Class of Russian nuclear powered ballistic submarines
A Delta IV-class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine
The
Delta class
, (
Russian
: Дельта)
Soviet designations
Project 667B
Murena
, Project 667BD
Murena-M
, Project 667BDR
Kalmar
, Project 667BDRM
Delfin
, (
NATO reporting names
Delta I, Delta II, Delta III, Delta IV
respectively) are a family of
nuclear-powered
ballistic missile submarines
, designed and built in the
Soviet Union
, which formed the backbone of the Soviet and Russian strategic submarine fleet since their introduction in 1973. They carry nuclear ballistic missiles of the
R-29 Vysota
family, with the Delta I, Delta II, Delta III and Delta IV classes carrying the R-29/
SS-N-8 'Sawfly'
, R-29D/SS-N-8 'Sawfly', R-29R/
SS-N-18 'Stingray'
and
R-29RM
/SS-N-23 'Skiff' (and later on
improved
versions
) respectively.
The Soviets viewed the Deltas as an iterative improvement of the
Yankee-class submarines
, which carried
R-27 Zyb
missiles with a range of 2,500?3,000 km (1,553?1,864 mi). The R-29s gave the Deltas much needed
standoff distance
; with a range of 7,700 km (4,785 mi) the Deltas were able to perform their
deterrence patrols
within relative safety of the
Arctic Ocean
, while the Yankee-class had to patrol off the US coastline to do so. The Deltas were supplemented by the largest submarines ever built, the
Typhoon-class submarines
, which served as guarantors of the Soviet
second strike
capability. The earlier Delta boats remained in service until the 1990s, when the
Soviet Union ceased to exist
and many classes of submarines were decommissioned due to the severe
budget cuts
that resulted. A few Delta-IIIs and all of the Delta-IVs were retained by the nascent
Russian Navy
.
34 boats were built and commissioned during 1972?1990; approximately five or six remain active in 2023. A handful were converted into special-purpose submarines operated by
GUGI
.
Development
[
edit
]
In the 1960s the Soviet Navy wanted new submarine-launched nuclear missiles that could threaten targets in North America without their launch platforms needing to pass the
SOSUS
sensors in the
GIUK gap
to be within range.
[1]
The resulting project was an iterative improvement of the
Project 667A
Navaga
; The 667B could accommodate larger, more capable missiles within its enlarged dorsal hump.
Delta I (Project 667B
Murena
) 18 boats
[
edit
]
![](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/28/Delta_I_class_SSBN.svg/300px-Delta_I_class_SSBN.svg.png) A Delta I-class submarine
|
Class overview
|
Name
| Delta I class
|
Builders
| |
Operators
| Soviet Union
|
Preceded by
| Yankee class
|
Succeeded by
| Delta II class
|
Built
| 1965-?
|
In service
| 1972-2004
|
Completed
| 18
|
Retired
| 18
|
General characteristics
|
Displacement
|
- Surfaced:
7,800 tons
- Submerged:
10,000 tons
|
Length
| 139 m (456 ft)
|
Beam
| 12 m (39 ft 4 in)
|
Draught
| 9 m (29 ft 6 in)
|
Propulsion
| 2 pressurized water-cooled reactors powering 2 steam turbines driving 2 shafts and each developing 38.7 MW (51,900 shp)
|
Speed
|
- Surfaced:
12
knots
(22 km/h; 14 mph)
- Submerged:
25 knots (46 km/h; 29 mph)
|
Range
| Unlimited, except by food supplies
|
Complement
| 120
|
Armament
|
- D-9 launch tubes for 12 R-29 (SS-N-8 Sawfly) SLBMs
- 4 × 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes
- 2 × 400 mm (16 in) torpedo tubes
|
The
Project 667B
Murena
/Delta I submarines
could deploy on combat patrols in the marginal
sea ice
of the
Soviet Arctic
coastal zone
, and often patrolled in the
Norwegian
and
Barents Seas
. Consequently, unlike their predecessors, they no longer needed to pass through Western
SOSUS
sonar
barriers to come within range of their targets. To improve the accuracy of the missiles, the Delta I-class submarines carry the
Tobol-B
navigation system and the
Cyclone-B
satellite navigation system.
