K-114'' Tula'' (К-114 ''Тула'') is a Project 667BDRM ''Delfin''-class ( NATO reporting name: Delta IV)

nuclear-powered Nuclear power is the use of nuclear reactions to produce electricity. Nuclear power can be obtained from nuclear fission, nuclear decay and nuclear fusion reactions. Presently, the vast majority of electricity from nuclear power is produced b ...

ballistic missile submarine (SSBN). As such, she carries a complement of R-29RM ''Shtil'' and R-29RMU ''Sineva'' nuclear submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBM) as her primary deterrent mission, along with

anti-ship missile An anti-ship missile (AShM) is a guided missile that is designed for use against ships and large boats. Most anti-ship missiles are of the sea skimming variety, and many use a combination of inertial guidance and active radar homing. A goo ...

s and

torpedo A modern torpedo is an underwater ranged weapon launched above or below the water surface, self-propelled towards a target, and with an explosive warhead designed to detonate either on contact with or in proximity to the target. Historically, s ...

es, the latter for self-defense. Built in

Severodvinsk Severodvinsk ( rus, Северодвинск, p=sʲɪvʲɪrɐdˈvʲinsk) is a city in the north of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia, located in the delta of the Northern Dvina, west of Arkhangelsk, the administrative center of the oblast. As of the ...

during the late 1980s, she served with the Soviet Navy before being transferred to the Russian Navy following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. ''Tula'' underwent an extensive overhaul during 2000–2004 and was fitted with upgraded ''Shtil'' SLBMs, several of which were launched from her during her later operational life. She was sponsored by the city of Tula, and is homeported in

Gadzhiyevo Gadzhiyevo (russian: Гаджи́ево) is a town under the administrative jurisdiction of the closed administrative-territorial formation of Alexandrovsk in Murmansk Oblast, Russia. Population: It was previously known as ''Yagelnaya Guba'' ( ...

Construction

Construction of the

nuclear submarine A nuclear submarine is a submarine powered by a nuclear reactor, but not necessarily nuclear-armed. Nuclear submarines have considerable performance advantages over "conventional" (typically diesel-electric) submarines. Nuclear propulsion, ...

''Tula'' (K-114) began at the Northern Machinebuilding Enterprise (

Sevmash JSC PO Sevmash ( rus, ОАО «ПО „Севмаш“», Севмаш, СМПСМП, "Severodvinsk Machine Building Plant") is a Russian joint-stock company (JSC) under the vertically-integrated United Shipbuilding Corporation. The shipbuilding ...

) in

on 22 February 1984, before being commissioned into the Soviet Navy on 30 October 1987. She was the fourth of the seven-boat Project 667BDRM ''Delfin'' class, which was developed at the

Rubin Design Bureau Rubin Central Design Bureau for Marine Engineering ( Russian: Центральное конструкторское бюро "Рубин", shortened to ЦКБ "Рубин") in Saint Petersburg is one of three main Russian centers of submarine desi ...

in September 1975. A ballistic missile submarine, she was designed primarily to carry up to 16 R-29RM ''Shtil'' (NATO designation: SS-N-23 Skiff) SLBM for use against military and industrial facilities in the case of a nuclear war. Each ''Shtil'' missile carries ten 100 kt multiple independently targeted reentry vehicles, and has a circular error probable of . She is also equipped with RPK-7 ''Veter'' (NATO designation: SS-N-16 Stallion) anti-ship missile for use against enemy submarines, and self-defense torpedoes.

Operational history

Due to her nature as an SSBN, and like most submarines, the operation of ''Tula'' is mostly classified. During 1987–1988, the boat conducted seven patrols, including five in the

Arctic The Arctic ( or ) is a polar region located at the northernmost part of Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean, adjacent seas, and parts of Canada (Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut), Danish Realm (Greenland), Finland, Iceland, N ...

, 17 combat duties, and firing of twelve missiles. In October 1990, Soviet Deputy Minister of Defense General V. M. Kochetov visited ''Tula''; this happened shortly before the collapse of the Soviet Union, when the boat was transferred to the Russian Navy. Until 2000, she logged in total distance travelled, of which was submerged. From June 2000 until 21 April 2004, ''Tula'' underwent overhaul at the Zvezdochka shipyard,

, the third boat after ''Verkhoturie'' (K-51) and ''Ekaterinburg'' (K-84). The overhaul extended her service life by ten years, and allowed her to carry R-29RMU ''Sineva'' missiles. She conducted sea trials in early 2006 and re-entered service shortly thereafter, despite plans to do so in 2005. ''Tula'' post-overhaul operational history is characterised by a number of missile launches, the first of which occurred on 17 December 2007, when she launched a ''Sineva'' missile aimed at the

Kura Test Range Kura Missile Test Range ( rus, Ракетный полигон Кура́), originally known as ''Kama'', is a Russian intercontinental ballistic missile impact area located in northern Kamchatka Krai in the Russian Far East. It is the destinat ...

in the

Kamchatka Peninsula The Kamchatka Peninsula (russian: полуостров Камчатка, Poluostrov Kamchatka, ) is a peninsula in the Russian Far East, with an area of about . The Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Okhotsk make up the peninsula's eastern and w ...

. Within eight days, ''Tula'' launched another missile, again aimed at Kura; both tests were successful. Another four launches took place during 2008–2011, mostly from the

Barents Sea The Barents Sea ( , also ; no, Barentshavet, ; russian: Баренцево море, Barentsevo More) is a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean, located off the northern coasts of Norway and Russia and divided between Norwegian and Russian territo ...

. On 11 October 2008, ''Tula'' launched a ''Sineva'' while submerged. The missile reached the equatorial Pacific region after having flown for , a record for the missile. The launch was part of the bigger "Stabilnost 2008" exercise, which comprised eight

surface ship Surface combatants (or surface ships or surface vessels) are a subset of naval warships which are designed for warfare on the surface of the water, with their own weapons and armed forces. They are generally ships built to fight other ships, subma ...

s, five submarines, 11 aircraft and 5,000 sailors. ''Tula'' launched the ''Sineva'' again on 4 March 2010 after an unremarkable 2009. The test was successful, as was another launch of two more missiles, on 6 August 2010, aimed at the Kura Test Range. On 29 September 2011, ''Tula'' conducted the latest launch of the ''Sineva'' missile aimed at Kura from the Barents Sea. ''Tula'' received a second major overhaul in 2014 by the Ship Repair Center ''Zvezdochka'' and returned to active service in December 2017. In 2022 during the Ukraine crisis, the submarine participated in nuclear exercises together with other elements of Russian nuclear triad forces.https://thebarentsobserver.com/en/security/2022/10/russia-tested-all-legs-nuclear-triad-over-arctic

References

External links

"667BDRM Dolphin Delta IV"31st Sub Div, Saida-Guba, Gaszhievo, West
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tula (K-114) 1987 ships Ships built in the Soviet Union Delta-class submarines Cold War submarines of the Soviet Union Submarines of Russia Ships of the Russian Northern Fleet Ships built by Sevmash