Charlie-class submarine
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Class overview | |
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Builders: | Gorky |
Operators: |
Soviet Navy Indian Navy |
Preceded by: | Echo class submarine |
Succeeded by: | Papa class submarine |
General characteristics | |
Displacement: |
Charlie I class: Surfaced:4000tons Submerged:4900tons Charlie II class: Surfaced: 4300tons Submerged:5100tons |
Length: |
Charlie I class: 95m (311ft) Charlie II class: 103m (340ft) |
Beam: | Charlie I+II class:10m (32ft 10in) |
Draught: | Charlie I+II class: 8m (26ft 3in) |
Propulsion: | Charlie I+II class: one pressurized water-cooled reactor powering two steam turbines delivering 11,185kW (15,000shp) to one shaft. |
Speed: |
Surfaced: 20knots Submerged: 24knots |
Range: | Unlimited except by food supplies |
Complement: |
Charlie I class: 100 Charlie II class: 98 |
Armament: | Charlie I+II class: Six 533 mm (21in) tubes all bow for a max load of 12 torpedoes. Usually a mix of 2 kt anti-ship nuclear torpedoes, 2 Tsakra (SS-N-15 Starfish) 15 kt anti-submarine torpedoes, Charlie I's with 4 anti-ship/submarine HE torpedoes, Charlie II's with 8 anti-ship/submarine torpedoes or a total of 24 AMD-1000 ground mines. |
The Charlie class submarine was a nuclear-powered cruise missile submarine built for the Soviet Navy and later operated by the Russian Navy. All Charlie I/II class submarines are decommissioned. One Charlie was used for testing an Oniks missile.[1][2] Charlie I and its successor Charlie II classes submarines are designed by Lazurit Central Design Bureau ("Lazurit" is the Russian word for lazurite).
Background
The Charlie I class submarine (Project 670 Skat) SSGN was first launched at the Krasnoye Sormovo inland shipyard at Gorkiy in 1967 with another 10 following over a period of five years. The Charlie Is had two banks of four missile tubes angled upwards on each side of the bow outside the pressure hull. The tubes were covered by large outer doors and the design was to incorporate the P-120 Malakhit (SS-N-9 Siren) medium range anti ship missile. Due to delays in the missile development, the missile was substituted with the short range P-70 Ametist (SS-N-7 Starbright) submerged launch missile which itself was a development of the P-15 Termit (SS-N-2 Styx) surface-launched missile.[citation needed] The missiles were designed for pop up surprise attacks on high value surface targets such as aircraft carriers.
In 1972 to 1979, six improved units called the Project 670M SKAT-M (Charlie II class) were built. The improved Charlie IIs were built at Gorkiy with an 8m (26 ft 3in) insert in the hull forward of the fin. The insert incorporated electronics and launch systems for targeting and firing of the long range P-120 Malakhit anti-ship missile.
The Charlie Is and IIs returned to port for reload once they had expended their missile payloads. However, the Charlie class's secondary armament of torpedoes and sonar systems provided useful anti-ship and anti-submarine warfare capabilities in addition to their missile launch capabilities.
The last Charlie was retired in 1994. While still operational, one unit of the class was leased to the Indian Navy between 1988 and 1991, mainly for India to gain experience in the operations of a nuclear submarine. India's Arihant class submarine is believed to resemble a Charlie II boat.[3]
Ships
- 11 Project 670 (Charlie I) submarines were built between 1968 and 1973. K-43 was leased to the Indian Navy as the Chakra from 1988 to 1992. K-429 sank near Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky in 1983 with 16 fatalities, but was raised and used as a harbour training hulk.
- 6 Project 670M (Charlie II) submarines were built between 1973 and 1980.
All ships were scrapped between 1990 and 1994.