After construction was authorized in 1965, the first Delta I,
K-279
, was
commissioned
into the Soviet
Northern Fleet
on 22 December 1972. A total of 18 submarines of this class were built, and all served the
Soviet Navy
.
In
1991
, nine Delta I-class submarines were still in active service. Their
decommissioning
began in 1994, with removal of the missile compartments scheduled by 1997. All submarines of this class were taken out of service by 2004 and were
scrapped
by 2005. The last active submarine of this project was the K-447 Kislovodsk, which was in service for more than 30 years and was decommissioned on March 5, 2004.
[2]
Delta II (Project 667BD
Murena-M
) 4 boats
[
edit
]
![](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4d/Delta_II_class_SSBN.svg/300px-Delta_II_class_SSBN.svg.png) A Delta II-class submarine
|
Class overview
|
Name
| Delta II class
|
Builders
| Severodvinsk
|
Operators
| Soviet Union
|
Preceded by
| Delta I class
|
Succeeded by
| Delta III class
|
Built
| 1964-1974
|
In service
| ?-1996
|
Completed
| 4
|
Retired
| 4
|
General characteristics
|
Displacement
|
- Surfaced:
9,350 tons
- Submerged:
10,500 tons
|
Length
| 155 m (508 ft 6 in)
|
Beam
| 12 m (39 ft 4 in)
|
Draught
| 9 m (29 ft 6 in)
|
Propulsion
| 2 pressurized water-cooled reactors powering 2 steam turbines driving 2 shafts each developing 41 MW (55,000 shp)
|
Speed
|
- Surfaced:
12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph)
- Submerged:
24 knots (44 km/h; 28 mph)
|
Range
| Unlimited, except by food supplies
|
Complement
| 130
|
Armament
|
- D-9D launch tubes for 16 R-29D SLBMs
- 4 × 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes
- 2 × 400 mm (16 in) torpedo tubes
|
The
667BD
Murena-M
/Delta II submarines
were designed to remedy the shortcomings of the Delta I submarine. The planform was largely the same, but the submarine was lengthened in the fourth and fifth compartments by 16 meters (52 ft) to allow the installation of four more missile tubes. The Delta-IIs also received additional quieting measures such as mounting the
steam turbines
on shock absorbers, having all pipes and hydraulics separated from the hull through
rubber insulation
, and a special
hydroacoustic coating
being applied to the hull.
[
citation needed
]
Only four submarines of this class were built between 1964 and 1974, apparently in favor of building the following class, the Delta III, and all Delta IIs were out of service by 1996.
[3]
Delta-II-class, 1997
Delta III (Project 667BDR
Kalmar
) 14 boats
[
edit
]
![](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ea/Delta_III_class_SSBN.svg/300px-Delta_III_class_SSBN.svg.png) A Delta III-class submarine
|
Class overview
|
Name
| Delta III class
|
Builders
| Severodvinsk
|
Operators
| Soviet Union
,
Russia
|
Preceded by
| Delta II class
|
Succeeded by
| Typhoon class
& Delta IV class
|
Built
| 1974-1982
|
In service
| 1976-present
|
Completed
| 14
|
Active
| 2
|
General characteristics
|
Displacement
|
- Surfaced:
13,500 tons
- Submerged:
18,200 tons
|
Length
| 166 m (544 ft 7 in)
|
Beam
| 12.3 m (40 ft 4 in)
|
Draught
| 8.8 m (29 ft)
|
Propulsion
| 2 pressurized water-cooled reactors powering 2 steam turbines delivering 44,700 kW (59,900 shp) to 2 five-bladed fixed-pitched shrouded propellers.
|
Speed
|
- Surfaced:
14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph)
- Submerged:
24 knots (44 km/h; 28 mph)
|
Range
| Unlimited, except by food supplies
|
Complement
| 135
|
Armament
|
- 16 missiles
- 4 × bow 533 mm (21.0 in) torpedo tubes
|
The
667BDR
Kalmar
/Delta III-class submarine
is a further development of Project 667, maintaining the double-hulled design with a thin, low magnetic steel outer hull wrapped around a thicker inner
pressure hull
. Development began in 1972 at the
Rubin Central Design Bureau for Marine Engineering
.
