Soviet submarine K-64

For K-64 of Delta-IV class, see Russian submarine BS-64.

K-64 was the lead ship of the Project 705 (NATO reporting name: Alfa class) nuclear-powered attack submarines of the Soviet Navy.

Alfa-class submarine (Project 705)
History
Soviet Union
Laid down	2 June 1968
Launched	22 April 1969
Commissioned	31 December 1971
Decommissioned	19 August 1974
Out of service	1972
Fate	Suffered a major reactor accident, 1972. Deemed too extensive to repair and subsequently scrapped
General characteristics
Class and type	Alfa-class submarine
Displacement	2,300 t (2,300 long tons) surfaced 3,180 t (3,130 long tons) submerged
Length	81.4 m (267 ft 1 in)
Beam	9.5 m (31 ft 2 in)
Draft	7 m (23 ft 0 in)
Installed power	1 × nuclear reactor
Propulsion	1 × steam turbine; 1 shaft
Speed	14 kn (26 km/h; 16 mph) surfaced 43 kn (80 km/h; 49 mph) submerged
Test depth	350 m (1,150 ft)
Complement	30
Armament	6 × 533 mm (21.0 in) torpedo tubes

Characteristics

The Project 705 "Lira" (Russian: Лира, lit. 'lyre', NATO: Alfa) had a double hull made out of titanium alloy and consisted of six compartments, along with an escape chamber for the crew, with a displacement of 2,300 tonnes (2,300 long tons) on the surface and 3,180 tonnes (3,130 long tons) while underwater. The submarine had a length of 81.4 metres (267 ft 1 in), a beam of 9.5 metres (31 ft 2 in), and a draft of 7 metres (23 ft 0 in). Its test depth was 350 m (1,150 ft). The submarine's power source was one 155-megawatt (208,000 hp) liquid metal cooled nuclear reactor that used a lead-bismuth alloy as the coolant. Two reactors types were used for the class, with Project 705 boats receiving the OK-550 reactor and those of the 705K variant using the BM-40A reactor. The reactor provided steam for the OK-7 steam turbine that produced 40,000 horsepower (30,000 kW) for the one propeller shaft. There were also two auxiliary propellers. This gave the submarine a speed of 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph) on the surface and 43 knots (80 km/h; 49 mph) while submerged. Its armament were six 533 mm (21.0 in) torpedo tubes with 12 reloads, which could fire normal torpedoes or RPK-2 Vyuga (NATO: SS-N-15 Starfish) anti-submarine missiles. The crew included 24 officers, 4 warrant officers, and 1 petty officer, for a total of 30.

Fate

In 1972, the submarine suffered a major reactor problem in the form of a leak of liquid metal coolant. One of the complications the design had was the need to constantly keep the liquid metal in the reactor heated to at least 123.5C (254.3F) to prevent it from solidifying and freezing the reactor. The metal solidified on contact with the colder outside air, freezing and damaging internal components of the reactor. The submarine was removed from service and towed to Severodvinsk. At the dockyard, the damage to the reactor was deemed too extensive for repair and the decision was made to salvage as much as they could. K-64 was split in half, its bow section (including control spaces) was taken to Leningrad and used for training new Soviet submariners.

References

Works

• Gardiner, Robert & Chumbley, Stephen, eds. (1995). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947–1995. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 1-55750-132-7.
• Pavlov, A. S. (1997). Warships of the USSR and Russia 1945–1995. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-671-X.
• Polmar, Norman; Moore, K. J. (2003). Cold War Submarines: The Design and Construction of U.S. and Soviet Submarines, 1945–2001. Dulles, Virginia: Potomac Books Inc. ISBN 1-57488-594-4.
• Rawool-Sullivan, Mohini; Moskowitz, Paul D.; Shelenkova, Ludmila N. (2002). "Technical and proliferation-related aspects of the dismantlement of Russian Alfa-Class nuclear submarines" (PDF). The Nonproliferation Review. 9 (1): 161–171. doi:10.1080/10736700208436881. ISSN 1073-6700. S2CID 146142267.