The history of the Russian submarine fleet is inextricably linked with the construction of the first Soviet nuclear-powered missile submarine K-19 (Project 658). The submarine was launched from the stocks of plant №402 (now Sevmash JSC) in Severodvinsk on October 11, 1959.
Arms Race
In June 1959, the first nuclear-powered missile submarine, the George Washington, was launched in the United States. The Soviet leadership set the shipbuilders the task of putting the K-19 into operation as soon as possible. It was a kind of «response to the imperialists». As a result, both submarines went on combat duty almost simultaneously.
K-19 joined the Northern Fleet on July 12, 1960. The missile carrier's crew performed combat missions for almost two decades. From 1979, the submarine served as a communications boat. In 1990, the K-19 was decommissioned.
Characteristics of K-19
The submarine received three R-13 ballistic missiles. Each of them was equipped with a one-megaton nuclear warhead. K-19 became part of the USSR's nuclear triad.
- Length — 114 m
- Width — 9.2 m
- Underwater speed — 26 knots
- Maximum immersion depth — 300 m
- VM-A type nuclear reactor
- Crew — 104 people
The construction of the K-19 gave Soviet engineers invaluable experience, which they then used to develop advanced and powerful nuclear weapons carriers.
Read also on the topic:
Techbreak portal named the most powerful air-to-air missiles
Trump is ours: testing of a promising transport UAV has begun in Russia
Russia will launch the production of the Marker robot with a combat module based on the Kornet ATGM
Military Review: Will the Su-75 stealth fighter be mass-produced or is it a dead end?