Delta - class submarine The " Delta " class ( Project 667B " Murena " , Project 667BD " Murena - M " , Project 667BDR " Kalmar " , Project 667BDRM " Delfin " ) are a common name of four types of submarines which formed the backbone of the Soviet and Russia n strategic submarine fleet since its introduction in 1973 . They carry nuclear ballistic missiles of the R - 29 Vysota family , with the " Delta I " , " II " , " III " and " IV " carrying the R - 29 ( NATO reporting name : SS - N - 8 ' Sawfly ' ) , R - 29D ( SS - N - 8 ' Sawfly ' ) , R - 29R ( SS - N - 18 ' Stingray ' ) and R - 29RM ( SS - N - 23 ' Skiff ' ) respectively . The " Delta I " carried 12 missiles , the " Delta II " was a " stretched " " Delta I " that could carry 16 missiles ; the " Delta III " and " IV " carry 16 missiles with multiple warheads and have improved electronics and noise reduction . The R - 27 Zyb missile carried by the Project 667 s of the late 1960s had a range of just , so the earlier subs were forced to patrol close to the North American coast , whereas the " Deltas " could launch the > - range R - 29s from the relative safety of the Arctic Ocean . In turn the " Deltas " were superseded by the larger " Typhoon " class submarines . The early " Deltas " remained in service until 1990s with treaties such as START I . High running costs and the retirement of the " Typhoons " ′ R - 39 missiles meant that some " Delta III " ' s were reactivated in the 2000s ( decade ) to replace the " Typhoons " . , Pavel Podvig and russianforces . org estimated the strength of the Russian strategic submarine fleet at one " Typhoon " class submarine ( used to test the R - 30 Bulava missile ) , four " Delta III , " and six " Delta IV " class submarines , and one " Borei " . They will ultimately be replaced by the new " Borei " class submarines ( also known as the " Dolgorukiy " class ) . Five " Delta IV " boats have been overhauled in recent years , with work continuing on the last one . Development . In the 1960s the Soviet Navy wanted new submarine - launched nuclear missiles that could threaten targets in North America without their launch platforms needing to pass the SOSUS sensors in the GIUK gap to be within range . " Delta I " ( Project 667B , Murena ) 18 boats . The " Delta " - class submarines could deploy on alert patrols in the marginal ice - seas of the Soviet Arctic littoral , including the Norwegian and Barents seas . Consequently , unlike their predecessors , they no longer needed to pass through Western SOSUS sonar barriers to come within range of their targets . To improve the accuracy of the missiles , the " Delta I " submarines carry the Tobol - B navigation system and the Cyclone - B satellite navigation system . After authorization of the development of the class in 1965 , the first " Delta - I " , " K - 279 " , was commissioned into the Soviet Northern Fleet on the 22nd of December , 1972 . A total of 18 submarines of this class were built , and all served Soviet Navy , under the designation Project 667B Murena ( eel ) . As of 1991 , nine " Delta - I " submarines were still in active service . Their decommissioning began in 1994 , with removal of the missile compartments scheduled by 1997 . All submarines of this class were taken out of service by 1998 and were scrapped by 2005 . " Delta II " ( Project 667BD , Murena - M ) 4 boats . The Delta - II class submarine was a large ballistic missile submarine designed to remedy shortcomings in the " Delta - I " class submarine . The design was essentially the same , however the submarine was lengthened in the 4th and 5th compartments by 16 meters to allow the installation of 4 more missile tubes . The new type of " Delta " also received additional quietening measures including having the steam turbines mounted on shock absorbers , having all pipes and hydraulics separated from the hull through rubber insulation , and a special hydroacoustic coating being applied to the hull . The NATO reporting name , Delta - II indicates this submarine as a visually distinguishable new class . The Soviet designation , 667BD Murena - M indicates this submarine is an improved " Delta - I " . Only four submarines of this class were built , apparently in favor of building the following class , " Delta - III " , and all " Delta - II " s were out of service by 1996 . " Delta III " ( Project 667BDR , Kalmar ) 14 boats . The 667BDR " Kal ' mar " ( Squid ) Delta - III class submarine is a large ballistic missile submarine . Like the earlier " Delta " class submarines the " Delta III " is a double hulled design with a thin low magnetic steel outer hull wrapped around a thicker inner pressure hull . Development began in 1972 at the Rubin Central Design Bureau for Marine Engineering . The submarine was the first that could launch any number of missiles in a single salvo , also the first submarine capable of carrying ballistic missiles with multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles . The submarine carried 16 of the R - 29R missiles each carrying 3 to 7 MIRVs , with a range of 6 , 500 to 8 , 000 km , depending on the number of re - entry vehicles . The " Delta III " was also equipped with a new battle management system the Almaz - BDR for the fire control of torpedo es in deep - water , also a new inertial navigation system Tobol - M - 1 , and later the Tobol - M - 2 . A hydroacoustic navigational system called Shmeľ ( Bumblebee ) allows the submarine to determine its position from hydroacoustic buoys . Finally a new sonar system called Rubikon was fitted . On September 30 , 2008 a Russian Navy spokesman reported that " Ryazan " had successfully completed a 30 - day transit from a base in northern Russia under the Arctic ice cap to a base on the Kamchatka Peninsula . The Navy added that " Ryazan " will soon be assigned to regularly patrol the Pacific Ocean . , six " Delta III " boats were active , of which two were believed to be in the process of decommissioning . K - 433 Svyatoy Georgiy Pobedonosets was involved in a collision with a fishing vessel on September 22 , 2011 . The submarine did not sustain serious damage . " Delta IV " ( Project 667BDRM , Delfin ) 7 boats . Seven Delta IV class submarine s were built from 1985 to 1992 ; all are still in service in the Russian navy today , though K - 84 was crippled by a fire while undergoing overhaul in December 2011 . The submarines , based at the Sayda Guba Naval Base , operate in the Northern Fleet . The Severodvinsk Shipyard built these vessels between 1981 and 1992 . The last vessel was the " Novomoskovsk " . The design of the " Delta IV " resembles that of the " Delta III " and constitutes a double - hulled configuration with missile silos housed in the inner hull . The submarine has an operational diving depth of 320 meters , with a maximum depth of 400 meters . The propulsion system allows speeds of 24 knots ( 44 km / h ) submerged using two VM - 4 pressure water reactors rated at 180 MW . It features two turbines of type GT3A - 365 rated at 27 . 5 MW . The propulsion system drives two shafts with seven - bladed fixed - pitch propellers . In December 29 , 2011 , a shipyard fire broke out in the drydock where a " Delta IV " vessel named the " Yekaterinburg " was being serviced . It was reported that the fire managed to spread to the submarine , that all weapons were disembarked from the submarine and the nuclear reactor was shut down beforehand . Overall design . The submarine design is similar to that of " Delta III " ( Project 667 BDR ) . The submarine constitutes a double - hulled configuration with missile silos housed in the inner hull . The forward horizontal hydroplanes are arranged on the sail . They can rotate to the vertical for breaking through the ice cover . The propulsion system provides a run speed of 24 knots surfaced and 24 knots submerged . The submarine carries supplies for an endurance of 80 days . The surface of the submarine has an acoustic coating to reduce the acoustic signature . During the development of the 667BDRM SSBN several measures were included to reduce its noise level . The gears and equipment are located on a common base isolated from the pressure hull , and the power compartments are also isolated . The efficiency of the anti - hydroacoustic coatings of the light outer hull and inner pressure hulls have been increased . Newly designed five - bladed propellers with improved hydroacoustic characteristics are employed . See " Delta III " class overview for specifications . Armament . The " Delta IV " submarines employs the D - 9RM launch system and carries 16 R - 29RMU Sineva liquid - fueled missiles which each carry four independently targetable reentry vehicles ( MIRV s ) . Unlike previous modifications , the " Delta IV " submarine is able to fire missiles in any direction from a constant course in a circular sector . The underwater firing of the ballistic missiles can be conducted at a depth of 55 meters while cruising at a speed of 6 - 7 knots . All the missiles can be fired in a single salvo . The 667BDRM " Delphin " submarines are equipped with the TRV - 671 RTM missile - torpedo system that has four torpedo tubes with a calibre of 533 mm . Unlike the " Delta III " , it is capable of using all types of torpedo es , antisubmarine torpedo - missiles and anti - hydroacoustic devices . The battle management system Omnibus - BDRM controls all combat activities , processing data and commanding the torpedo and missile - torpedo weapons . The Shlyuz navigation system provides for the improved accuracy of the missiles and is capable of stellar navigation at periscope depths . The navigational system also employs two floating antenna buoys to receive radio - messages , target destination data and satellite navigation signals at great depth . The submarine is also equipped with the Skat - VDRM hydroacoustic system . The " Delta IV " submarines are strategic nuclear missile submarines designed to carry out strikes on military and industrial installations and naval bases . The submarine carries the RSM - 5 Makeyev missile ( NATO reporting name : SS - N - 23 Skiff ) submarine - launched ballistic missile ( SLBM ) . The RSM - 54 is a three - stage liquid - propellant ballistic missile with a range of 8 , 300 km . The warhead consists of four to ten multiple , independently targeted re - entry vehicles ( MIRVs ) each rated at 100 kt . The missile uses stellar inertial guidance to provide a circular error probable ( CEP ) of 500 m . The CEP value is a measure of the accuracy of strike on the target and is the radius of the circle within which half the strikes will impact . The submarine is also capable of launching the Novator SS - N - 15 Starfish anti - ship missile or Mk 40 anti - ship torpedoes . Starfish is armed with a 200 kt nuclear warhead and has a range of up to 45 km . The submarine has four 533 mm torpedo tubes capable of launching all types of torpedoes , including anti - submarine torpedoes and anti - hydroacoustic devices . The system is fitted with a rapid reloading torpedo system . The submarine can carry up to 18 missiles or torpedoes . All torpedoes are accommodated in the bow section of the hull . In 2011 K - 84 Ekaterinburg successfully tested a new version of the SS - N - 23 missile , reportedly designated R - 29RMU2 Liner . The missile has improved survivability against anti - ballistic missiles . Later on K - 114 Tula conducted another successful launch . Deployment . Initially all the " Delta IV " submarines were based with the Russian Northern Fleet at Olenya Bay . All the submarines of this class serve in 12th Squadron ( the former 3rd flotilla ) of strategic submarines of the Northern Fleet , which now located in Yagelnaya bay .