K-407'' Novomoskovsk'' is a Project 667BDRM ''Delfin''-class ballistic missile submarine (

NATO reporting name NATO uses a system of code names, called reporting names, to denote military aircraft and other equipment used by post-Soviet states, former Warsaw Pact countries, China, and other countries. The system assists military communications by providi ...

Delta IV) of the

Russian Navy The Russian Navy is the Navy, naval arm of the Russian Armed Forces. It has existed in various forms since 1696. Its present iteration was formed in January 1992 when it succeeded the Navy of the Commonwealth of Independent States (which had i ...

Northern Fleet The Northern Fleet (, ''Severnyy flot'') is the Naval fleet, fleet of the Russian Navy in the Arctic. According to the Russian ministry of defence: "The Northern Fleet dates its history back to a squadron created in 1733 to protect the terri ...

Background

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 ...

''K-407'' ''Novomoskovsk'' began at the Northern Machinebuilding Enterprise (

Sevmash JSC PO Sevmash () is a Russia, Russian joint-stock company (JSC) under the Vertical integration, vertically-integrated United Shipbuilding Corporation. The Shipyard, shipbuilding operations of Sevmash is in the port city of Severodvinsk on the Whi ...

) in

Severodvinsk Severodvinsk (; ) 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 2021 Census, the population was 157,213. Due to the p ...

on 2 February 1987, and it became part of the

Soviet Navy The Soviet Navy was the naval warfare Military, uniform service branch of the Soviet Armed Forces. Often referred to as the Red Fleet, the Soviet Navy made up a large part of the Soviet Union's strategic planning in the event of a conflict with t ...

on 27 November 1990. She was the last of seven 667BDRM ''Delfin'' submarines and the last

SSBN A ballistic missile submarine is a submarine capable of deploying submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) with nuclear warheads. These submarines became a major weapon system in the Cold War because of their nuclear deterrence capabil ...

submarine built in the USSR. This class of submarines was developed at the

Rubin Design Bureau Rubin Central Design Bureau for Marine Engineering (), abbreviated as TsKB "Rubin" (), located in Saint-Petersburg, Saint Petersburg, is the largest of Russia's three main centers of submarine design, the other two being Malakhit Marine Engineerin ...

in 1975 and is considered one of the most successful Soviet submarine missile carrier designs.

Specification

The submarine has a submerged displacement of 18,200 tons and a surface displacement of 11,700 tons. It is long and wide. It is powered by two nuclear reactors with a total power of . The submarine's immersion depth is ; its surface speed is , and its underwater speed is . It carries a crew of 135. Armaments include a D-9RM missile system (16 RSM-54 ballistic missiles) and four

torpedo tube A torpedo tube is a cylindrical device for launching torpedoes. There are two main types of torpedo tube: underwater tubes fitted to submarines and some surface ships, and deck-mounted units (also referred to as torpedo launchers) installed aboa ...

s. The RSM-54 missile (3M37,

R-29RM The R-29RM (, NATO reporting name SS-N-23 Skiff) was a liquid propellant, submarine-launched ballistic missile in use by the Russian Navy. It had the alternate Russian designations RSM-54 and GRAU index 3M27. It was designed to be launched from ...

, or SS-N-23 according to the NATO classification) is a liquid-propellant, three-stage missile with separable heads (it carries four or ten warheads depending on the modification). It has a range of , a CEP of , and a launching mass of 40.3 tons. It is long and in diameter.

History

On 6 August 1991 at 21:09 ''Novomoskovsk'', under the command of Captain Second Rank Sergey Yegorov, became the world's only submarine to successfully launch an all-missile

salvo A salvo is the simultaneous discharge of artillery or firearms including the firing of guns either to hit a target or to perform a salute. As a tactic in warfare, the intent is to cripple an enemy in many blows at once and prevent them from f ...

, launching 16 ballistic missiles (RSM-54) of total weight of almost 700 tons at an interval of several seconds (operation code name "Behemoth-2"). The first and the last missiles hit their targets successfully, while the others were self-destroyed in the air according to the plan. This operation was considered by the

as a part of possible

nuclear war Nuclear warfare, also known as atomic warfare, is a War, military conflict or prepared Policy, political strategy that deploys nuclear weaponry. Nuclear weapons are Weapon of mass destruction, weapons of mass destruction; in contrast to conven ...

scenario ("Dress rehearsal of the Apocalypse") and experimentally confirmed the technical possibility of a safe underwater all-missile salvo. Politically, the Soviet ballistic missile submarines passed a reasonability check as a part of strategic triad. The previous attempt of an all-missile salvo (operation code name "Behemoth") was performed in 1989 and finished unsuccessfully, however with no casualties. As the experiment took place just before the

August Putsch The 1991 Soviet coup attempt, also known as the August Coup, was a failed attempt by hardliners of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) to forcibly seize control of the country from Mikhail Gorbachev, who was Soviet President and ...

in the

USSR The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

, its results were forgotten for a while, and the crew's work wasn't rewarded by the Soviet government authorities. On 19 March 1993, ''Novomoskovsk'', under the command of Captain First Rank

Andrey Bulgakov Andrey (Андрей) is a masculine given name predominantly used in Slavic languages, including Belarusian, Bulgarian, and Russian. The name is derived from the ancient Greek Andreas (Ἀνδρέας), meaning "man" or "warrior". In Eastern O ...

