Soviet submarine captain, Marko Ramius, departs on a mission from the Polijarny Inlet near Murmansk, Russia. CIA analyst, Jack Ryan, flies from London to Washington, D.C., where he presents Deputy Director of Intelligence Admiral Greer with recently obtained British Intelligence photographs of the Russian submarine Red October , which is notably larger than standard typhoon class submarines. Ryan explains that the ship’s captain, Ramius, has vast experience, political connections, and notoriety among his trainees as “The Vilnius Schoolmaster.” Ryan expresses concern about the submarine’s mysterious doors, and when he requests top secret clearance to consult with Skip Tyler, a former U.S. submariner, Greer immediately arranges for the meeting, telling Ryan that a satellite captured images of Red October leaving Polijarny that morning. Meanwhile, the sonar of submarine U.S.S. Dallas detects Red October 100 miles northwest of Polijarny. Aboard Red October , Ramius is infuriated by the intrusion of KGB agent, Ivan Putin, who contemptuously reads from a book belonging to Ramius’s deceased wife before providing Ramius with the key to the safe containing official orders of their mission. The document gives instructions for a standard training exercise with Soviet submarine S.S.N. Konovalov , commanded by Ramius’s former student, Captain Tupolev, and then a return voyage to Polijarny. As Putin goes to inform the crew, Ramius breaks his neck, burns the orders, and replaces them with forged copies while calling Dr. Petrov to report Putin’s death as an accident. At a naval shipyard in Patuxent, Maryland, Ryan meets with Tyler and shows him the photographs. Tyler theorizes that Red October ’s doors indicate its Caterpillar drive, a propulsion system that makes the submarine nearly undetectable by sonar and would enable the Soviets to launch nuclear warheads off of the U.S. coastline without warning. Back aboard Red October , Dr. Petrov tells Ramius that the mission cannot continue without a political officer, but Ramius pulls rank and informs him that their mission will go on. Calling Loginov, the cook’s assistant, as a witness, Ramius takes Putin’s missile keys. Although Dr. Petrov argues that the incident should be reported, Captain Borodin informs him that their mission has been ordered for radio silence. Meanwhile, Dallas identifies the vessel as a previously unrecorded model of Soviet submarine, and Captain Bart Mancuso orders his crew to follow it closely. Dallas ’s Seaman Jones explains to his trainee that they will not be detected if they stay in the submarine’s baffles, while Red October crewmen inform Ramius that their sonar and surface scopes are clear of contacts. Ramius then announces to his crew that the Soviets have once again gained an advantage over their adversary and orders the silent drive of the Caterpillar to be engaged. He tells them that they will slip past their own fleet and American patrols to conduct missile drills off the coast of New York, making historical advances for their country. As the crew of Red October sings the Soviet anthem and the Caterpillar engages, the submarine disappears from Dallas ’s sonar. Red October then detects Dallas , but Ramius is pleased to learn that it does not change its course in recognition of their ship, assuring him that their invisibility has proven successful. In Moscow, Chairman of the Red Fleet, Admiral Padorin, receives a letter from Ramius and spills his tea in shock. Meanwhile, Ryan is urgently called back to Washington and Greer informs him about the incident in Polijarny. Before Ryan can share Tyler’s theory, Greer concludes that Red October ’s doors are evidence of a silent propulsion system, and gives Ryan a report stating the Soviets recently engaged their entire fleet of submarines. Ryan briefs U.S. National Security Advisor, Jeffrey Pelt, and his associates about Red October ’s Caterpillar drive and adds that fifty-eight Soviet nuclear submarines are headed toward the Atlantic at high speed. When Greer suggests that the deployment is an exercise, a committee member reveals intelligence that Ramius’s letter to Admiral Padorin resulted in orders from Premier Chernenko for the Soviet fleet to sink Red October . The committee concludes that Ramius is intent on attacking the United States, but Ryan’s knowledge of Ramius’s personal history leads him to an alternate theory. Due to the date of Ramius’s conquest of Red October , which marks the one-year anniversary of his wife’s death, his Lithuanian birthright, and his intimacy with the Soviet officers he trained, Ryan believes that Ramius and his trusted associates are on mission toward America to defect. Learning that Red October will be in a position to attack in four days, Pelt adjourns the meeting. When Ryan privately suggests to Pelt that detaining Red October will allow the U.S. to infiltrate the secret engineering of the Caterpillar drive, Pelt gives Ryan three days to make contact with Ramius and prove this theory. Aboard Konovalov , Captain Tupolev orders his crew to head toward Red October at full speed. At an officer's dinner on Red October , Ramius tells his team that he revealed their intent to defect in a letter to Padorin. They conclude they are doomed, but Ramius contends that their real threat is the Americans. In the North Atlantic, Ryan arrives on U.S.S. Enterprise . Meanwhile, on Dallas , Seaman Jones brings Captain Mancuso a recording of Red October just after it disappeared from their sonar. When played at a rapid speed, the sounds of seismic activity provide a tool to detect the Caterpillar drive. Based on the alignment of Red October ’s previous coordinates and the location of the Soviet fleet, Jones proposes that Red October is headed toward Thor’s Twins, an underwater canyon, on its way to Iceland. Aboard Enterprise , Ryan explains his plan to the ship’s admirals and they express concern about the feasibility of capturing Red October . As Red October passes Thor’s Twins, Ramius orders his crew to navigate at a dangerously rapid speed and the Caterpillar becomes damaged. Although the submarine