y Tom ougherty

A
T e - as a ro ect 51 iesel-electric sub arine
fter a long and rather esi ne to re cruise issiles ( igs. 1 and ). ssi ne t e
colorful career the ussian class na e o uliett by N TO t e ro ect 51 sub arines
ere esi ne in t e late 1 50 s an si teen ere built
cruise missile submarine t rou t e i -1 0 s. T e sub arine carrie our lar e
tubes bet een t e pressure ull an t e upper ec
K san in April of during superstructure t o (port an starboar ) or ar o t e sail
an t o aba t t e sail ( ig. ). T ese tubes ic coul be
an une pectedly strong storm that ele ate to a 15 e ree an le or rin containe t e
air-breat in - (N TO SS-N-3a S a oc ) issile. T e
came up the ast Coast. At that issiles coul only be re ro a sur ace position an
trac in an ui ance re uire t e sub arine to re ain
point the K was a museum ship sur ace a ter rin . T e - cruise issile as a li ui
sponsored by the USS Sarato a uele supersonic issile it a ran e o 250 iles an
coul carry eit er a con entional 1000 poun or nuclear
foundation. This group hoped to ar ea ( ig. ). T is issile as speci cally esi ne as an
anti-s ip issile an as eant to t reaten t e US Na y s
eventually display the aircraft carrier battle roups. T is is an e a ple o t e asy etric
nature o t e Russian an US Na ies urin t e ol ar.
carrier Sarato a as a museum ship Russia by an lar e i not in est in lar e sur ace s ips but
concentrate ainly on buil in sub arines or se eral
and had purchased the K in roles inclu in so e types not use by t e US Na y.
lt ou t e US Na y a Re ulus cruise issiles t ese
as a start to their museum ere pri arily or a lan attac role prior to t e e elop ent
o t e olaris issile. T e antis ip uliett class a a nuclear
eet. The K has had an unusual po ere counterpart in t e c o II ( ro ect 5) sub arine
history and this article will detail ic in a ition to bein nuclear carrie ei t issiles
instea o our in i entical tube launc ers. aracteristic o
that along with providing what bot t e uliett an c o II sub arines t ere ere lar e
a e e ectors i e iately be in t e issile tubes
hope are some interesting photos ( igs. and ). T ese rat er lar e scallope trou s resulte
in si ni cant o noises en sub er e i in t e
ta en by me of the K ust months sub arine a c aracteristic acoustic si nature. T e t o
cruise issile sub arine esi ns ere in continuin t e
before her loss. Russian practice o buil in bot iesel electric an nuclear
ersions o sub arines partly to o set t e unreliable rst
eneration V - nuclear reactors. T e nuclear otel SS N

38 DECEMBER 2009 www.SubCommittee.com

 THE SUBCOMMITTEE REPORT

o a usual areer
or a ussia u mari e

:S m t mo t tt o t m m p t t t o p t t
p t o t p t t

( ro ect 5 ) a t e iesel ol SS
( ro ect 2 ) ballistic issile
sub arine an t e nuclear No e ber
class SSN ( ro ect 2 ) a t e iesel
o trot SS ( ro ect 1) attac
counterpart.
T e uliett class sub arines ere
2 2 eet lon a a 31 oot bea an
ere capable o i in to 300 eters
( 5 eet). Unre uele ran e as
000 nautical iles at nots. Top
spee sub er e as 1 nots an
t e sub arine as propelle by t o
electric otors on t o s a ts ri in
t in propellers t at ere ouse in
2: p to o t m t t T o to t t t
Continues on age t m t t o t tt m

www.SubCommittee.com DECEMBER 2009 39

 : Co p oto p o tt SS t o m t t to po t o

: Bo ot o t 77 R o I ot t o o o t
mo t o o t T om t M o T t t o p po

:T o t Doo o t m t
t m tt o t

: ot o t o t m t t m tt o o t 7: o t 77 om t t o t
po ot t t o 0 t T m to t o t m t
tt t

0 DECEMBER 2009 www.SubCommittee.com

 K-77 THE SUBCOMMITTEE REPORT

: o po t m to Bot o t m t o op p o to m 9: oo o to t o
to t t t o m o Som o t pm t o o t
o o to o to t t o
To p o t o t om
o t t o t pp to p o t
to t o to p o oom

