US Navy Veteran Reveals Why Soviet Victor III Submarines Were So Hard to Detect

Soviet Project 671RTM Shchuka nuclear-powered submarines, designated Victor III by NATO, posed a major challenge to US Navy anti-submarine forces during the Cold War. Their significantly reduced noise levels made them far more difficult to detect than earlier Soviet submarines.

Writing for 19FortyFive, US Navy veteran Sean Spoonts, who served aboard an SH-2F Sea Sprite anti-submarine helicopter, recalled that American sonar operators sometimes struggled to detect Victor III submarines at distances greater than one mile (1.6 kilometers).

The Soviet submarines incorporated sound-absorbing hull coatings and vibration-isolated machinery to reduce their acoustic signatures. According to Spoonts, their unusually quiet operation initially confused American analysts accustomed to the louder sounds of previous Soviet designs.

He also linked Soviet advances in submarine stealth to intelligence obtained through the John Walker spy network, which supplied Moscow with classified US Navy information.

Another distinctive feature was a large structure mounted above the submarine’s stern rudder. Initially puzzling to American intelligence, it was later identified as housing a towed sonar array designed to detect other submarines while minimizing interference from the vessel’s own machinery.

Spoonts also recalled several Cold War incidents involving Victor III submarines. In 1981, the American nuclear submarine USS Drum collided with a Soviet submarine near Vladivostok.

In 1983, another Victor III became entangled in the towed sonar array of the US frigate USS McCloy off the American East Coast. Although an early intelligence account suggested a deliberate attempt to seize American equipment, later US Navy records indicated the incident was accidental.

The damaged Soviet submarine surfaced and was monitored by American aircraft as it headed toward Cuba.

According to Spoonts, the Victor III class demonstrated how rapidly Soviet submarine technology had advanced, challenging US confidence in its ability to track Soviet nuclear-powered submarines during the Cold War.