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Description
Oscar class submarine

The Project 949 (Granit) and Project 949A (Antey) Soviet Navy/Russian Navy cruise missile submarines are known in the West by their NATO reporting names, the Oscar-I and Oscar-II classes, respectively.

Oscars were the largest cruise missile submarines in service until the new (rebuilt) Ohio class SSGN cruise missile submarine on October 15, 2007, and the third largest submarines as submarines in terms of displacement and length. Only the Typhoon class Soviet/Russian submarines and the American Ohio class submarines are larger.

Oscar-I

Two Oscar-I submarines were built at Severodvinsk and assigned to the Soviet Northern Fleet:

* K-525 Arkhangelsk, laid down July 25, 1975; launched May 3, 1980; commissioned December 30, 1980, decommissioned July 31, 1996[7], scrapped at Sevmash 2001
* K-206 Murmansk (ex-Minskiy Komsomolets), laid down April 22, 1979; launched December 10, 1982; commissioned November 30, 1983, renamed Murmansk in April 6, 1993, decommissioned April 16, 1996[8], scrapped at Zvezdochka 2004

[edit] Oscar-II

Eleven Oscar-II submarines were completed at Severodvinsk. Five were assigned to the Soviet Northern Fleet:

* K-148 Krasnodar, laid down July 22, 1982; launched March 3, 1985; commissioned September 30, 1986; named Krasnodar" June 3, 1992[9], removed from active service, status unclear
* K-119 Voronezh, laid down February 25, 1986; launched December 16, 1988; commissioned December 29, 1989; named Voronezh April 6, 1993[10], 01.2009-05.2009 overhaul at Zvezochka, active
* K-410 Smolensk, laid down December 9, 1986; launched January 20, 1990; commissioned December 22, 1990; named Smolensk April 6, 1993[11], active, from 2007 waiting at Zvezdochka for overhaul
* K-266 Orel, (ex-Severodvinsk), laid down January 19, 1989; launched May 22, 1992; commissioned December 30, 1992; named Severodvinsk December 1991; renamed Orel April 6, 1993[12], active
* K-141 Kursk, laid down March 22, 1992; launched May 16, 1994; commissioned December 30, 1994; lost August 12, 2000; raised September-October 2001

Six were assigned to the Soviet Pacific Fleet, all originally commissioned in the Northern Fleet before transfer to the Pacific:

* K-173 Krasnoyarsk, laid down August 4, 1983; March 27, 1986; commissioned December 31, 1986[13], removed from active service, status unclear
* K-132 Irkutsk, laid down May 8, 1985; launched December 27, 1987; commissioned December 30, 1988; transferred to the Pacific Fleet August-September 1990[14] inactive reserve 1997
* K-442 Chelyabinsk, laid down May 21, 1987; launched June 18, 1990; commissioned December 28, 1990; transferred to the Pacific Fleet August-September 1991[15], inactive reserve 1998
* K-456 Vilyuchinsk (ex-Kasatka), laid down February 9, 1988; launched June 28, 1991; commissioned August 18, 1992; transferred to the Pacific Fleet August-September 1993[16], removed from active service, status unclear
* K-186 Omsk, laid down July 13, 1989; launched May 10, 1993, commissioned December 10, 1993; transferred to the Pacific Fleet August-September 1994, some sources said it was be in overhaul in 2007, but not confirmed
* K-526 Tomsk, laid down August 27, 1991; launched July 20, 1996; commissioned December 30, 1996; transferred to the Pacific Fleet September 1998[17], removed from active service for some time, since November 2008 undergoing repair at Bolshoy Kamen Zvezda shipyard to replace its steam generator [18]

Three more Oscar-II submarines were planned[19].

* K-139 Belgorod, laid down July 24, 1992, is currently still on the building ways at the SEVMASH Shipyard in Severodvinsk[20]. Its construction was frozen several times due to lack of funds. Finally, on July 20, 2006, Russian Minister of Defense Sergey Ivanov announced, "The Ministry of Defense does not need Belgorod... therefore, it will not finance its further construction."[21] If the submarine is going to be finished, it is not clear who will pay for it. Construction halted at readiness aprox. 75%
* K-135 Volgograd, laid down September 2, 1993; construction stopped January 22, 1998; incomplete[22]
* K-160 Barnaul, laid down April 1994; construction stopped; incomplete[23]

At one stage it had been planned to develop a new fourth-generation follow-on to the Oscar, but this plan was later scrapped. [24]

Like other Soviet submarine designs, the Oscar not only has a bridge open to the elements on top of the sail but, for use in inclement weather, an enclosed bridge forward of this station in the sail.

A distinguishing mark is a slight bulge at the top of the fin. A large door on either side of the fin reaches this bulge. These are wider at the top than on the bottom, and are hinged on the bottom. The Federation of American Scientists [2] reports that this submarine carries an emergency crew escape capsule; it is possible that these doors cover it.

