View source for Charlie-class submarine

{{Short description|Russian nuclear cruise missile submarine class}}
{{More footnotes|date=April 2009}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin|sclass=2}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=[[File:Charlie I class SSGN.svg|275px|Project 670]]
[[File:Charlie II class SSGN.svg|300px|Project 670M]]
[[File:DN-SC-89-03179 INS Chakra submarine.jpg|300px|INS Chakra leased to the Indian Navy]]
|Ship caption=
}}
{{Infobox ship class overview
|Name=Charlie class
|Builders=[[Nizhniy Novgorod|Gorky]]
|Operators=*{{navy|Soviet Union}}
*{{navy|India}}
|Class before= *{{sclass2|Echo|submarine|4}}
*{{sclass2|Juliett|submarine|4}}
|Class after=*{{sclass2|Oscar|submarine|4}}
*{{sclass2|Papa|submarine|4}}
|Subclasses=
|Cost=
|Built range=
|In service range=  
|In commission range= 
|Total ships building=
|Total ships planned=
|Total ships completed=
|Total ships cancelled=
|Total ships active=
|Total ships laid up=
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{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption=
|Ship type=[[Submarine]]
|Ship displacement=* '''Charlie I class:''' 
* Surfaced: 4,000 tons
* Submerged: 4,900tons
* '''Charlie II class:'''
* Surfaced: 4,300 tons
* Submerged: 5,100 tons
|Ship length=
* '''Charlie I class:''' {{convert|95|m|ft|abbr=on}}
* '''Charlie II class:''' {{convert|103|m|ft|abbr=on}}
|Ship beam={{convert|10|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
|Ship height=
|Ship draught={{convert|8|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
|Ship ice class=
|Ship power=
|Ship propulsion=1 pressurized water-cooled reactor powering 2 steam turbines delivering {{convert|11,185|kW|shp|abbr=on}} to 1 shaft
|Ship speed=* '''Surfaced:''' {{convert|20|kn|lk=in}}
* '''Submerged:''' {{convert|24|kn}}
|Ship range=Unlimited except by food supplies
|Ship endurance=
|Ship test depth=
|Ship complement=* '''Charlie I class:''' 100
* '''Charlie II class:''' 98
|Ship sensors=
|Ship EW=
|Ship armament=* 6 × {{convert|533|mm|in|abbr=on|0}} tubes all bow for a max load of 12 torpedoes.  
* '''Charlie I''': 8x [[P-70 Ametist]] anti-ship missiles
* '''Charlie II''': 8x [[P-120 Malakhit]] anti-ship missiles
* 24 AMD-1000 ground mines.
|Ship notes=
}}
|}

The '''Project 670 ''Skat''''' submarine ([[NATO]] classification '''Charlie class''') was a [[nuclear marine propulsion|nuclear-powered]] [[cruise missile submarine]] built for the [[Soviet Navy]] and later operated by the [[Russian Navy]]. All Charlie I/II-class submarines are [[Ship commissioning#Ship decommissioning|decommissioned]]. One Charlie-class submarine was used for testing an Oniks missile.<ref>[http://www.deepstorm.ru/DeepStorm.files/45-92/nsrs/670m/list.htm Проект 670М<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[http://www.deepstorm.ru/DeepStorm.files/45-92/nsrs/670/list.htm Проект 670<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Charlie I and its successor Charlie II-class submarines are designed by the [[Lazurit Central Design Bureau]] of [[Gorky (city)|Gorky]].

==Background==
The Charlie I-class submarine (Project 670 ''Skat'') [[SSGN]] was first [[Ceremonial ship launching|launched]] at the [[Krasnoye Sormovo Factory No. 112|Krasnoye Sormovo inland shipyard]] at [[Nizhniy Novgorod|Gorkiy]] in 1967 with another ten following over a period of five years. The Charlie Is had two banks of four missile tubes angled upwards on each side of the bow outside the [[pressure hull]]. The tubes were covered by large outer doors and the design was to incorporate the [[P-120 Malakhit]] (SS-N-9 Siren) medium-range anti-ship missile. Due to delays in the missile development, the missile was substituted with the shorter range [[P-70 Ametist]] (SS-N-7 Starbright) submerged launch missile which itself was a development of the [[P-15 Termit]] (SS-N-2 Styx) surface-launched missile.{{Citation needed|date=July 2010}} The missiles were designed for pop up surprise attacks on high value surface targets such as [[aircraft carrier]]s.

In 1972 to 1979, six improved units called the Project 670M ''Skat-M'' (Charlie II class) were built. The improved Charlie IIs were built at [[Nizhniy Novgorod|Gorkiy]] with an {{convert|8|m|ftin|abbr=on}} insert in the hull forward of the fin. The insert incorporated electronics and launch systems for targeting and firing of the longer range [[P-120 Malakhit]] anti-ship missile.

The Charlie Is and IIs returned to port for reload once they had expended their missile payloads. However, the Charlie class{{'}}s secondary armament of torpedoes and sonar systems provided useful anti-ship and [[anti-submarine warfare]] capabilities in addition to their missile launch capabilities.

