Foxtrot-class submarine

The Foxtrot class was the NATO reporting name of a class of diesel-electric patrol submarines that were built in the Soviet Union. The Soviet designation of this class was Project 641. The Foxtrot class was designed to replace the earlier Zulu class, which suffered from structural weaknesses and harmonic vibration problems that limited its operational depth and submerged speed. The first Foxtrot keel was laid down in 1957 and commissioned in 1958 and the last was completed in 1983. A total of 58 were built for the Soviet Navy at the Sudomekh division of the Admiralty Shipyard (now Admiralty Wharves), Saint Petersburg.[1] Additional hulls were built for other countries.

Foxtrot class
A Cuban Foxtrot underway
Class overview
BuildersSudomekh, Leningrad
Operators
Preceded by
Succeeded byTango-class submarine
Subclasses
Built1957–1983
In service1958–2014
In commission1958–2014
Completed75
Lost1
Preserved7
General characteristics
TypeSubmarine
Displacement
  • 1,952 long tons (1,983 t) surfaced
  • 2,475 long tons (2,515 t) submerged
Length89.9 m (294 ft 11 in)
Beam7.4 m (24 ft 3 in)
Draft5.9 m (19 ft 4 in)
Propulsion
  • 3 × Kolomna 2D42M 2,000 hp (1,500 kW) diesel engines
  • 3 × Electric motors, two 1,350 hp (1,010 kW) and one 2,700 hp (2,000 kW)
  • 1 × 180 hp (130 kW) auxiliary motor
  • 3 shafts, each with 6-bladed propellers
Speed
  • 16 knots (30 km/h) surfaced
  • 15 knots (28 km/h) submerged
  • 9 knots (17 km/h) snorkeling
Range
  • 20,000 nmi (37,000 km) at 8 kn (15 km/h) surfaced
  • 11,000 nmi (20,000 km) snorkeling
  • 380 nmi (700 km) at 2 kn (3.7 km/h) submerged
Endurance3-5 days submerged
Test depth246–296 m (807–971 ft)
Complement12 officers, 10 warrants, 56 seamen
Armament

The Foxtrot class was comparable in performance and armament to most contemporary designs. However, its three screws made it noisier than most Western designs. Moreover, the Foxtrot class was one of the last designs introduced before the adoption of the teardrop hull, which offered much better underwater performance. Also, although the Foxtrot was larger than a Zulu class submarine, the Foxtrot class had 2 of its 3 decks dedicated to batteries. This gave it an underwater endurance of 10 days, but the weight of the batteries made the Foxtrot's average speed a slow 2 knots (3.7 km/h) at its maximum submerged time capability. Due to the batteries taking up 2 decks, onboard conditions were crowded, with space being relatively small even when compared to older submarines such as the much older American Balao-class submarine. The Foxtrot class was completely obsolete by the time the last submarine was launched. The Russian Navy retired its last Foxtrots between 1995 and 2000;[2] units were scrapped and disposed of for museum purposes.[3] During the division of the Soviet Black Sea Fleet, in 1997 one Foxtrot class submarine (later renamed as Zaporizhzhia) was passed to Ukraine as it was not operational since 1991. The ship never effectively served in the Ukrainian Navy and was under repair. In 2005 Ukrainian Ministry of Defence wanted to sell it, but was unsuccessful. Following successful post-repair trials in June 2013, it was recognised as operational.[4] However, on 22 March 2014 it was surrendered to or captured by Russia as part of the Russian annexation of Crimea.[5] Russia decided not to accept it due to its age and operational unsuitability. Its subsequent status is unknown.

Cuban Missile Crisis

Project 641s played a central role in some of the most dramatic incidents of the Cuban Missile Crisis. The Soviet Navy deployed four Project 641 submarines to Cuba. US Navy destroyers dropped practice depth charges near Project 641 subs near Cuba in efforts to force them to surface and be identified. Three of the four Project 641 submarines were forced to surface, one eluded US forces.[1]

Units

Following is a list of 58 of the 75[6] Foxtrot-class submarines built during the Soviet Project 641, at Yard 196, Leningrad.

