Delta-class submarine

Delta-class submarine. The Delta class is a family of nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs) that formed the sea-based leg of the Soviet Union's Strategic Rocket Forces during the Cold War. Designed as a successor to the Yankee-class submarine, its primary innovation was the capability to launch the long-range R-29 family of submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs), allowing patrols within defended bastion areas near Soviet waters. These submarines were a critical component of the nuclear triad and remain in service with the Russian Navy.

Design and development

The design, designated Project 667 *Murena* and later variants, was initiated by the Rubin Design Bureau in response to the limitations of the preceding Yankee-class submarine. The key requirement was to accommodate the new Makeyev R-29 missile, which had a range exceeding that of the American UGM-73 Poseidon. This allowed the submarines to strike targets in the United States from patrol areas in the Barents Sea or the Sea of Okhotsk, under the protection of the Soviet Navy's surface and aviation forces. The hull was lengthened significantly compared to the Yankee-class submarine, with a distinctive dorsal hump behind the sail housing the missile tubes. The design emphasized improved quieting technologies to counter increasingly sophisticated United States Navy attack submarines like the Los Angeles-class submarine.

Variants

Four main variants were produced, each with distinct missile systems and improvements. The Delta I (Project 667B Murena) was the initial model, armed with 12 R-29 missiles. The Delta II (Project 667BD Murena-M) featured a lengthened hull with 16 missile tubes for the improved R-29D. The Delta III (Project 667BDR Kalmar) introduced the MIRV-capable R-29R missile and enhanced sonar systems. The final and still-active variant is the Delta IV (Project 667BDRM Delfin), which carries 16 of the modern R-29RMU Sineva missiles and incorporates significant noise-reduction features, including anechoic tile coatings. All Delta I and Delta II boats have been retired, while some Delta IIIs were converted for other roles, and the Delta IVs remain the backbone of Russia's sea-based strategic forces alongside the newer Borei-class submarine.

Operational history

Entering service in 1972 with the Northern Fleet and Pacific Fleet, Delta-class submarines began continuous strategic patrols, fundamentally altering the dynamics of the Cold War by reducing the need to transit through monitored choke points like the GIUK gap. They were a primary focus of NATO anti-submarine warfare efforts throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the class remained in Russian service, though numbers dwindled due to arms control treaties like START I. The Delta III-class submarine *K-44* *Ryazan* was transferred to the Pacific Fleet in a historic under-ice transit via the Arctic Ocean in 2008. Today, the modernized Delta IV-class submarines, such as *K-114* *Tula* and *K-117* *Bryansk*, conduct regular deterrent patrols and have test-launched newer missiles like the R-29RMU2.1 Layner and the Bulava during trials.

Specifications

General characteristics varied between variants. The final Delta IV-class submarine has a submerged displacement of approximately 18,200 tons, a length of 167 meters, and a beam of 12 meters. Propulsion is provided by two OK-700A pressurized water nuclear reactors powering two steam turbines and driving two shafts. Armament centers on 16 R-29RMU Sineva or R-29RMU2.1 Layner SLBMs, housed in tubes within the dorsal section. For self-defense, the class is equipped with four 533-mm torpedo tubes and two 400-mm tubes, capable of firing torpedoes such as the Type 53 and anti-submarine missiles like the RPK-2 Viyuga. The crew complement is typically around 135 officers and enlisted personnel.

See also

* Borei-class submarine * Typhoon-class submarine * Yankee-class submarine * Nuclear triad * Submarine-launched ballistic missile

Category:Submarine classes Category:Ballistic missile submarines of the Soviet Union Category:Delta-class submarines