350-033 SOVIET NUCLEAR-POWERED SUBMARINE PR.661 ANCHAR/PAPA-CLASS

The K-161, later the K-222 (other designations: Anczar type or Papa class) was a Soviet nuclear powered fighter submarine (ANN). The keel for the ship was laid in 1963, the launch took place in December 1968, and the unit entered service in the Soviet Navy in 1969-1970. The length of the ship was 106.9 m, width 11.5 m, and the underwater displacement - about 6,300 tons. The maximum underwater speed is approx. 42-44 knots. The ship had four 533 mm torpedo tubes. K-161 was the only representative of the Anczar type. From the very beginning, its aim was to achieve the best possible parameters in terms of maximum speed and depth of immersion. For this purpose, the unit received a well-shaped hydrodynamically shaped hull made of titanium alloys - similarly to the Alpha class units. Thanks to the use of titanium alloys, the immersion depth of the unit has also increased significantly. The ship was also capable of operating the completely new P-70 Amethyst water-to-water missile. This unique unit lived up to the speed expectations in the course of its first tests. However, it had one drawback - while moving at high speed, the K-161 generated a lot of noise, exceeding 100 dB, which made it very easy to detect and destroy. For this reason, the Anczar class units were not mass-produced, and the K-161 was withdrawn from the line in 1988 and placed in reserve. It was cut for scrap in the years 1993-1994.