Technical Data

Reactor

Two pressurised water reactors, model OK-700, with a VM-4 type reactor core. There is some variation amongst the reactors on board the various Yankee submarines. Power capacity is 2 x 90 MWt, with a shaft power of 2 x 20 000 hp.[204]

Naval Architects:

Rubin Shipbuilding Yard, Chief Builder S.N Kovalev.

Construction Yard

Of the 34 Yankee class submarines, 24 of them (Navaga) were built at Severodvinsk and the remaining 10 (Nalim) were built in Komsomolsk-na-Amur. All were built in the period from 1964 to 1972.

Nuclear Weapons

K-411 does not carry nuclear weapons, while K-420 carries twelve (12) Grom-750 missiles.

Base

The Yankee class submarine still in active service is based at Gadzhievo.

Comments

All of the Yankee class submarines except K-411 and K-420 were taken out of service and their missile compartments cut out to comply with the START II Treaty. Two of the submarines were taken out of service in 1979, two in January 1980, one in January 1981, two in January 1982, one in November 1982, one in June 1983, one in January 1984, two in April 1985, two in March 1986, two in 1987, and the rest in 1988 and 1989.

Individual Submarines

Northern Fleet (Navaga):

K-137,

factory no. 420, Leninets. Laid down on November 9, 1964. Launched on August 28, 1966, and commissioned on November 5, 1967. The submarine will be decommissioned at the Zvezdochka shipyard.[205]

K-140,

factory no. 421. Commissioned on December 30, 1967. Rebuilt after an accident that occurred on August 23, 1968, resulting in the removal of the reactor compartment (no. 421) and the installation of a new one.. The old reactor compartment was dumped into the Kara Sea in 1972. [206] The missile section was refitted to carry 12 solid propellant missiles. Work has begun at Zvezdochka Shipyard in Severodvinsk to dismantle the submarine. The vessel was defuelled in the period May-June 1995, and the spent nuclear fuel will be transferred to the service ship PM-63.[207] (See Chapter 3.2).

K-32,

factory no. 423. Commissioned on October 26, 1968.

K-26,

factory no. 422. Commissioned on September 3, 1968.

K-216,

factory no. 424. Commissioned on December 27, 1968. The missile section was removed in Severodvinsk, and the vessel's hull with the reactors still inside was towed to Sayda Bay where it is moored to a pier.[208]

K-207,

factory no. 400. Commissioned on December 30, 1968.

K-210,

factory no.401. Commissioned on August 6, 1969. It is now awaiting dismantling in Severodvinsk. The reactor cover was removed on March 24, 1995, at 17:00 and the nuclear fuel transferred to the barge PM-124.[209]

K-249,

factory no. 402. Commissioned on September 27, 1969.

K-253,

factory no. 414. Commissioned on October 28, 1969.

K-395,

factory no. 415. Commissioned on December 5, 1969.

K-408,

factory no. 416. Commissioned on December 25, 1969.

K-411,

factory no. 430. Commissioned on August 31, 1970. In 1979 it was rebuilt as Project 09780 to be able to carry two model KS-411 (Y STRECH) mini-submarines. This vessel remains in service.

K-418,

factory no. 431. Commissioned on September 22, 1970. It was later rebuilt so as to be able to carry a different type of missile (Project 667 AR-Yankee Notch.)

K-420,

factory no. 432. Commissioned on October 29, 1970. It was rebuilt in 1979-89 as part of Project 667 M (Andromeda) to be able to carry 12 Grom-P-750 missiles. These missiles can be launched from a submerged position, and are steered outside the submarine's pressure hull.

K-426,

factory no. 440. Commissioned on December 22, 1970.

K-415,

factory no. 451. Commissioned on December 30, 1971. The submarine was dismantled in Severodvinsk[210] in 1994, and its reactor compartment and two other sections transported to Sayda Bay where they are moored at a pier.[211]

K-403,

factory no. 441. Commissioned on August 20, 1971.

K-423,

factory no. 442. Commissioned on November 13, 1971. Rebuilt later to carry a different type of missile (Project 667AR - Yankee Notch).[212]

K-245,

factory no.450. Commissioned on December 16, 1971.

K-214,

factory no. 452. Commissioned on December 31, 1971.

K-219,

factory no. 460. Commissioned on December 31, 1971. Sank on October 6,1986 .[213]

K-228,

factory no. 470. Commissioned on December 31, 1972. Dismantled at the Zvezdochka Shipyard in Severodvinsk.[214] The three compartments of the reactor compartment were towed to Sayda Bay in 1995.[215]

K-241,

factory no. 462. Commissioned on December 23, 1971. Dismantled in Severodvinsk; the three compartments of the reactor compartment were towed to Sayda Bay in 1994 and are now moored at a pier.[216]

K-444,

factory no. 461. Commissioned on December 9, 1972. In the summer of 1994, the submarine was at dock no. 10 at Zvezdochka Shipyard in Severodvinsk. Under existing plans, the three compartments of the reactor compartment will be towed to Sayda Bay.[217]

Pacific Fleet (Nalin):

K-399.

Commissioned on December 24, 1969.

K-434.

Commissioned on October 21, 1970.

K-236.

Commissioned on December 27, 1970.

K-389.

Commissioned in 1970.

K-252.

Commissioned in 1971.

K-258.

Commissioned in 1971.

K-446.

Commissioned in 1971.

K-451.

Commissioned in 1971.

K-436.

Commissioned in 1972.

K-430.

Commissioned in 1972.

Photo.
Due to copyright restraints this photograph is only available in the printed version. The printed version can be ordered from us.

Endnotes

[204] Pavlov, A.S., Military Vessels in the Soviet Union and Russia 1945-1995, 1994. Return
[205] Document from the locale Gosatomnadzor (V. Dimitriev), environmental comitte of Severodvinsk (M. Mailov) and Controll Comitte for objects under the Minestry of Defence (A. Gordienko), 1995. Return
[206] Nilsen. T., and Bøhmer, N., Sources to Radioactive Contamination in Murmansk and Arkhangelsk Counties. Bellona Report no.1 :1994. Return
[207] Problems with decommisoning of nuclear submarines and protection of the environment i the arctic areas., page 26-27, Severodvinsk, March 15.-16. 1995. Return
[208] Ibid and visit to the Sayda Bay, Spring 1995. Return
[209] Severny Rabochy, February 23. 1995 and information given on a press-confrence in Severodvinsk March 24 1995. Return
[210] Document from the locale Gosatomnadzor (V. Dimitriev), environmental comitte of Severodvinsk (M. Mailov) and Controll Comitte for objects under the Minestry of Defence (A. Gordienko), 1995. Return
[211] Visit Sayda Bay, Spring 1995. Return
[212] Jane's Fighting Ships 1995-96, 98th edition. Return
[213] Ølgaard, P. L., Nuclear ship acidents description and analysis. 2nd. Rev., Department of electrophysics, Technical University of Denmark, 1994. Return
[214] Decree 514, July 24, 1992, signed by J. Gaiydar. Return
[215] Document from the locale Gosatomnadzor (V. Dimitriev), environmental comitte of Severodvinsk (M. Mailov) and Controll Comitte for objects under the Minestry of Defence (A. Gordienko), 1995. Return
[216] Visit Sayda Bay, Spring 1995. Return
[217] Document from the locale Gosatomnadzor (V. Dimitriev), environmental comitte of Severodvinsk (M. Mailov) and Controll Comitte for objects under the Minestry of Defence (A. Gordienko), 1995. Return