Name Orel Laid down 19 January 1989 Construction started 19 January 1989 Length 154 m | Namesake City of Orel Commissioned 30 December 1992 Launched 22 May 1992 Beam 18 m | |
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Status Undergoing modernization | ||
The Orel (K-266) is a Project 949A Antey nuclear-powered cruise missile submarine (SSGN) (NATO codename Oscar II). She is one of three Oscar II submarines still serving in the Russian Northern Fleet, all assigned to the 11th Submarine Division, berthed at Guba Bolshaya Lopatka (part of Zapadnaya Litsa, also known as Zaozersk), on the Kola Peninsula northwest of Severomorsk.
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History
She was laid down at the Sevmash Shipyard in Severodvinsk on 19 January 1989. From 1991-1993 she was known as Severodvinsk, but was renamed Orel on 20 March 1993 (some sources say 6 April 1993) and entered service with the Russian Navy that same year.
The Russian newspaper Izvestia reported that Orel is to be overhauled in 2013. She is to have her shaft-line changed to correct problems during construction that left her very easily tracked by sonar. Additionally, her P-700 Granit (NATO codename SS-N-19 Shipwreck) antiship submarine launched cruise missiles (SLCM) will be replaced by more modern, supersonic, P-800 Oniks (NATO codename SS-N-26) antiship SLCMs.
2015 fire
Whilst in dock at the Zvezdochka shipyard on 7 April 2015, it was reported that a fire broke out "in the ninth section of the sub close to the stern". The fire was caused by insulation materials catching fire during welding. It was reported the submarine did not have nuclear weapons or fuel on board at the time.