534 
TABLE 2.—SOVIET UNMANNED SUBMERSIBLES 
(1967—PRESENT) 
Year Depth Displacement 
Vehicle Developed Capability (kg) Status and Comments 
Kratos, <2 ae. eo 1967 2000(m) 200 Probably inactivated; used for 
geological surveys. 
Krab-II ________ 1971 2000 200+ Operational; improved variant of 
Krab-I. 
Skorpena -.- =... - 1971 1000 500 Operational; used for marine bio- 
logical and ocean layer studies. 
Manta (7-8 1972 250 ? Operational; test platform for 
variants). underwater control systems; 
used for ocean bottom studies. 
Gidroplan ______ 1973 250-300 ? Operational; towed, free-falling 
drone. 
Kayman (I+II) __ 1965-1975 600 360 Operational; towed vehicles. 
(Kayman II) 
Of the Soviet manned vehicles, two are observation chambers. The 
Sever-I, of which several variants are believed to have been produced, 
is a tethered chamber which can be developed to depths down to 
600 meters (1,800 ft.).14% These chambers are used for fisheries 
research and probably also for salvage/underwater rescue operations. 
A rather unique observation chamber, the Gvidon, was constructed 
in, 197 Ok : 
The Atlant-series of submersibles are towed, hydrodynamic vehicles 
which look somewhat like aircraft. They are used for fisheries 
research. Atlant-I, constructed in 1960, is still in use. Atlant-II, an 
improved variant of the Atlant-I, was constructed in 1972. Designed 
to be towed astern of a research trawler, it carries a crew of two 
and can glide to depths of about 100 meters.'® 
Three autonomous and self-propeled submersibles have been con- 
structed since 1969. The Sever-II, constructed in 1969, carries a crew 
of three or four. It is described as ‘‘the first Soviet deepwater ap- 
paratus designed for the national economy.”’ The 40-ton vehicle can 
Operate submerged for up to 10 hours at a speed of 2.5 knots and 
is battery powered. It has one propeller for horizontal motion and 
two others for vertical movement. Its missions include locating and 
investigating concentrations of fish acoustically, the selection of areas 
suitable for trawling, and the study of bottom relief. Sever-II has 
the greatest depth capability of any Soviet manned submersible and 
can operate at depths down to 2,000 meters.!*?? 
'S Boylan, L. Underwater Activities in the Soviet Union. Op. cit. 
16 Danilov, I. V. et al. The manned underwater device Gvidon. Sudostroyeniye (U.S.S.R.), March 
23, 1973, p. 4. 
'T Lifshits, L. Underwater research vessel. Sovetskaya Belorussiya (U.S.S.R.), March 23, 1973, p. 4. 
8 Boylan, L. Underwater Activities in the Soviet Union. Op. cit. 
‘9 Unsigned. Soviet bathyplane. Marine Pollution Bulletin. No. 3, 1973, 39-40. 
20 Unsigned. Ocean Science News. Nov. 8, 1974, 3-4. 
21 Unsigned. Ocean Science News. Apr. 5, 1975, p. 3. 
22 Boylan, L. Underwater Activities in the Soviet Union. Op. cit. 
