From the severity of the Cold War Era arms race, Russia came to emerge as the world's second larges naval power. By the time the Cold War hit its peak in the 1980's, the Russian Navy employed 4 fleets with over 2500 military vessels, including 400 submarines, in the Baltic Sea, North Atlantic, Black Sea, and Pacific Ocean. Meant to oppose the Aircraft Carriers of the powerful U.S. Navy, the Russian Navy created a new type of Guided-Missile Nuclear Submarine known as the Oscar class. Massive Oscar-I Class submarines were first employed in 1982, and boasted a displacement tonnage of 12,500 tons and a total length of 143 meters. 1985 marked the evolution of the Oscar submarine into an even more massive Oscar--II Class with an awesome displacement tonnage of 18,300 tons and total length of 154 meters.

Despite their gargantuan size, Oscar-II Class submarines were capable of high maneuverability and silence movement. The 10th submarine of the Oscar-II series was the K.141 Kursk, which had her construction yard in Severeovenski and was launched in 1994. Like other Oscar-II Class nuclear submarnies the Kursk had two-layer construction consisting of an 8.5 diameter pressure-resistant inner hull as well as an external hull. The approximately 3.5 meter space between these two hull layers housed twelve 550km-range SS-N-19 anti-ship cruise missile launch tubes on each side.

To accommodate these missile launchers the 154m-long Kursk was built extra wide and this behemoth of a nuclear submarine became known for its total girth of 18.2 meters. The inside of the Kursk was separated into 10 compartments and the submarine's surface was comprised of sound dampening tiel. In January 1995, the Kursk was first deployed to the Northern Fleet and assigned to defend Russia's northern borders. The Kursk sank five years later on August 12th, 2000. This incident would mark the most tragic episode in all of Russian submarine history. At 11:30 am, 140km off the naval port of Severomorsk (Northern Fleet Headquarters), an explosion of unknown cause sent the Kursk 100m underwater to the bottom of the Barents Sea. Despite efforts of the Russian Navy, as well as British and Norwegian resuce crews, the 118 men on board, including the captain, could not be saved. (K.141 Kursk Main Specifications) Total length: 154m Total width: 18.2m Max crew: 130 Submerged displ. tonnage: 18,300 tons Surface displacement tonnage: 13,900 tons Max speed: 28knts submerged, 32knts max power submerged, 16knts surfaced Max diving depth:300m Main engine: 2 x OK-650B (VM-5) pressurized water nuclear reactors (380MV combined), 2 x GT3A Steam Turbines (72MW combined), 2 x GT3A Steam Turbines (72MV combined)- 23 shafts Total output: 98,000 horsepower Armament: 24 x SS-N-19 cruise missiles 2 x 650mm torpedo launchers, 4 x 533mm torpedo launchers.