The Soviet Fleet's white elephant: The Dmitry Donskoy turns thirty

On September 23 1980, a cutting edge Soviet nuclear ballistic missile submarine set out from the Severodvinsk shipyards.

The lead vessel of the Soviet third generation Project 941 Akula class (NATO reporting name Typhoon) of ballistic missile submarines, better known to readers by its nickname, the Dmitry Donskoy, was unique in many ways.

It was designed as the world's largest submarine, and its displacement of nearly 50,000 metric tons put it in the same class as battleships and aircraft carriers, the largest warships ever.

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