Soviet submarine K-222
| |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Builders | |
| Operators |  Soviet Navy |
| Preceded by | Charlie class |
| Succeeded by | Oscar class |
| Built | 1963 |
| In commission | 1969–1999 |
| History | |
 Soviet Union | |
| Yard number | 501[1] |
| Laid down | 28 December 1963[1] |
| Launched | 21 December 1968[1] |
| Commissioned | 31 December 1969[1] |
| Decommissioned | 1984 in reserve, deleted from Navy list in 1989, Russian Navy flag was lowered 1999. |
| Fate | Scrapped in 2010 at "Zvezdochka" plant (c. Severodvinsk), 3-section reactor block stand near berth №27. |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Papa-class submarine |
| Type | Nuclear cruise missile submarine |
| Displacement |
|
| Length | 106.9 m (350 ft 9 in) |
| Beam | 11.6 m (38 ft 1 in) |
| Draft | 8 m (26 ft 3 in) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 44.7 knots (82.8 km/h; 51.4 mph) |
| Endurance | 70 days |
| Test depth | 400 m (1,312 ft 4 in) (estimated) |
| Complement | 82 (25 officers) |
| Sensors and processing systems | Sonar system MGK-300 "Rubin", torpedo fire control system "Ladoga-P-661", Navigation system "Sygma-661", Sonar system for mines detection "Radian-1", Radar systems RLK-101 and MTP-10, Friend or Foe detection system "Nichrom", Radio intelligence station.[2] |
| Armament | 10 × SS-N-7 "starbright" cruise missiles in individual tubes, 4 × 533-mm torpedo-tubes (12 torpedoes) for SET-53 anti-submarine torpedoes |
K-222, Soviet designation Project 661 Anchar, was a Soviet Navy nuclear-powered cruise missile submarine, the only one of its design.[3] K-222 was claimed to be the world's fastest submarine. Originally named K-162, the boat was renamed K-222 in 1978.[1] It is best known in the West by its NATO reporting name, Papa class.
Design
The project was intentionally conceived to be highly innovative by discouraging the reuse of prior technical solutions.[2] While forcing innovation, this also slowed development. Project 661 began in 1959, with the design task assigned to OKB-16, one of the two predecessors (along with SKB-143) of the Malachite Central Design Bureau, which would eventually become one of the three Soviet/Russian submarine design centers, along with the Rubin Design Bureau and Lazurit Central Design Bureau.[citation needed]
K-222 was designed as an extremely fast attack submarine, and was the first submarine built with a titanium hull. The twin-propeller boat was armed with 10 SS-N-7 Starbright (П-70 «Аметист») missiles in individual tubes forward of the sail, between the inner and outer hulls, which were both made of titanium alloy. Similar in design to the Charlie class, K-222 was designed to intercept and attack aircraft carrier groups. Like the Charlie class and the later Oscar class, her cruise missiles could only be reloaded in port, making the vessel one of the Soviet Navy's "one shot" boats.[citation needed]
K-222 had two light-water reactors, designed to be as compact as possible. Unusually, there were no diesel generators, and batteries served as her only emergency power source.[citation needed]
The boat is regarded as a predecessor to the Alfa and Sierra-class submarines, and may have served to test technologies later used in those classes.[citation needed]
History
K-222 was laid down on 28 December 1963, commissioned on 31 December 1969 at Severodvinsk, and assigned to the Soviet Red Banner Northern Fleet for the duration of her career. The boat was said to be the world's fastest submarine, allegedly reaching a record submerged speed of 44.7 knots (82.8 km/h; 51.4 mph) during trials. The unofficial maximum speed, reached 30 March 1971, was 44.85 knots (83.06 km/h; 51.61 mph).[3] K-222's high speed came at the price of high costs during construction, and both excessive noise and significant damage to external hull features when used.[citation needed]
Within the Soviet Navy, K-222 was commonly referred to as the "Golden Fish", in reference to her development and construction costs.[4]
On 30 September 1980, one of K-222's nuclear reactors was damaged during shipyard maintenance. By 1988, the boat had been placed in reserve at the Belomorsk Naval Base in Severodvinsk. Beginning 5 March 2010,[5] the submarine was dismantled at Sevmash, the only facility capable of handling its titanium hull. In an unusual move, the scrapping was performed with the reactors and nuclear fuel still on board, as no provisions had been made in the design for removal of the reactors.[4] The scrapping also began before the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development had chosen an international consultant for the fuel's unloading.[4]
K-222 in popular culture
The sole Papa-class submarine is briefly featured as participating in Soviet anti-convoy operations in the Atlantic in Tom Clancy's Red Storm Rising novel, surprising and frustrating the escorts' commanders, until she is sunk by the United States Navy.[6]
References
- ^ a b c d e "K-162 (6126349)". Miramar Ship Index. Retrieved 23 September 2009.
- ^ a b Проект 661 (in Russian). Deepstorm.ru. Retrieved 2011-02-24.
- ^ a b К-18, К-162, К-222 Проект 661 (in Russian). Deepstorm.ru. 2005-01-25. Retrieved 2011-02-24.
- ^ a b c "Papa class submarine K-222 scrapped". Russia & CIS Defense Policy Blog. Russiandefenseblog.org. 2010-03-04. Archived from the original on 2011-07-27. Retrieved 2011-02-24.
- ^ 05.03.2010. "Zvezdochka dismantles unique titanium nuc sub". Rusnavy.com. Retrieved 2011-02-24.
{{cite web}}:|author=has numeric name (help) - ^ Tom Clancy, Red Storm Rising, 1989
Further reading
- Vilches Alarcón, Alejandro A. (2022). From Juliettes to Yasens: Development and Operational History of Soviet Cruise-Missile Submarines. Europe @ War (22). Warwick, UK: Helion & Co. ISBN 978-1-915070-68-5.
External links
- Project 661 (Anchar) at Bellona.no
- Project 661 Anchar Fastest submarine of the world
- Papa class submarine K-222 scrapped March 4th, 2010 (2010-03-04). "Russia & CIS Defense Policy Blog " Papa class submarine K-222 scrapped". Russiandefenseblog.org. Archived from the original on 2011-07-27. Retrieved 2011-02-24.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - Trevithick, Joseph. "The Soviet's 'Golden Fish' Missile Submarine Still Holds The Record As The World's Fastest". The War Zone. The Drive. Retrieved 2022-04-04.