The November-class submarine was the Soviet Union’s first-ever nuclear-powered submarine, providing an escalation in the cat-and-mouse tactics of Cold War submarine gamesmanship.

Throughout the Cold War, the Soviets inspired fear throughout the Western world. Although the Soviet risks were often overblown, the Soviet regime was indeed armed to the teeth with nuclear weapons and featured a slew of sophisticated technologies, which inspired fear in their American counterparts especially.

The most obvious and jarring example, of course, is the Sputnik satellite and the Soviet’s subsequent accomplishments in the Space Race (actually, the Soviets were first to reach just about every significant Space Race milestone except for the Moon landing, which occurred in the late 1960s, when the Soviets had fallen irrevocably behind the Americans). The fear was that the Soviets would weaponize space, making the final frontier the final battlefield of the Cold War.

That never happened, fortunately. But the Soviets were successful in fielding weaponry, including nuclear weaponry, in other frontiers, i.e., air, land, and sea. At sea, one of the watershed technologies was the November class.

Introducing the November class

The November class was designed in the 1950s to give the Soviets a nuclear-power submarine option that was capable of striking American cities with nuclear-tipped torpedoes. The plans would eventually change, however. During the initial phases of research, the Soviets hoped that the November could be used to sneak up on American naval bases and launch nuclear attacks. Yet, the November’s role was eventually changed to target enemy ships at sea.

The development of the new submarine was a joint effort requiring inputs from twenty design bureaus, thirty-five research institutes, and eighty work groups. The end result was a vessel featuring double hulls and streamlined stern fins. When submerged, the November displaced 4,380 tons.

The vessel measured 109 meters long, with an 8.3-meter beam and a 5.8-meter draft. For propulsion, the November relied on two water-cooled reactors, which could propel the November to speeds of 30.2 knots when submerged. 

The November could operate from fifty to sixty days at a time, with a test depth of 300-340 meters. To serve as an effective attack vessel, the November was armed with eight 533-mm bow torpedo tubes and stocked with twenty SET-65 or 53-65K torpedoes.

Problems with the November-class Submarine

Relative to American nuclear-powered submarines of the time—and existing diesel submarines of the time—the November class was rather noisy. Of course, the Soviets took steps to craft the November into a stealthy, quiet submarine—including a streamlined hull, low-noise variable-pitch propellers, and vibration dampening. The problem, however, lay with the nuclear reactor; Soviet reactors of the period were prone to heavy vibrations, making the vessel noisy and more readily detectable.

Further, the November suffered from a variety of reliability problems. The steam generators had a short service life; radioactivity levels built up; machinery problems were common.

The class improved over time, and the Soviets continued to rely upon the November right to the end; the November served until 1990, right as the Soviet Union was dissolving forever.

About the Author

Harrison Kass is a defense and national security writer with over 1,000 total pieces on issues involving global affairs. An attorney, pilot, guitarist, and minor pro hockey player, Harrison joined the US Air Force as a Pilot Trainee but was medically discharged. Harrison holds a BA from Lake Forest College, a JD from the University of Oregon, and an MA from New York University. Harrison listens to Dokken.

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