Meet the Sierra II: Russia’s Titanium-Hulled Submarine Built to Hunt U.S. Subs

Meet the Sierra II: Russia’s Titanium-Hulled Submarine Built to Hunt U.S. Subs

Key Points and Summary – During the Cold War, the Soviet Union developed the Sierra I and II-class submarines, advanced nuclear-powered attack boats with a revolutionary feature: a lightweight and robust titanium hull. This allowed them to dive deeper and faster than their American counterparts, making them formidable deep-sea hunters. However, the titanium was incredibly expensive and difficult to weld, requiring workers to wear spacesuits in s…