Romeo class submarine
Encyclopedia
The Romeo class (Project 633) is a class of Soviet diesel-electric submarine
, built in 1950s. The origin of the Romeo class can be traced to the World War II
German Type XXI Elektroboot U-boat
. At the end of World War II, the Soviets obtained several Type XXIs, from which they were able to obtain certain key technologies. These technologies assisted in the design of the Zulu-
and Whiskey-class
. Further improvements on the design led to the Romeo class.
Only 20 of the Soviet Union's originally intended 560 were completed between October 1957 and the end of December 1961 because of the introduction of the nuclear submarine into the Soviet Navy
.
By today's standards, the Romeo class submarine is considered obsolete, but still has some value as training and surveillance vessels.
In the 1970s, China's Wuhan Ship Development and Design Institute (701 Institute) built an improved submarine based on the Type 033 hull, named Type 035 Ming. The 035 Ming had an improved diesel-electric engine, improved hull design with less hydrodynamic resistance, better underwater speed, and a more capable sonar, the H/SQZ-262 built by No. 613 Factory replacing the Type 105 sonar used on Type 033 submarines. A total of 21 Type 035 Ming sub were built between 1971 and 2000. There are at least 4 known variants of the Type 035 Ming, ES5C, ES5D, ES5E, and ES5F. The last variant, ES5F, is sometimes referred to as the Type 035G, and upgrades included H/SQZ-262C sonar built by No. 613 Factory replacing the original H/SQZ-262 used on the original Type 035 submarines. Today, 17 Type 035 Ming subs remain in service with the People's Liberation Army Navy
(PLAN). One Type 035 Ming is said to have been modified as a test-bed for new Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) system. http://www.sinodefence.com/navy/sub/035.asp
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
, built in 1950s. The origin of the Romeo class can be traced to the World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
German Type XXI Elektroboot U-boat
German Type XXI submarine
Type XXI U-boats, also known as "Elektroboote", were the first submarines designed to operate primarily submerged, rather than as surface ships that could submerge as a means to escape detection or launch an attack.-Description:...
. At the end of World War II, the Soviets obtained several Type XXIs, from which they were able to obtain certain key technologies. These technologies assisted in the design of the Zulu-
Zulu class submarine
The Soviet Navy's Project 611, NATO reporting name Zulu class, were one of the first Soviet post-war attack submarines. They were roughly as capable as the American GUPPY fleet-boat conversions. They were a contemporary of the Whiskey class submarines and shared a similar sonar arrangement...
and Whiskey-class
Whiskey class submarine
Whiskey-class submarines are a class of naval submarines that the Soviet Union built in the early Cold War period.-Design:...
. Further improvements on the design led to the Romeo class.
Only 20 of the Soviet Union's originally intended 560 were completed between October 1957 and the end of December 1961 because of the introduction of the nuclear submarine into the Soviet Navy
Soviet Navy
The Soviet Navy was the naval arm of the Soviet Armed Forces. Often referred to as the Red Fleet, the Soviet Navy would have played an instrumental role in a Warsaw Pact war with NATO, where it would have attempted to prevent naval convoys from bringing reinforcements across the Atlantic Ocean...
.
By today's standards, the Romeo class submarine is considered obsolete, but still has some value as training and surveillance vessels.
Operators of Romeo class submarine
Several navies operate or have operated Romeo class submarines:- RussiaRussiaRussia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and the Soviet UnionSoviet UnionThe Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
had 20 Romeo class vessels in service. These vessels are no longer used as combat vessels in the Russian Navy, although one or two remain in service as immobile training facilities. - ChinaChinaChinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
has operated an estimated 84 of the Type-33 submarine (Romeo) during the Cold War. Most have been scrapped, but 31 are still in use for training. - North KoreaNorth KoreaThe Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
operates 22 Romeo class submarines, that were both locally assembled with Chinese supplied parts and directly imported from China. The 4 Chinese imported units are based on the western coast. - BulgariaBulgariaBulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
operates one Romeo class submarine, which is the last remaining of four boats that were exported from the Soviet UnionSoviet UnionThe Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. - SyriaSyriaSyria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
has decommissioned the three Romeo class submarines that it imported from the Soviet Union. - EgyptEgyptEgypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
operates four of an original eight Romeo class submarines that are upgraded variants of the Chinese design. - AlgeriaAlgeriaAlgeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
has decommissioned its two Soviet Romeo class submarines. - MyanmarMyanmarBurma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
2 in service in 1998.