, collided with . The American submarine was trailing the Russian submarine and miscalculated its speed. Both submarines returned to their homeports, and though badly damaged both returned to service. ''Grayling'' was decommissioned in 1997, while ''Novomoskovsk'' remains in service 30 years later. In 1996, ''Novomoskovsk'', together with the submarine , successfully fired a batch of ballistic missiles. The city of Novomoskovsk in

Tula Oblast Tula Oblast () is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject (an Oblasts of Russia, oblast) of Russia. It is geographically located in European Russia and is administratively part of the Central Federal District, covering an area of . It has a ...

took the submarine under its

patronage Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows on another. In the history of art, art patronage refers to the support that princes, popes, and other wealthy and influential people ...

, and on June 19, 1997, ''K-407'' received the name ''Novomoskovsk''. On 7 July 1998, ''Novomoskovsk'', under the command of Captain 1st Rank Aleksandr Moiseyev, launched a Shtil-1 carrier rocket with two German scientific

Tubsat-N Tubsat-N was a German miniaturized satellite for communication designed by Technische Universität Berlin. The satellite was launched on July 7, 1998 by the Russian submarine K-407 ''Novomoskovsk'' in Barents Sea using a Shtil' rocket. Tubsat-N h ...

and Tubsat-N1

microsatellites A microsatellite is a tract of repetitive DNA in which certain DNA motifs (ranging in length from one to six or more base pairs) are repeated, typically 5–50 times. Microsatellites occur at thousands of locations within an organism's genome. T ...

while submerged in the

Barents Sea The Barents Sea ( , also ; , ; ) is a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean, located off the northern coasts of Norway and Russia and divided between Norwegian and Russian territorial waters.World Wildlife Fund, 2008. It was known earlier among Russi ...

. The satellite, developed by

Technische Universität Berlin (TU Berlin; also known as Berlin Institute of Technology and Technical University of Berlin, although officially the name should not be translated) is a public university, public research university located in Berlin, Germany. It was the first ...

, was placed in orbit on an SS-N-23 (RSM-54)-type ballistic missile. The

was paid some 200,000

German Mark The Deutsche Mark (; "German mark"), abbreviated "DM" or "D-Mark" (), was the official currency of West Germany from 1948 until 1990 and later of unified Germany from 1990 until the adoption of the euro in 2002. In English, it was typically c ...

(US$111,000) for the launch. In 1999, ''Novomoskovsk'' pioneered the launch of a ballistic missile from the geographic location of the

North Pole The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is the point in the Northern Hemisphere where the Earth's rotation, Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface. It is called the True North Pole to distingu ...

. On 17 February 2004, ''Novomoskovsk'' seemingly attempted to test-fire a SS-N-23 ballistic missile, but the missile failed to come out of its silo because of an unspecified technical problem. The

, despite earlier statements describing the test, explained that no "physical" launch was intended at all: the exercise was supposed to be a simulation.

President of Russia The president of Russia, officially the president of the Russian Federation (), is the executive head of state of Russia. The president is the chair of the State Council (Russia), Federal State Council and the President of Russia#Commander-in-ch ...

Vladimir Putin Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who has served as President of Russia since 2012, having previously served from 2000 to 2008. Putin also served as Prime Minister of Ru ...

was aboard , an ''Akula''-class ballistic missile submarine (

Typhoon), to observe the exercise. On 17 March 2004, ''Novomoskovsk'' physically test-fired two SS-N-23 ballistic missiles, successfully hitting designated practice targets on the

Kamchatka Peninsula The Kamchatka Peninsula (, ) 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 western coastlines, respectively. Immediately offshore along the Pacific ...

. Like the other 667BDRM ''Delfin'' ships in service with the

, ''K-407'' is slated to receive new

SLBMs A submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) is a ballistic missile capable of being launched from submarines. Modern variants usually deliver multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles (MIRVs), each of which carries a nuclear warhead an ...

to replace the RSM-54. The missile is a new-build, minor modernization of the RSM-54. It does not bear a separate designator from the RSM-54/R-29RM/SS-N-23 asides from the name "Sineva". Testing of the R-29RM "Sineva" was completed in June 2004. ''Novomoskovsk'' is the third ''Delfin''-class submarine in line to receive the new missile (after her siblings K-51 ''Verkhoturye'' and K-84 ''Ekaterinburg''). She was fully overhauled and modernized in 2006 before returning to service. In July 2006, cleric of Aleksandr Nevskiy Cathedral, the head of the Diocesan department on interaction with the Armed Forces and law enforcement agencies, priest Leonid Leontiuk was temporarily included in the personnel list of the K-18 ''Kareliya'' and was on board of K-407 ''Novomoskovsk''. During the deployment the priest has performed the

consecration Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects ( ...

