Lazurit
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| Lazurit | |
|---|---|
| Name | Lazurit |
| Origin | Soviet Union |
| Type | submarine |
| Service | 1960s–present |
| Designer | Rubin Design Bureau |
| Manufacturer | Komsomolets Shipyard |
Lazurit is the NATO reporting-name for a Soviet-era submarine class developed during the Cold War for antisubmarine warfare and intelligence gathering missions. Designed by the Rubin Design Bureau and built at facilities such as the Komsomolets Shipyard, the class entered service with the Soviet Navy and later saw use with successor states and allied navies. The type influenced submarine design debates in forums like the Caspian Flotilla planning and featured in exercises with formations such as the Northern Fleet and the Pacific Fleet.
Etymology
The reporting-name follows NATO practice of assigning code names to Soviet platforms during the Cold War for standardized identification across NATO member states and associated intelligence services like the Central Intelligence Agency and the Defence Intelligence Staff. The designation used in Western literature appears in analysis by organizations including the Royal United Services Institute and publications issued by the Federation of American Scientists.
History and development
Development began amid post-World War II naval rearmament when priorities at design bureaus such as Rubin Design Bureau and Malakhit shifted toward quieter hulls and improved sonar signature reduction. Initial proposals were reviewed by Soviet ministries including the Ministry of Shipbuilding Industry and approved during planning cycles overseen by committees of the Council of Ministers of the USSR. Prototype trials took place in ranges associated with the Baltic Fleet and test facilities near the White Sea.
The program was affected by advances in Western antisubmarine warfare technology, notably developments in ASW helicopters operated by the Royal Navy and United States Navy, prompting upgrades to sensors and propulsion. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s the class was modernized within shipyards like Sevmash and refit programs were coordinated with institutes such as the Kurchatov Institute for electronic improvements.
Design and technical specifications
The hull form reflected lessons from experimental designs at Rubin Design Bureau and incorporated features intended to reduce acoustic signature against passive arrays deployed by SOSUS networks and tactical units of the Atlantic Fleet. Propulsion used diesel-electric machinery similar to contemporaries from Project 877 Paltus lines, with batteries supplied by industrial concerns linked to the Ministry of Electrical Industry. Noise-reduction measures included isolated machinery foundations and hydrodynamic fairing informed by research from Central Hydroacoustics Institute.
Sensor suites comprised sonar systems developed in collaboration with institutes like NII-400 and communications links interoperable with strategic assets such as Northern Fleet command nodes. Torpedo armament and mine-laying capabilities were compatible with standards promulgated by the Soviet Navy General Staff and could deploy wake-homing and acoustic homing ordnance produced by facilities associated with Tula and Pokrovka.
Operational use and deployments
Units entered service with fleets including the Northern Fleet, Baltic Fleet, and Pacific Fleet, operating from bases such as Severomorsk, Baltiysk, and Vladivostok. Missions encompassed patrols in contested areas like the Barents Sea and intelligence collection off maritime chokepoints near the English Channel and the Sea of Japan. The submarines participated in naval exercises with formations like Ocean Shield exercises and tracked NATO carrier groups including elements of the United States Sixth Fleet during Cold War encounters.
In peacetime roles the class supported scientific programs coordinated with institutions such as the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, conducting acoustic research and supporting oceanographic surveys for strategic planning by the Main Directorate of Deep-Sea Research.
Variants and modifications
Several follow-on versions were produced incorporating modifications from refit programs at yards including Sevmash and Zvezdochka. Upgrades included improved sonar from Almaz design teams, new fire-control systems derived from Gidropribor projects, and air-independent propulsion experiments evaluated in conjunction with the Central Design Bureau "Neptun". Export variants adapted systems to the requirements of navies such as the Indian Navy and the Vietnam People's Navy with changes to communications suites and weapon compatibility.
Incidents and losses
Accidents and operational losses occurred, some during deep-dive tests and others in port incidents involving collisions with surface units like frigates from the Royal Navy and US Navy escort vessels. Investigations were carried out by Soviet commissions and later by successor state authorities, including incident boards from the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation and maritime safety agencies. Notable mishaps influenced safety reforms adopted across Soviet and post-Soviet submarine fleets, echoed in analyses by think tanks such as the Center for Naval Analyses.
Operators and export history
Primary operator was the Soviet Navy; after dissolution units transferred to navies of successor states including the Russian Navy and other regional services. Exported or offered for transfer to allied states included discussions with the Indian Navy, the Czechoslovak Navy during Cold War planning, and maritime forces of Warsaw Pact members coordinated through Interservice Cooperation mechanisms. Transfers were subject to intergovernmental agreements overseen by ministries like the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (USSR) and required industrial cooperation with shipyards such as Sevmash for refurbishment and training by institutions like the Peter the Great Naval Academy.