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List of Soviet and Russian submarine classes

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Submarines of the Soviet Navy were developed by numbered "projects", which were sometimes but not always given names. During the Cold War, NATO nations referred to these classes by NATO reporting names, based on intelligence data, which did not always correspond with the projects. See:

The NATO reporting names were based on the British (and later American) habit of naming submarines with a letter of the alphabet indicating the class, followed by a serial number of that class. The names are the radiotelephonic alphabet call sign of a letter of the alphabet. For security purposes, the "pennant numbers" of Soviet submarines were not sequential, any more than those of Soviet surface vessels were.

Most Russian (and Soviet) submarines had no "personal" name, but were only known by a number, prefixed by letters identifying the boat's type at a higher level than her class. Those letters included:

  • К (K): крейсерская (kreyserskaya, "cruiser")
  • ТК (TK): тяжёлая крейсерская (tyazholaya kreyserskaya, "heavy cruiser")
  • Б (B): большая (bolshaya, "large")
  • С (S): средняя (srednyaya, "medium")
  • М (M): малая (malaya, "small")

Any of those prefixes could have С (S) added to the end, standing for специальная (spetsialnaya) and meaning "designed for special missions":

  • New weapon, engines and armament testing
  • Submarines for long-range radio communications
  • Target submarines for anti-submarine training
  • Rescue service submarines
  • Covert operations

Diesel-electric

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Russo-Japanese War

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World War I era

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World War II era

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Project Series Image Built Assignment
Dekabrist-class submarine Series I 6 large positional submarine
Leninets-class submarine Series II, XI, XIII, XIII-1938

25 Minelayers
Shchuka-class submarine Series III, V, V-bis, V-bis-2, X, X-1938

86 Medium-sized patrol submarines.
Pravda-class submarine Serie IV

3 Squadron submarines.
Malyutka-class submarine Series VI, VI-bis, XII, XV


110 Small submarines for coastal patrols.
S-class submarine Series IX, IX-bis 41 Medium submarines, built using German project (early version of Type IX).
K-class submarine Serie XIV 11 Cruiser submarines with combined arms.
TS-class submarine 3 Former submarines of the Royal Romanian Navy: Rechinul (TS-1), Marsuinul (TS-2) and Delfinul (TS-3)

Post-World War II era

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Attack submarines

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Project NATO reporting name Silhouette/Image Built Assignment
611 Zulu class 26 Large oceanic submarines
613 Whiskey class 215 Medium multi-purpose submarines
615 Quebec class 30 Small submarines with full-diesel propulsion
617 Whale class 1 Experimental submarines which had a Walter engine fuelled by high test peroxide (HTP)
633 Romeo class 20 Medium submarines
641 Foxtrot class 75 Large oceanic submarines
641B Cом (Som, catfish) Tango class 18 Large oceanic submarines
690 Кефаль (Kefal, mullet) Bravo class 4 Target submarine for torpedo exercises
877, 877E, 877EKM, 877V, 877LPMB, 877EK Палтус (Paltus, halibut) Kilo class 43 Large submarines
636, 636М Варшавянка (Varshavyanka, after Warsaw Pact) Improved Kilo class 30 Large submarines
677 Лада (Lada, goddess of love) St. Petersburg 1 Large submarines
1650 Амур (the Amur River) 0 Modification of Lada class for export
865 Пиранья (Piran'ya, piranha) Losos class (Salmon) 2 Midget submarines

Guided missile submarines

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Project NATO reporting name Silhouette/Image Built Assignment
P613 Whiskey Single Cylinder 1 × SS-N-3 cruise missile
644 Whiskey Twin Cylinder 2 × SS-N-3 cruise missile
665 Whiskey Long Bin 4 × SS-N-3 cruise missile
651 Juliett 16 Four SS-N-3 Shaddock (P-5 or P-6), or SS-N-12 Sandbox (P-500 4K-80 Basalt)

Ballistic missile submarines

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Project NATO reporting name Silhouette/Image Built Assignment
V611, 611AV Zulu

6
629, 609, 601, 605, 619 Golf Golf II-class submarine

Golf II-class submarine Golf II-class submarine Golf II-class submarine Golf II-class submarine Golf II-class submarine Golf II-class submarine

