Soviet submarine K-85
 Sister ship K-77 docked in Providence, Rhode Island
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 Soviet Union | |
| Name | K-85 |
| Builder | Leningrad |
| Laid down | 25 October 1961 |
| Launched | 31 January 1964 |
| Commissioned | 22 January 1965 |
| Decommissioned | 30 June 1993 |
| Renamed | B-124, 25 July 1977 |
| Fate | Scrapped, 1998–1999 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Juliett-class submarine |
| Displacement | |
| Length | 85.9 m (281 ft 10 in) |
| Beam | 9.7 m (31 ft 10 in) |
| Draft | 6.29 m (20 ft 8 in) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed |
|
| Range |
|
| Test depth | 240 m (790 ft) |
| Complement | 78 |
| Sensors and processing systems |
|
| Electronic warfare & decoys | Nakat-M ESM |
| Armament |
|
K-85 was a "Project 651" (
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
Propulsion and performance
The Juliett class is powered by a
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)
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
In the first half of 1968 the submarine underwent repairs at SRZ-35 to replace her batteries, flooded during the previous cruise. Between August and November, the submarine spent 93 days at sea in the Mediterranean during the 1968 Czechoslovak crisis. While passing through the Strait of Gibraltar it was targeted with practice depth charges by American anti-submarine forces. In 1969 it conducted practice missile firing in the White Sea. The submarines of the 35th Division were relocated to Ara Bay near Vidyayevo in October of that year. K-85 collided with the fishing vessel Yerevan in 1970. Between April 1971 and January 1974 the submarine was under routine repair at SRZ-35, Murmansk. K-85 (the K standing for (Russian: крейсерская, romanized: kreyserskaya, lit. 'cruiser') was redesignated B-124 (the B standing for Russian: большая, romanized: bolshaya, lit. 'large') on 25 July 1977. Between October 1978 and April 1979 she conducted a Mediterranean cruise, replenishing at Tartus.[10]
B-124 conducted a cruise around Scandinavia into the Baltic to join the Baltic Fleet in 1981. The submarine was transferred to the 16th Submarine Division of the 14th Submarine Squadron of the Baltic Fleet on 24 February 1981, based at Liepāja. During 1982 and 1983 the submarine underwent modernization at SRZ-29 in Liepaja, receiving new batteries. The submarine was removed from service and laid up at Liepaja on 1 November 1989, but returned to service on 31 December 1990 as part of the 58th Submarine Brigade of the Baltic Fleet, reorganized from the 16th Submarine Division. The submarine B-124 was decommissioned on 30 June 1993 for disposal.[11] After the Russian withdrawal from Latvia it was left moored half-submerged in Liepaja at Tosmare shipyard in agreement with a Russian military contract. The submarine hull was sold for scrap to the German company VMG and raised by the Lithuanian firm Opron Shipping in 1997 before being scrapped at Tosmare between 1998 and 1999.[10]
References
- ^ Friedman, p. 344; Vilches Alarcón, pp. 13–14
- ^ Pavlov, p. 60; Vilches Alarcón, p. 13
- ^ a b Hampshire, p. 24
- ^ a b c Pavlov, p. 60
- ^ Friedman, p. 402
- ^ Vilches Alarcón, pp. 12, 18, 22; Polmar & Noot, p. 289
- ^ Polmar & Moore, p. 97; Hampshire, pp. 26–27
- ^ a b Hampshire, p. 25
- ^ Pavlov, p. 60; Vilches Alarcón, p. 18
- ^ a b c Nikolayev, Andrey. "Подводная лодка К-85, Б-124. Проект 651". www.deepstorm.ru. Retrieved 2023-05-05.
- ^ Hampshire, pp. 28, 46; Vilches Alarcón, pp. 16, 20
Bibliography
- 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.
- 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.