- Charlie class submarine
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Class overview Builders: Gorky Operators: Soviet Navy
Indian NavyPreceded by: Echo class submarine Succeeded by: Papa class submarine General characteristics Displacement: Charlie I class: Surfaced:4000tons Submerged:4900tons
Charlie II class: Surfaced: 4300tons
Submerged:5100tonsLength: Charlie I class: 95m (311ft)
Charlie II class: 103m (340ft)Beam: Charlie I+II class:10m (32ft 10in) Draught: Charlie I+II class: 8m (26ft 3in) Propulsion: Charlie I+II class: one pressurized water-cooled reactor powering two steam turbines delivering 11,185kW (15,000shp) to one shaft. Speed: Surfaced: 20knots
Submerged: 24knotsRange: Unlimited except by food supplies Complement: Charlie I class: 100
Charlie II class: 98Armament: Charlie I+II class: Six 533 mm (21in) tubes all bow for a max load of 12 torpedoes. Usually a mix of 2 kT anti-ship nuclear torpedoes, 2 Tsakra (SS-N-15 Starfish) 15kT anti-submarine torpedoes, Charlie I's with 4 anti-ship/submarine HE torpedoes, Charlie II's with 8 anti-ship/submarine torpedoes or a total of 24 AMD-1000 ground mines. The Charlie class submarine is a nuclear powered cruise missile submarine built for the Soviet Navy and later operated by the Russian Navy.
Background
The Charlie I class submarine (Project 670 Skat) SSGN was first launched at the Krasnoye Sormovo inland shipyard at Gorkiy in 1967 with another 10 following over a period of five years. The Charlie Is had two banks of four missile tubes angled upwards on each side of the bow outside the pressure hull. The tubes were covered by large outer doors and the design was to incorporate the P-120 Malakhit (SS-N-9 Siren) medium range anti ship missile. Due to delays in the missile development, the missile was substituted with the short range P-70 Ametist (SS-N-7 Starbright) submerged launch missile which itself was a development of the P-15 Termit (SS-N-2 Styx) surface launched missile.[citation needed] The purpose of the missiles was to be used for pop up surprise attacks on high value surface targets such as aircraft carriers.
In 1972 to 1979, six improved units called the Project 670M SKAT-M (Charlie II class) were built. The improved Charlie IIs were built at Gorkiy with an 8m (26 ft 3in) insertion in the hull forward of the fin to incorporate electronics and launch systems for targeting and firing of the long range P-120 Malakhit anti-ship missile.
The Charlie Is and IIs had to return to port for reload once they had expended their payloads, although the secondary armament of torpedoes and sensor suite of sonar systems meant that they provided useful anti-ship and anti-submarine warfare capabilities.
The last Charlie was retired in 1994. While still operational, one unit of the class was leased to the Indian Navy between 1988 and 1991, mainly for India to gain experience in the operations of a nuclear submarine. India's Arihant class submarine is believed to resemble a Charlie II boat.[1]
Ships
- 11 Project 670 (Charlie I) submarines were built between 1968 and 1973. K-43 was leased to the Indian Navy as the Chakra from 1988 to 1992. K-429 sank near Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky in 1983 with 16 fatalities, but was raised and used as a harbour training hulk.
- 6 Project 670M (Charlie II) submarines were built between 1973 and 1980.
All ships were scrapped between 1990 and 1994.
Charlie I class — significant dates # Shipyard Laid down Launched Commissioned Fleet Status K-87 from January 15, 1978 K-212 Gorkiy February 6, 1965 March 20, 1968 December 28, 1968[2] Pacific Decommissioned April 19, 1990 for scrapping K-25 Gorkiy December 2, 1965 July 31, 1968 December 30, 1968[2] Pacific Decommissioned June 24, 1991 for scrapping K-325 Gorkiy September 6, 1969 June 4, 1971 November 5, 1971[2] Pacific Decommissioned June 24, 1991 for scrapping K-429 Gorkiy January 26, 1971 April 22, 1972 September 15, 1972[2] Pacific Decommissioned for scrapping K-43 leased to India as Chakra Gorkiy May 9, 1964 August 2, 1966 November 5, 1967[2] Pacific Decommissioned July 30, 1992 for scrapping K-121 Gorkiy November 25, 1966 April 29, 1969 October 31, 1969[2] Pacific Decommissioned June 30, 1992 for scrapping K-313 Gorkiy July 14, 1966 July 16, 1969 December 16, 1969[2] Pacific Decommissioned April 19, 1990 for scrapping K-308 Gorkiy December 29, 1967 February 19, 1970 September 20, 1970[2] Pacific Decommissioned July 30, 1992 for scrapping K-320 Gorkiy April 30, 1968 March 27, 1971 September 15, 1971[2] Pacific Decommissioned April 19, 1990 for scrapping K-302 Gorkiy January 17, 1969 July 11, 1970 December 1, 1970[2] Pacific Decommissioned June 30, 1992 for scrapping K-201 Gorkiy November 16, 1971 September 1972 December 26, 1972[2] Pacific Decommissioned April 19, 1990 for scrapping Charlie II class — significant dates # Shipyard Laid down Launched Commissioned Fleet Status K-458 . Gorkiy February 12, 1974 June 30, 1975 December 29, 1975[2] Northern Decommissioned June 24, 1991 for scrapping K-452 Gorkiy December 30, 1972 June 1973 December 30, 1973[2] Northern Decommissioned May 30, 1998 for scrapping K-479 Gorkiy December 20, 1975 May 6, 1977 September 30, 1977[2] Northern Decommissioned July 5, 1992 for scrapping K-503 Gorkiy February 7, 1977 September 22, 1978 December 31, 1978[2] Northern Decommissioned June 30, 1993 for scrapping K-508 Gorkiy December 10, 1977 October 3, 1979 December 30, 1979[2] Northern Decommissioned August 4, 1995 for scrapping K-209 Gorkiy December 20, 1979 September 16, 1980 December 30, 1980[2] Northern Decommissioned 1996 for scrapping References
- Article in Russian from Encyclopedia of Ships
- Article in Russian
- Page in English from FAS
- The Encyclopedia Of Warships, From World War Two To The Present Day, General Editor Robert Jackson.
Charlie-class submarineCharlie I List of Soviet and Russian submarines · List of Soviet and Russian submarine classes
Soviet and Russian submarines after 1945Ballistic missile nuclear submarines - SSBN 658 Hotel · 667A Yankee · 667B Delta I · 667BD Delta II · 667BDR Delta III · 941 Typhoon · 667BDRM Delta IV · 955 Borei
Cruise missile nuclear submarines - SSGN 659 Echo I · 675 Echo II · 670 Charlie I · 670M Charlie II · 661 Papa · 949 Oscar I · 949A Oscar II
Nuclear attack submarines - SSN 627A November · 671 Victor I · 671RT Victor II · 671RTM Victor III · 705/705K Alfa · 945 Sierra I · 945A Sierra II · 685 Mike · 971 Akula · 885 Yasen
Conventional missile submarines - SSG or SSB Conventional attack submarines - SS or SSK 611 Zulu · 613 Whiskey · 615 Quebec · 617 Whale · 633 Romeo · 641 Foxtrot · 641B Tango · 877 Kilo · 636 Improved Kilo · 677 Lada
Auxiliary submarines - SSA 690 Bravo · 940 India · 1710 Beluga · 1840 Lima · 865 Losos · Sarov
Categories:- Submarine classes
- Charlie class submarines
- Russian and Soviet navy submarine classes
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