The Hunt for Red October (film) be destroyed by its own fired torpedo. The crew of "Red October", now rescued, watch the explosion from the deck of the U.S. frigate; unaware of the second Soviet submarine, they believe that Ramius has sacrificed himself and scuttled "Red October" to avoid being boarded. Ryan and Ramius, their subterfuge complete, navigate "Red October" to the Penobscot River in Maine. Ramius admits that the reason he defected was that after he was handed the plans for "Red October", a nuclear war first strike weapon, he concluded that he could never support such an action. From atop the submarine's sail deck,
The Hunt for Red October Reagan had pronounced the book, which was given to him as a Christmas gift, as “the perfect yarn” and “unputdownable”; his endorsement eventually boosted the novel's sales and solidified Clancy's reputation as a bestselling author. Regarding the reception, Clancy remarked: “I was thunderstruck, dumbfounded, bowled over, amazed. But I wasn't surprised." In addition, the novel was a big hit in the White House. "The Hunt for Red October" was also popular among the military. On a 1985 visit to the , Clancy discovered 26 copies of the novel among the crew. "The Washington Post", in its original review, praised the