Soviet submarine K-320
The nuclear-powered Charlie-I Soviet submarine K-320 had a reactor accident on 18 January 1970, while under construction in Gorky. The submarine was repaired, commissioned on 15 September 1971 and was stricken in 1994.
Description
The Charlie I-class submarine was a partially double-hulled design that displaced on the surface and submerged. The boats had an overall length of, a beam of and a draught of. They had a test depth of and a design depth of. The crew numbered 86 officers and enlisted men.The submarines were powered by a single VM-4 reactor that supplied steam for the OK-350 steam turbine driving the propeller shaft. The turbine produced that was intended to propel them at a speed of. The Charlie Is were equipped with two turbogenerators and a diesel generator. The boats made on the surface and reached underwater.
Armament, sensors and fire control
The submarines' primary armament consisted of eight P-70 Ametist anti-ship missiles in individual tubes between the inner and outer hulls. The tubes were angled upwards at an angle of 32.5 degrees. As the missile used four solid-propellant boosters, it could be launched underwater at a maximum depth of. No more than five missiles could be fired in one volley and the second volley could be fired three minutes later. The Charlie Is were equipped with four and two torpedo tubes in the bow to allow the submarine to act as a normal attack submarine after her missiles were expended. The boats stowed eight reloads for the 533 mm tubes and four for the 406 mm ones.The small size of the Charlie Is forced a smaller and less effective MGK-100 Kerch sonar system occupied the nose of the lower inner hull. It was fitted with both active and passive transducers and was intended to detect carrier battle groups at medium ranges. It would transmit the data to the missiles for its initial targeting. Once fired, the submarine did not have to provide any further targeting data as the missile was equipped with a radar of its own. The submarines were fitted with a Snoop Tray search radar.