The last Charlie was retired in 1994. While still operational, one unit of the class was leased to the [[Indian Navy]] between 1988 and 1991, mainly for India to gain experience in the operations of a [[nuclear submarine]].

==Boats==
* 11 Project 670 (Charlie I) submarines were built between 1968 and 1973. ''K-43'' was leased to the [[Indian Navy]] as ''Chakra'' from 1988 to 1992. {{ship|Soviet submarine|K-429||2}} sank near [[Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky]] in 1983 with 16 fatalities, but was raised and used as a harbour training hulk. On 13 September 1985, {{ship|Soviet submarine|K-429||2}} sank at her moorings.  She was again raised and decommissioned.{{citation_needed|date=August 2019}}
* 6 Project 670M (Charlie II) submarines were built between 1973 and 1980.{{citation_needed|date=August 2019}}

All boats were scrapped between 1990 and 1994.{{citation_needed|date=August 2019}}

{| class="wikitable"
|+Charlie I class — significant dates
!#
!Shipyard
!Laid down
!Launched
!Commissioned
!Fleet
!Status
|-
|{{ship|Soviet submarine|K-43||2}} leased to India as ''Chakra''
|Krasnoye Sormovo Shipyard, Nizhniy Novgorod|Krasnoye Sormovo, Gorkiy
|May 9, 1964
|August 2, 1966
|November 5, 1967<ref name="Podvodnye Lodki 2002"/>
|to Pacific (1980)
|Decommissioned July 30, 1992 for scrapping
|-
|{{ship|Soviet submarine|K-87||2}} from January 15, 1978 ''K-212''
|Krasnoye Sormovo Shipyard, Nizhniy Novgorod|Krasnoye Sormovo, Gorkiy
|February 6, 1965
|March 20, 1968
|December 28, 1968<ref name="Podvodnye Lodki 2002">Podvodnye Lodki, Yu.V. Apalkov, Sankt Peterburg, 2002, {{ISBN|5-8172-0069-4}}</ref>
|to Pacific (1978)
|Decommissioned April 19, 1990 for scrapping
|-
|{{ship|Soviet submarine|K-25||2}}
|Krasnoye Sormovo Shipyard, Nizhniy Novgorod|Krasnoye Sormovo, Gorkiy
|December 2, 1965
|July 31, 1968
|December 30, 1968<ref name="Podvodnye Lodki 2002"/>
|Northern
|Decommissioned June 24, 1991 for scrapping
|-
|{{ship|Soviet submarine|K-121||2}}
|Krasnoye Sormovo Shipyard, Nizhniy Novgorod|Krasnoye Sormovo, Gorkiy
|November 25, 1966
|April 29, 1969
|October 31, 1969<ref name="Podvodnye Lodki 2002"/>
|to Pacific (1983)
|Decommissioned June 30, 1992 for scrapping
|-
|{{ship|Soviet submarine|K-313||2}}
|Krasnoye Sormovo Shipyard, Nizhniy Novgorod|Krasnoye Sormovo, Gorkiy
|July 14, 1966
|July 16, 1969
|December 16, 1969<ref name="Podvodnye Lodki 2002"/>
|to Pacific (1986)
|Decommissioned April 19, 1990 for scrapping
|-
|{{ship|Soviet submarine|K-308||2}}
|Krasnoye Sormovo Shipyard, Nizhniy Novgorod|Krasnoye Sormovo, Gorkiy
|December 29, 1967
|February 19, 1970
|September 20, 1970<ref name="Podvodnye Lodki 2002"/>
|to Pacific (1985)
|Decommissioned July 30, 1992 for scrapping
|-
|{{ship|Soviet submarine|K-320||2}}
|Krasnoye Sormovo Shipyard, Nizhniy Novgorod|Krasnoye Sormovo, Gorkiy
|April 30, 1968
|March 27, 1971
|September 15, 1971<ref name="Podvodnye Lodki 2002"/>
|to Pacific (1979)
|Decommissioned April 19, 1990 for scrapping
|-
|{{ship|Soviet submarine|K-302||2}}
|Krasnoye Sormovo Shipyard, Nizhniy Novgorod|Krasnoye Sormovo, Gorkiy
|January 17, 1969
|July 11, 1970
|December 1, 1970<ref name="Podvodnye Lodki 2002"/>
|to Pacific (1988)
|Decommissioned June 30, 1992 for scrapping
|-
|{{ship|Soviet submarine|K-325||2}}
|Krasnoye Sormovo Shipyard, Nizhniy Novgorod|Krasnoye Sormovo, Gorkiy
|September 6, 1969
|June 4, 1971
|November 5, 1971<ref name="Podvodnye Lodki 2002"/>
|to Pacific (1978)
|Decommissioned June 24, 1991 for scrapping
|-
|{{ship|Soviet submarine|K-429||2}}
|Krasnoye Sormovo Shipyard, Nizhniy Novgorod|Krasnoye Sormovo, Gorkiy
|January 26, 1971
|April 22, 1972
|September 15, 1972<ref name="Podvodnye Lodki 2002"/>
|to Pacific (1977)
|Decommissioned 1987 for scrapping
|-
|{{ship|Soviet submarine|K-201||2}}
|Krasnoye Sormovo Shipyard, Nizhniy Novgorod|Krasnoye Sormovo, Gorkiy