Chinese Romeo class submarines and their derivatives
Under the 1950 Sino-Soviet Friendship and Mutual Assistance Treaty, the Soviets passed to China (and later to North Korea) the documentation necessary to produce ROMEO submarines in 1963. The Chinese variant is known as the Type 033 ROMEO. A total of 84 Type 033 submarines were built in China from 1962 to 1984, plus several exported to other countries. The Chinese Type 033 incorporated some improvements over the original ROMEO, including noise reduction of at least 20 dB. Sonar on board was also continuously upgraded: the original Soviet sonar was first replaced by domestic Chinese Type 105 sonar, which consequently was replaced by H/SQ2-262A sonar built by No. 613 Factory. A single Type 033 was modified to carry 6 YJ-1 (CSS-N-4) SSM, this variant is called Type 033G Wuhan. http://www.china-defense.com/naval/wuhan351/wuhan351.html http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/china/wuhan.htm Today most of the Type 033 subs have been retired or preserved, with few remaining for training purposes. http://www.sinodefence.com/navy/sub/033.aspIn the 1970s, China's Wuhan Ship Development and Design Institute (701 Institute) built an improved submarine based on the Type 033 hull, named Type 035 Ming. The 035 Ming had an improved diesel-electric engine, improved hull design with less hydrodynamic resistance, better underwater speed, and a more capable sonar, the H/SQZ-262 built by No. 613 Factory replacing the Type 105 sonar used on Type 033 submarines. A total of 21 Type 035 Ming sub were built between 1971 and 2000. There are at least 4 known variants of the Type 035 Ming, ES5C, ES5D, ES5E, and ES5F. The last variant, ES5F, is sometimes referred to as the Type 035G, and upgrades included H/SQZ-262C sonar built by No. 613 Factory replacing the original H/SQZ-262 used on the original Type 035 submarines. Today, 17 Type 035 Ming subs remain in service with the People's Liberation Army Navy
People's Liberation Army Navy
The People's Liberation Army Navy is the naval branch of the People's Liberation Army , the military of the People's Republic of China. Until the early 1990s, the navy performed a subordinate role to the PLA Land Forces. Since then, it has undergone rapid modernisation...
(PLAN). One Type 035 Ming is said to have been modified as a test-bed for new Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) system. http://www.sinodefence.com/navy/sub/035.asp
Incidents involving submarines of the Romeo and Ming class
- On January 11, 1962, the Soviet Foxtrot class submarineFoxtrot class submarineThe Foxtrot class was the NATO reporting name of a class of diesel-electric patrol submarines that were built in the Soviet Union. The Soviet designation of this class was Project 641....
B-37Soviet submarine B-37Soviet submarine B-37 was a Project 641 or Foxtrot-class diesel submarine of the Soviet Navy's Northern Fleet.On 11 January 1962, the submarine was tied up at the pier in Ekaterininsky bay of Polarny naval base, with all watertight doors open, while conducting maintenance and testing of her...
exploded as the result of a fire which detonated all torpedo warheads in the submarine. The Romeo class submarine S-350Soviet submarine S-350Soviet Submarine S-350 was a Romeo class submarine.On January 11, 1962, the Soviet Foxtrot class submarine B-37 exploded as the result of a fire which detonated all torpedo warheads in the submarine. The S-350, which was moored next to B-37, was heavily damaged. Eleven crew members of the S-350...
, which was moored next to B-37, was heavily damaged. Eleven crew members of the S-350 were killed. - On April 16, 2003, all 70 crew members of the Chinese Ming class submarine number 361Chinese submarine 361The submarine hull number No. 361 with name Great Wall # 61 is a Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy Type-035AIP conventional diesel/electric submarine. It was reported to have suffered an accident killing all on board in 2003 while at the Bo Hai Sea between North Korea and eastern Shandong...
were killed when the diesel engine failed to shut down when the boat submerged and used up all the oxygen in the boat.
External links
- Figures about the Romeo class
- Globalsecurity.org (Type 033 Romeo)
- Globalsecurity.org (Type 033G Wuhan)
- Globalsecurity.org (Type 035 Ming)
- Sino Defense Today (Type 033 Romeo)
- Sino Defense Today (Type 035 Ming)
- http://www.freewebs.com/riverman/flottaplan.htm
- Soviet Romeo class submarines - Complete Ship List (English)