Juliett-class submarine#Background and description
{{Short description|Soviet diesel-electric cruise missile submarine}}
| {{Infobox ship begin|sclass=2}}
{{Infobox ship image |Ship image= Submarine Juliett class.jpg |Ship caption=K-77, a Juliett-class submarine }} {{Infobox ship class overview |Builders= |Operators={{navy|Soviet Union}} |Class before={{sclass2|Echo I|submarine|4}} |Class after={{sclass2|Charlie|submarine|4}} |Subclasses=1960–1968 |Built range= |In commission range= 1963–1994 |Total ships building= |Total ships planned=35 |Total ships completed=16 |Total ships cancelled=19 |Total ships active= |Total ships laid up= |Total ships lost= |Total ships retired=16 |Total ships preserved=1 }} {{Infobox ship characteristics |Hide header= |Header caption= |Ship type=Submarine |Ship displacement=*{{cvt|3174|t|LT|lk=on}} (surfaced)
|Ship length= {{convert|85.9|m|ftin|abbr=on}} |Ship beam= {{convert|9.7|m|ftin|abbr=on}} |Ship draft= {{convert|3.29|m|ftin|abbr=on}} |Ship propulsion=*2 × propeller shafts
|Ship speed=*{{convert|16|kn|lk=in}} (surfaced)
|Ship range=*{{cvt|18000|nmi|lk=in}} at {{convert|7|kn}} (snorkeling)
|Ship endurance= |Ship test depth= {{convert|240|m|ft|abbr=on}} |Ship complement=78 |Ship sensors=*Artika-M (MG-200) and Herkules (MG-15) sonars
|Ship EW=Nakat-M ESM |Ship armament=*2 × twin SS-N-3 Shaddock (P-5 or P-6) cruise missiles
}} |
Project 651, known in the West by its NATO reporting name Juliett class, was a class of Soviet diesel-electric cruise-missile submarines. They were designed in the late 1950s to provide the Soviet Navy with a nuclear strike capability against targets along the east coast of the United States and enemy combatants (aircraft carriers). The head of the design team was Abram Samuilovich Kassatsier. They carried four nuclear-capable cruise missiles with a range of approximately {{convert|300|nmi|km}}, which could be launched while the submarine was surfaced and moving less than {{convert|4|kn|km/h|spell=in}}. Once surfaced, the first missile could be launched in about five minutes; subsequent missiles would follow within about ten seconds each. Initially, the missiles were the inertially-guided P-5 (NATO reporting name SS-N-3c Shaddock). When submarine-launched ballistic missiles rendered the P-5s obsolescent, they were replaced with the P-6 (also NATO reporting name SS-N-3a Shaddock, though a very different missile) designed to attack aircraft carriers. A special 10 m2 target guidance radar was built into the forward edge of the sail structure, which opened by rotating. One boat was eventually fitted with the Kasatka satellite downlink for targeting information to support P-500 4K-80 "Bazalt" (SS-N-12 Sandbox) anti-ship cruise missiles. The Juliett class had a low magnetic signature austenitic steel double hull, covered by {{convert|2|in|mm|spell=in}} thick black tiles made of sound-absorbing hard rubber.
