The Kilo-Class Submarine: Why Russia's Enemies Fear "The Black Hole"

The National Interest ^ | October 23, 2016 | Kyle Mizokami

[Strategy]

Unlike the United States Navy, which went all-in on nuclear power, Russia maintains fleets of both diesel and nuclear-powered submarines. A land power encompassing much of Eurasia, Russian submarines are based much closer to "the action" than American submarines are. While Russia maintains nuclear submarines for distant ocean patrols, its fleet of diesel submarines is more than adequate for conflicts in Europe, the Middle East and the Russian near abroad.

The mainstay of the Russian Navy's conventionally powered fleet are Project 877-class submarines, known as the Kilo class to NATO and the West. Nicknamed the "Black Hole" submarine by the U.S. Navy, the improved Kilos are extremely quiet. The class has been built more or less continuously for thirty years, a testament to their effectiveness at sea.

The Kilo class was originally meant to serve the navies of the Warsaw Pact countries, replacing older Whiskey- and Foxtrot-class boats. The sub measures just 238 feet long by thirty-two feet wide, and displace 3,076 tons submerged. The ship has a crew of just twelve officers and forty-one enlisted men, and has an endurance of forty-five days before needing to be resupplied.

[Secret Agent Man]

Replace diversity with drama, and you’re correct.

[Secret Agent Man]

Yuppers.

[Secret Agent Man]

Or the cattiness.

[Lower Deck]

They have one of these you can tour in San Diego. Very cool ginormous compared to a WWII sub.

That one is a Foxtrot. Older and larger than the Kilo class.

[Paladin2]

What ever happened to those Russian torpedoes that ran fast in their own cavitation bubble?

[Hot Tabasco]

twelve officers and forty-one enlisted men,

Kinda top heavy in management........

[justlurking]

What happened to the Tango Class?

LOL, I was going to post the same question! :-)

[justlurking]

For the record, I am one of the only few that got your Tango joke.

Yeah, I looked through the responses, and wondered: Whiskey, Tango, ..... aaaahhhh, never mind.

[rmlew]

Strictly speaking, the Tango Class did replace the Foxtrot SSK (conventionl hunter killer sub). The Whiskey Class SSG (conventional powered cruise missile submarine) was replaced by the Juliett Class SSG and the Echo I and II class SSGN

[TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig]

In the 1980s toshiba illegally sold the Russians the milling technology that allowed the Ruakies to make the J shaped screws that made the Kilo class diesel subs super silent.