# Charlie-class submarine

The Project 670 Skat submarine (NATO classification Charlie class) was a nuclear-powered cruise missile submarine built for the Soviet Navy and later operated by the Russian Navy. All Charlie I/II-class submarines are decommissioned. One Charlie-class submarine was used for testing an Oniks missile. Charlie I and its successor Charlie II-class submarines are designed by the Lazurit Central Design Bureau of Gorky.

## Background

The Charlie I-class submarine (Project 670 Skat) SSGN was first launched at the Krasnoye Sormovo inland shipyard at 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. The missiles were designed for pop up surprise attacks on high value surface targets such as aircraft carriers.
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 Gorkiy with an 8 m (26 ft 3 in) 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. K-429 sank near Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky in 1983 with 16 fatalities, but was raised and used as a harbour training hulk. On 13 September 1985, K-429 sank at her moorings. She was again raised and decommissioned.
* 6 Project 670M (Charlie II) submarines were built between 1973 and 1980.
All boats were scrapped between 1990 and 1994.
Charlie I class — significant dates :
| # | Shipyard | Laid down | Launched | Commissioned | Fleet | Status |
| K-43 leased to India as Chakra | Krasnoye Sormovo, Gorkiy | May 9, 1964 | August 2, 1966 | November 5, 1967 | to Pacific (1980) | Decommissioned July 30, 1992 for scrapping |
| K-87 from January 15, 1978 K-212 | Krasnoye Sormovo, Gorkiy | February 6, 1965 | March 20, 1968 | December 28, 1968 | to Pacific (1978) | Decommissioned April 19, 1990 for scrapping |
| K-25 | Krasnoye Sormovo, Gorkiy | December 2, 1965 | July 31, 1968 | December 30, 1968 | Northern | Decommissioned June 24, 1991 for scrapping |
| K-121 | Krasnoye Sormovo, Gorkiy | November 25, 1966 | April 29, 1969 | October 31, 1969 | to Pacific (1983) | Decommissioned June 30, 1992 for scrapping |
| K-313 | Krasnoye Sormovo, Gorkiy | July 14, 1966 | July 16, 1969 | December 16, 1969 | to Pacific (1986) | Decommissioned April 19, 1990 for scrapping |
| K-308 | Krasnoye Sormovo, Gorkiy | December 29, 1967 | February 19, 1970 | September 20, 1970 | to Pacific (1985) | Decommissioned July 30, 1992 for scrapping |
| K-320 | Krasnoye Sormovo, Gorkiy | April 30, 1968 | March 27, 1971 | September 15, 1971 | to Pacific (1979) | Decommissioned April 19, 1990 for scrapping |
| K-302 | Krasnoye Sormovo, Gorkiy | January 17, 1969 | July 11, 1970 | December 1, 1970 | to Pacific (1988) | Decommissioned June 30, 1992 for scrapping |
| K-325 | Krasnoye Sormovo, Gorkiy | September 6, 1969 | June 4, 1971 | November 5, 1971 | to Pacific (1978) | Decommissioned June 24, 1991 for scrapping |
| K-429 | Krasnoye Sormovo, Gorkiy | January 26, 1971 | April 22, 1972 | September 15, 1972 | to Pacific (1977) | Decommissioned 1987 for scrapping |
| K-201 | Krasnoye Sormovo, Gorkiy | November 16, 1971 | September 1972 | December 26, 1972 | to Pacific (1974) | Decommissioned April 19, 1990 for scrapping |
Charlie II class — significant dates :
| # | Shipyard | Laid down | Launched | Commissioned | Fleet | Status |
| K-458 | Krasnoye Sormovo, Gorkiy | February 12, 1974 | June 30, 1975 | December 29, 1975 | Northern | Decommissioned June 24, 1991 for scrapping |
| K-452 | Krasnoye Sormovo, Gorkiy | December 30, 1972 | June 1973 | December 30, 1973 | Northern | Decommissioned May 30, 1998 for scrapping |
| K-479 | Krasnoye Sormovo, Gorkiy | December 20, 1975 | May 6, 1977 | September 30, 1977 | Northern | Decommissioned July 5, 1992 for scrapping |
| K-503 | Krasnoye Sormovo Gorkiy | February 7, 1977 | September 22, 1978 | December 31, 1978 | Northern | Decommissioned June 30, 1993 for scrapping |
| K-508 | Krasnoye Sormovo Gorkiy | December 10, 1977 | October 3, 1979 | December 30, 1979 | Northern | Decommissioned August 4, 1995 for scrapping |
| K-209 | Krasnoye Sormovo, Gorkiy | December 20, 1979 | September 16, 1980 | December 30, 1980 | Northern | Decommissioned 1996 for scrapping |