Oscar class submarine

Class overview
Builders:	SEVMASH, Severodvinsk
Operators:	Soviet Navy  Russian Navy
Preceded by:	Papa class submarine
Succeeded by:	Severodvinsk class submarine
Built:	1975-1996
Planned:	20 (2 949, 18 949A)[1]
Completed:	13 (2 949, 11 949A)
Cancelled:	7 (3 incomplete, 4 never laid down)
Active:	4
Laid up:	1
Lost:	K-141 "Kursk" lost with all hands 12 August 2000
Retired:	3
Preserved:	0
General characteristics
Displacement:	12,500/14,700 tons surfaced 16,500/19,400 tons submerged[1]
Length:	155 m (508 ft 6 in)[1]
Beam:	18.2 m (59 ft 9 in)
Draught:	9 m (29 ft 6 in)
Propulsion:	2 × pressurized water cooled reactors powering two steam turbines delivering 73,070 kW (98,000 shp) to two shafts
Speed:	15 knots (28 km/h) surfaced 32 knots (59 km/h) submerged[1]
Endurance:	120 days[1]
Complement:	94/107[1]
Armament:	4 × 533 mm (21.0 in) and 2 × 650 mm (26 in) torpedo tubes in bow 28 × 533 mm and 650 mm weapons, including Tsakra (SS-N-15 Starfish) anti-submarine missiles with 15 kt nuclear warheads and Vodopad/Veder (SS-N-16 Stallion) and anti-submarine missiles with 200 kt nuclear warhead or Type 40 anti-submarine torpedo or 32 ground mines 24 × P-700 Granit (SS-N-19 Shipwreck) cruise missiles with 750 kilograms (1,700 lb) HE or 500 kt nuclear warheads

The Project 949 (Granit) and Project 949A (Antey) Soviet Navy/Russian Navy cruise missile submarines (NATO reporting names: Oscar-I and Oscar-II respectively).

Project 949 submarines were the largest cruise missile submarines in service, until the Ohio class SSGN cruise missile submarine converted from SSBN and returned to service on October 15, 2007. They are the fourth largest class of submarines in terms of displacement and length. Only the Typhoon class Soviet/Russian submarines, the American Ohio class ballistic missile submarines and the Russian Borei class submarines are larger.

History

The first submarine of the Project 949 was laid down in the mid 1970s and was commissioned in 1980. In 1982 an updated and larger version (Project 949A) replaced the earlier version. In total thirteen submarines were constructed. In the financial problems that followed the fall of the Soviet Union the Oscar class was prioritized by the Russian navy and when many older submarines classes were retired the Oscar class remained active in both the Northern and Pacific fleets. In 2011, five submarines are currently active with several more in reserve or waiting for repairs.

Project 949 Granit

Project 949

Two Project 949 Granit submarines were built at Severodvinsk and assigned to the Soviet Northern Fleet:

Project 949A Antey

Project 949A

Eleven Project 949A Antey submarines were completed at Severodvinsk. Five were assigned to the Soviet Northern Fleet:

At one stage it had been planned to develop a new fourth-generation follow-on to the Project 949A, but this plan was later scrapped. ^[2]

Northern Fleet Oscar class submarines^[1]

#	Name	Project	Laid down	Launched	Commissioned	Status
K-525	Arkhangelsk	949	25 July 1975	3 May 1980	30 December 1980	Scrapped in 2004
K-525	Murmansk	949	22 April 1979	10 December 1982	30 November 1983	Scrapped in 2004
K-148	Krasnodar	949A	22 July 1982	3 March 1985	30 September 1986	Scrapped in 2011
K-119	Voronezh	949A	25 February 1986	16 December 1988	29 December 1989	Active, after overhaul finished in November 2011[3]
K-410	Smolensk	949A	9 December 1986	20 January 1990	22 December 1990	Inactive, in overhaul from November 2011 to 2014[4]
K-266	Orel	949A	19 January 1989	22 May 1992	30 December 1992	Active
K-141	Kursk	949A	22 March 1992	16 May 1994	30 December 1994	Lost 12 August 2000

Pacific Fleet Oscar class submarines^[1]

#	Name	Project	Laid down	Launched	Commissioned	Status
K-173	Krasnoyarsk	949A	August 4, 1983	March 27, 1986	December 31, 1986	Inactive, future plans unclear
K-132	Irkutsk	949A	May 8, 1985	December 27, 1987	December 30, 1988	Inactive, overhaul from 2008
K-442	Chelyabinsk	949A	May 21, 1987	June 18, 1990	December 28, 1990	Inactive from 1998
K-456	Tver	949A	February 9, 1988	June 28, 1991	August 18, 1992	Active
K-186	Omsk	949A	July 13, 1989	May 10, 1993	July 20, 1996	Overhaul 2007-2008 [5] Active[6]
K-150	Tomsk	949A	August 27, 1991	July 20, 1996	December 30, 1996	Overhaul from 2008

Three more Project 949A Antey submarines were planned.^[1]

Unfinished Oscar class submarines^[1]

#	Name	Project	Laid down	Launched	Commissioned	Status
K-139	Belgorod	949A	July 24, 1992			Construction halted
K-135	Volgograd	949A	September 2, 1993			Construction stopped launched incomplete
K-165	Barnaul	949A	April 1994			Construction stopped launched incomplete

Like other Soviet submarine designs, the Project 949 not only has a bridge open to the elements on top of the sail but, for use in inclement weather, there is an enclosed bridge forward and slightly below this station in the fin/sail.

A distinguishing mark is a slight bulge at the top of the fin. A large door on either side of the fin reaches this bulge. These are wider at the top than on the bottom, and are hinged on the bottom. The Federation of American Scientists [1] reports that this submarine carries an emergency crew escape capsule; it is possible that these doors cover it.

The Oscar Class is commonly referred to as Mongo by crews of U.S. patrol aircraft in reference to their massive size.^{[citation needed]}

Gallery

• 

  Bow view

• 

  A Project 949 submarine

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j} Podvodnye Lodki, Yu.V. Apalkov, Sankt Peterburg, 2002, ISBN 5-8172-0069-4
2. ^ Oscar Class Submarines
3. ^ http://www.i-mash.ru/news/nov_predpr/17776-cs-zvezdochka-zavershil-remont-atomnogo.html
4. ^ http://rusnavy.com/news/navy/index.php?ELEMENT_ID=13598
5. ^ http://rusnavy.com/news/navy/index.php?ELEMENT_ID=10212
6. ^ http://rusnavy.com/news/navy/index.php?ELEMENT_ID=11984

• The Encyclopedia Of Warships, From World War Two To The Present Day, General Editor Robert Jackson.

http://www.naval-technology.com/projects/oscar/images/oscar2.gif

External links

• Two pictures of boats of the class
• http://www.friends-partners.org/pipermail/fpspace/2000-September/000237.html