Despite its impressive nature, the Lira-class was in no real way a strategic game-changer for the Soviets in their bid to defeat the West—and its costs were immense.
During the Cold War, many radical new designs in submarines were crafted by both the United States and their rivals in the Soviet Union. In some respects, however, the Soviet Red Navy had the more interesting designs of the two. Some of them became iconic—legendary, even—submarine classes.
Others, however, never quite worked as well as their designers thought. Of course, their American rivals were always concerned about how these new Soviet systems could threaten American and NATO ships, so they often attempted to create countermeasures or to simply replicate what the Soviets did. As one might expect, the Kremlin did the same with American technology, too.
One truly innovative design that the USSR had that the United States Navy was never able to replicate, however, was a titanium-hulled submarine.
The Story of the Red Navy’s Titanium-Hulled Subs
Going back to the 1960s, titanium submarines were a new technology that Soviet submarine designers were interested in. The problem with the metal is that it is difficult to source—one reason the U.S. Navy never tried to develop a similar sub. And welding titanium into a submarine hull, as opposed to more traditional steel, poses a dizzying array of technical problems. As things get more difficult to do at the technical level, this only causes the cost to skyrocket.
With that said, titanium poses some major advantages for submarine design, too. It is both stronger than steel and lower density, allowing the sub designers to keep its weight down. And it is less corrosive—a key property for a system constantly underway in the salty depths of the world’s oceans.
Furthermore, titanium-hulled submarines can withstand greater pressure levels, allowing the submarines to dive deeper than their American rivals. In fact, these boats could dive as deep as 2,200 feet.
The Lira-class Submarines Were Great—but Cost Way Too Much
Enter the Soviet Lira-class submarine (Project 705). These submarines could pursue any ship and were quite stealthy. They were also, as a byproduct of having a lighter hull, highly maneuverable—meaning they could, in theory, have a better chance at evading NATO’s impressive arsenal of anti-submarine weapons. The Lira-class could achieve a top speed of around 40 knots (46 miles per hour). These submarines were designed to be small, with a light crew complement, too.
Yet, the Soviet Red Navy’s Lira-class submarines never quite became the rage that its designers had envisaged. To further punctuate that point, the Americans never attempted to emulate these submarines.
That’s because they were far too expensive to build. The time it took the Soviet shipyards to weld the titanium into a submarine hull—along with the exacting precision required for the job—meant that their American competitors could build multiple conventional submarines at the same time, and for the same cost. Uncle Sam was never seriously interested in replicating this particular Soviet capability.
And despite its impressive nature, the Lira-class was in no real way a strategic game-changer for the Soviets in their bid to defeat the West. In hindsight, the Pentagon was right to keep its powder dry and invest in the more conventional submarine platforms of its fleet.
After all, the U.S. Navy dominated the seas throughout the Cold War. While Soviet submarines were a real competitor to the American fleet, few other Soviet systems were a challenge to the Navy—and the Americans could handle the Soviet submarine threat.
About the Author: Brandon J. Weichert
Brandon J. Weichert, a Senior National Security Editor at The National Interest as well as a contributor at Popular Mechanics, who consults regularly with various government institutions and private organizations on geopolitical issues. Weichert’s writings have appeared in multiple publications, including the Washington Times, National Review, The American Spectator, MSN, the Asia Times, and countless others. His books include Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower, Biohacked: China’s Race to Control Life, and The Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy. His newest book, A Disaster of Our Own Making: How the West Lost Ukraine is available for purchase wherever books are sold. He can be followed via Twitter @WeTheBrandon.
Image: Shutterstock / FLICKETTI.