Background and description
In the late 1950s, the Soviet Navy was tasked to neutralize American bases and aircraft carriers. It began construction of a large number of expensive nuclear-powered ({{sclass2|Echo|submarine}}s) to accomplish this, but could not build enough nuclear reactors to equip them promptly. Even though the Juliett class was inferior to the Echos, it was ordered into production because it did not require resources needed for the nuclear boats.Friedman, p. 344; Vilches Alarcón, pp. 13–14
The Juliett-class boats are a double-hulled design that displaces {{convert|3174|t|LT|lk=on|sp=us}} on the surface and {{convert|3750|t|LT}} submerged. The boats have an overall length of {{convert|85.9|m|ftin|sp=us}}, a beam of {{convert|9.7|m|ftin|sp=us}} and a draft (ship) of {{convert|6.29|m|ftin|sp=us}}. The Julietts have a test depth of {{convert|240|m|sp=us}} and a design depth of {{convert|300|m|ft|sp=us}}. The prominent blast deflectors cut out of the outer hull behind the missile launchers make the submarines very noisy at high speed. Their crew numbered 78 men.Pavlov, p. 60; Vilches Alarcón, p. 13
=Propulsion and performance=
The Juliett class is powered by a diesel-electric system that consists of two {{convert|4000|PS|adj=on|sp=us|lk=on}} 1D43 diesel engines and a pair of {{cvt|3000|PS}} MG-141 electric motors for cruising on the surface. Two additional {{cvt|200|PS}} electric motors are intended for slow speeds underwater and are powered by four banks of lead-acid battery cells that are recharged by a {{cvt|1000|PS}} 1DL42 diesel generator. The boats are fitted with a retractable snorkel to allow the diesel engines to operate while underwater.Hampshire, p. 24
On the surface, the submarines have a maximum speed of {{convert|16|kn|lk=in}}. Using their diesel-electric system while snorkeling gives the Julietts a range of {{convert|18000|nmi|lk=in}} at {{convert|7|kn}}. Using just the electric motors underwater, they have a maximum range of {{cvt|810|nmi}} at {{convert|2.74|kn}}. Their best submerged speed on electric motors is {{convert|18|kn}}, although it reduces their range to {{cvt|27.8|nmi}}. They could carry enough supplies for 90 days of operation.Pavlov, p. 60Friedman, p. 402
=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. The P-5D version was codenamed SS-N-3c by NATO and was a dedicated land-attack missile that could be equipped with either a high-explosive or nuclear warhead; it was withdrawn from service in 1965–1966. The P-6 (SS-N-3a) variant was a radar-guided anti-ship missile that could also be fitted with high-explosive and nuclear warheads.Vilches Alarcón, pp. 12, 18, 22; Polmar & Noot, p. 289
The more traditional armament of the Julietts consisted of six {{convert|533|mm|0|sp=us|adj=on}} torpedo tubes mounted in the bow and four {{convert|406|mm|0|sp=us|adj=on}} torpedo tubes in the stern. Due to space limitations, no reloads were provided for the bow tubes, but each stern tube had two reloads for a total of twelve.
=Fire control and sensors=
File:U_461_2592x1944.jpg, Germany. The Argument (Front Door) radar is at the front of the sail, with the Front Piece datalink above it. Aft of the sail, the rear missile mount is visible, elevated to its maximum of 15°.]]
The submarines relied upon aircraft for their long-range anti-ship targeting which they received via the Uspekh-U datalink system. Their own Argument missile-guidance radar (NATO reporting name: Front Door) controlled the P-6 missiles until they were out of range via a datalink codenamed Front Piece. The missiles' onboard radar would detect the targets and transmit an image back to the submarine via video datalink 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 Front Piece antenna was mounted on top of the Argument antenna.Polmar & Moore, p. 97; Hampshire, pp. 26–27
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 (NATO reporting name: Snoop Tray). They are also equipped with a Nakat-M Electronic warfare support measures system.Hampshire, p. 25
File:Juliett-US-Navy-Photo.jpg
File:P-3C VP-23 flying over Juliett-class submarine 1982.JPEG
Initial plans called for 35 submarines of this class but only 16 were built, two - including the lead sub, by the Baltic Shipyard, St. Petersburg and the rest by the Krasnoye Sormovo Shipyard in Nizhny Novgorod. They were commissioned between 1963 and 1968 and served through the 1980s. The last one was decommissioned in 1994.
The Juliett class was built due to expected delays in the continued production of the nuclear-powered Project 659 {{sclass2|Echo I|submarine|1}}s and 675 {{sclass2|Echo II|submarine|1}}s, with six and eight missile launchers, respectively. The Julietts were designed after the Echos.