24 3 × Project 629 boats D-1 launch system with R-11FM missiles

Auxiliary submarines

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Project NATO reporting name Silhouette/Image Built Assignment
940 Ленок (Lenok) India An India class submarine carrying two DSRVs in 1985 2 2 × Poseidon class DSRV's
1710 Макрель (Makrel, mackerel) Beluga 1 It was an experimental vessel used for testing propulsion systems, hull forms, and boundary-layer control techniques.
1840 Lima 1 Large special. It was used for trying out new technologies, research, or special mission support

Nuclear-powered

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Attack submarines

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First generation

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Project NATO reporting name Silhouette/Image Built Assignment
627 Кит, 645 Кит-ЖМТ (Kit, whale) November

14 First soviet submarines powered by nuclear reactor

Second generation

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Project NATO reporting name Silhouette/Image Built Assignment
671, 671B, 671K, 671R Ёрш (Yorsh, ruffe) Victor I 16
671RT Victor II 7
671RTM Щука (Shchuka, pike) Victor III 25

Third generation

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Project NATO reporting name Silhouette/Image Built Assignment
705, 705K Лира (Lira, lyre) Alfa 7
945 Барракуда (Barrakuda, barracuda) Sierra I 2
945A Кондор (Kondor, condor) Sierra II 2
685 Плавник (Plavnik, fin) Mike K-278 Komsomolets 1 Record submergence depth of 1,020 metres (3,350 feet)

Fourth generation

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Project NATO reporting name Silhouette/Image Built Assignment
Project 971 Щука-Б (Shchuka-B, Pike-B) Akula 15
Project 885 Ясень (Yasen, ash) Severodvinsk 4 Planned 12

Guided missile submarines

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First generation

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Project NATO reporting name Silhouette/Image Built Assignment
659 Echo I 5
675 Echo II 29

Second generation

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Project NATO reporting name Silhouette/Image Built Assignment
661 Анчар (Anchar, upas) Papa 1 Fastest speed ever recorded for a submerged vehicle at 44.7 knots
667AT Груша (Grusha, pear) Yankee Notch 4
667M Андромеда (Andromeda, the constellation) Yankee Sidecar 1
670 Скат (Skat, ray) Charlie I 11
670M Скат-М (Skat-M, ray) Charlie II 6

Third generation

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Project NATO reporting name Silhouette/Image Built Assignment
949 Гранит (Granit, granite) Oscar I 2
949A Антей (Antey, Antaeus) Oscar II 11

Fourth generation

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Project NATO reporting name Silhouette/Image Built Assignment
885 Ясень (Yasen, ash) Severodvinsk 4 Planned 12

Ballistic missile submarines

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First generation

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Project NATO reporting name Silhouette/Image Built Assignment
658, 701 Hotel 8

Second generation

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Project NATO reporting name Silhouette/Image Built Assignment
667A Навага, 667AU Налим (Navaga; Nalim, burbot) Yankee I 34
667AM Навага-М (Navaga-M) Yankee II 1
667B Мурена (Murena, eel) Delta I 18
667BD Мурена-М (Murena-M, eel) Delta II 4
667BDR Кальмар (Kal'mar, squid) Delta III 14
667BDRM Дельфин (Del'fin, dolphin) Delta IV 7

Third generation

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Project NATO reporting name Silhouette/Image Built Assignment
941 Акула; (Akula, shark) Typhoon 6

Fourth generation

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Project NATO reporting name Silhouette/Image Built Assignment
955 Борей; (Borei, Boreas) Dolgorukiy 3
955А Борей; (Borei, Boreas) Dolgorukiy 4

Auxiliary submarines

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Project NATO reporting name Silhouette/Image Built Assignment
1910 Кашалот (Kashalot, cachalot) Uniform 2
09774 Аксон (Akson) Yankee Pod 1
09774 Yankee Stretch 1
09780 Аксон-2 (Akson-2) Yankee Big Nose 1
20120 Сарган (Sargan or Sarov) Sarov 1

See also

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Footnotes

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  1. ^ Showell, p. 22, 23, 29
  • Showell, Jak M. U-Boat Century, German Submarine Warfare 1906-2006. Chatham Publishing, Great Britain (2006). ISBN 1861-7624-10.
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