Cloaked in mystery and intrigue, deadly submarines have been a component of naval warfare since World War I. Nowadays, visitors to Russia can see a diesel-electric B-396 submarine at the Moscow Navy Museum. Built in 1980 and decommissioned in 1998, the sub has been exhibited at the Naval museum since 2006. The U.S.S.R. built the Tango-class B-396 as part of its Cold War effort to monitor the Northern Fleet. It also covered the Mediterranean Sea, North and South Atlantic, western coast of Africa and the Barents and Norwegian seas. Since the Tango class exceeded the battery capacity of its predecessor, the Foxtrot class, the submarine could stay submerged in excess of a week before snorkeling was required. Combined with bow sonar installations similar to those on Soviet nuclear attack submarines, the Tango class was ideal for ambush operations against Western nuclear submarines. A retired Soviet submarine commander presented our tour in Russian, and our guide then translated it into English for the benefit of our group. He showed us the torpedo tubes and explained about the special requirements of living on a sub, including meals, laundry, first aid and even entertainment. As might be expected, it wasn’t glamorous. We were permitted to explore all the compartments and exhibits. The tour takes about 60–90 minutes, depending on the number of questions your group asks. Afterward, we were escorted to the Russian A-90 hydroplane Orlyonok simulator, located inside an adjacent building. A static display of the A-90 rests perpendicular to the B-396 submarine. Once our group was comfortably seated inside the simulator, we were treated to some rather exciting maneuvers involving low altitude and attack. The visuals and shaking of our chairs added to the overall effect. Introduced in 1979 and retired in 1993, the ekranoplan Orlyonok was one of the most successful ekranoplans ever — a mixture of an airplane and a hovercraft that takes advantage of ground effect. The result? The ekranoplan can fly in low altitudes with less fuel, allowing it to transport heavier loads than conventional planes. And, of course, it can fly below radar — at times only 16 to 32 feet above water. At 140 tons and 190 feet long, the A-90 could fly about 250 mph.