# | Shipyard | Laid down | Launched | Commissioned | Fleet | Status |
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K-43 leased to India as Chakra | Sormovo, Gorkiy | May 9, 1964 | August 2, 1966 | November 5, 1967[4] | to Pacific (1980) | Decommissioned July 30, 1992 for scrapping |
K-87 from January 15, 1978 K-212 | Sormovo, Gorkiy | February 6, 1965 | March 20, 1968 | December 28, 1968[4] | to Pacific (1978) | Decommissioned April 19, 1990 for scrapping |
K-25 | Sormovo, Gorkiy | December 2, 1965 | July 31, 1968 | December 30, 1968[4] | Northern | Decommissioned June 24, 1991 for scrapping |
K-121 | Sormovo, Gorkiy | November 25, 1966 | April 29, 1969 | October 31, 1969[4] | to Pacific (1983) | Decommissioned June 30, 1992 for scrapping |
K-313 | Sormovo, Gorkiy | July 14, 1966 | July 16, 1969 | December 16, 1969[4] | to Pacific (1986) | Decommissioned April 19, 1990 for scrapping |
K-308 | Sormovo, Gorkiy | December 29, 1967 | February 19, 1970 | September 20, 1970[4] | to Pacific (1985) | Decommissioned July 30, 1992 for scrapping |
K-320 | Sormovo, Gorkiy | April 30, 1968 | March 27, 1971 | September 15, 1971[4] | to Pacific (1979) | Decommissioned April 19, 1990 for scrapping |
K-302 | Sormovo, Gorkiy | January 17, 1969 | July 11, 1970 | December 1, 1970[4] | to Pacific (1988) | Decommissioned June 30, 1992 for scrapping |
K-325 | Sormovo, Gorkiy | September 6, 1969 | June 4, 1971 | November 5, 1971[4] | to Pacific (1978) | Decommissioned June 24, 1991 for scrapping |
K-429 | Sormovo, Gorkiy | January 26, 1971 | April 22, 1972 | September 15, 1972[4] | to Pacific (1977) | Decommissioned for scrapping |
K-201 | Sormovo, Gorkiy | November 16, 1971 | September 1972 | December 26, 1972[4] | to Pacific (1974) | Decommissioned April 19, 1990 for scrapping |
# | Shipyard | Laid down | Launched | Commissioned | Fleet | Status |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
K-458 . | Sormovo, Gorkiy | February 12, 1974 | June 30, 1975 | December 29, 1975[4] | Northern | Decommissioned June 24, 1991 for scrapping |
K-452 | Sormovo, Gorkiy | December 30, 1972 | June 1973 | December 30, 1973[4] | Northern | Decommissioned May 30, 1998 for scrapping |
K-479 | Sormovo, Gorkiy | December 20, 1975 | May 6, 1977 | September 30, 1977[4] | Northern | Decommissioned July 5, 1992 for scrapping |
K-503 | Sormovo Gorkiy | February 7, 1977 | September 22, 1978 | December 31, 1978[4] | Northern | Decommissioned June 30, 1993 for scrapping |
K-508 | Sormovo Gorkiy | December 10, 1977 | October 3, 1979 | December 30, 1979[4] | Northern | Decommissioned August 4, 1995 for scrapping |
K-209 | Sormovo, Gorkiy | December 20, 1979 | September 16, 1980 | December 30, 1980[4] | Northern | Decommissioned 1996 for scrapping |
References
- ↑ Проект 670М
- ↑ Проект 670
- ↑ Von Kospoth, Nicolas (2009-07-28). "India's INS Arihant Makes First Contact with Water". Defense Professionals Daily. Retrieved 2009-09-10.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 4.9 4.10 4.11 4.12 4.13 4.14 4.15 4.16 Podvodnye Lodki, Yu.V. Apalkov, Sankt Peterburg, 2002, ISBN 5-8172-0069-4
Sources
- Article in Russian from Encyclopedia of Ships
- Article in Russian
- Page in English from FAS
- The Encyclopedia Of Warships, From World War Two To The Present Day, General Editor Robert Jackson.
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