Russian DELTA III Submarine Firing, by Edward L. Cooper, 1987 The DELTA III nuclear-powered submarine entered the Red navy in the late 1970s. A DELTA III fired the nuclear-tipped SS-N-18 ballistic missile from 16 launch tubes. With a range of 6,500 kilometers (3,900 miles), these missiles could hit targets in the United States from Russian home ports or coastal waters. The DELTA III is deployed with the Russian navy today.