Victor III-class

The Victor III, designated Project 671RTM/RTMK Shchuka, is a nuclear-powered attack submarine developed for the Soviet Navy. Part of the Project 671 series initiated in 1959 by SKB-143, the Victor III variant entered service in 1979. Production continued until 1991, with 25 units completed at the Sudomekh Shipyard.

The class features a teardrop hull design for speed and was designed to protect surface fleets and track ballistic missile submarines. The Victor III utilized acoustic quieting techniques, including raft mounting for machinery. A pod mounted on the vertical stern-plane serves as a hydrodynamic housing for a reelable towed passive sonar array, a system later integrated into the Sierra and Akula classes. Sensors include the MGK-503 Skat-KS sonar suite with active, passive, and flank arrays, alongside active ice avoidance sonar. Navigation and electronic warfare equipment include the MRK-50 Albatros-series radar and Zaliv-P/Buleva intercept systems. Late production models received further acoustic modifications.

Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the vessels transitioned to the Russian Navy. While 21 units of the Victor III class have been disposed of, two remain in service with the Northern Fleet: B-138 Obninsk and B-448 Tambov. The latter returned to active status following a refit completed between 2022 and 2023.

Operational records include several maritime encounters and technical incidents. In 1981, K-324 collided with USS Drum in Peter the Great Bay. In October 1983, K-324 became entangled with the towed array of the frigate USS McCloy west of Bermuda, which forced the submarine to surface. In March 1984, K-314 collided with the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk in the Sea of Japan. In September 2006, the Daniil Moskovskiy experienced an electronics fire while operating in the Barents Sea, resulting in two crew fatalities. That vessel was formally decommissioned in October 2022.