Description
Oscar class submarine

The Project 949 (Granit) and Project 949A (Antey) Soviet Navy/Russian Navy cruise missile submarines are known in the West by their NATO reporting names, the Oscar-I and Oscar-II classes, respectively.

Oscars were the largest cruise missile submarines in service until the new (rebuilt) Ohio class SSGN cruise missile submarine on October 15, 2007, and the third largest submarines as submarines in terms of displacement and length. Only the Typhoon class Soviet/Russian submarines and the American Ohio class submarines are larger.

Oscar-I

Two Oscar-I submarines were built at Severodvinsk and assigned to the Soviet Northern Fleet:

* K-525 Arkhangelsk, laid down July 25, 1975; launched May 3, 1980; commissioned December 30, 1980, decommissioned July 31, 1996[7], scrapped at Sevmash 2001
* K-206 Murmansk (ex-Minskiy Komsomolets), laid down April 22, 1979; launched December 10, 1982; commissioned November 30, 1983, renamed Murmansk in April 6, 1993, decommissioned April 16, 1996[8], scrapped at Zvezdochka 2004

[edit] Oscar-II

Eleven Oscar-II submarines were completed at Severodvinsk. Five were assigned to the Soviet Northern Fleet:

* K-148 Krasnodar, laid down July 22, 1982; launched March 3, 1985; commissioned September 30, 1986; named Krasnodar" June 3, 1992[9], removed from active service, status unclear
* K-119 Voronezh, laid down February 25, 1986; launched December 16, 1988; commissioned December 29, 1989; named Voronezh April 6, 1993[10], 01.2009-05.2009 overhaul at Zvezochka, active
* K-410 Smolensk, laid down December 9, 1986; launched January 20, 1990; commissioned December 22, 1990; named Smolensk April 6, 1993[11], active, from 2007 waiting at Zvezdochka for overhaul
* K-266 Orel, (ex-Severodvinsk), laid down January 19, 1989; launched May 22, 1992; commissioned December 30, 1992; named Severodvinsk December 1991; renamed Orel April 6, 1993[12], active
* K-141 Kursk, laid down March 22, 1992; launched May 16, 1994; commissioned December 30, 1994; lost August 12, 2000; raised September-October 2001

Six were assigned to the Soviet Pacific Fleet, all originally commissioned in the Northern Fleet before transfer to the Pacific:

* K-173 Krasnoyarsk, laid down August 4, 1983; March 27, 1986; commissioned December 31, 1986[13], removed from active service, status unclear
* K-132 Irkutsk, laid down May 8, 1985; launched December 27, 1987; commissioned December 30, 1988; transferred to the Pacific Fleet August-September 1990[14] inactive reserve 1997
* K-442 Chelyabinsk, laid down May 21, 1987; launched June 18, 1990; commissioned December 28, 1990; transferred to the Pacific Fleet August-September 1991[15], inactive reserve 1998
* K-456 Vilyuchinsk (ex-Kasatka), laid down February 9, 1988; launched June 28, 1991; commissioned August 18, 1992; transferred to the Pacific Fleet August-September 1993[16], removed from active service, status unclear
* K-186 Omsk, laid down July 13, 1989; launched May 10, 1993, commissioned December 10, 1993; transferred to the Pacific Fleet August-September 1994, some sources said it was be in overhaul in 2007, but not confirmed
* K-526 Tomsk, laid down August 27, 1991; launched July 20, 1996; commissioned December 30, 1996; transferred to the Pacific Fleet September 1998[17], removed from active service for some time, since November 2008 undergoing repair at Bolshoy Kamen Zvezda shipyard to replace its steam generator [18]

Three more Oscar-II submarines were planned[19].

* K-139 Belgorod, laid down July 24, 1992, is currently still on the building ways at the SEVMASH Shipyard in Severodvinsk[20]. Its construction was frozen several times due to lack of funds. Finally, on July 20, 2006, Russian Minister of Defense Sergey Ivanov announced, "The Ministry of Defense does not need Belgorod... therefore, it will not finance its further construction."[21] If the submarine is going to be finished, it is not clear who will pay for it. Construction halted at readiness aprox. 75%
* K-135 Volgograd, laid down September 2, 1993; construction stopped January 22, 1998; incomplete[22]
* K-160 Barnaul, laid down April 1994; construction stopped; incomplete[23]

At one stage it had been planned to develop a new fourth-generation follow-on to the Oscar, but this plan was later scrapped. [24]

Like other Soviet submarine designs, the Oscar not only has a bridge open to the elements on top of the sail but, for use in inclement weather, an enclosed bridge forward of this station in the sail.

A distinguishing mark is a slight bulge at the top of the fin. A large door on either side of the fin reaches this bulge. These are wider at the top than on the bottom, and are hinged on the bottom. The Federation of American Scientists [2] reports that this submarine carries an emergency crew escape capsule; it is possible that these doors cover it.