"An Answer to Imperialists": K-19 — The First Soviet Nuclear-Powered Missile Submarine

K-19 carried three R-13 ballistic missiles with a nuclear warhead of one megaton yield

The history of the Russian submarine fleet is inextricably linked to the construction of the first Soviet nuclear-powered missile submarine K-19 (Project 658). The submarine was launched from the stocks of Plant No. 402 (now Sevmash) 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 tasked the shipbuilders with putting the K-19 into operation as quickly as possible. This was a kind of "answer 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.

K-19 Characteristics

The submarine received three R-13 ballistic missiles. Each of them was equipped with a nuclear warhead with a capacity of one megaton. 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 later used to develop improved and powerful nuclear weapons carriers.

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