RF Barrakuda (945)

The Barrakuda, as seen in-game

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"The third generation of torpedo nuclear submarines of the Soviet Union. The lack of missiles is much more than compensated for by the ability to stay underwater for a long time." - In-game description

## Overview

RF Barrakuda (945) is a Russian tier 2 submarine. Characterized by its high oxygen capacity and lack of missiles, she thrives as an underwater killer. Her excessive durability with excellent maneuverability and decent speeds makes her a popular choice among submarines.

## Background History

RF Barrakuda (945) is a Russian Sierra class submarine, the first out of two to be built, NATO reporting name Sierra 1. The Sierra class are a class of nuclear powered attack submarines that were built for the Soviet navy and are currently in service with the Russian navy. Carp, the first submarine of the type, was laid down in July 1979 and launched in august 1983 before being fitted out in Severodvinsk and was laid up in 1997. The second hull was named "Kostroma" (Barrakuda is merely the project name) and was commissioned into the Russian navy in September 1987. K-276 Kostroma collided with the Los Angeles class submarine USS Baton Rouge on 11 February 1992 in the Barents sea, and was subsequently put into dry dock. The submarine was repaired on 3 June 1992 and renamed Krab 3 days later, but in 1996 the original name "Kostroma" was restored and is currently active in the Russian Northern fleet.

## Tactics

### Playing as a Barrakuda

Unlike the Type 636 and Seawolf, Barrakuda strikes a balance of offensive and defensive capabilities. It has a small, compact size similar to the Type 636 but has better turning, great health, and amazing oxygen time. This comes in very handy as the Barrakuda lacks any missiles and is a torpedo dedicated submarine. Her focus is underwater warfare, whether that be submarine hunting or carrier killing. If she is caught off guard when surfaced she can tank some hits before submerging. Her fast turn rate and decent speed means she can quickly engage targets or dodge oncoming torpedoes. It goes without saying that this vessel is a great threat to any and all ships.

Barrakuda is a popular pick among submarine players as its a dedicated underwater vessel with emphasis on oxygen and torpedoes. The most common torpedoes used are the HUWS torpedoes. High damage, high speed, spread among a total of 6 torpedoes is brought down only by its short range and below average reload time. The next pick is usually the Shkval as it possesses the highest DPM of tier 2 torpedoes. Again, its a short range, high damage torpedo but is extremely fast. Beyond that, the rest of the torpedoes are not as commonly used, but the Blue Shark and Mark-50 torpedoes achieve decent results. TA-53-56 is the least efficient torpedo as it's only good against slow moving targets such as carriers.

Getting more in-depth, the Barrakuda is an attack submarine that can excel in stealth maneuvers. Her oxygen time, as mentioned before, is one of the best and is key in keeping concealment. It's important to keep your distance between helicopters and enemy warships, especially other submarines, to not get spotted. Doing so can get your hands on the enemy carrier or flank enemy ships. If your ship is equipped with fast torpedoes, engage slow moving targets from the side or rear to have a higher hit chance. Engage fast targets from front or rear. If you have medium torpedoes firing angles are far less restrictive but its advised to follow a similar rule as fast torpedoes.

Since she is very effective at eliminating slow moving targets, carriers are most often a priority. However, half the carriers in tier 2 carry grenade launchers - a bomb-thrower that can destroy torpedoes. Often times a carrier player will take priority in their aircraft and leave the ship to the AI to defend it. The AI, when you are spotted, will always target you instead of torpedoes. Your torpedoes will often get caught in the crossfire and be destroyed forcing you to launch another salvo and have those destroyed as well. There is a very simple trick to avoid this issue. When reaching an adequate distance, position your ship perpendicular to your target and hit full reverse. This way you and your torpedoes are farther apart and are less likely to get hit. The distance is greater the faster your torpedoes are. But please remember that frontline ships can take priority targets over carriers and is especially helpful to your fleet in early stages of the fight. Aircrafts may be a great threat to you but your teammates can cover if you keep them alive.

### Playing along a Barrakuda

Barrakuda can become a key asset on the field and will, in most cases, rely on itself for protection and efficiency. However you can still help it when it is vulnerable or spotted. Like any other submarine, protect it with your AA when it is surfaced. Use torpedoes or grenade launchers to help it win underwater fights. Distract heavily armed anti-submarine warships. As a fellow submarine, you can help kill a tricky enemy submarine by getting a different firing angle on the enemy ship to have a sure hit. Same goes for surface warships.