|November 16, 1971
|September 1972
|December 26, 1972<ref name="Podvodnye Lodki 2002"/>
|to Pacific (1974)
|Decommissioned April 19, 1990 for scrapping
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable"
|+Charlie II class — significant dates
!#
!Shipyard
!Laid down
!Launched
!Commissioned
!Fleet
!Status
|-
| {{ship|Soviet submarine|K-458||2}}    
|Krasnoye Sormovo Shipyard, Nizhniy Novgorod|Krasnoye Sormovo, Gorkiy
|February 12, 1974
|June 30, 1975
|December 29, 1975<ref name="Podvodnye Lodki 2002"/>
|Northern
|Decommissioned June 24, 1991 for scrapping
|-
| {{ship|Soviet submarine|K-452||2}}
|Krasnoye Sormovo Shipyard, Nizhniy Novgorod|Krasnoye Sormovo, Gorkiy
|December 30, 1972
|June 1973
|December 30, 1973<ref name="Podvodnye Lodki 2002"/>
|Northern
|Decommissioned May 30, 1998 for scrapping
|-
| {{ship|Soviet submarine|K-479||2}}
|Krasnoye Sormovo Shipyard, Nizhniy Novgorod|Krasnoye Sormovo, Gorkiy
|December 20, 1975
|May 6, 1977
|September 30, 1977<ref name="Podvodnye Lodki 2002"/>
|Northern
|Decommissioned July 5, 1992 for scrapping
|-
| {{ship|Soviet submarine|K-503||2}}
|Krasnoye Sormovo Shipyard, Nizhniy Novgorod|Krasnoye Sormovo Gorkiy
|February 7, 1977
|September 22, 1978
|December 31, 1978<ref name="Podvodnye Lodki 2002"/>
|Northern
|Decommissioned June 30, 1993 for scrapping
|-
| {{ship|Soviet submarine|K-508||2}}
|Krasnoye Sormovo Shipyard, Nizhniy Novgorod|Krasnoye Sormovo Gorkiy
|December 10, 1977
|October 3, 1979
|December 30, 1979<ref name="Podvodnye Lodki 2002"/>
|Northern
|Decommissioned August 4, 1995 for scrapping
|-
| {{ship|Soviet submarine|K-209||2}}
|Krasnoye Sormovo Shipyard, Nizhniy Novgorod|Krasnoye Sormovo, Gorkiy
|December 20, 1979
|September 16, 1980
|December 30, 1980<ref name="Podvodnye Lodki 2002"/>
|Northern
|Decommissioned 1996 for scrapping
|-
|}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite book |last1=Hampshire |first1=Edward |title=Soviet Cruise Missile Submarines of the Cold War |date=2018 |publisher=Osprey Publishing |location=London |isbn=978-1-47282-499-8}}
*{{cite book |last1=Pavlov |first1=A. S. |title=Warships of the USSR and Russia 1945–1995 |date=1997 |publisher=Naval Institute Press |location=Annapolis, Maryland |isbn=1-55750-671-X}}
*{{cite book|last1=Polmar|first1=Norman|authorlink1=Norman Polmar|last2=Moore|first2=Kenneth J. |title=Cold War Submarines: The Design and Construction of U.S. and Soviet Submarines |year=2004 |publisher=Potomac Books |location=Washington, D. C.|isbn=978-1-57488-594-1 |name-list-style=amp}}
*{{cite book|last1=Polmar|first1=Norman|last2=Noot|first2=Jurrien|title=Submarines of the Russian and Soviet Navies, 1718–1990|year=1991 |publisher=Naval Institute Press |location=Annapolis, Maryland|isbn=0-87021-570-1|name-list-style=amp}}
*{{cite book |last1=Vilches Alarcón |first1=Alejandro A. |title=From Juliettes to Yasens: Development and Operational History of Soviet Cruise-Missile Submarines |date=2022 |publisher=Helion & Co. |location=Warwick, UK |isbn=978-1-915070-68-5|series=Europe @ War (22)}}

==External links==
* [http://ship.bsu.by/main.asp?id=101423 Article in Russian from Encyclopedia of Ships] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080406110956/http://ship.bsu.by/main.asp?id=101423 |date=2008-04-06 }}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20050901050735/http://www.submarine.id.ru/sub.php?670 Article in Russian]
* [https://fas.org/nuke/guide/russia/theater/670.htm Page in English from FAS]

{{Charlie class submarine}}
{{Soviet and Russian submarines after 1945}}
{{Submarines of the Indian_Navy}}
{{Ship classes of the Indian Navy}}

[[Category:Submarine classes]]
[[Category:Charlie-class submarines| ]]
[[Category:Submarine classes of the Russian and Soviet Navy]]
[[Category:Nuclear submarines of the Soviet Navy]]