In the Cold War era, at its most hotly smoldering moment, the Soviet Union made an ambitious undertaking to counter mighty U.S. Navy aircraft carrier battle groups. The Oscar-class submarines-which in Russia were referred to as Project 949 Antey-emerged in this direction. These Oscar-class submarines were intended to contest the naval supremacy of NATO, and their continuing saga continues to reverberate in modern military discourse.
Among the class of Oscar-class submarines, the Oscar II variants have been regarded as one of the most advanced warships in the world due to advanced propulsions and electronic systems. The double-hulled submarines will increase survivability against torpedo attacks. The tragic disaster in 2000 took over 100 crew members to their graves and brought the Oscar class into the global spotlight. This class might be different, however, once the upgrades-most notably in the form of Poseidon nuclear-capable underwater drones-enter their service. Development of the Oscar class started during the 1970s, and the Soviet engineers were somewhat focused on creating a submarine capable of countering the NATO aircraft carrier battle groups.
All in all, fourteen of these formidable vessels were made, each having a huge arsenal comprising long-range P-700 Granit anti-ship missiles. They have heavy armaments, each having more than 154 meters in length and approximately 12,500 tons displacement when surfaced. Underwater, can cruise at speeds of up to thirty-seven miles per hour. Compared to the earlier versions, the Oscar II variants are slightly longer, probably because of enhanced propulsion and electronic systems.
The double-hulled configuration makes these submarines more resistant to torpedo attacks. Each of the 24 SS-N-19 Granit cruise missiles, NATO codename “Shipwreck”, has a range of 550 kilometers and is fitted on Oscar-class submarines. Missiles fired from submerged submarines are launched from tubes angled at around 40 degrees. The most dramatic moment in the history of Oscar-class submarines came with the Kursk disaster in August 2000. During that country’s first major naval exercise in more than a decade, the Kursk went to the bottom of the Barents Sea off Russia’s northern coast, taking with it over 100 lives when it sank.
The Kremlin drew criticism over its rejection of international offers to retrieve the submarine. When the submarine was finally refloated, investigators found out that 23 out of its sailors had survived the explosion but died afterward due to the loss of power, light, and air recycling processes. Presently, the Oscar-class is the world’s longest submarine- about 45 feet longer than the U.S. Navy’s Ohio-class. Though it does not have nuclear capability installed on it, it is capable of installing Poseidon nuclear-capable underwater drones.
The Poseidon was one of six new strategic weapons announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2018 as capable of delivering both nuclear and conventional payloads. The Poseidon reportedly has a range of about 5,200 miles and is capable of underwater speeds up to 108 knots; thus, it presents a huge danger to heavily populated coastal cities. That is why the potential of Poseidon concerns industry professionals. At least according to Russian propaganda, this Poseidon would be capable of detonating a two-megaton nuclear device offshore that could create a nuclear fallout and “radioactive tsunami”, says Brent Eastwood. Conclusion: Although old, Oscar-class submarines still shiver naval warfare to date. Furthermore, when upgraded with a completely new strategic armament, such as Poseidon, they really cannot be ignored in modern military discussion.