Red October (fictional submarine) subs were only about 175 meters long with about a 23-meter beam. "Red October" would also have been about 5,000 tons heavier than the normal Typhoon class sub. No Soviet submarines were officially named "Red October". Only the Japanese experimental civilian boat "Yamato 1" has managed to use this type of advanced propulsion system. In the film, "Red October" appears much like a standard Typhoon-class submarine though it has a number of significant differences. The aft section of the submarine contains two ducts for the caterpillar drive. The upper rudder carries a towed sonar array which typical Typhoon-class submarines do
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