[
citation needed
]
The submarine was the first that could launch any number of missiles in a single salvo, as well as the first submarine capable of carrying ballistic missiles with
multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles
. The submarine carried 16 of the R-29R missiles each carrying 3 to 7 MIRVs, with a range of 6,500 to 8,000 km (4,000 to 5,000 mi), depending on the number of re-entry vehicles.
As of 2023 two Delta-IIIs remain;
K-44 Ryazan
, and the heavily modified
BS-136 Orenburg
.
Delta IV (Project 667BDRM
Delfin
) 7 boats
[
edit
]
![](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/94/Delta_IV_class_SSBN.svg/300px-Delta_IV_class_SSBN.svg.png) A Delta IV-class submarine
|
Class overview
|
Name
| Delta IV class
|
Builders
| Severodvinsk
|
Operators
| Soviet Union
,
Russian Federation
|
Preceded by
| Delta III & Typhoon classes
|
Succeeded by
| Borei
class
|
Built
| 1981-1992
|
In commission
| 1984-present
|
Completed
| 7
|
Active
| 6
|
General characteristics
|
Propulsion
| 2 pressurized water-cooled reactors powering 2 steam turbines with two fixed-pitched shrouded propellers.
|
Speed
|
- Surfaced:
14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph)
- Submerged:
24 knots (44 km/h; 28 mph)
|
Range
| Unlimited, except by food supplies
|
Armament
|
- 16
R-29RMU Sineva
ballistic missiles; each with 4
MIRV
- 4 × bow 533 mm (21.0 in) torpedo tubes
|
Seven
Project 667BDRM
Delfin
/Delta IV-class submarines
were built, which were yet another iterative improvement of the Delta-class. All were retained and operated by the
Russian Navy
. The submarines, based at the
Sayda Guba
Naval Base, operate in the
Northern Fleet
. The
Severodvinsk
Shipyard built these vessels between 1981 and 1992. The last vessel completed was
K-407 Novomoskovsk
.
Armament
[
edit
]
The Delta IV-class submarines employs the D-9RM launch system and carries 16
R-29RMU Sineva
liquid-fueled
missiles
which each carry four independently targetable reentry vehicles (
MIRVs
). Unlike previous modifications, the Delta IV-class submarine is able to fire missiles in any direction from a constant course in a circular sector. The underwater firing of the ballistic missiles can be conducted at a depth of 55 meters (180 ft) while cruising at a speed of 6?7 knots (11?13 km/h; 6.9?8.1 mph). All the missiles can be fired in a single salvo.
The 667BDRM
Delfin
submarines are equipped with the TRV-671 RTM missile-torpedo system that has four bow-mounted torpedo tubes with a calibre of 533 mm (21 in). Unlike the Delta III-class design, it is compatible with all types of
torpedoes
,
anti-submarine torpedo-missiles
and
anti-hydroacoustic devices
. The battle management system Omnibus-BDRM controls all combat activities, processing data and commanding the torpedo and missile-torpedo weapons. The
Shlyuz
navigation system provides for the improved accuracy of the missiles and is capable of
stellar navigation
at periscope depths. The navigational system also employs two floating antenna buoys to receive radio-messages, target destination data and satellite navigation signals at great depth. The submarines are also equipped with the Skat-VDRM hydroacoustic system.
[
citation needed
]
The Delta IVs executed
Operation Behemoth
(
Russian
:
Бегемот
) during the twilight of the Soviet Union; they remain the only class of SSBN to successfully fire its entire payload of ballistic missiles.
In 2011 K-84
Ekaterinburg
successfully test-fired a new version of the SS-N-23 missile, reportedly designated
R-29RMU2 Layner
. The missile has improved survivability against anti-ballistic missiles.
