Soviet submarine K-85
K-68 was a "Project 651" (NATO reporting name: Juliett-class) diesel-electric submarine built for the Soviet Navy during the 1960s. Commissioned in 1965, the boat was armed with long-range cruise missiles to carry out its mission of destroying American aircraft carriers and bases. The missiles could be fitted with either conventional or nuclear warheads. While much of the submarine's activities during the Cold War are unknown, she did make at least two patrols in the Mediterranean Sea while assigned to the Northern Fleet. The submarine was renamed B-85 in 1977 and was transferred to the Baltic Fleet four years later. B-85 was decommissioned in 1993 and subsequently scrapped.
 Sister ship K-77 docked in Providence, Rhode Island | |
| History | |
|---|---|
.svg.png.webp){kind=small} Soviet Union | |
| Name | K-85 |
| Builder | Shipyard 189 named after Grigoriy Ordzhonikidze, Leningrad |
| Laid down | 25 October 1961 |
| Launched | 31 January 1964 |
| Commissioned | 22 January 1965 |
| Decommissioned | 30 June 1993 |
| Renamed | B-85, 25 July 1977 |
| Fate | Scrapped after 30 June 1993 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Juliett-class submarine |
| Displacement | |
| Length | 85.9 m (281 ft 10 in) |
| Beam | 9.7 m (31 ft 10 in) |
| Draft | 3.29 m (10 ft 10 in) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed |
|
| Range |
|
| Test depth | 240 m (790 ft) |
| Complement | 78 |
| Sensors and processing systems |
|
| Electronic warfare & decoys | Nakat-M ESM |
| Armament |
|
Background and description
In the late 1950s, the Soviet Navy was tasked to neutralize American bases and aircraft carriers and decided that submarines armed with cruise missiles were the best method to accomplish this. The number of expensive nuclear-powered (Echo-class submarines) that it could afford and build in a timely manner was insufficient to meet its requirements, so it decided to build the Juliett class as it was significantly cheaper and faster to build.[1]
The Juliett-class boats are a double-hulled design that displaces 3,174 metric tons (3,124 long tons) on the surface and 3,750 tonnes (3,690 long tons) submerged. Unlike the later submarines of the class, K-68's hull was built from non-magnetic steel and was not covered with anechoic tiles. The boats have an overall length of 85.9 meters (281 ft 10 in), a beam of 9.7 meters (31 ft 10 in), and a draft (ship) of 6.29 meters (20 ft 8 in). The Julietts have a test depth of 240 meters (790 ft) and a design depth of 300 meters (980 ft). The prominent blast deflectors cut out of the outer hull behind the missile launchers make the submarines very noisy at high speed. Their crew numbered 78 men.[2]
Propulsion and performance
The Juliett class is powered by a diesel-electric system that consists of two 4,000-metric-horsepower (2,900 kW) 1D43 diesel engines and a pair of 3,000-metric-horsepower (2,200 kW) MG-141 electric motors for cruising on the surface. Two additional 200-metric-horsepower (150 kW) electric motors are intended for slow speeds underwater and are powered by four banks of lead-acid battery cells that are recharged by a 1,000-metric-horsepower (740 kW) 1DL42 diesel generator. The boats are fitted with a retractable snorkel to allow the diesel engines to operate while underwater.[3][4]
On the surface, the submarines have a maximum speed of 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph). Using their diesel-electric system while snorkeling gives the Julietts a range of 18,000 nautical miles (33,000 km; 21,000 mi) at 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph). Using just the electric motors underwater, they have a maximum range of 810 nmi (1,500 km; 930 mi) at 2.74 knots (5.07 km/h; 3.15 mph). Their best-submerged speed on electric motors is 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph), although it reduces their range to 27.8 nmi (51.5 km; 32.0 mi). They were designed to carry enough supplies for 90 days of operation.[4][5]
Armament
