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Echo II class submarine
Class overview
Builders:	Komsomolsk and Severodvinsk
Preceded by:	November class submarine
Followed by:	Charlie class submarine
Out of service:	34
Ships in class:	34
Ships out of service:	34
Ships sunk:	0
Ships preserved:	0
General characteristics
Displacement:	Echo I: Surfaced: 4500tons Submerged: 5500tons Echo II: Surfaced: 5000tons Submerged: 6000tons
Length:	Echo I: 110m 9360ft 11in) Echo II: 115m (377ft 4in)
Beam:	Echo I: 9.1m (29ft 10in) Echo II: 9m (29ft 6in)
Draught:	Echo I and II:7.5m (24ft 7in)
Propulsion and power:	Echo I: One pressurized water cooled reactor powering two steam turbines delivering 18,640 kW 925,000shp) to two shafts Echo II: One pressurized water cooled reactor powering two steam turbines delivering 17,900 kW (24,010shp) to two shafts
Speed:	Echo I: Surfaced: 20knots Submerged: 28knots Echo II: Surfaced: 20 knots Submerged: 25knots
Range:	Unlimited, except by food supplies
Complement:	Echo I: 75 Echo II: 90
Armament:	Echo I: 6 533mm (21in)tubes bow 4 406mm (16in) tubes stern 20 533mm torpedoes (16 anti ship or anti submarine HE and four anti ships 15-KT nuclear) 2 406mm anti ship torpedoes Echo II: Same as Echo I except only 2 406mm (16in) tubes stern.

The Soviet Echo I class (project 659 class) were completed at Komsomolsk in the Soviet far east in 1960 to 1962. The Echo I class were classed as SSGNs armed with six launchers for the P5 (SS-N-3C Shaddock-B) cruise missile. The Echo I class had to operate in a strategic rather than attack role because of the lack of fire control and guidence radars. As the Soviet SSBN force built up, the need for these boats diminished so they were converted to the Project 659T SSN's between 1969 and 1974. The conversion invovled the removal of the shaddock missiles, the plating over and the streamlining of the hull to reduce underwater noise of the launchers and the modification of the sonar systems to the standard of the November class submarine SSN's.

All the Echo I's were deployed in the Pacific fleet although K-45 was badly damaged by fire in 1979 off Okinawa and had to be towed back to Vladivostok for emergency dry docking. The last two boats were deleted in the early 1990s.

The follow on Echo II class (Project 675 class) were built at Severodvinsk (18 vessels) and Komsomolsk (11 vessels) between 1962 and 1967 as anti carrier missile submarines. The Echo II class carried 8 P6 (SS-N-3a Shaddock-A) anti ship cruise missiles mounted in pairs above the pressure hull.

To fire the missiles, the ship had to surface and the missile elevated to about 25 to 30 degrees. The Echo II class also had fire control and guidance radar. The Echo II class could fire all 8 missiles in 30 minutes but would have to wait on the surface until the missile mid-course correction and final target selection had been sent unless guidance had been sent to a third party.

From the mid 1970s, 14 of the 29 Echo II class were converted during overhauls to carry the Bazalt (SS-N-12 Sandbox) anti ship cruise missile. The conversions could be distinguished by the fitting bulges to each side of the sail.

The Echo II class were divided evenly between the Pacific and Northern fleets. The boats became obsolete by the mid 1980s and were deleted in 1989 and 1994.

The Echo class had been involved in numerous accidents

June 1970, Echo-II (K-108), collision with USS Tautog (SSN-639) off Kamchatka Penn., fatalities unknown

14 June 1973, Echo-II (K-56), collision with "Academic Berg", 27 dead

26 September 1976, Echo-II (K-47), fire in compartment 8, Barents Sea, 8 dead

21 August 1980 an Echo I class (K-222), reactor fire, 90 naut. mil. E of Okinawa, 9 dead

18 June 1984 an Echo-II (K-131), fire in compartment 8, 13 dead

10 August 1985 an Echo-II class (K-431), reactor explosion while refueling, Chasma Bay, 10 dead

26 June 1989 an Echo-II (K-192), reactor accident, off Bear Island, Barents Sea, fatalities unknown.

[1]

• Article in Russian Language on Project 659
• Article in Russian Language on Project 675
• article in English from FAS
• The Encyclopedia Of Warships, From World War 2 To The Present Day, General Editor Robert Jackson.

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