Soviet submarine K-222

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K-222 was the sole Project 661 "Anchar" (Cyrillic: Анчар) (NATO reporting name: Papa class) nuclear-powered cruise-missile submarine of the Soviet Navy during the Cold War. Although the Soviets saw K-222 as an unsuccessful design, upon completion it was the world's fastest submarine and the first to be built with a titanium hull. The submarine was given several names over the course of its construction and service: she was originally designated K-18, named K-162 while under construction, and renamed to K-222 in 1978. The Soviet government and Navy was dissatisfied with the Echo class of nuclear submarines, which had to surface to fire their missiles. In 1958 construction was authorized for an exceedingly ambitious program; the requirements called for a very fast boat equipped with missiles that could be launched while submerged. It accepted the preliminary design two years later and construction began in 1963; work proceeded very slowly as techniques for working titanium had to be developed...

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