Editing Russian submarine Kursk (K-141) (section)

== Capabilities ==

The Antey design represented the highest achievement of Soviet nuclear submarine technology. They are the second-largest cruise missile submarines ever built, after some {{sclass2|Ohio|submarine|1}} ballistic missile submarines that were converted to carry cruise missiles in 2007.<ref name=barany/>{{rp|22–23}} It was built to defeat an entire United States aircraft carrier group. A single [[Type 65 torpedo]] carried a {{convert|450|kg|abbr=on}} warhead powerful enough to sink an aircraft carrier.<ref name=weaponsystems>{{cite web|url=http://weaponsystems.net/weapon.php?weapon=HH14%20-%20Type%2065 |title=Weapon |publisher=Weaponsystems.net |access-date=6 February 2013}}</ref> Both missiles and torpedoes could be equipped with nuclear warheads. She was {{convert|30|ft|abbr=on|order=flip}} longer than the preceding Oscar I-class of submarines. The senior officers had individual cabins and the entire crew had access to a gymnasium.<ref name=cns>{{cite web|title=Kursk Stats|url=http://cns.miis.edu/archive/rus_sub/kurstats.htm|date=11 February 2014|access-date=11 February 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222153914/http://cns.miis.edu/archive/rus_sub/kurstats.htm|archive-date=22 February 2014|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Moore|first=Robert|title=A Time to Die 0|url=http://www.randomhouse.com/book/116819/a-time-to-die-by-robert-moore/9780609610008/?view=excerpt|publisher=Random House|access-date=5 February 2014}}</ref>

The outer hull, made of high-[[nickel]], high-[[chromium]] [[stainless steel]] {{convert|8.5|mm|abbr=on}} thick, had exceptionally good resistance to corrosion and a weak [[magnetic]] signature which helped prevent detection by U.S. [[magnetic anomaly detector]] (MAD) systems. There was a {{convert|200|mm|abbr=on}} gap to the {{convert|50.8|mm|abbr=on}}-thick steel [[Submarine hull#Pressure hull|pressure hull]].<ref>N. A. "Kursk Inner Hull Breached." Australian, The (n.d.): Newspaper Source Plus. Web. 7 December 2011.</ref> She was designed to remain submerged for up to 120 days.  The sail superstructure was reinforced to allow it to break through the Arctic ice.<ref name=potts/>
The submarine was armed with  24 [[P-700 Granit|SS-N-19/P-700 Granit]] cruise missiles, and eight [[torpedo tube]]s in the bow: four {{convert|533|mm|in|0|abbr=on}} and four {{convert|650|mm|in|abbr=on}}. The Granit missiles with a range of {{convert|550|km|abbr=on}}, were capable of supersonic flight at altitudes over {{convert|20|km|abbr=on}}. They were designed to swarm enemy vessels and intelligently choose individual targets which terminated with a dive onto the target.<ref name=cns/> The torpedo tubes could be used to launch either torpedoes or anti-ship missiles with a range of {{convert|50|km|abbr=on}}. Her weapons included 18 [[RPK-6 Vodopad/RPK-7 Veter|SS-N-16 "Stallion"]] anti-submarine missiles.<ref name=potts/>

''Kursk'' was part of Russia's Northern Fleet, which had suffered funding cutbacks throughout the 1990s. Many of its submarines were anchored and rusting in [[Zapadnaya Litsa (naval base)|Zapadnaya Litsa Naval Base]], {{convert|100|km|abbr=on}} from [[Murmansk]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20071104165452/http://www.bellona.org/articles/andreyeva_ticking_bomb  ''Andreyeva Bay is a ticking bomb, Bellona’s documents prove'' – Rashid Alimov, ''Bellona Foundation'', Oslo, 7 June 2007]. Retrieved on 8 August 2007.</ref> Little work to maintain all but the most essential front-line equipment, including search and rescue equipment, had occurred. Northern Fleet sailors had gone unpaid in the mid-1990s.<ref name=potts/>