Editing Akula-class submarine (section)

==Operational history==
Between December 1995 and February 1996, submarine ''Volk'' was deployed to the [[Mediterranean Sea|Mediterranean]] along the Russian aircraft carrier {{ship|Russian aircraft carrier|Admiral Kuznetsov||2}}, where she monitored activities of several NATO submarines under [[Captain 1st rank]] S. V. Spravtsev.

Between April and June 1996, ''Tigr'' was deployed in the [[Atlantic Ocean|Atlantic]], where she detected a U.S. {{sclass|Ohio|submarine|4}} SSBN and tracked it on its combat patrol.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.deepstorm.ru/DeepStorm.files/45-92/nts/971/K-154/K-154.htm |title=Подводная лодка К-154, "Тигр". Проект 971 |trans-title=Submarine K-154, "Tiger". Project 971 |language=ru |website=Deepstorm.ru}}</ref> On 23 July 1996, its commander, Captain 1st rank Alexey Burilichev, received a [[Hero of the Russian Federation]] award.<ref name="K-461">{{cite web |url=http://www.warheroes.ru/hero/hero.asp?Hero_id=3980 |title=Буриличев Алексей Витальевич |trans-title=Burilichev, Aleksey Vitalyevich |language=ru |website=WarHeroes.ru |access-date=13 January 2020}}</ref>

In August 2009, the news media reported that two ''Akula''-class submarines operated off the [[East Coast of the United States]], with one of the submarines being identified as a Project 971 Shchuka-B type.  U.S. military sources noted that this was the first known Russian submarine deployment to the western Atlantic since the end of the [[Cold War]], raising concerns within U.S. military and intelligence communities.<ref>{{cite news |title=Russian Subs Patrolling Off East Coast of U.S. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/05/world/05patrol.html|newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=August 2, 2012 |access-date=2012-10-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140310131441/http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/05/world/05patrol.html |archive-date=March 10, 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first1=Mazzette |last1=Mark |first2=Thom |last2=Shanker |title=Pentagon: Russian subs no cause for alarm |url=http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2009/08/06/Pentagon-Russian-subs-no-cause-for-alarm/UPI-23291249537740/?rel=35751345390615 |work=[[UPI]] |date=August 6, 2009 |access-date=2012-10-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120823125404/http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2009/08/06/Pentagon-Russian-subs-no-cause-for-alarm/UPI-23291249537740/?rel=35751345390615 |archive-date=August 23, 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref> [[U.S. Northern Command]] confirmed that this 2009 ''Akula''-class submarine deployment did occur.<ref name="Ewing">{{cite web |first=Phillip |last=Ewing |title=Pentagon Denies Russian Sub Patrolled Gulf of Mexico |url=http://news.usni.org/news-analysis/news/pentagon-denies-russian-sub-patrolled-gulf-mexico |work=News and Analysis |publisher=[[United States Naval Institute]] |date=August 20, 2012 |access-date=2012-10-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120826012615/http://news.usni.org/news-analysis/news/pentagon-denies-russian-sub-patrolled-gulf-mexico |archive-date=August 26, 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref> One of the boats was likely ''Gepard'' that finished a relatively lengthy combat patrol between June and September that year<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.deepstorm.ru/DeepStorm.files/45-92/nts/971/K-335/K-335.htm |title=Подводная лодка К-335, "Гепард". Проект 971 |trans-title=Submarine K-335, "Gepard". Project 971 |language=ru |website=Deepstorm.ru}}</ref> under the command of the Captain 1st rank Alexey Vyacheslavovich Dmitrov, who on 15 February 2012 was awarded a title Hero of the Russian Federation for courage shown at work.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.warheroes.ru/hero/hero.asp?Hero_id=14570 |title=Дмитров Алексей Вячеславович |trans-title=Dmitrov, Aleksey Vyacheslavovich |language=ru |website=WarHeroes.ru}}</ref> The other submarine could have been ''Tigr'' under the command of Captain E. A. Petrov, given that she performed a combat patrol sometime between March and November 2009.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.deepstorm.ru/DeepStorm.files/on_1992/971/266/266.htm |title=266-й экипаж подводной лодки. Проект 971 |trans-title=266th crew of the submarine. Project 971 |language=ru |website=Deepstorm.ru}}</ref> It is unlikely that other submarines of the project 971 could have been present in the Atlantic that year. ''Pantera'' was in Severemorsk during summer,<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.deepstorm.ru/DeepStorm.files/45-92/nts/971/k317/k317.htm |title=Подводная лодка К-317, "Пантера". Проект 971 |trans-title=Submarine K-317, "Panther". Project 971 |language=ru |website=Deepstorm.ru}}</ref> while ''Vepr'', ''Leopard'' and ''Volk'' did not report any kind of activity in that year (1-3 submarines of the project are usually active with the Northern Fleet at any given moment).

In August 2012, the news media reported that another ''Akula''-class submarine operated in the [[Gulf of Mexico]] purportedly undetected for over a month, sparking controversy within U.S. military and political circles, with U.S. Senator [[John Cornyn]] of the [[Senate Armed Services Committee]] demanding details of this deployment from Admiral [[Jonathan W. Greenert]], the [[Chief of Naval Operations]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Reports of Russian sub in gulf downplayed |url=http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2012/08/19/Reports-of-Russian-sub-in-gulf-downplayed/UPI-35751345390615/ |work=[[UPI]] |date=August 19, 2012 |access-date=2012-10-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120922023039/http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2012/08/19/Reports-of-Russian-sub-in-gulf-downplayed/UPI-35751345390615 |archive-date=September 22, 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref> Most likely, this was ''Tigr'', as its commander Captain 1st rank Pavel Bulgakov received the [[Order of Courage (Russia)|Order of Courage]] on the [[Defender of the Fatherland Day]] on 22 February 2013.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://structure.mil.ru/structure/forces/navy/news/more.htm?id=11676214@egNews |title=Подводные силы Северного флота – лучшее объединение ВМФ в составе Западного военного округа |trans-title=The submarine forces of the Northern Fleet – the best formation of the Navy in the Western Military District |date=18 March 2013 |website=Russian Ministry of Defence |language=ru |access-date=4 June 2021}}</ref>