{{clear left}}
Units
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+ Construction data !scope="col"|Name !scope="col"|Shipyard !scope="col"|Laid down !scope="col"|Launched !scope="col"|Commissioned !scope="col"|Fate |
| scope="row"|K-156
|rowspan=2|Baltic Shipyard, Leningrad |November 16, 1960 |July 31, 1962 |December 10, 1963 |Decommissioned September 1991 for scrappingKorabli VMF SSSR, Vol. 1, Part 2, Yu. Apalkov, Sankt Peterburg, 2003, {{ISBN|5-8172-0072-4}} |
| K-85
|October 25, 1961 |January 31, 1964 |December 30, 1964 |
| scope="row"|K-70
|rowspan=14|Krasnoye Sormovo Shipyard, Gorky |August 25, 1962 |February 6, 1964 |December 31, 1964 |
| scope="row"|K-24
|October 15, 1961 |December 15, 1962 |October 31, 1965 |Decommissioned in 1994, sold to Germany as maritime museum exhibit |
| scope="row"|K-68
|January 25, 1962 |April 30, 1963 |December 28, 1965 |
| scope="row"|K-77
|January 31, 1963 |March 11, 1965 |October 31, 1965 |Decommissioned in April 1992 and sold as museum exhibit in U.S. Sank after a storm in 2007 and subsequently scrapped.{{cite web|url=http://www.juliett484.org/juliett/news/archive/pressrelease081009.html |title=Juliett 484 - News |access-date=2009-06-01 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927024958/http://www.juliett484.org/juliett/news/archive/pressrelease081009.html |archive-date=2011-09-27 }} |
| scope="row"|K-81
|November 20, 1963 |August 7, 1964 |December 14, 1965 |
| scope="row"|K-63
|March 25, 1962 |July 26, 1963 |June 12, 1966 |
| scope="row"|K-58
|July 15, 1963 |February 2, 1966 |September 23, 1966 |
| scope="row"|K-73
|August 1, 1964 |May 31, 1966 |December 15, 1966 |
| scope="row"|K-67
|January 31, 1965 |October 29, 1966 |September 30, 1967 |
| scope="row"|K-78
|July 25, 1965 |March 30, 1967 |November 1, 1967 |
| scope="row"|K-203
|December 23, 1965 |June 30, 1967 |December 2, 1967 |
| scope="row"|K-304
|August 6, 1966 |November 24, 1967 |August 21, 1968 |
| scope="row"|K-318
|March 29, 1967 |March 29, 1968 |September 29, 1968 |
| scope="row"|K-120
|March 25, 1967 |July 11, 1968 |December 26, 1968 |
References
{{Reflist}}
Bibliography
- {{cite book|last=Friedman|first=Norman|editor-last1=Chumbley|editor-first1=Stephen|chapter=Soviet Union 1947–1991: Russian Federation and Successor States 1991–|title=Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947–1995 |location=Annapolis, Maryland | publisher=Naval Institute Press | year=1995 | pages=337–426 | isbn=1-55750-132-7|author-link=Norman Friedman}}
- {{cite book |last1=Hampshire |first1=Edward |title=Soviet Cruise Missile Submarines of the Cold War |date=2018 |publisher=Osprey Publishing |location=London |isbn=978-1-47282-499-8}}
- {{cite book |last1=Pavlov |first1=A. S. |title=Warships of the USSR and Russia 1945–1995 |date=1997 |publisher=Naval Institute Press |location=Annapolis, Maryland |isbn=1-55750-671-X}}
- {{cite book|last1=Polmar|first1=Norman|authorlink1=Norman Polmar|last2=Moore|first2=Kenneth J. |title=Cold War Submarines: The Design and Construction of U.S. and Soviet Submarines |year=2004 |publisher=Potomac Books |location=Washington, D. C. |isbn=978-1-57488-594-1 |name-list-style=amp}}
- {{cite book|last1=Polmar|first1=Norman|last2=Noot|first2=Jurrien|title=Submarines of the Russian and Soviet Navies, 1718–1990 |year=1991 |publisher=Naval Institute Press |location=Annapolis, Maryland |isbn=0-87021-570-1 |name-list-style=amp}}
- {{cite book |last1=Vilches Alarcón |first1=Alejandro A. |title=From Juliettes to Yasens: Development and Operational History of Soviet Cruise-Missile Submarines |date=2022 |publisher=Helion & Co. |location=Warwick, UK |isbn=978-1-915070-68-5|series=Europe @ War (22)}}
External links
{{commons category|Juliett class submarines}}
- [https://fas.org/nuke/guide/russia/theater/651.htm article in English from FAS]
- [http://ship.bsu.by/main.asp?id=101388 Article in Russian] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080206004410/http://ship.bsu.by/main.asp?id=101388 |date=2008-02-06 }}
{{Juliett class submarine}}
{{Soviet and Russian submarines after 1945}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Juliett-class submarine}}