will no longer run silent, Ramius commands the mission to continue with normal propulsion. In Washington, D.C., Pelt grills the Soviet Ambassador about his country’s deployment of their fleet, but the ambassador claims that Red October is missing and a massive rescue operation is necessary because Russian high-level party officials have sons aboard. When Pelt offers to assist, however, the ambassador declines. South of Iceland, Red October narrowly diverts a torpedo fired by Soviet aircraft and the ship’s engineer reports that the Caterpillar was sabotaged by a crewmember. After learning that Russian submarines have been stationed along the east coast of America, Ryan discovers that Dallas has marked sounds of seismic activity and takes a helicopter to the submarine, hoping that they have found Red October . Meanwhile, Jones detects the Russians directly below Dallas . On Red October , Borodin informs Ramius that the Caterpillar is running again, but notes that the crew is afraid of the saboteur and Ramius responds that this will ultimately be useful. As Borodin tells Ramius about his plans for life in America, Dallas stops her engines to avoid detection but narrowly misses a collision with Red October . Attempting to rendezvous with Dallas in a storm, Ryan is lowered from the helicopter, falls into the ocean and is pulled aboard by a diver. Meanwhile, the Soviet ambassador confesses to Pelt that his initial report was inaccurate. He claims that Ramius’s letter to Putin stated his intention to fire missiles at the U.S. and requests assistance in killing Ramius. On Dallas , Ryan explains his theory about Ramius to Captain Mancuso, but Mancuso receives orders to prevent Red October from nearing America with any necessary force. As Dallas locks its weapons on Red October , Ryan tells Mancuso that Russia concocted the story of Ramius’s insanity to provoke the U.S., ensuring that Ramius will be killed and unable to share military secrets after defecting. Although Mancuso is unreceptive, Ryan proves his knowledge of Ramius’s operations by accurately predicting Red October ’s next maneuver and Mancuso orders the engines of Dallas stopped, making the submarine’s position known to Red October . Although Dallas opens its torpedo doors and is ready to fire, Ramius does not order a counter attack. Following Red October ’s lead, Dallas heads to periscope depth and the submarines view each other at the ocean’s surface. Ryan and Mancusco communicate with Ramius through Morse code and Ramius acknowledges that it is not his intention to attack the U.S. Ryan warns Ramius against approaching the U.S., then gives him alternative coordinates for a safe place to defect at the Laurentian Abyssal. En route, Red October suffers a radiation leak as the result of sabotage, and Ramius decides to surface and evacuate the crew. As the crewmembers board life rafts, an American frigate appears and warns Red October against submerging. Ramius tells Dr. Petrov to depart with the crewmembers, and that he will submerge Red October with his officers to scuttle the ship and prevent enemy capture. Petrov resolves that Ramius is a hero for his sacrifice, and the crew watches as a torpedo is dropped onto Red October from an American helicopter. Before the torpedo hits Red October , however, Admiral Greer detonates it, ordering the Commander to report the missile hit the submarine’s hull and to overlook his actions. Greer then sends word to Dallas to launch their Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle and Mancuso, Ryan, Jones and two officers head toward Red October . Upon docking the Russian submarine, the men are met by cold stares, and Ramius demands to know why a torpedo was launched despite their agreement to meet in safety. Ryan contends that the torpedo was necessary to provide an illusion for Red October ’s crew that the ship was attacked, and he assures Ramius that his men will be rescued. When Ryan admits that he did not know for certain that Red October ’s reactor accident was staged, but that it seemed logical, Ramius surrenders the submarine and requests asylum. As Mancuso and Ramius shake hands, they hear a torpedo pass, and Jones determines that it is Russian. When Borodin identifies the attacker as Konovalov , Ramius instructs Ryan to steer the submarine directly into the path of the oncoming torpedo. By rapidly closing the distance to the torpedo, Red October contacts the missile before it can arm itself, and it does not strike the submarine. A Red October crewmember then fires a gun at the men, fatally wounding Borodin. When Ramius departs with Ryan to find the crewman before he can detonate their missiles and incinerate the ship, Mancuso gives Ramius his handgun for defense, but Ramius is soon injured and Ryan goes after the crewmember alone. Meanwhile, Konovalov fires again at Red October , but Dallas intervenes and temporarily redirects the torpedo. Dodging Dallas ’s countermeasures, the torpedo surfaces, and Red October ’s crewmembers watch from aboard a rescue ship, assuming that Ramius is fighting the Americans. Ryan finds Loginov, the cook’s assistant, who attempts to destroy Red October by crossing circuit wires, and shoots him dead. Konovalov 's torpedo reacquires coordinates and closes in on its target, but, under Mancuso’s orders, Red October dodges the missile and it hits Konovalov . Witnessing the explosion, Red October crewmembers believe their ship has been destroyed. Back in Washington, D.C., Pelt reports with feigned regret the loss of Red October to the Soviet Ambassador, but says that the crewmembers will be returned home safely. When the ambassador mentions that they have lost track of another submarine, Konovalov , he is ashamed to pursue the matter further. As Red October heads up Penobscot River in Maine to hide from satellite detection, Ramius admits that the submarine was built to strike America without warning and hopes its capture will provoke positive change. When Ramius quotes Christopher Columbus’s contention that the sea brings man new hope while he dreams of home, Ryan welcomes him to the “New World.”