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, Saint Petersburg. Additional hulls were built for other countries.
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 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; units were scrapped and disposed of for museum purposes. During the division of the Soviet Black Sea Fleet, in 1997 one Foxtrot class submarine 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. However, on 22 March 2014 it was surrendered to or captured by Russia as part of the Russian annexation of Crimea. Russia decided not to accept it due to its age and operational unsuitability. Its subsequent status was unknown.
Cuban Missile Crisis
Foxtrots played a central role in some of the most dramatic incidents of the Cuban Missile Crisis. The Soviet Navy deployed four Foxtrot submarines to Cuba. US Navy destroyers dropped practice depth charges near Foxtrot subs near Cuba in efforts to force them to surface and be identified. Three of the four Foxtrot submarines were forced to surface, one eluded US forces.Units
Following is a list of 58 of the 75 Foxtrot-class submarines built during the Soviet Project 641., INS Kursura S20.
in a Foxtrot
Number | Shipyard | Project | Laid down | Launched | Decommissioned | Status |
B-94 | Yard 196 Leningrad | 641 | 3 October 1957 | 28 December 1957 | 1 October 1984 | Decommissioned for scrapping |
B-95 | Yard 196 Leningrad | 641 | 2 February 1958 | 25 April 1958 | 22 February 1980 | Decommissioned for scrapping |
B-36 | Yard 196 Leningrad | 641 | 29 April 1958 | 31 August 1958 | 24 August 1993 | Decommissioned for scrapping |
B-37 | Yard 196 Leningrad | 641 | 18 July 1958 | 5 November 1958 | 11 January 1962 | Sank after fire and multiple explosions |
B-133 | Yard 196 Leningrad | 641 | 27 September 1958 | 26 January 1959 | 1 October 1983 | Renamed B-833 |
B-135 | Yard 196 Leningrad | 641 | 20 December 1958 | 30 March 1959 | 1 July 1977 | - |
B-139 | Yard 196 Leningrad | 641 | 25 February 1959 | 30 May 1959 | 1 October 1976 | Renamed B-839 |
B-116 | Yard 196 Leningrad | 641 | 9 June 1959 | 10 October 1959 | 28 September 1994 | - |
B-130 | Yard 196 Leningrad | 641 | 22 August 1959 | 17 December 1959 | 1 October 1988 | - |
B-85 | Yard 196 Leningrad | 641 | 23 December 1959 | 19 March 1960 | 19 April 1990 | - |
B-59 | Yard 196 Leningrad | 641 | 21 February 1960 | 6 June 1960 | 19 April 1990 | - |
B-156 | Yard 196 Leningrad | 641 | 20 April 1960 | 2 August 1960 | 19 April 1991 | - |
B-153 | Yard 196 Leningrad | 641 | 6 August 1960 | 31 January 1961 | 24 June 1991 | Renamed B-854 |
B-164 | Yard 196 Leningrad | 641 | 26 October 1960 | 2 August 1960 | 3 July 1992 | - |
B-33 | Yard 196 Leningrad | 641 | 3 February 1961 | 27 April 1961 | 24 June 1991 | - |
B-105 | Yard 196 Leningrad | 641 | 1 July 1961 | 1 October 1961 | 24 August 1993 | - |
B-169 | Yard 196 Leningrad | 641 | 17 August 1961 | 29 November 1961 | 19 April 1990 | - |
B-38 | Yard 196 Leningrad | 641 | 30 October 1961 | 31 January 1962 | 25 April 1989 | - |
B-53 | Yard 196 Leningrad | 641 | 8 January 1962 | 12 April 1962 | 19 April 1990 | renamed B-853 |
B-50 | Yard 196 Leningrad | 641 | 7 March 1962 | 15 June 1962 | 3 July 1992 | - |
B-8 | Yard 196 Leningrad | 641 | 9 May 1962 | 21 July 1962 | 19 April 1990 | - |
B-31 | Yard 196 Leningrad | 641 | 18 August 1962 | 3 November 1962 | 24 June 1991 | - |
B-2 | Yard 196 Leningrad | 641 | 27 October 1962 | 25 January 1963 | 24 June 1991 | - |
B-55 | Yard 196 Leningrad | 641 | 22 January 1963 | 5 April 1963 | 3 July 1992 | renamed B-855 |
B-98 | Yard 196 Leningrad | 641 | 4 April 1963 | 15 June 1963 | 2001 | Renamed 292 Wilk |
B-101 | Yard 196 Leningrad | 641 | 19 June 1963 | 30 August 1963 | 30 June 1993 | - |
B-6 | Yard 196 Leningrad | 641 | 9 August 1963 | 30 November 1963 | 24 August 1994 | - |
B-103 | Yard 196 Leningrad | 641 | 14 December 1963 | 16 April 1964 | 24 June 1991 | - |