0: o t t t t t t p t
t o t t p T p t t om t t
p o t o p po t o ot t

:T m t m t o t p t
t p o t o m T p
o to t p t o t tt top om

2: T mp t p t pm t

www.SubCommittee.com DECEMBER 2009 1

 : mp o t p p t S to o to :M o o tt m o to t to o t
t o o tt o t 77 T t to to t po t o t o t o oom

s rou s. atteries o t e rst units ere sil er- inc but later In 1 t e - as purc ase an con erte by a
units (inclu in - ) ere lea aci . or sur ace runnin or innis business an into a bar an restaurant in elsin i
snor elin t e sub arine as e uippe it t o ain inlan . Se eral o i cations ere a e to t e ull to ease
iesel en ines o 000 s p an a s aller iesel or s ip s isitor access. lt ou a no elty t e attraction o inin in
electric po er. ot t e uliett an c o II sub arines a a con ne space o a Russian sub arine as only o estly
an unusual structure at t e ront o t eir lar e sail. T is as success ul. In 1 t e sub arine as lease to a ana ian
i en t e N TO esi nation o ront oor/ ront iece an pro oter an to e to Ta pa ay lori a as a useu
as a lar e titaniu antenna ( igs. and ) it a s aller s ip. o e er plans to e elop t e - as a tourist
co an antenna atop e ploye or trac in up ates an attraction in St. etersbur arbor ere rustrate en t e
sen in co an s to t e - issile. T e lar e antenna inten e location as oun to be too s allo or t e ra t o
ear as eploye by rotatin t e ront o t e sail t rou t e - . T e sub arine as o e to a ore re ote site
1 0 e rees. T e sub arine coul also or in collaboration a ay ro t e ain tourist routes. entually t e pro oter
it a o nran e aircra t suc as t e TU-20 ear aircra t as orce to le or ban ruptcy. ontrol o t e -
ic coul act as a ata relay station bet een t e re erte to t e innis business an. T is ti e e eci e
sub arine an issile sen in up ates to t e issile s to put t e sub arine up or bi on e ay it a startin bi
inertial ui ance syste . T e sub arine as later out tte o $1 illion T ere ere no bi s but t e publicity ro t e
in t e 1 0 s it t e ore a ance -500 cruise issile auction i attract attention o e er an t e Inter e ia
(N TO SS-N-12 San bo ) it a ran e o 550 an il uities co pany a ree to lease t e sub arine to use
carryin a payloa o eit er a 1 000 i e plosi e in t e pro uction o t e o ie K 1 The idowma er. T e
ar ea or a 350 T nuclear e ice. l sponsore by National eographic as irecte by
T e - as lai o n in anuary 1 3 an at ryn i elo an starre arrison or an ia Neeson
co issione on October 31 1 5 at t e rasnoye Sor o o an as base on t e boo by eter utc t ausen.
s ipyar in or y. act etails o er 2 year career urin T e o ie as s ot in ali a No a Scotia. ter to in
t e ol ar are not no n. S e operate in t e t e sub arine ro lori a it as necessary to rst con ert
e iterranean sea an in t e east tlantic Ocean ( ig. ). t e iesel po ere uliett class sub arine into a acsi ile o
S e oul a e a a role in s a o in US aircra t carriers t e nuclear po ere otel class ballistic issile sub arine
an ay a e e en ollo e t e USS Saratoga at one point. ( igs. 1 and 11). T is entaile a in a set o li t
In 1 s e as trans erre ro t e Nort ern leet to t e ra e or s it ber lass o erlays t at ent o er t e sail
altic leet an s e as retire at so e point a ter 1 1. co ere t e lar e issile a e trenc es an ost
Usually at t is point a sub arine lan uis es aitin to be i portantly e ten e out ro t e stern to bot increase t e
cut up or scrap. Not so or t e - . len t an pro i e t e istincti e bob-tail stern oun on t e
otel an No e ber class sub arines. T e bo or ar o

2 DECEMBER 2009 www.SubCommittee.com

 K-77 THE SUBCOMMITTEE REPORT

t e sail recei e a e inor t ea s

but basically at you sa as t e
- bo . en t e e tra prop pieces
ere in place t e - loo e ery
uc li e t e p otos o t e otel
class an as to e out to sea or
e terior scenes in ol in t e -1 .
ter t e l in as co plete an
t e uliett restore to er ori inal
con uration t e - as purc ase
by t e USS Saratoga useu
oun ation an to e ro ali a
No a Scotia to ollier oint ar in
ro i ence R o e Islan . In u ust
2002 t e - Sub arine useu
as opene to t e public. T e Saratoga
useu cre an olunteers spent an
e tensi e perio re urbis in t e
sub arine an placin placar s
i enti yin t e arious pieces o
e uip ent oun t rou out t e boat.
: t t o o t o t o oom o t t t po t
T ey reac e out to or er cre mm t pm t o to t ottom t t m m t o to o
e bers to obtain urt er in or ation t m
on t e e uip ent an etails o ay to
ay li e onboar . urin t e process o
reno ations uc aterial as oun
on boar inclu in ocu ents t at
con r e t at t e sub arine as in
act - an not t e - 1 as a been
clai e by so e o er t e years. T e
sub arine as use or o erni ts by
scout roups an ot er parties an
ser e as a ocus o t e un raisin
e ort by t e Saratoga oun ation.
urin our 200 tour o t e
sub arine in ro i ence it as
re ar able to see t e lar e space
bet een t e inner pressure ull an
t e ec superstructure ( ig. 1 ). T is
space as su cient or t e seale
issile tubes to retract into t is space
it t e co ers us it t e upper
ec . ( ig. 1 ). Internally t e
sub arine as si ilar to t e o trot
attac sub arine it space or t e : t o to t t p o to o t
t o o t t to US o t t t om t o t o o t po t o t
cre at a pre iu ( ig. 1 ). T e o t o oom
electronic ear as pre o inantly
li t tan in color as oppose to t e US
Na y li t reen oti ( igs. 1 and 1 ).
uc o t e electronics appeare to be
bul y re ectin t e early 1 0 s era in

