Brief Developmental History

The Golf class submarine was the first dedicated ballistic missile submarine to enter service.  Earlier testing and conversions with the Zulu-V's had proven unsuccessful, but showed that the concept of a ballistic missile submarine was valid.  Building of the new class began in 1958 at the Komsomolsk and Severodvinsk shipyards.  It was seen as an 'insurance policy' in case the nuclear powered Hotel class (then under development) proved to be unsuccessful.  Building would continue until 1961-1962 with some 23 boats being completed.

The first Golf submarines were armed with the R-11FM missiles (known as SS-1 Scud missiles to NATO) located in vertical launchers behind the sail.  They had an 80 nautical mile (150km) range and very poor accuracy.  For this reason they were soon replaced by the SS-N-4 'Sark' which offered a range of 350 nautical miles (650 km) and better accuracy.

Further improvements in ballistic missile technology resulted in the Golf-II class.  These boats were modified Golf-I submarines that carried the new SS-N-5 'Serb' missile which had a range of 760 nautical miles (1,400km).  The missile could also be launched when the submarine was submerged so long as the depth was no greater than 200 and the boat was moving no faster than 4 knots.

The operation was only partially successful, as the submarine broke up and fell back into the sea as it was being raised.  Only the bow section was successfully recovered.  In that section the US managed to salvage two nuclear tipped torpedoes.  They also found the bodies of a number of Soviet sailors.  All were given formal burials at sea by the US Navy.

During its time in service three Golf-I submarines were converted for use as testbeds for new ballistic missiles.  The first of these was the Golf-III which was simply a 33 foot longer version that carried three SS-N-8 'Sawfly' missiles.  This was followed by the Golf-IV which was some 60 feet longer than the Golf-I.  It carried six experimental SS-NX-13 missiles.  The final version of these boats was the Golf-V which was modified to carry a single large SS-N-20 ballistic missile.

The Golf class submarines were not included in the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty (SALT I), but if any new missiles were fitted then they would be counted towards the overall missile total.  The Golf III and Golf IV missiles fell into this category and were subsequently added.  The single missile on the Golf V remained uncounted by the treaty.

Between August and October of 1976 six Golf II submarines moved into the Baltic Sea.  They were the first ballistic missile submarines to enter that area.  In this role their missiles could range targets in Central and Western Europe.

In the late 1970's the remaining Golf I submarines were converted to communications relay boats.  During this process they had their weapons removed and a great deal of communications equipment installed.  They were designated Golf-I Mod or Golf SSQ by NATO.

All of the ballistic missile variants of the Golf were retired from service in the late 1980's.  The three SSQ radio relay variants remained in service at least until the mid-1990's.  Today the only nation that uses the Golf submarine as a ballistic missile boat is the People's Republic of China who is known to have received one boat without missiles from the Soviets.  According to unconfirmed reports it is believed that they also operate a second Golf, and that one of these two boats was lost in the South China Sea in 1981.

Tactical Use and Limitations

Project 628 (Golf Class) submarines were the first purpose-built class of ballistic missile submarines.  During the Cold War they patrolled the waters near Europe and Japan keeping their major cities within attack range.  In the event of a nuclear exchange the Golf class boats would be expected to destroy key cities in Western Europe, Turkey, or Japan (depending on the region the boat was located in).  In this way they provided a credible nuclear deterrent.

The Golf submarine had many advantages over the earlier Zulu V conversions, and succeeded in many areas where the older boats failed.  It had a long patrol range and could dive deeper than its predecessor.  Its missiles were more accurate, longer ranged, and could be fired while the submarine was underwater.  It also proved very easy to convert to experimental applications such as missile testing and as communication relay boats.

Its primary disadvantages were those of all Soviet submarines of the era - underwater noise.  The free flood holes in the hull and various periscopes and antenna all contributed to making the submarine very noisy when underway.  Another drawback was that it still used conventional power at a time when designers were shifting more and more toward long range nuclear powered submarines.  The reliance on conventional power meant that the boat would have a shorter patrol range and have to be refueled more often than the newer nuclear powered boats.

Deployment Chronology

The Golf class submarine was an important step in the creation of an effective Soviet ballistic missile submarine fleet, but was eventually discarded in favor of nuclear powered submarines.  Below you will find links to the submarines that came before and after the Golf class.  You can find out more about these vessels by clicking on the links below.

Sources Cited

Here are some of the most informative sources that we have used in compiling this information for you.  We hope you can find them as useful as we have.

• The Illustrated Directory of Submarines of the World, by David Miller, published by Motorbooks International, Osceola, WI, 2002

• Warships of the Soviet Navy, by Captain John E. Moore RN, published by Jane's Publishing Company Ltd, London, 1981

• Jane's Fighting Ships 1977-78 (Taiwan Edition), Edited by Captain John E. Moore RN, published by Rainbow-Bridge Book Co, Taiwan 1978