Soviet submarine K-279

History
Name	K-279
Ordered	1965
Builder	Sevmash, Severodvinsk
Laid down	1971
Launched	January 1972
Commissioned	22 December 1972
Decommissioned	1992
Fate	Dismantled, 1998
General characteristics
Class and type	Delta-class submarine
Displacement	9000 m³ (8,900 t (8,759 long tons)) surfaced 10500m³ (13,700 long tons (13,920 t)) submerged
Length	139 m (456 ft 0 in)
Beam	12 m (39 ft 4 in)
Draft	9 m (29 ft 6 in)
Propulsion	2 × VM-4B PWRs generating 90 MW each 2 × steam turbines producing 52,000 hp (39 MW) each
Speed	12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) surfaced 25 knots (46 km/h; 29 mph) submerged
Endurance	80 days
Test depth	390 m (1,280 ft) designed 450 m (1,480 ft) maximum
Complement	120 officers and men
Armament	D-9 launch system with 12 R-29 Vysota SLBM 4 × 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes
Service record
Part of:	Soviet Northern Fleet, 1972–1991 Russian Northern Fleet, 1991–1992

K-279 was the first Project 667B Murena (also known by the NATO reporting name Delta I) ballistic missile submarine of the Soviet Navy. Development of Project 667B began in 1965. Her keel was laid down in 1971 by Sevmash at the Severodvinsk shipyard. She was launched in January 1972, and commissioned in the Soviet Northern Fleet on 22 December 1972.

Service history

In 1983, while operating under the Arctic Ocean icecap at the depth of 190 metres (620 ft), K-279 struck an iceberg. The submarine rolled about 20 degrees and lost depth control, diving to 300 metres (980 ft) before recovering. The submarine continued her mission for another two months before returning to port, despite the significant damage she had suffered. The Soviet Navy published an advisory to submarine captains warning that the bottoms of icebergs can extend to depths of 200 metres (660 ft) or more.

The American writers claims that on 20 October 1986, USS Augusta collided with K-279 in the eastern Atlantic. The Soviet Navy claimed that Augusta collided with K-457.

In 1992, K-279 was decommissioned and held in reserve. In 1998 she was dismantled at Zvezdochka shipyard in Severodvinsk and her reactor section was towed to Sayda Bay.

See also

• K-219, another Soviet submarine which allegedly hit USS Augusta (SSN-710).

External links

This article includes material adapted from the Bellona Foundation's Web site and from an 8 June 2004 interview with Rear-Admiral Vitaly Fedorin by Pravda.