A museum ship, INS Kursura (S20).[7]
Inside the aft torpedo room.
Aft torpedo room of a Foxtrot museum ship.
Opened torpedo tube in a Foxtrot
Electric generator/motor controls
Project 641 (NATO: Foxtrot Class)
NumberLaid downLaunchedDecommissionedStatus
B-943 October 195728 December 19571 October 1984Decommissioned for scrapping[1]
B-952 February 195825 April 195822 February 1980Decommissioned for scrapping[1]
B-3629 April 195831 August 195824 August 1993Decommissioned for scrapping[1]
B-3718 July 19585 November 195811 January 1962Sank after fire and multiple explosions
B-13327 September 195826 January 19591 October 1983Renamed B-833
B-13520 December 195830 March 19591 July 1977-
B-13925 February 195930 May 19591 October 1976Renamed B-839
B-1169 June 195910 October 195928 September 1994-
B-13022 August 195917 December 19591 October 1988-
B-8523 December 195919 March 196019 April 1990-
B-5921 February 19606 June 196019 April 1990-
B-15620 April 19602 August 196019 April 1991-
B-1536 August 196031 January 196124 June 1991Renamed B-854
B-16426 October 19602 August 19603 July 1992-
B-333 February 196127 April 196124 June 1991-
B-1051 July 19611 October 196124 August 1993-
B-16917 August 196129 November 196119 April 1990-
B-3830 October 196131 January 196225 April 1989-
B-538 January 196212 April 196219 April 1990renamed B-853
B-507 March 196215 June 19623 July 1992-
B-89 May 196221 July 196219 April 1990-
B-3118 August 19623 November 196224 June 1991-
B-227 October 196225 January 196324 June 1991-
B-5522 January 19635 April 19633 July 1992renamed B-855
B-984 April 196315 June 19632001Renamed 292 Wilk
B-10119 June 196330 August 196330 June 1993-
B-69 August 196330 November 196324 August 1994-
B-10314 December 196316 April 196424 June 1991-
B-10922 February 196417 June 196428 September 1997-
B-10718 April 196425 July 19644 August 1995renamed B-807
B-11219 June 196427 October 196419 April 1990-
B-2526 August 196422 December 19643 July 1992-
B-20517 June 196929 August 196931 January 1996-
B-14321 October 195917 February 196024 June 1991
B-1510 October 196321 February 196429 October 1992-
B-42710 April 197122 June 197128 April 1994Museum, Long Beach, California, USA
B-399 February 196715 April 19675 July 1994Formerly a Museum, San Diego, California, USA

Sold for scrap 2022

B-4401 June 197016 September 19701999Museum, Vytegra, Russia
B-43524 March 197029 May 1970UnknownAs U-01 "Zaporizhiya" in Ukraine
B-926 December 196431 March 196517 July 1997-
B-414 June 19603 October 196024 June 1991-
B-5723 April 195915 August 195924 June 1991-
B-714 April 196129 June 196119 April 1990-
B-2129 October 196416 February 19653 July 1995ex-Seafront Zeebrugge Museum, Belgium. 2019 towed away for scrapping in Ghent.
B-266 May 196510 August 196524 June 1991-
B-2824 May 196510 August 196530 June 1993-
B-3413 August 196516 November 196524 June 1991-
B-4024 September 196516 November 196530 June 1993-
B-2925 March 196620 May 196620031988 Renamed 293 Dzik
B-417 April 196620 May 196624 August 1993-
B-4613 August 196624 December 196630 June 1993-
B-4912 October 196624 December 196631 December 1993As "Foxtrot B-39 U-475 Black Widow", former museum awaiting restoration on the River Medway near Rochester, Kent, England
B-3977 May 196722 August 196730 June 1993-
B-40029 May 196722 August 196724 September 1991-
B-41328 June 19687 October 19681999Museum, Kaliningrad, Russia
B-41618 July 196825 February 19693 July 1992-
B-2131 October 196920 January 197030 June 1993-
B-40918 December 19702 March 197130 June 1993-

Operators

Most saw service in the Soviet Navy. Foxtrots were also built for the Indian Navy (eight units, from 1967 to 1974), Libyan (six units, from 1978 to 1980), and Cuban (six units, from 1978 to 1983) navies. Some Soviet Foxtrots later saw service in the Polish and Ukrainian navies.

On display

Several Foxtrots are on display as museums around the world, including:

Citations
  1. Korabli VMF SSSR, Vol. 1, Part 2, Yu. Apalkov, Sankt Peterburg, 2003, ISBN 5-8172-0072-4
  2. "Russian Navy". Fas.org. 2008-05-30. Archived from the original on 2015-04-08. Retrieved 2011-12-29.
  3. "Подводные лодки. Проект 641".
  4. In Sevastopol celebrated the anniversary of including the great submarine "Zaporizhia" to the fleet as combat ready (У Севастополі відзначили річницю прийняття великого підводного човна “Запоріжжя” до бойового складу флоту). Ministry of Defence of Ukraine. 21 January 2013
  5. "Ukrainian Sailors Surrender Submarine to Russian Navy". NBC News.
  6. Cold War Submarines, Polmar & Moore, Brassey's Inc., Washington, D.C. 2004; Podvodnye Lodki Kholodnoy Voyny, OAO SPMBM Malakhit, Sankt Peterburg, 2011
  7. All photos taken inside museum ship acknowledged to User:Mario52
  8. Navy decommissions last Kalvari-class submarine INS Vagli
  9. "Submarine forces (Libya), Submarines - Submarine forces". Janes. Nov 10, 2010. Retrieved 11 March 2011.
  10. Подводная лодка Б-440 (Submarine B-444) (in Russian)

References
  • Miller, David (2002). The Illustrated Directory of Submarines of the World. London: Salamander Books. ISBN 1-84065-375-2.
  • А.Б. Широкорад: Советские подводные лодки послевоенной постройки (A.B. Shirokorad: Sowjet Submarines built after WWII) Moscow, 1997, ISBN 5-85139-019-0 (Russian)
  • Y. Apalkow: Корабли ВМФ СССР. Многоцелевые ПЛ и ПЛ спецназначания ("Ships of the USSR - Multi-purpose submarines and Special submarines"), St Petersburg, 2003, ISBN 5-8172-0069-4 (Russian)
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