Their profile was consistent with submarines of the period. The bow was sharp and the deck ran relatively level from bow to stern. The sail was a low-profile, contained design which was seated just ahead of midships. The bow has a bulge along its lower section housing the bow-mounted sonar system. The stern held the rudder control scheme as well as the twin propeller units.
The Soviet Navy originally called for fifty-six of the boats but only twenty were completed from the period spanning 1957 into 1961 - namely because of the growing presence of nuclear-powered types. The rest of the lot were sold to foreign powers (Soviet allies) around the world where most have been decommissioned and scrap. A scant few are thought to remain in Russian Navy service as submarine classrooms and little else. By and large, the design is obsolete by modern standards and holds little tactical value in naval warfare today.
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