[4]
Later on K-114
Tula
conducted another successful launch.
[5]
Deployment
[
edit
]
Initially all the Delta IV-class submarines were based with the
Russian Northern Fleet
at
Olenya Bay
. All the submarines of this class serve in 12th Squadron (the former 3rd flotilla) of strategic submarines of the Northern Fleet, which now located in
Yagelnaya Bay
.
[6]
[7]
Delta IV class ? Ships of the class
#
|
Shipyard
|
Name
|
Laid down
|
Launched
|
Com-missioned
|
Fleet
|
Status
|
K-51
|
SEVMASH, Severodvinsk
|
Verkhoturye
|
23 Feb 1981
|
7 Mar 1984
|
28 Dec 1984
|
Northern
|
Active, overhaul 2010?12, overhaul completed,
[
citation needed
]
upgraded Sineva missiles installed
[8]
|
K-84
|
SEVMASH, Severodvinsk
|
Ekaterinburg
|
17 Feb 1982
|
17 Mar 1985
|
30 Dec 1985
|
Northern
|
Inactive. Upgraded Sineva missiles installed,
[8]
overhaul 2011?14 (29 Dec 2011 a fire broke out while ship was drydocked and the vessel was partially submerged to control the flames.
[9]
) Re-commissioned in Dec 2014.
[10]
Removed from active service and prepared for decommissioning in 2020
[11]
|
BS-64
(ex
K-64
)
|
SEVMASH, Severodvinsk
|
Podmoskovye
|
18 Dec 1982
|
2 Feb 1986
|
23 Dec 1986
|
Northern
|
Active,
[
citation needed
]
in 1999?2016 was in conversion to a Project 09787 special purpose platform.
[12]
[13]
Cut out all the missile silos.
[14]
|
K-114
|
SEVMASH, Severodvinsk
|
Tula
|
22 Feb 1984
|
22 Jan 1987
|
30 Oct 1987
|
Northern
|
In overhaul 2014?2017, returned to active duty in Dec 2017,
[15]
[16]
upgraded Sineva missiles installed
[8]
|
K-117
|
SEVMASH, Severodvinsk
|
Bryansk
|
20 Apr 1985
|
8 Feb 1988
|
30 Sep 1988
|
Northern
|
Active,
[
citation needed
]
overhaul 2002?08, overhaul complete, upgraded Sineva missiles installed.
[8]
Technical conditioning to extend service life by 3.5 years scheduled to commence post Mar 2018.
[17]
|
K-18
|
SEVMASH, Severodvinsk
|
Karelia
|
7 Feb 1986
|
2 Feb 1989
|
10 Oct 1989
|
Northern
|
Active, overhaul 2004?10, overhaul complete,
[18]
upgraded Sineva missiles installed
[8]
|
K-407
|
SEVMASH, Severodvinsk
|
Novomoskovsk
|
2 Feb 1987
|
28 Feb 1990
|
27 Nov 1990
|
Northern
|
Active,
[
citation needed
]
overhaul 2008?2012, overhaul complete,
[19]
[20]
upgraded Sineva missiles installed
[8]
|
See also
[
edit
]
Citations
[
edit
]
- ^
Cote, Dr. Owen R. (March 2000).
"The Third Battle: Innovation in the U.S. Navy's Silent Cold War Struggle with Soviet Submarines"
.
U.S. Navy
. Archived from
the original
on 10 April 2006
. Retrieved
2 February
2014
.
- ^
"Проект 667Б "Мурена" (NATO ? "Delta")"
.
deepstorm.ru
. DEEP STORM
. Retrieved
9 January
2024
.
- ^
Carlin, Maya (20 February 2024).
"Russia's Delta II-Class Submarines Had Just One Mission"
.
The National Interest
. Retrieved
6 June
2024
.
- ^
"Russian SLBM Liner Completed Flight Tests"
.
RusNavy
. 20 May 2011. Archived from
the original
on 30 December 2011
. Retrieved
27 December
2011
.
