normally positioned horizontally. The "Long Bin" boats did not handle well, with the launch tubes causing stability problems, and water flow around the missile fittings was very noisy. All were soon retired from service. Four were converted to Project 640 radar picket boats (called Whiskey Canvas Bag in the West). Two were converted for "fishery research" and "oceanographic research" purposes. In the Soviet Navy, the patrol variants of this class were replaced by the . The guided missile variants were replaced by the . Production programme The Soviet Union built a total of 236 or 215 Whiskeys (sources vary; it appears the initial 21 Chinese-built boats are often included with the Soviet boats). Vice Admiral Burov, head of the Soviet Defense Ministry's Shipbuilding Institute from 1969 to 1983, confirms 215 units built. Patrol submarines of the Whiskey class were exported to: Albania (four vessels, all retired) which were based at Porto Palermo Bulgaria (two vessels, retired) China (five vessels, and another 21 built locally from parts provided by the Soviet Union, known as Type 03, all now retired) Egypt (seven vessels, retired) Indonesia (twelve vessels, and two as a source of spare parts, retired) North Korea (four vessels, inactive and likely retired) Poland (four vessels, 1962–1986, retired) (292) (295) (293) (294) – 10 June 1965 raising of the banner, 30 October 1985 lowering of the banner. Cuba and Syria ordered used Whiskey-class submarines for use as battery charging hulks. The Syrian Navy boats were ex-Soviet Navy S-167, S-171, and S-183. The Cuban navy acquired an ex Soviet boat for Foxtrot class submarine training. The guided missile and radar picket boats were never exported. By 1982, only 60 boats remained in the Soviet Navy (45 active, 15 in operational reserve); all were retired by the end of the Cold War. Incidents involving Whiskey-class submarines On 27 January 1961, was lost due to accidental flooding while the boat was submerged. The valve that should have prevented water from entering the snorkel did not work properly. On 24 November 1972, the Kobben-class submarine KNM Sklinna of the Royal Norwegian Navy had "contact" with what they presumed was a Whiskey-class submarine, after 14 days of "hunt" in Sognefjord. Military documents released in 2009 confirm this episode. On 21 October 1981, was run down by the merchant vessel Refrizherator-13 in Golden Horn Bay, Vladivostok. On 27 October 1981, ran aground in Swedish territorial waters near