Project 667AN / Project 977.0 Yankee Stretch
Project 09774 Yankee Stretch class

Project 09774 Yankee-Stretch was carrier of small subs, without weapons. The submarine K-411 "Orenburg" is the sole Yankee Stretch (Project 09774) was a converted 'Yankee' class SSBN, with the missile compartment replaced by an extended hull section. After the signing of the SALT I treaty and the resulting arms reductions, it was decided to renovate the ship to support micro submarines. The submarine was supplied to MP "Asterisk» in October 1983, and completed conversion in June 1990. In 1991 he was admitted to the Navy. In 1999 the submarine received the patronage of the Government of Orenburg region.

The Yankee Stretch (Orienburg) had a lengthened central section extending the hull which is used for underwater research. It served as a "mothership" for "Paltus"-class mini-submarines. It is fully 162.5 m (530 feet) in length, making it the largest of the "Yankee" conversions. Like the Yankee Pod, it lacked missile armament. Its mission was believed to be a combination of oceanographic research, search and rescue, and underwater intelligence-gathering. It had substantially increased cruising capacity, it was better stocked and offered improved living conditions for researchers. Alterations were done by MP Asterisk in cooperation with "Sevmaspredpriâtie", which produced this unit. Not a combatant submarine, the classification is SMPL/AS; SMPL refers to Sverkhmalaya Podvodnavy Lodka (Super-Small Submarine), the AS probably refers to Agenturnaya Spetsial'nogo (Spetsial'nogo is short for Special Designation, while Agenturnaya can be translated as undercover, secret, or more literally agent). The builders were Sevmashpredpriyatiye, Severodvinshk.

KS-411 "Orenburg" - Project 09774 ( 667A "Navaga" ) special-purpose nuclear submarine was part of the Northern Fleet of Russia. In December 1990, MP Zvezdochka handed over to the Navy the submarine KS-411 (serial No. 430), re-equipped according to project 667AN (Project 09774) into a large nuclear submarine for research work on the study of the World Ocean, the physical fields of the Earth and the seabed in the interests of the Navy and the national economy. The technical design for the re-equipment of the RPK SN pr. 667A to pr. 667AN was developed by LPMB "Rubin" in 1982.

In the 1970s and 1980s, the Rubin LPMB carried out numerous studies and draft designs for the creation of the following types of special submarines on the basis of the Project 667A launch vehicles being withdrawn from the NSNF: a minelayer, a rescue submarine, a carrier of midget submarines, a control submarine, a floating power plant and a combined heat and power plant. However, due to the workload of the shipyards with the construction of new series of submarines and the repair of ships, and subsequently with a reduction in funding, these projects were not implemented.

June 21, 1967 officially enlisted in the lists of ships of the USSR Navy. On May 25, 1968, the laying of the ship took place at Sevmash under the serial number 430. It entered service on August 31, 1970. On September 25, 1971, it became part of the 31st division of the 3rd flotilla of the Northern Fleet.

After the signing of the SALT-1 treaty and the reduction of armaments in connection with this, it was decided to convert the ship into a carrier for midget submarines. The submarine was delivered to the Zvezdochka shipyard in October 1983 , and launched in June 1990. Responsible deliverer - EN Diorditsa, commissioning mechanic - PN Glaz. Having successfully passed mooring, factory sea trials and state tests (the chairman of the state acceptance commission, Captain 1st Rank V.N. Efimov), the submarine was accepted into the Navy on 30.12.1990.

In 1991 she was accepted into the Navy, became a member of the 29th separate submarine brigade. During the modernization, the cruiser was converted into a carrier for midget submarines. The project provided for the insertion of a new middle block to replace the cut-out missile compartments, which should house research equipment and equipment, as well as cabins and living quarters for the crew and researchers. Designed for research work on the study of the World Ocean, physical fields of the earth and the seabed in the interests of the Navy and the national economy.

Taking into account the purpose of the submarine, the autonomy of navigation was significantly increased, which required not only the placement of more supplies, but also the creation of comfortable conditions for the life of the crew and researchers. The design is a two-hull submarine completely identical to the Project 667A SSBN, but with a cut-out missile compartment and with an elongated hull due to an insert. A special compartment for working with a portable submarine (AGS) with internal compartments was built by PO "Sevmash". During the modernization, the cruiser was converted into a carrier for midget submarines. The fifth missile compartment was cut out, replaced by a block, which houses research equipment and equipment, cabins and living quarters for the crew and researchers. As a result, the ship's hull was lengthened to 162.5 m, the torpedo armament was not dismantled.

The autonomy of navigation was significantly increased, for this it was provided for the placement of more supplies and improved conditions for the life of the crew and researchers. The re-equipment was carried out by MP Zvezdochka in cooperation with PO Sevmash, which manufactured a new block of the hull.

On September 8, 1998 it received the name "Orenburg". In 1999, the government of the Orenburg region took over the submarine's patronage. The Yankee Stretch was based in the Northern Fleet at Olenya Guba, and as of 2005 was expected to decommission soon. This submarine was decommissinoed at the enterprise " Zvezdochka " ["Asterisk"] on 17-18 January 2009. On March 25, 2009, the remnants of the rubber coating on the bow of the ship caught fire on the dismantled nuclear submarine BS-411 "Orenburg". There were no casualties, the spent nuclear fuel was unloaded earlier.

A part of the Orenburg hull has been preserved as a memorial to the Defenders of the Fatherland, erected in the village of Koltushi in the Vsevolozhsk District of the Leningrad Region and opened on August 21, 2010.