decommissioned June 24, 1991 for scrapping [1]
K-228	667AU	SEVMASH, Severodvinsk	September 4, 1970	May 3, 1972	September 30, 1972	Decommissioned September 3, 1994 for scrapping [1]
K-258	667AU	Leninskiy Komsomol Shipyard, Komsomolsk	March 30, 1971	May 26, 1972	September 30, 1972	Decommissioned June 16, 1991 for scrapping [1]
K-241	667AU	SEVMASH, Severodvinsk	December 24, 1970	June 9, 1972	October 23, 1972	Decommissioned June 16, 1992 for scrapping [1]
K-444	667AU	SEVMASH, Severodvinsk	April 8, 1971	August 1, 1972	December 23, 1972	Decommissioned September 30, 1994 for scrapping [1]
K-446	667AU	Leninskiy Komsomol Shipyard, Komsomolsk	November 7, 1971	August 8, 1972	January 22, 1973	Decommissioned March 17, 1993 for scrapping [1]
K-451	667AU	SEVMASH, Severodvinsk	February 23, 1972	April 29, 1973	September 7, 1971	Decommissioned June 16, 1991 for scrapping [1]
K-436	667AU	Leninskiy Komsomol Shipyard, Komsomolsk	November 7, 1972	July 25, 1973	December 5, 1973	Decommissioned March 14, 1992 for scrapping [1]
K-430	667AU	Leninskiy Komsomol Shipyard, Komsomolsk	July 27, 1973	July 28, 1974	December 25, 1974	Decommissioned January 12, 1995 for scrapping [1]

Yankees in Fiction

In the Tom Clancy book The Hunt for Red October, Yankee-class submarines, along with the rest of the Soviet SSBN fleet, return to their home ports to avoid confusing Soviet hunters during the frantic search for the Red October.

In another Tom Clancy novel, Red Storm Rising, the Soviet Union begins decommissioning its fleet of Yankee-class submarines in an attempt to convince the United States of Russian sincerity in lessening tensions between the two superpowers.

Popular culture

During an October 1986 episode of Saturday Night Live, Weekend Update "anchor" Dennis Miller referred to K-219 (which had recently sunk near Bermuda) as Chernobyl Breeze and suggested he had been the Soviet Union's intended entry into the America's Cup yacht race.

Notes

References

• National Geographic: Yankee class accessed March 14, 2004.
• NATO Code Names for Submarines and Ships accessed March 14, 2004.
• Federation of American Scientists: Yankee class accessed June 11, 2006.
• Bellona Report: Project 667 A (Nalim, Navaga) - Yankee Class accessed June 11, 2006.
• World Navies Today: Russian Submarines accessed June 11, 2006.
• Jane's Fighting Ships of the World, 1994.

Yankee-class submarine K-26 · K-32 · K-137 Leninets · K-140 · K-207 · K-210 · K-214 · K-216 · K-219 · K-228 · K-236 · K-241 · K-245 · K-249 · K-252 · K-253 · K-258 · K-339 · K-389 · K-395 · K-403 · K-408 · K-411 · K-415 · K-418 · K-420 · K-423 · K-426 · K-430 · K-434 · K-436 · K-444 · K-446 · K-451  · List of Soviet and Russian submarine classes

Soviet and Russian submarines after 1945 Ballistic missile nuclear submarines – SSBN 658 Hotel · 667A Yankee · 667B Delta I · 667BD Delta II · 667BDR Delta III · 941 Typhoon · 667BDRM Delta IV · 955 Borei Cruise missile nuclear submarines – SSGN 659 Echo I · 675 Echo II · 670 Charlie I · 670M Charlie II · 661 Papa · 949 Oscar I · 949A Oscar II Nuclear attack submarines – SSN 627A November · 671 Victor I · 671RT Victor II · 671RTM Victor III · 705/705K Alfa · 945 Sierra I · 945A Sierra II · 685 Mike · 971 Akula · 885 Yasen Conventional missile submarines – SSG or SSB 644/665 Whiskey (missile) · 651 Juliett · 629 Golf · AV611 Zulu IV Conventional attack submarines – SS or SSK 611 Zulu · 613 Whiskey · 615 Quebec · 617 Whale · 633 Romeo · 641 Foxtrot · 641B Tango · 877 Kilo · 636 Improved Kilo · 677 Lada Auxiliary submarines – SSA 690 Bravo · 940 India · 1710 Beluga · 1840 Lima · 865 Losos · Sarov