B-109 | Yard 196 Leningrad | 641 | 22 February 1964 | 17 June 1964 | 28 September 1997 | - |
B-107 | Yard 196 Leningrad | 641 | 18 April 1964 | 25 July 1964 | 4 August 1995 | renamed B-807 |
B-112 | Yard 196 Leningrad | 641 | 19 June 1964 | 27 October 1964 | 19 April 1990 | - |
B-25 | Yard 196 Leningrad | 641 | 26 August 1964 | 22 December 1964 | 3 July 1992 | - |
B-205 | Yard 196 Leningrad | 641 | 17 June 1969 | 29 August 1969 | 31 January 1996 | - |
B-143 | Yard 196 Leningrad | 641 | 21 October 1959 | 17 February 1960 | 24 June 1991 | ex-Seafront Zeebrugge Museum, Belgium. 2019 towed away for scrapping in Ghent. |
B-15 | Yard 196 Leningrad | 641 | 10 October 1963 | 21 February 1964 | 29 October 1992 | - |
B-427 | Yard 196 Leningrad | 641 | 10 April 1971 | 22 June 1971 | 28 April 1994 | Museum, Long Beach, California, USA |
B-39 | Yard 196 Leningrad | 641 | 9 February 1967 | 15 April 1967 | 5 July 1994 | Museum, San Diego, California, USA |
B-440 | Yard 196 Leningrad | 641 | 1 June 1970 | 16 September 1970 | 1999 | Museum, Vytegra, Russia |
B-435 | Yard 196 Leningrad | 641 | 24 March 1970 | 29 May 1970 | Unknown | As U-01 "Zaporizhiya" in the Ukraine |
B-9 | Yard 196 Leningrad | 641 | 26 December 1964 | 31 March 1965 | 17 July 1997 | - |
B-4 | Yard 196 Leningrad | 641 | 14 June 1960 | 3 October 1960 | 24 June 1991 | - |
B-57 | Yard 196 Leningrad | 641 | 23 April 1959 | 15 August 1959 | 24 June 1991 | - |
B-7 | Yard 196 Leningrad | 641 | 14 April 1961 | 29 June 1961 | 19 April 1990 | - |
B-21 | Yard 196 Leningrad | 641 | 29 October 1964 | 16 February 1965 | 3 July 1995 | Decommissioned for scrapping |
B-26 | Yard 196 Leningrad | 641 | 6 May 1965 | 10 August 1965 | 24 June 1991 | - |
B-28 | Yard 196 Leningrad | 641 | 24 May 1965 | 10 August 1965 | 30 June 1993 | - |
B-34 | Yard 196 Leningrad | 641 | 13 August 1965 | 16 November 1965 | 24 June 1991 | - |
B-40 | Yard 196 Leningrad | 641 | 24 September 1965 | 16 November 1965 | 30 June 1993 | - |
B-29 | Yard 196 Leningrad | 641 | 25 March 1966 | 20 May 1966 | 2003 | 1988 Renamed 293 Dzik |
B-41 | Yard 196 Leningrad | 641 | 7 April 1966 | 20 May 1966 | 24 August 1993 | - |
B-46 | Yard 196 Leningrad | 641 | 13 August 1966 | 24 December 1966 | 30 June 1993 | - |
B-49 | Yard 196 Leningrad | 641 | 12 October 1966 | 24 December 1966 | 31 December 1993 | Museum, Rochester, Kent, England |
B-397 | Yard 196 Leningrad | 641 | 7 May 1967 | 22 August 1967 | 30 June 1993 | - |
B-400 | Yard 196 Leningrad | 641 | 29 May 1967 | 22 August 1967 | 24 September 1991 | - |
B-413 | Yard 196 Leningrad | 641 | 28 June 1968 | 7 October 1968 | 1999 | Museum, Kaliningrad, Russia |
B-416 | Yard 196 Leningrad | 641 | 18 July 1968 | 25 February 1969 | 3 July 1992 | - |
B-213 | Yard 196 Leningrad | 641 | 1 October 1969 | 20 January 1970 | 30 June 1993 | - |
B-409 | Yard 196 Leningrad | 641 | 18 December 1970 | 2 March 1971 | 30 June 1993 | - |
Operators
Most saw service in the Soviet Navy. Foxtrots were also built for the Indian Navy, Libyan, and Cuban navies. Some Soviet Foxtrots later saw service in the Polish and Ukrainian navies.- Soviet Navy
- Russian navy
- Indian Navy Variants known as the, now decommissioned
- Libyan Navy 6 units
- Cuban Navy 6 units
- Polish Navy 2 units
- *ORP Wilk
- *ORP Dzik
- Ukrainian Navy 1 unit, has been taken over by Russian forces during the 2014 Crimean crisis.
On display
- B-39 at the Maritime Museum of San Diego in San Diego, California, United States.
- B-143 at the Seafront Maritime Theme Park in Zeebrugge, Belgium.
- B-413 at Kaliningrad, Russia.
- B-427 at the RMS Queen Mary in Long Beach, California, United States.
- B-440 at Vytegra, a port on the Volga–Baltic Waterway in Russia.
- U-475 Black Widow at Strood, Kent, United Kingdom
- Indian Foxtrot submarine INS Kursura S20 at the Rama Krishna Beach, Visakhapatnam, India.