ceremony of submarine's compartments, met with submarine personnel, led discussions on the basics of

faith Faith is confidence or trust in a person, thing, or concept. In the context of religion, faith is " belief in God or in the doctrines or teachings of religion". According to the Merriam-Webster's Dictionary, faith has multiple definitions, inc ...

and spiritual life. Six sailors got

baptized Baptism (from ) is a Christian sacrament of initiation almost invariably with the use of water. It may be performed by sprinkling or pouring water on the head, or by immersing in water either partially or completely, traditionally three ...

on board. In November 2008 K-407 ''Novomoskovsk'' went to the

Zvezdochka Zvyozdochka () is the name of several inhabited localities in Russia. ;Urban localities *Zvyozdochka, Sakha Republic, an urban-type settlement in Ust-Maysky District of the Sakha Republic ;Rural localities * Zvyozdochka, Irkutsk Oblast, a settle ...

plant for general overhaul and modernization. On 29 July 2012 the refit was finished and the submarine returned to active service. The submarine was expected to remain in service until 2020. However, she was still listed in commission as of 2022.

2010s

''Novomoskovsk'' was described in Russian sources as being "worthy" of the proud name of "the most shooting" submarine of the

. The submarine is part of the 31st

Order of the Red Banner The Order of the Red Banner () was the first Soviet military decoration. The Order was established on 16 September 1918, during the Russian Civil War by decree of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee. It was the highest award of S ...

underwater strategic missile cruiser division of the 12th submarine squadron of the

(

Olenya Bay Olenya Bay or Olenya Guba () is a bay of the Barents Sea on the Kola Peninsula in the Murmansk Oblast, Russia. It is an extension of the Kola Inlet, which opens out to the north into the Barents Sea. The Pechenga River discharges into the bay. GU ...

, Skalisty Naval Base). The submarine's commander in 2012 was Captain Stepan Kelbas. As a member of association of Russian regions and cities, patrons of Northern Fleet ships and units, the

patronages K-114 ''Tula'' and ''K-407'' ''Novomoskovsk'' submarines and assists in "patriotic education" and preparation of young people for serving in the

Armed Forces of the Russian Federation The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, commonly referred to as the Russian Armed Forces, are the military of Russia. They are organized into three service branches—the Ground Forces, Navy, and Aerospace Forces—two independent comba ...

. Citizens of Novomoskovsk have preference to serve on ''K-407'' ''Novomoskovsk''. The submarine crew are regularly provided by humanitarian goods and visited by the city authorities.

In popular culture

In 2007, Russian plastic model manufacturer Alanger introduced a 1:350 scale model of ''K-407'' ''Novomoskovsk''.'Alanger Novomoskovsk K-407 Review'
. Steve Backer. In 2021,

Rockstar Games Rockstar Games, Inc. is an American video game publisher based in New York City. The company was established in December 1998 as a subsidiary of Take-Two Interactive, using the assets Take-Two had previously acquired from BMG Interactive. Foun ...

added to GTA Online Kosatka, A Submarine owned by player, and run by Russian sailor called Pavel. The Submarine is highly based on 407 Novomoskovsk

Notes

References

* Yuriy Apalkov, Podvodnyye lodki, vol. 1, part 1 "RPKSN i mnogotselevyye PL" (St. Petersburg: Galea Print, 2002). * Yuriy Apalkov, Podvodnyye lodki, vol. 1, part 2 "Mnogotselevyye PL i PL spetsnaznacheniya" (St. Petersburg: Galea Print, 2003). * S.S. Berezhnoy, Atomnyye podvodnyye lodki: VMF SSSR i Rossii (Moscow: Naval Kollektsiya, 2001). * V. Demyanovskiy et al., Podvodnyy shchit SSSR, vol. 1 "Atomnyye mnogotselevyye podvodnyye lodki" (Rybnisk: Star, 2003). *

Jane's Fighting Ships ''Janes Fighting Ships'' is an annual reference book of each country's warship, navy and coast guard, along with their weapons and aircraft. Included are ship names, construction data, size, speed, range, complement, engineering, armament, a ...

(2004–2005), 591.

External links

*'' Операция "Бегемот"''
Photogallery of sub in December 2010 at www.flot.ruStrategic Fleet (Russian strategic nuclear forces)Ballistic missile submarine K-407 "Novomoskovsk"

The History of Nuclear Submarine K-407 "Novomoskovsk"

667BDRM "Delfin" Serie

* ttp://www.cosmoworld.ru/spaceencyclopedia/publications/index.shtml?zhelez_34.html Александр Железняков. Операция "Бегемот-2"
Operation "Behemoth". TV show "Smotr" broadcast on 23.12.2006, including documentary video

Bombers and submarines launch missiles during exercises
{{DEFAULTSORT:Novomoskovsk (K-407) Delta-class submarines Ships built in the Soviet Union 1990 ships Cold War submarines of the Soviet Union Submarines of Russia Ships of the Russian Northern Fleet Maritime incidents in 1993 Ships built by Sevmash