In 1970s the Soviet shipyard at Severodvinsk launched a single Project 881 Anchar unit that became known in NATO circles as the Papa class. This boat was considerably larger and carried two more missile tubes for the P-120 Malakhit (SS-N-9 Siren) anti-ship missiles than the contemporary Charlie class SSGNs. The Papa class was for many years a puzzle to Western intelligence services.
The answer appeared in 1980 at the same shipyard, however, with the launch of the even larger Project 949 Granit (NATO designation Oscar I class) SSGN. The Papa class unit had been conceived from 1958 as the cruise missile-launching predecessor to the titanium hulled Alfa class high speed and deep diving SSN. But because it's high underwater noise levels it had become the prototype for advanced SSGN concepts with a considerably changed powerplant and revised propeller arrangement.
The missile system had been created to test the underwater launched version of the P-120 for the subsequent Charlie II series of SSGN. The Oscar design introduced more improvements, and these included two 12-round banks of underwater-launched P-700 Granit (NATO designation SS-N-19 Shipwreck) long range supersonic anti-ship missile tubes outside the main pressure hull. In common with other Soviet submarines the Oscar class features a double hull, comprising an inner pressure hull and an outer hydrodynamic hull.
Only two Oscar I class boats were built. Both of these submarines were assigned to the Northern fleet. These boats were decommissioned in 1996 and scrapped a couple of years later. The Oscar I class boats paved the way for 11 of a planned 19 Project 949A Antey or Oscar II class SSGNs.
Source: Military Today
The answer appeared in 1980 at the same shipyard, however, with the launch of the even larger Project 949 Granit (NATO designation Oscar I class) SSGN. The Papa class unit had been conceived from 1958 as the cruise missile-launching predecessor to the titanium hulled Alfa class high speed and deep diving SSN. But because it's high underwater noise levels it had become the prototype for advanced SSGN concepts with a considerably changed powerplant and revised propeller arrangement.
The missile system had been created to test the underwater launched version of the P-120 for the subsequent Charlie II series of SSGN. The Oscar design introduced more improvements, and these included two 12-round banks of underwater-launched P-700 Granit (NATO designation SS-N-19 Shipwreck) long range supersonic anti-ship missile tubes outside the main pressure hull. In common with other Soviet submarines the Oscar class features a double hull, comprising an inner pressure hull and an outer hydrodynamic hull.
Only two Oscar I class boats were built. Both of these submarines were assigned to the Northern fleet. These boats were decommissioned in 1996 and scrapped a couple of years later. The Oscar I class boats paved the way for 11 of a planned 19 Project 949A Antey or Oscar II class SSGNs.
| Entered service | 1980 |
| Crew | 94 men |
| Diving depth (operational) | 500 m |
| Diving depth (maximum) | 830 m |
| Sea endurance | 120 days |
| Dimensions and displacement | |
| Length | 145 m |
| Beam | 18.2 m |
| Draught | 9 m |
| Surfaced displacement | 12 500 tons |
| Submerged displacement | 16 500 tons |
| Propulsion and speed | |
| Surfaced speed | 16 knots |
| Submerged speed | 28 knots |
| Nuclear reactors | 2 x ? |
| Steam turbines | 2 x ? |
| Armament | |
| Missiles | 24 x P-700 Granit (SS-N-19 Shipwreck) |
| Torpedoes | 2 x 650-mm and 4 x 533-mm torpedo tubes for torpedoes and anti-ship missiles |
| Name | Laid down | Launched | Commissioned | Status |
| Archangelsk (K-525) | 1975 | 1980 | 1980 | decommissioned, scrapped |
| Murmansk (K-206) | 1979 | 1982 | 1983 | decommissioned, scrapped |
Source: Military Today
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