Engineering:List of Soviet and Russian submarine classes

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Submarines of the Soviet Navy were developed by numbered "projects", which were sometimes but not always given names. During the Cold War, NATO nations referred to these classes by NATO reporting names, based on intelligence data, which did not always correspond with the projects. See:

  • List of NATO reporting names for ballistic missile submarines
  • List of NATO reporting names for guided missile submarines
  • List of NATO reporting names for hunter-killer and experimental submarines

The NATO reporting names were based on the British (and later American) habit of naming submarines with a letter of the alphabet indicating the class, followed by a serial number of that class. The names are the radiotelephonic alphabet call sign of a letter of the alphabet. For security purposes, the "pennant numbers" of Soviet submarines were not sequential, any more than those of Soviet surface vessels were.

Most Russian (and Soviet) submarines had no "personal" name, but were only known by a number, prefixed by letters identifying the boat's type at a higher level than her class. Those letters included:

  • К (K): крейсерская (kreyserskaya, "cruiser")
  • ТК (TK): тяжёлая крейсерская (tyazholaya kreyserskaya, "heavy cruiser")
  • Б (B): большая (bolshaya, "large")
  • С (S): средняя (srednyaya, "medium")
  • М (M): малая (malaya, "small")

Any of those prefixes could have С (S) added to the end, standing for специальная (spetsialnaya) and meaning "designed for special missions":

  • New weapon, engines and armament testing
  • Submarines for long-range radio communications
  • Target submarines for anti-submarine training
  • Rescue service submarines
  • Covert operations

Diesel-electric

Russo-Japanese War

World War I era

World War II era

Project Series Image Built Assignment
Dekabrist-class submarine Series I Shadowgraph Dekabrist class I series submarine mod.svg 6 large positional submarine
Leninets-class submarine Series II, XI, XIII, XIII-1938 Shadowgraph Leninets class II series submarine.svg

Shadowgraph Leninets class II mod series submarine.svg Shadowgraph Leninets class XI mod series submarine.svg Shadowgraph Leninets class XIII mod series submarine.svg Shadowgraph Leninets class XIII-1938 series submarine.svg

25 Minelayers
Shchuka-class submarine Series III, V, V-bis, V-bis-2, X, X-1938 Shadowgraph Schuka class III series submarine 01.svg

Shadowgraph Schuka class V series submarine.svg Shadowgraph Schuka class V-bis series submarine.svg Shadowgraph Schuka class V-bis-2 series submarine.svg Shadowgraph Schuka class X series submarine.svg Shadowgraph Schuka class X-bis series submarine.svg

86 Medium-sized patrol submarines.
Pravda-class submarine Serie IV Shadowgraph Pravda class IV series submarine.svg

Shadowgraph Pravda class IV series submarine mod.svg

3 Squadron submarines.
Malyutka-class submarine Series VI, VI-bis, XII, XV Shadowgraph Malyutka class VI series submarine.svg
76px
89px
Shadowgraph Malyutka class XV series submarine.svg
110 Small submarines for coastal patrols.
S-class submarine Series IX, IX-bis Shadowgraph S-1 IX series submarine.svgShadowgraph S-56 submarine.svg 41 Medium submarines, built using German project (early version of Type IX).
K-class submarine Serie XIV Shadowgraph Kreiserskaya class submarine.svg 11 Cruiser submarines with combined arms.
TS-class submarine Rechinul and Marsuinul.jpg 3 Former submarines of the Royal Romanian Navy: Rechinul (TS-1), Marsuinul (TS-2) and Delfinul (TS-3)

Post-World War II era

Attack submarines

Project NATO reporting name Silhouette/Image Built Assignment
611 Zulu class Zulu II class SS.svg 26 Large oceanic submarines
613 Whiskey class Whiskey V class SS.svg 215 Medium multi-purpose submarines
615 Quebec class Quebec class SS.svg 30 Small submarines with full-diesel propulsion
617 Whale class Whale class SS.svg 1 Experimental submarines which had a Walter engine fuelled by high test peroxide (HTP)
633 Romeo class Romeo class SS.svg 20 Medium submarines
641 Foxtrot class Foxtrot class SS.svg 75 Large oceanic submarines
641B Cом (Som, catfish) Tango class Tango class SS.svg 18 Large oceanic submarines
690 Кефаль (Kefal, mullet) Bravo class Bravo class SS.svg 4 Target submarine for torpedo exercises
877, 877E, 877EKM, 877V, 877LPMB, 877EK Палтус (Paltus, halibut) Kilo class Kilo class SS.svg 43 Large submarines
636, 636М Варшавянка (Varshavyanka, after Warsaw Pact) Improved Kilo class Improved Kilo class SS.svg 30 Large submarines
677 Лада (Lada, goddess of love) St. Petersburg Lada class S.Peterburg.svg 1 Large submarines
1650 Амур (the Amur River) Amur 1650.jpg 0 Modification of Lada class for export
865 Пиранья (Piran'ya, piranha) Losos class (Salmon) Model submarine project 865 to «Army 2015».JPG 2 Midget submarines

Guided missile submarines

Project NATO reporting name Silhouette/Image Built Assignment
P613 Whiskey Single Cylinder Whiskey V class SS.svg 1 × SS-N-3 cruise missile
644 Whiskey Twin Cylinder Whiskey Twin Cylinder class SSG.svg 2 × SS-N-3 cruise missile
665 Whiskey Long Bin Whiskey Long Bin class SSG.svg 4 × SS-N-3 cruise missile
651 Juliett Juliett class SSG.svg 16 Four SS-N-3 Shaddock (P-5 or P-6), or SS-N-12 Sandbox (P-500 4K-80 Basalt)

