Soviet submarine K-279

"K-279" was the first Project 667B "Murena" (also known by the NATO reporting name "Delta-I") ballistic missile submarine of the Soviet Navy. Development of Project 667B began in 1965. Her keel was laid down in 1971 by Sevmash at the Severodvinsk shipyard. She was launched in January 1972, and commissioned in the Northern Fleet on 22 December 1972.

In 1983, while operating under the Arctic Ocean icecap at the depth of 190 meters (625 feet), "K-279" struck an iceberg. The submarine rolled about 20 degrees and lost depth control, diving to 300 meters (1000 feet) before recovering. The submarine continued her mission for another two months before returning to port, despite the significant damage she had suffered: the collision had punched a large hole in her sail and had broken every bottle of wine in the galley. The Soviet Navy published an advisory to submarine captains warning that the bottoms of icebergs can extend to depths of 200 meters (650 feet) or more.

The Soviet Navy claims that on 20 October 1986, USS "Augusta" (SSN-710) collided with "K-279" in the eastern Atlantic. "Augusta" allegedly returned to Groton, Connecticut, for US$3 million worth of repairs to her bow.

In 1992, "K-279" was decommissioned and held in reserve. In 1998 she was dismantled at Zvezdochka shipyard in Severodvinsk and her reactor section was towed to Sayda Bay.

ee also

Soviet submarine K-219, another Soviet submarine which allegedly hit USS Augusta (SSN-710)

References

This article includes material adapted from [http://www.bellona.no/ the Bellona Foundation's Web site] and from an 8 June 2004 interview with Rear-admiral Vitaly Fedorin by "Pravda".