Name K-279 Laid down 1971 Decommissioned 1992 Construction started 1971 Length 139 m Builder Sevmash | Ordered 1965 Commissioned 22 December 1972 Fate Dismantled, 1998 Launched January 1972 Beam 12 m | |
K-279 was the first Project 667B Murena (also known by the NATO reporting name "Delta-I") ballistic missile submarine of the Soviet Navy. Development of Project 667B began in 1965. Her keel was laid down in 1971 by Sevmash at the Severodvinsk shipyard. She was launched in January 1972, and commissioned in the Soviet Northern Fleet on 22 December 1972.
Service history
In 1983, while operating under the Arctic Ocean icecap at the depth of 190 meters (625 feet), K-279 struck an iceberg. The submarine rolled about 20 degrees and lost depth control, diving to 300 meters (1000 feet) before recovering. The submarine continued her mission for another two months before returning to port, despite the significant damage she had suffered. The Soviet Navy published an advisory to submarine captains warning that the bottoms of icebergs can extend to depths of 200 meters (650 feet) or more.
The American writers claims that on 20 October 1986, USS Augusta (SSN-710) collided with K-279 in the eastern Atlantic. Soviets claims that Augusta collided with K-457.
In 1992, K-279 was decommissioned and held in reserve. In 1998 she was dismantled at Zvezdochka shipyard in Severodvinsk and her reactor section was towed to Sayda Bay.