667BD DELTA II
The 667BD was primarily developed to increase the number of missiles on strategic submarines. Its development was approved in June 1972 under the direction of the Rubin Central Design Bureau for Marine Engineering. The 667B Delta I served as the basis for the main design features. The pressure hull was lengthened by 16 meters in the area of the fourth and fifth compartments where four additional missile tubes were located. The displacement increased in 1,500 tons, and the full speed decreased 1 knot.
The 667BD submarines are equipped with the D-9D launch system and 16 R-29DD missiles. During the development of the new ballistic missile submarine several measures were applied to decrease the radiated noise level. The steam turbines include a two-spool system of shock-absorbers, the pipelines and hydraulic devices are isolated from the hulls and a new hydroacoustic coating was applied.
The first 667BD entered the Navy on 30 September 1975. Between 1973 and 1975 four submarines of this project were constructed at the Northern machine-building enterprise in Severodvinsk. The 667BD submarines formed part of the 3rd flotilla of submarines of the Northern fleet based in the Yagyelnaya bay. In 1996 one submarine was removed from operational status.
It is anticipated that all 667BD submarines will be decommissioned in compliance with the provisions of the START-1 treaty.
The Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction program is scheduled to dismantle 25 Delta-class, five Typhoon-class, and one Yankee-class ballistic missile submarines capable of launching over 400 missiles with over 1,700 warheads, by the year 2003. As of September 1999 US specialists had helped disassemble one Yankee- and six Delta-class submarines, while the Russians had destroyed another five ballistic missile subs on their own using American equipment.
