 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 |
|---|
| Type | Nuclear attack submarine |
| Displacement |
- 2,300 tons surfaced
- 3,200 tons submerged
|
| Length | 81.4 m (267 ft) |
| Beam | 9.5 m (31 ft) |
| Draught | 7.6 m (25 ft) |
| Propulsion |
- OK-550, 155-MWt Lead-bismuth cooled, beryllium-moderated reactor
- 40,000 shp (30,000 kW) steam turbine, one shaft[1]
|
| Speed |
- 12 kn (14 mph; 22 km/h) surfaced
- 41 knots (47 mph; 76 km/h) submerged[1][2]
|
| Test depth | 350 m (1,148 ft) test[1] |
| Complement | 31 (all officers)[1][2] |
| Armament | |
K-64 was a nuclear-powered Soviet submarine, head ship of its class.
Fate
In 1972, the submarine suffered a major reactor problem in the form of a leak of liquid metal coolant. The superheated 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.[3]
