Red October (submarine)
The fictional Red October, while modified, would look quite similar to this Typhoon-class ballistic missile submarine
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| History | |
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 Soviet Union
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| Name: | Red October |
| Namesake: | In honor of the October revolution. |
| Route: | the ship route was to U.S. |
| Ordered: | 1980, according to the novel |
| Commissioned: | December 3, 1984 (after retrofitting of caterpillar drive) |
| Decommissioned: | Unknown. |
| Homeport: | Nerpichya, Zapadnaya Litsa |
| Status: | Hidden in a river In Maine. |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 48,000 tonnes submerged |
| Length: | 198 m |
| Beam: | 28 m |
| Draft: | 12 m* |
| Propulsion: |
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| Speed: |
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| Range: | Effectively unlimited as long as the reactor core holds out. |
| Endurance: | Many months. |
| Test depth: | 400 m* |
| Complement: | 163 men/officers* |
| Armament: |
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| Aircraft carried: | None |
Red October (Russian: Красный Oктябрь, [ˈkrasnɨj ɐkˈtʲabrʲ] "Krasniy Oktyabr") is a modified Typhoon class submarine in the Tom Clancy novel The Hunt for Red October and the film of the same name. It was built with a revolutionary stealth propulsion system called a "caterpillar drive", which is described as a pump-jet system in the book. In the film however, it is shown as being a magnetohydrodynamic drive.
The drama of the story partially centers around the dual capabilities of this submarine. As a submarine of the Typhoon class, it carries many ballistic missiles armed with nuclear warheads. With a stealthy propulsion unit, it can no longer be detected by NATO naval vessels. As described in both the book and the film, these capabilities combine to create a horrific weapon, whereby the submarine could easily reach the coastal waters of a city, like Washington DC, fire its missiles, and destroy key targets before any government or military leaders could order a counterattack.
One interpretation, as offered in the film and book, is that this submarine's existence is for one purpose: not as a deterrent to an American attack on the Soviet Union, but solely as a weapon of first strike. It thus becomes critical for the U.S. government to see this submarine either destroyed or captured.
Captain First Rank Marko Aleksandrovich Ramius was the first and last commanding officer of Red October. According to the story The Hunt for Red October, in late 1984 (according to the dates mentioned in the book, the year could not have been 1984, but is consistent with the year 1982) Ramius and his command crew took Red October out on exercises. Once at sea Ramius murdered Ivan Putin, the political officer, and then turned the boat towards the United States. Despite efforts by the Soviet Navy, Red October managed to rendezvous with USS Dallas and the United States was able to engage in a complicated rescue plan.
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