The Red October: The Submarine That Inspired a Movie and Shattered Records
Contents
- 1 The Real Red October: Who Was She?
- 2 The Background and Construction
- 3 The Accidental Discovery and the Impact of the Movie Accidental Discovery
- 4 The Red October’s Post-Cold War Fate
- 5 Legacy and Trivia** The real Red October left an indelible mark on history, with these interesting facts and anecdotes: * **Typhoon-class subs were known for their durability**, with some lasting into the 2000s as floating targets for missile and torpedo tests. * The **Red October was involved in several high-profile tests**, including a successful exercise in 1989 when it **launched three R-39 missiles**, demonstrating its capabilities and a testament to the USSR’s military prowess. * A **Scale model of the Red October** sits proudly in the **Naval Museum of the Soviet Fleet** in Moscow, paying tribute to the incredible submarines that once served the Soviet navy. The Mystery of the Red October Submarine
The Real Red October: Who Was She?
The Red October is not just a fictional submarine that captured the imagination of many in the 1990 movie "The Hunt for Red October" based on Tom Clancy’s best-selling novel. It has a real-life counterpart that has an equally impressive and fascinating story. So, what happened to the real Red October submarine? The answer lies in history, and it’s more fascinating than fiction.
The Background and Construction
The real Red October was a Soviet-era ballistic missile submarine, specifically the SSBN (Ship, Submarine, Ballistic Nuclear) Typhoon class, which was one of the largest and most sophisticated submarines ever built. With a length of 180 meters (590 feet), a beam of 23 meters (75 feet), and a draft of 12 meters (40 feet), it was capable of carrying 20 R-39 (NATO-designated SS-N-20 Sturgeon) nuclear-armed ballistic missiles. This behemoth of the seas was built at the Slava Shipyard in Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg) and launched in 1981.
Key Specifications:
- Length: 180 meters (590 feet)
- Beam: 23 meters (75 feet)
- Draft: 12 meters (40 feet)
- Displacement: 36,000 tons when submerged
- Propulsion: 2x M70 pressurized-water reactors
- Top speed: 29 knots (54 km/h; 33 mph)
- Range: 1,000 nautical miles (1,850 km; 1,150 miles) at a cruising speed of 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph)
- Crew: 160
The Accidental Discovery and the Impact of the Movie>Accidental Discovery
In 2000, a documentary crew from the British TV series “The Hunt for a Submarine” accidentally discovered the real Red October **lying in a floating dock at the Sevmash shipyard in Murmansk, Russia**. The submarine had been sitting there for over 20 years, since the early 1990s when the Soviet Union disintegrated and the Russian navy began to downsize and decommission its aging fleet.
**The Accidental Discovery:**
* Documentarians from the BBC film “The Hunt for a Submarine” arrived in Murmansk, intent on filming a documentary about Russian submarines.
* Upon approaching the Sevmash shipyard, they spotted an unusual-looking submarine sitting in a floating dock, partly covered with tarps.
* The crew had mistakenly identified the submarine as the Soviet-era **Alfa-class** submarine, the S-80.
* A closer inspection revealed the striking resemblance to the **Typhoon-class** submarine **Red October**, a nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine similar to the one described in Tom Clancy’s book.
The Red October’s Post-Cold War Fate
The real Red October’s fate was to languish in the dockyard, slowly rusting and decaying, for more than two decades. Here’s a brief overview of its post-Cold War history:
* In 1992, Russia **withdrew from the ABM Treaty**, making further modernization and refurbishments of the Typhoon class unnecessary.
* **1994: The submarine’s reactors were removed** in an attempt to reuse parts for other Russian nuclear vessels.
* **2002: The Sevmash shipyard announced plans** to scrap the submarine as part of a fleet consolidation effort.
* **2011: The submarine’s hull was finally cleared for scrapping**, although estimates suggest it took years more for the actual demolition work to begin.
* Upon approaching the Sevmash shipyard, they spotted an unusual-looking submarine sitting in a floating dock, partly covered with tarps.
* The crew had mistakenly identified the submarine as the Soviet-era **Alfa-class** submarine, the S-80.
* A closer inspection revealed the striking resemblance to the **Typhoon-class** submarine **Red October**, a nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine similar to the one described in Tom Clancy’s book.
* **1994: The submarine’s reactors were removed** in an attempt to reuse parts for other Russian nuclear vessels.
* **2002: The Sevmash shipyard announced plans** to scrap the submarine as part of a fleet consolidation effort.
* **2011: The submarine’s hull was finally cleared for scrapping**, although estimates suggest it took years more for the actual demolition work to begin.
