'Pike-B', NATO reporting name Akula) is a series of fourth generation nuclear-powered attack submarines (SSNs) first deployed by the Soviet Navy in 1986.

The distinctive "bulb" or "can" located on top of the Akula's rudder houses its towed sonar array when retracted.

All submarines before K-391 Bratsk have reactor coolant scoops that are similar to the ones of the Typhoon class SSBNs, long and tubular.

The K-335 Gepard is the 14th submarine of the class and the only completed Akula III (see the table below) built for the Russian Navy.

It is longer and has a larger displacement compared to the Akula II, also it has an enlarged sail and a different towed-array dispenser on the vertical fin.

U.S Navy officials and Congressmen announced that this technology enabled the Soviet submarine builders to produce more accurate and quieter propellers.

The 1999–2000 edition of Jane's Fighting Ships incorrectly listed the first Akula III as Viper (the actual name is "Vepr", "wild boar" in Russian), commissioned on 25 November 1995.

Between April and June 1996, Tigr was deployed in the Atlantic, where she detected a U.S. Ohio class SSBN and tracked it on its combat patrol.

[21] On 23 July 1996, its commander, Captain 1st rank Alexey Burilichev, received a Hero of the Russian Federation award.

[25] One of the boats was likely Gepard that finished a relatively lengthy combat patrol between June and September that year[26] 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.

[30] Most likely, this was Tigr, as its commander Captain 1st rank Pavel Bulgakov received the Order of Courage on the Defender of the Fatherland Day on 22 February 2013.

[citation needed] On 8 November 2008, while conducting one of these trials, an accidental activation of the halon-based fire-extinguishing system took place in the fore section of the vessel.

Dozens of others suffered freon-related injuries and were evacuated to an unknown port in Primorsky Krai.

[64] Three hundred Indian Navy personnel were trained in Russia for the operation of the Akula II submarine Nerpa.

[68] Missiles with ranges greater than 300 km (162 nmi; 186 mi) cannot be exported due to arms control restrictions, since Russia is a signatory to the MTCR treaty.

[58] Russia said in December 2014 that it is ready to lease India more nuclear-powered submarines a day after President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Narendra Modi pledged to deepen defence ties.

[70] On 7 March 2019, India and Russia signed a $3 billion deal for lease of another Akula-class nuclear-powered attack submarine.