Ballistic missile submarines

Project NATO reporting name Silhouette/Image Built Assignment
V611, 611AV Zulu Zulu IV class SSB.svg

Zulu V class SSB.svg

6
629, 609, 601, 605, 619 Golf Golf II-class submarine

Golf II-class submarine Golf II-class submarine Golf II-class submarine Golf II-class submarine Golf II-class submarine Golf II-class submarine

24 3 × Project 629 boats D-1 launch system with R-11FM missiles

Auxiliary submarines

Project NATO reporting name Silhouette/Image Built Assignment
940 Ленок (Lenok) India An India class submarine carrying two DSRVs in 1985 2 2 × Poseidon class DSRV's
1710 Макрель (Makrel, mackerel) Beluga 1 It was an experimental vessel used for testing propulsion systems, hull forms, and boundary-layer control techniques.
1840 Lima 1 Large special. It was used for trying out new technologies, research, or special mission support

Nuclear-powered

Attack submarines

First generation

Project NATO reporting name Silhouette/Image Built Assignment
627 Кит, 645 Кит-ЖМТ (Kit, whale) November November class SSN 627 project.svg

November class SSN 627A project.svg

14 First soviet submarines powered by nuclear reactor

Second generation

Project NATO reporting name Silhouette/Image Built Assignment
671, 671B, 671K, 671R Ёрш (Yorsh, ruffe) Victor I Victor I class SSN.svg 16
671RT Victor II Victor II class SSN.svg 7
671RTM Щука (Shchuka, pike) Victor III Victor III class SSN.svg 25

Third generation

Project NATO reporting name Silhouette/Image Built Assignment
705, 705K Лира (Lira, lyre) Alfa Alfa class SSN.svg 7
945 Барракуда (Barrakuda, barracuda) Sierra I Sierra I class SSN.svg 2
945A Кондор (Kondor, condor) Sierra II Sierra II class SSN.svg 2
685 Плавник (Plavnik, fin) Mike K-278 Komsomolets 1 Record submergence depth of 1,020 metres (3,350 feet)

Fourth generation

Project NATO reporting name Silhouette/Image Built Assignment
Project 971 Щука-Б (Shchuka-B, Pike-B) Akula AkulaProjekt971U right.png 15
Project 885 Ясень (Yasen, ash) Severodvinsk Graney class SSN.svg 4 Planned 12

Guided missile submarines

First generation

Project NATO reporting name Silhouette/Image Built Assignment
659 Echo I Echo I class SSGN.svg 5
675 Echo II Echo II class SSGN.svg 29

Second generation

Project NATO reporting name Silhouette/Image Built Assignment
661 Анчар (Anchar, upas) Papa Papa class SSGN.svg 1 Fastest speed ever recorded for a submerged vehicle at 44.7 knots
667AT Груша (Grusha, pear) Yankee Notch Yankee Notch class SSGN.svg 4
667M Андромеда (Andromeda, the constellation) Yankee Sidecar Yankee Sidecar class SSGN.svg 1
670 Скат (Skat, ray) Charlie I Charlie I class SSGN.svg 11
670M Скат-М (Skat-M, ray) Charlie II Charlie II class SSGN.svg 6

Third generation

Project NATO reporting name Silhouette/Image Built Assignment
949 Гранит (Granit, granite) Oscar I Oscar I class SSGN.svg 2
949A Антей (Antey, Antaeus) Oscar II Oscar II class SSGN.svg 11

Fourth generation

Project NATO reporting name Silhouette/Image Built Assignment
885 Ясень (Yasen, ash) Severodvinsk Graney class SSN.svg 4 Planned 12

Ballistic missile submarines

First generation

Project NATO reporting name Silhouette/Image Built Assignment
658, 701 Hotel Hotel II class SSBN.svg 8

Second generation

Project NATO reporting name Silhouette/Image Built Assignment
667A Навага, 667AU Налим (Navaga; Nalim, burbot) Yankee I Yankee class SSBN.svg 34
667AM Навага-М (Navaga-M) Yankee II Yankee II class SSBN.svg 1
667B Мурена (Murena, eel) Delta I Delta I class SSBN.svg 18
667BD Мурена-М (Murena-M, eel) Delta II Delta II class SSBN.svg 4
667BDR Кальмар (Kal'mar, squid) Delta III Delta III class SSBN.svg 14
667BDRM Дельфин (Del'fin, dolphin) Delta IV Delta IV class SSBN.svg 7

Third generation

Project NATO reporting name Silhouette/Image Built Assignment
941 Акула; (Akula, shark) Typhoon Typhoon class SSBN.svg 6

Fourth generation

Project NATO reporting name Silhouette/Image Built Assignment
955 Борей; (Borei, Boreas) Dolgorukiy Borey class SSBN.svg 3
955А Борей; (Borei, Boreas) Dolgorukiy Borey-A class SSBN.svg 4

Auxiliary submarines

Project NATO reporting name Silhouette/Image Built Assignment
1910 Кашалот (Kashalot, cachalot) Uniform Uniform pr1910 color.svg 2
09774 Аксон (Akson) Yankee Pod Yankee Pod class SSN.svg 1
09774 Yankee Stretch Yankee-Stretch class SSN.svg 1
09780 Аксон-2 (Akson-2) Yankee Big Nose Yankee Big Nose class SSN.svg 1
20120 Сарган (Sargan or Sarov) Sarov Sarov class SS.svg 1

See also

  • List of Russian naval engineers

Footnotes

  1. Showell, p. 22, 23, 29
  • Showell, Jak M. U-Boat Century, German Submarine Warfare 1906-2006. Chatham Publishing, Great Britain (2006). ISBN:1861-7624-10.

External links