- ^
Центр обновления
.
Severnyflot
(in Russian). Archived from
the original
on 31 March 2012
. Retrieved
27 December
2011
.
- ^
Северный флот
.
Kommersant
(in Russian). 25 February 2008.
Archived
from the original on 30 October 2013
. Retrieved
13 April
2012
.
- ^
Kristensen, Hans M.; Korda, Matt (2021).
"Russian nuclear weapons, 2021"
.
Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
.
77
(2): 90?108.
Bibcode
:
2021BuAtS..77b..90K
.
doi
:
10.1080/00963402.2021.1885869
.
ISSN
0096-3402
.
All Delta IVs are part of the Northern Fleet and based at Yagelnaya Bay (
Gadzhiyevo
) on the Kola Peninsula.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
Norris, Robert S.; Kristensen, Hans M. (January 2010).
"Russian Nuclear Forces, 2010"
.
Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
.
66
(1): 74?81.
Bibcode
:
2010BuAtS..66a..74N
.
doi
:
10.2968/066001010
.
S2CID
145187667
. Retrieved
7 August
2011
.
- ^
"Russia battles fire on nuclear submarine"
.
Reuters
. 29 December 2011.
Archived
from the original on 29 December 2011
. Retrieved
29 December
2011
.
- ^
Podvig, Pavel (19 December 2014).
"Ekaterinburg and Vladimir Monomakh join the fleet"
.
Russian Strategic Nuclear Forces
.
Archived
from the original on 19 December 2014
. Retrieved
23 December
2014
.
- ^
Грашин, Рудольф.
"Игорь Британов: командир, ушедший с гибнущей К-219 последним"
[Igor Britanov: the commander who left the dying K-219 last].
Oblgazeta.ru
(in Russian).
- ^
й-64, ая-64 оПНЕЙР 667адпл
.
DeepStorm
(in Russian).
Archived
from the original on 10 February 2012
. Retrieved
19 October
2010
.
- ^
"Project 09787 Special-Purpose Submarine BS-64 "Podmoskovye" Handed Over to Russian Navy"
.
Navy Recognition
. December 2016.
Archived
from the original on 3 January 2017
. Retrieved
2 January
2017
.
- ^
"й-64, ая-64 оПНЕЙР 667адпл"
.
DeepStorm
(in Russian).
Archived
from the original on 10 February 2012
. Retrieved
2 February
2014
.
- ^
"Russian Delta-class SSBN 'Tula' leaves hangar during refit"
.
Naval Today
. 27 February 2017.
Archived
from the original on 6 March 2017
. Retrieved
5 March
2017
.
- ^
"
"Звёздочка" завершила ремонт АПЛ "Тула"
"
[Zvezdochka completes repair of the nuclear submarine "Tula"].
Zvezdochka.ru
(in Russian). 28 December 2017.
- ^
"
"Звездочка" способна продлить срок службы АПЛ "Брянск" на 5 лет"
[Zvezdochka can extend the service life of the nuclear submarine "Bryansk" by 5 years].
FlotProm
(in Russian).
Archived
from the original on 4 January 2018
. Retrieved
3 January
2018
.
- ^
Podvig, Pavel (22 January 2010).
"Karelia submarine returns to service"
.
Russian Strategic Nuclear Forces
.
Archived
from the original on 6 June 2011
. Retrieved
19 October
2010
.
- ^
"Продолжаются ремонт и модернизация РПКСН "Новомосковск"
"
[The repair and modernization of the SSBN "Novomoskovsk"].
Flot
(in Russian). 19 November 2010.
Archived
from the original on 23 July 2011
. Retrieved
7 August
2011
.
- ^
"Repair and upgrade of SSBN Novomoskovsk is in progress"
.
RusNavy
. 19 November 2010.
Archived
from the original on 18 October 2011
. Retrieved
7 August
2011
.
References
[
edit
]
External links
[
edit
]
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Delta I
| |
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Delta II
| |
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Delta III
| |
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Delta IV
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