Foxtrot class submarine

The "Foxtrot" class was the NATO reporting name of a class of diesel-electric patrol submarines that were built in the Soviet Union. The Soviet designation of this class was Project 641.

The "Foxtrot" class was designed to replace the earlier "Zulu" class, which suffered from structural weaknesses and harmonic vibration problems that limited its operational depth and submerged speed. The first "Foxtrot" was laid down in 1957 and commissioned in 1958 and the last was completed in 1983. A total of 60 were built. The manufacturer was Sudomekh, just outside Leningrad, now St. Petersburg. [ [http://www.brtsis.com/foxtrot.htm Foxtrot Class Submarines ] ]

The Foxtrot class was comparable in performance and armament to most contemporary designs. However, its three screws made it noisier than most Western designs. Moreover, the "Foxtrot" class was one of the last designs introduced before the adoption of the teardrop hull, which offered much better underwater performance. The "Foxtrot" class was completely obsolete by the time the last submarine was launched. The Russian Navy retired its last Foxtrots between 1995 and 2000 [http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ship/row/rus/index.html] , although some may still be in service with other nations.

Cuban Missile Crisis

Foxtrots played a central role in some of the most dramatic incidents of the Cuban Missile Crisis. US Navy destroyers dropped Practice Depth Charges near Foxtrot subs near Cuba in efforts to force them to surface and be identified. The US Navy was not aware that these submarines were carrying torpedoes equipped with nuclear warheads. On submarine "B-59", the Captain, believing that a war might already be in progress, ordered a nuclear torpedo armed for use; apparently two other high-ranking officers on board, notably Vasiliy Arkhipov, calmed him down.

Operators

Most saw service in the Soviet Navy. "Foxtrot"s were also built for the Indian (8 units, from 1967 to 1974), Libyan (6 units, from 1978 to 1980), and Cuban (3 units, from 1978 to 1983) navies. Some Soviet "Foxtrot"s later saw service in the Polish, North Korean and Ukrainian navies.
* Soviet Navy (passed on to successor states)
* Russian navy (ex-Soviet Navy)
* Indian Navy 8 units
* Libyan Navy 6 units
* Cuban Navy 3 units
* Ukrainian Navy (ex-Soviet Navy)
* Polish Navy 2 units (ex-Soviet Navy)
** ORP Wilk (1987-2003)
** ORP Dzik (1988-2003)

On display

Several Foxtrots are on display as museums around the world, including:
* "B-39" at the Maritime Museum of San Diego in San Diego, California.
* "B-143" at the Seafront Maritime Theme Park in Zeebrugge, Belgium.
* "B-427" at the "RMS Queen Mary" in Long Beach, California.
* Indian Foxtrot submarine INS "Kursura S20" at the Rama Krishna Beach, Visakhapatnam.
* "B-413" at Kaliningrad

In popular culture

* In the Stargate SG-1 Season 4 premiere "Small Victories"," Replicators take over a Russian Foxtrot.
* In the sci-fi miniseries The Triangle a Foxtrot sub used for a search mission.

References

*

External links

*http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ship/row/rus/641.htm
*http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ship/row/rus/index.html
*http://www.cybermodeler.com/naval/foxtrot/foxtrot.shtml
* [http://www.hnsa.org/ships/b413.htm HNSA Ship Page: Soviet "B-413"]

Gallery

Some pictures of a Foxtrot class submarine in front of Queen Mary in Long Beach, CA.

B-39 at the Maritime Museum of San Diego in San Diego, California