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The is a fictitious Typhoon class submarine in the Tom Clancy novel "The Hunt for Red October" and the movie which followed. When I first saw this film, written by Tom Clancy,I thought that an awful lot of research had gone into the making of this movie, but I often wondered where someone would come up with such a plot. Was this film based on fact, or fiction in the writers mind. And if it was based on fact, where did Clancy get his information from.
The main theme of the story partially centers around the dual capabilities of this submarine. As a submarine of the Typhoon class, it carries many ballistic missiles armed with nuclear warheads. With a stealthy propulsion unit, it can no longer be detected by NATO naval vessels. As described in both the book and the film, these capabilities combine to create a horrific weapon, whereby the submarine could easily surface near a city, like New York,N.Y. fire its missiles, and destroy key targets before any government or military leaders could order a counterattack. One interpretation, as offered in the film and book, is that this submarines existence is for one purpose: not as a deterrent to an American attack on the Soviet Union, but solely as a weapon of first strike. The U.S.Government knows that they have only two options for this type of submarine. Either they capture it or they destroy it.
Marko Ramius,[Sean Connery] a Lithuanian who has risen to high levels of trust in the Soviet Navy, intends to defect to the United States with his officers and the experimental nuclear submarine Red October, a Typhoon class submarine equipped with a revolutionary stealth propulsion system.
Jack Ryan,[Alex Baldwin] a naval historian turned CIA analyst, deduces Ramius' plans. The U.S. high command agrees warily, while also planning for contingencies in case the Soviet Fleet has other intentions than their stated cover. As tensions rise between the U.S. and Soviet fleets,and the crew of a U.S.attack submarine stumble across the secret to detecting the Red October.
This film was one of the best movies of the 90's. It launched Clancy's successful career as a novelist and the highlighted the superb acting abilities of a number of well known stares.
And yes this novel and movie were based on true facts concerning the defection of two Soviet navel officers.[1]In 1961, Soviet Navy submarine captain Jonas Pleškys sailed his vessel from Klaipeda to Gotland in Sweden.The Soviet authorities sentenced him in his absence to death by firing squad, but the CIA hid him, first in Guatemala and later in the United States.
[2]On November 8, 1975, the Soviet Navy frigate Storozhevoy mutinied. At the time, the Western powers believed it was an attempt to defect from Latvia to the Swedish island of Gotland. The mutiny was led by the ship's Political Officer, Captain Valery Sablin. The mutiny was unsuccessful, and Sablin was captured, court-martialed, and executed.
So there you have it. So the next time you go view a "spy thriller"type of movie, you should always ask yourself! Fact Or Fiction? If you enjoy watching spy type movies, this is definitely one of the best you will ever view
Andrew Conway is an avid author,writer and a classic movie buff. If you love watching movies or just listening to great music, then visit:
http://www.ultimate-free-downloads.com
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