Born out of the Cold War’s strategic necessities, the Oscar-class submarines of the Soviet Union remain underwater behemoths and a topic of intrigue for military technology aficionados.

Designed to neutralize NATO’s carrier groups, these undersea giants carried the formidable P-700 Granit anti-ship missiles and hold the distinction of being among the world’s largest submarines.

Despite their age, their potential retrofit with the Poseidon nuclear-capable underwater drones keeps the Oscar-class relevant, and possibly, a silent threat in modern geopolitical waters.

The Soviet-era Oscar-class submarines, originally conceived to counter U.S. Navy capabilities, resonate with an era where the depths of the oceans were chessboards for strategic dominance.

The double-hulled design, providing enhanced survivability against torpedoes, and the ability to carry a multitude of armaments, signified a robust approach to submarine warfare.

The haunting memory of the Kursk tragedy, where the Kursk (K 141) sank in the Barents Sea in August 2000 during Russia’s first major naval exercise in more than a decade, underlines the human costs tied to these maritime leviathans.

The delayed acceptance of international aid in the rescue operations, and the subsequent revelation of 23 sailors who survived the initial incident only to perish later, cast a pall over the submarine’s storied history.

Despite their legacy, today’s Oscar-class submarines may still hold titles, including being longer than the U.S. Navy’s Ohio-class counterparts.

With the world turning its attention to new theatrics of war—cybersecurity, space exploration, and unmanned vehicles—the Oscars’ legacy of might and mystery persists.

They remind us that beneath the waves, as on land, the race for military superiority never ceases.

Today, the Oscar-class submarine holds the title of longest submarine in the world.

Comparably, the U.S. Navy’s Ohio-class submarines measure around 45 feet shorter than Russia’s Oscar-class.

Although the Oscar has not been fitted with nuclear capabilities, it can be fitted with the Poseidon nuclear-capable underwater drones.

One of Russia’s six new strategic weapons announced by President Vladimir Putin back in 2018, the Poseidon (NATO reporting name Kanyon) is capable of delivering both nuclear and conventional payloads.

With a reported range of roughly 5,200 miles, the Poseidon also allegedly uses supercavitation and can reach an underwater speed of 108 knots.

Relevant articles:
– Oscar-Class: The Russian Submarine Built to Sink U.S. Navy Aircraft Carriers, The National Interest
– Oscar-Class: The Russian Submarine Built to Sink U.S. Navy Aircraft Carriers, The National Interest
– Russian / Soviet Nuclear Forces, Federation of American Scientists
– How a Submarine Could Sink a U.S. Navy Aircraft Carrier No Problem, nationalinterest.org