www.SubCommittee.com DECEMBER 2009 3

 ic t e sub arine as built. T e control roo as lai
out al ost as a irror i a e o t e control areas in US
sub arines. Steerin an i in control areas ere on t e
starboar si e in t e Russian sub arine. T e any lo an
i pressure air control al es ere also to starboar
( igs. 1 and 1 ). uc o t e port si e as cra e it
t e e uip ent associate it issile rin ra ar an
ui ance ( ig. 1 ). rocee in a t t e iesels ere basically
installe into t e belo ec area it lar e co ers o er
t e . T is as ery i erent ro t e ore e pose iesels
oun in US eet boats. T ere ere t o lar e electric
cabinets port an starboar to control t e electric otors
t at propelle t e sub arine ( ig. ). T e stern torpe o
roo carrie our tubes ( ig. 1). Once a ain t ere as a
surprisin a ount o space bet een t e upper ec an t e
pressure ull at t e stern o t e sub arine ( ig. ). O erall 7: E pm t o t t t m o to
it as an interestin contrast to tour bot t e - an t e t mo p o p t o t o oom
nearby USS ion sh a II US leet sub arine. In pril o isitors a been cut into t e pressure ull ia t e or ar
200 an unusual stron nor easter stor ca e up t e east an a t torpe o co part ents. T ese atc es ere
coast acco panie by i in s. It struc t e ro i ence eat er-ti t but not aterproo —t e type t at coul be
area at i ti e. T e sub arine be an to ta e ater into t e o e s ut. entually t e entire ull o t e - oo e
stern co part ent. en in inlan access openin s or an en e up on t e botto o t e ro i ence ri er. ue to
t e botto slope t e sub a about a 50 e ree list to port
it only t e periscope asts still abo e ater. T e useu
as ace it a ile a t e - coul not re ain on t e
botto as s e as a potential a ar . ortunately elp
arri e ro t e ilitary. s part o a pro ect to train ilitary
i ers reco ery e orts by US Na y an r y i ers be an in
une 200 . On une 2 200 i ers ro obile i in an
Sal a e Unit T o in Nor ol Vir inia arri e an be an t e
or to raise t e sub arine ( ig. ).
US Na y an r y i ers alon it e eral state an
local ut orities continue t eir e orts in a oint operation
to raise t e sun en or er Russian sub arine t rou out

: o t t o o to t o t t moto t 9 t to p o oom t o t T t t
oom T t to t M Room US o oom o t 77 pp o t
m

DECEMBER 2009 www.SubCommittee.com

 K-77 THE SUBCOMMITTEE REPORT

20: T o p t t t t p
tt ottom t o t p t t t
t

2 : St o to t o t T o m t t
t t m t o t t o
t o t m o t 9 mo t

une an uly o 200 . obile i in an Sal a e Unit T o

22: T 77 t t t t to tt pp o pany T o One ( S O 2-1) US r y i e o pany
o ot SSB o t m T om t o oo an N VS OO Support Unit nis e t eir or to
to t o t
stabili e an reco er t e - en t e sub arine rose to
t e sur ace on ri ay 25 uly 200 .
Un ortunately t e 1 ont sub er ence in t e ri er le t
t e sub arine ba ly eteriorate an uc o t e
painsta in internal restoration as totally estroye . It as
conclu e t at restoration o t e sub arine oul be ery
i cult an e pensi e an t e reluctant ecision as ta en
to scrap t e sub arine. RI Recycle etals ic bou t
t e or er So iet sub arine in ece ber o 200 relocate
t e sub arine ro ollier oint ar to its property about
1 000 yar s o n t e ro i ence Ri er ere it as
scrappe in u ust 200 . T e - a a lon an ery
unusual career an ost o t e p otos in t is article ere
ta en urin a isit in late 200 by ysel an y son e It
as a uni ue opportunity to see t e ol ar sub arine-
e perience ro t e ot er si e
2 :T t t to t 77 o t m o 9

www.SubCommittee.com DECEMBER 2009 5