To carry out the Julietts' mission of destroying American carrier battle groups and bases, they were fitted with two pairs of missile launchers, one each fore and aft of the sail. The launchers were used by the surface-launched SS-N-3 Shaddock family of long-range, turbojet-powered, cruise missiles that could be equipped with either a high-explosive or nuclear warhead.[6]
The more traditional armament of the Julietts consisted of six 533-millimeter (21 in) torpedo tubes mounted in the bow and four 406-millimeter (16 in) torpedo tubes in the stern. Due to space limitations, no reloads were provided for the bow tubes, but each stern tube had two reloads for a total of twelve.[4]
Fire control and sensors
The submarines relied upon aircraft for their long-range anti-ship targeting which they received via the Uspekh-U data link system. Their own Argument missile-guidance radar controlled the missiles until they were out of range via a data link. The missiles' onboard radar would detect the targets and transmit an image back to the submarine via video data link so the crew could select which target to attack, after which the missile relied upon its own radar for terminal guidance. The Argument radar has a massive antenna that was stowed at the front of the sail and rotated 180° for use. The data link antenna was mounted on top of the missile-guidance antenna.[7]
The boats are fitted with Artika-M (MG-200) and Herkules (MG-15) sonars, Feniks-M (MG-10) and MG-13 hydrophones, and an Albatros (RLK-50) search radar.[3] They are also equipped with a Nakat-M Electronic warfare support measures system.[8]
Construction and career
K-85 was laid down at Shipyard 189 named after Grigoriy Ordzhonikidze in Leningrad on 25 October 1961. She was launched on 31 January 1964 and commissioned on 22 January 1965[8] into the 35th Submarine Division of the Northern Fleet.[9] The details of K-68's career remain largely unknown, although the boat made her first patrol in the Mediterranean Sea in 1966. It was plagued with problems with its diesel engines and periscope caused by poor-quality workmanship by the shipyard that got worse over her patrol and forced the navy to abort her mission and return home prematurely for repairs. Two years later, between August and November, the submarine spent 93 days at sea in the Mediterranean during the 1968 Czechoslovak crisis. K-85 (the K standing for (Russian: крейсерская, romanized: kreyserskaya, lit. 'cruiser') was redesignated B-85 (the B standing for Russian: большая, romanized: bolshaya, lit. 'large') on 25 July 1977. The submarine was transferred to the 16th Division of Submarines of the Baltic Fleet on 24 February 1981. B-85 was decommissioned on 30 June 1993 for disposal and subsequently scrapped.[10]
References
- Friedman, p. 344; Vilches Alarcón, pp. 13–14
- Pavlov, p. 60; Vilches Alarcón, p. 13
- Hampshire, p. 24
- Pavlov, p. 60
- Friedman, p. 402
- Vilches Alarcón, pp. 12, 18, 22; Polmar & Noot, p. 289
- Polmar & Moore, p. 97; Hampshire, pp. 26–27
- Hampshire, p. 25
- Pavlov, p. 60; Vilches Alarcón, p. 18
- Hampshire, pp. 28, 46; Vilches Alarcón, pp. 16, 20
Bibliography
- Friedman, Norman (1995). "Soviet Union 1947–1991: Russian Federation and Successor States 1991–". In Chumbley, Stephen (ed.). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947–1995. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. pp. 337–426. ISBN 1-55750-132-7.
- Hampshire, Edward (2018). Soviet Cruise Missile Submarines of the Cold War. London: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-47282-499-8.
- Pavlov, A. S. (1997). Warships of the USSR and Russia 1945–1995. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-671-X.
- Polmar, Norman & Moore, Kenneth J. (2004). Cold War Submarines: The Design and Construction of U.S. and Soviet Submarines. Washington, D. C.: Potomac Books. ISBN 978-1-57488-594-1.
- Polmar, Norman & Noot, Jurrien (1991). Submarines of the Russian and Soviet Navies, 1718–1990. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-570-1.
- 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.