### Playing against a Barrakuda

The first steps in fighting a Barrakuda is spotting it, but is much harder when it is submerged. Firstly, look at the map and try to look where torpedoes are suddenly appearing on the map. Next, scan the area using the right equipment or ship. Spotting a submerged vessel with fixed-wing aircraft is impossible. However, helicopters can spot them using sonar. Some helicopters are even equipped with anti-submarine weaponry like torpedoes or depth charges. Using a ship's sonar to spot them is very dangerous and is heavily advised against. Getting close to any submarine equipped with HUWS or Shkval is asking for a sinking, and most ships will have to get uncomfortably close to spot them. Submarines are the best at spotting another of its class. A submarine can dive under the waves and spot a submerged target far beyond its sonar range. They are also the best equipped to handle an enemy Barrakuda.

Once you've found them, you'll have to evaluate your ship, your weapons, and the conditions of the fight. A faster or more durable ship can fight a Barrakuda if your ship is ASW capable. More torpedoes and more grenade launchers can give them a very hard time as grenade launchers can not only be used to destroy a submarine but also destroy torpedoes as well, which may minimize damage to your ship and give you more time to fight them. HUWS torps can be exceedingly difficult to dodge especially when six are launched simultaneously. Submarines such as a Seawolf or even another Barrakuda are the most capable vessels of destroying them. They play equally on their field launching just as many torpedoes and use their speed and maneuverability to both dodge and position themselves in a more suitable firing position. Carriers are next to useless as they would have to wait almost 3-4 minutes for the player to surface and even those with grenade launchers may not able to defend themselves against a smart player. However, camping a low oxygen Barrakuda with aircraft can panic them into depleting their air supply and leave them unable to submerge for a few minutes. CN Type 075 is a good alternative as it has three helicopters and if they are anti-submarine capable they can attack at different positions, similar to how multiple teammates can fire upon a Barrakuda to obtain more guaranteed hits. Conditions of the fight also determine if you should engage or not. This includes remaining teammates, enemies, your health, the Barrakuda's health, and how much time is left. It's the difference between winning and losing.

Since submarine fights are the most practical, it is better to go more in-depth about submarine knife fighting. Knife fighting is when two vessels engage in close range combat where torpedoes and guns are hard to dodge. Although it's more well known in destroyers, submarines are just as capable. Tracking torpedoes are typically hard to dodge but firing at zero is guaranteed damage. To come out supreme in a fight you will have to position yourself in a way that makes it hard for them to ensure hits while tearing away at them with your torps. Being behind them or perpendicular against them are prime examples. When turning into torpedoes is not enough, you can always surface to rapidly launch your vessel upwards to have incoming torpedoes miss. The winner is often determined by the individuals knowledge of one's ship and deciphering how the enemy fights. Truly, knife fights are a test of skill and whoever comes out alive is simply the better player.

## Suggested Armaments Setup

**Fast Attack** - Purpose is to attack at such fast speeds that targets have little time to counter. HUWS and Shkval share similar aspects and possess high speeds to justify your fast attack methods. Both are equally devastating for enemy carriers as both torpedoes have the highest damage per minute of tier 2.

* **Torpedoes**: HUWS or Shkval --> (Short range, high damage, high speeds, multiple launch torpedoes are harder to dodge)

**Multipurpose** - As the name suggests, the purpose is to keep this ship well balanced and suited for all situations. Blue Shark and Mark-50 torpedoes share similar medium speeds which is great for tracking slow and fast targets. These torpedoes are more capable of ensuring hits on faster vessels unlike the previous.

* **Torpedoes**: Blue Shark or Mark-50 --> (Medium to long range, decent speed, great tracking)

**The Shark** - This build capitalizes on the maximum possible one hit damage with the highest Hit rates. While it is not the most reactive build nor the most versatile, once locked the TA 53-65K torpedoes are RELENTLESS in their pursuit of the enemy no matter how hard they maneuver and can cripple most ships in only one or two salvos of torpedo firings courtesy of their high damage (rivals a nuclear tomahawk).

* **Torpedoes**: TA 53-65K --> (Medium to long range, Slow speed but best tracking, high damage)

## Advantages and Disadvantages

### Advantages

* High durability.
* High maneuverability.
* Exceptional oxygen capacity.
* Smaller size.
* Affordable price,

### Disadvantages

* Lacks any missiles.
* Slightly slower than other attack submarines.
* Surfacing has no other purpose than gaining oxygen time.

## Trivia

* Smallest submarine width of 8 meters.
* 2nd smallest submarine in terms of displacement.
* Barrakuda is the only submarine in this game that lacks missiles.

## Gallery

RF Barrakuda alongside RF Kursk.Barrakuda launching a BA-111 Shkval torpedo.