Soviet submarine K-279

Career
Name: K-279
Ordered: 1965
Builder: Sevmash, Severodvinsk
Laid down: 1971
Launched: January 1972
Commissioned: 22 December 1972
Decommissioned: 1992
Fate: Dismantled, 1998
General characteristics
Class and type:Delta-class submarine
Displacement:9000 m³ (8,900 t (8,759 long tons)) surfaced
10500m³ (13,700 long tons (13,920 t)) submerged
Length:139 m (456 ft 0 in)
Beam:12 m (39 ft 4 in)
Draft:9 m (29 ft 6 in)
Propulsion:2 × VM-4B PWRs generating 90 MW each
2 × steam turbines producing 52,000 hp (39 MW) each
Speed:12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) surfaced
25 knots (46 km/h; 29 mph) submerged
Endurance:80 days
Test depth:390 m (1,280 ft) designed
450 m (1,480 ft) maximum
Complement:120 officers and men
Armament:• D-9 launch system with 12 R-29 Vysota SLBM
• 4 × 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes
Service record
Part of: Soviet Northern Fleet, 19721991
Russian Northern Fleet, 19911992

K-279 was the first Project 667B Murena (also known by the NATO reporting name "Delta-I") ballistic missile submarine of the Soviet Navy. Development of Project 667B began in 1965. Her keel was laid down in 1971 by Sevmash at the Severodvinsk shipyard. She was launched in January 1972, and commissioned in the Soviet Northern Fleet on 22 December 1972.

Service history

In 1983, while operating under the Arctic Ocean icecap at the depth of 190 meters (625 feet), K-279 struck an iceberg. The submarine rolled about 20 degrees and lost depth control, diving to 300 meters (1000 feet) before recovering. The submarine continued her mission for another two months before returning to port, despite the significant damage she had suffered. The Soviet Navy published an advisory to submarine captains warning that the bottoms of icebergs can extend to depths of 200 meters (650 feet) or more.

The American writers claims that on 20 October 1986, USS Augusta (SSN-710) collided with K-279 in the eastern Atlantic.[1] Soviets claims that Augusta collided with K-457.[2]

In 1992, K-279 was decommissioned and held in reserve. In 1998 she was dismantled at Zvezdochka shipyard in Severodvinsk and her reactor section was towed to Sayda Bay.

See also

References

  1. Peter A. Huchthausen, Igor Kurdin, Robin A. White (September 1997). Hostile Waters (Hardcover) (1st edition ed.). St. Martin's Press. p. 303. ISBN 0-312-16928-0.
  2. Игорь Курдин, Питер Хухтхаузен, Р. Алан Уайт Гибель атомного подводного крейсера К-219. — Мн.: Попурри, 2000. — c. 345. — 384 с. — 5000 экз. — ISBN 978-985-6190-34-9 (Russian)

External links

This article includes material adapted from the Bellona Foundation's Web site and from an 8 June 2004 interview with Rear-Admiral Vitaly Fedorin by Pravda.