 Velebit in the Lora Naval Base, August 2011
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 Yugoslavia | |
| Name | Soča |
| Builder | Brodogradilište specijalnih objekata, Split |
| Homeport | Lora Naval Base, Split |
| Identification | P-914 |
| Captured | 1991 |
| Fate | Captured by the Croatian National Guard during an overhaul |
 Croatia | |
| Name | Velebit |
| Acquired | 1991 |
| Out of service | 2005 |
| Renamed | 1996 |
| Refit | 1996 |
| Stricken | 2006 |
| Homeport | Lora Naval Base, Split |
| Identification | P-01 |
| Fate | Raised from the sea and stored in Lora Naval Base, declared redundant |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement |
|
| Length | 21.09 m (69.2 ft) |
| Beam | 2.7 m (8.9 ft) |
| Draft | 2.4 m (7.9 ft) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Range | 250 nmi (460 km; 290 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) |
| Endurance | 6–7 days |
| Crew | 4 + 6 special forces |
| Armament |
|
Velebit (pennant number P-01) was a modified Una-class midget submarine and the only submarine to see service with the Croatian Navy. It was built for the Yugoslav Navy during the 1980s where it was named Soča. At the outbreak of the Croatian War of Independence Soča was being overhauled in the Brodogradilište specijalnih objekata division of Brodosplit shipyard in Split, Croatia. Although stripped of all equipment, it was preserved from the retreating Yugoslav forces by the shipyard workers.
With modifications that were aimed at improving the ships endurance by including a diesel generator, it was launched as Velebit (P-01) in 1996. Since 2001, due to battery set malfunction, Velebit was no longer able to submerge, and was constrained to surface operations. After it was decommissioned in 2006, there were unsuccessful attempts of selling it to a foreign buyer. The submarine was then offered to various museums in Croatia, with a final destination still pending.