According to information disseminated by the Russian Ministry of Defense, in November 2017 the first serial small rocket ship(MRK) project 22800 "Karakurt". At the same time, the lead ship, called "Hurricane", has already been launched, and, according to plans, will be transferred to the Baltic Fleet of the Russian Navy in 2018, at the same time Russian armed forces should receive the first serial ship, named "Typhoon". What are the features of small missile ships, how many and when will the Russian Navy receive them, and what will this lead to?
Serial production of RTOs in Russia mastered at a high level
To date, two types of RTOs are being built in Russia - the Buyan-M project 21631 and the Karakurt project 22800. Buyany-M began to be built in 2010, since then three ships of this type have been received by the Red Banner Caspian Flotilla, and two by the Baltic Fleet. Until 2020, seven more products of this project will be built (four for the Black Sea Fleet, three for the Baltic Fleet). The ships of this project are distinguished by their small dimensions, displacement and draft (only 2.6 meters), which make it possible to navigate many rivers, among other things. As a result, their seaworthiness is somewhat limited and allows the Buyans to be used only close to the coast. The main armament of the ship is eight Caliber cruise missiles installed in the vertical cells of the universal ship firing system (UKSK) 3S14, and for self-defense there is a 100-mm A190 Universal gun, a 30-mm automatic anti-aircraft gun AK-630M-2 Duet " and so on. For seven years, the Russian Navy received five RTOs of this type, over the next three years it is planned to send seven more to the fleet, which indicates a noticeable increase in the pace of construction and a good development of production technology. All ships were built and will be built at the Zelenodolsk plant named after A. M. Gorky (Tatarstan).
RTOs of project 22800 "Karakurt" began to be built later - the first two ships were laid down in December 2015, and, as we have already noted, they are still being completed. In total, a series of eighteen ships should be built by 2022, while contracts have already been signed for twelve of them, and eight are under construction. Several shipyards are building this type of RTOs at once - the Pella Leningrad Shipbuilding Plant (sites in Feodosia and Otradnoy), the Zelenodolsk Plant named after A. M. Gorky, in 2018 it is planned to sign a contract for the construction of six Karakurts at the Amur Shipbuilding Plant ". Thus, it is planned to build eighteen RTOs of this type in seven years, with an average rate of 2.5 ships per year. If such plans can be implemented (there are prerequisites for this, since there is experience in the construction of Buyanov-M), then it will be possible to say with confidence that RTOs will be the only type of surface ships carrying strategic cruise missiles that Russia can build quickly and in such a large number.
Unlike Buyan-M, RTOs of the Karakurt type have a noticeably higher seaworthiness, including due to a greater draft (4 meters). The main armament of ships of this type is the same as that of Project 21631 - eight Caliber cruise missiles or Oniks anti-ship missiles installed in UKKS 3S14. Starting from the third ship of the series, the Karakurts will begin to receive a fairly serious system air defense- the Pantsir-M anti-aircraft missile and gun system, which will further increase the ship's ability to operate far from its shores.
RTOs allow the deployment of strategic cruise missiles without violating the INF Treaty
The Russian military operation in Syria has repeatedly demonstrated the ability to hit targets with the help of 3M-14 Kalibr cruise missiles from the Caspian Sea, at ranges of about 1,500 km. According to available data, this nuclear-equipped cruise missile is capable of covering about 2,600 km, and in a conventional one, at least 2,000 km. In fact, this allows you to hit targets in most of Europe without deploying ground-based cruise missiles with a range of more than 500 km, in violation of the Treaty on the Elimination of Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF). This will make it possible to meet the challenges associated with the deployment of a large number of NATO forces to Russian borders while not unilaterally withdrawing from the treaty with the United States.
Given the difficulties in building surface ships larger than RTOs and corvettes (according to Western classification, small missile ships also belong to them), building even more Karakurt and Buyanov-M may be the most optimal solution given the current capabilities of Russian military shipbuilding, while large series of more serious types of ships must be taken up with other funding and other industry opportunities.
Small missile ships 1234E
Construction and service
| 10 units Ordered |
| 10 units Built |
| 1974-1984 gg. Years of construction |
| 1976-... gg. Years of service |
| Production unit "Diamond" Leningrad. shipyard "Vympel" them. Volodarsky Rybinsk.Construction site |
Total information
Armament
Built ships
Vijaydurg, Sindhudurg, Hosdurg,
Ain Mara, Ain el Gazala, Ain Zara, Ain Zaquit,
Rais Hamidou, Salah Rais, Rais Ali.
Project 1234E(code "Gadfly-E", designation according to the NATO code - Nanuchka II) - export modification of small missile ships (RTOs) of project 1234 "Gadfly". These ships were supplied to three states friendly to the USSR: India (three units), Algeria (three units) and Libya (four units). But as such, no special design of the export version was carried out, the modification consisted only in a simplified composition of weapons.
History of creation.
RCC P-20 "Termite" and launcher KT-15M.
Anti-ship missiles P-120 "Malachite" in launchers.
MRK 1234/1234E have good maneuverability: the turn time for 360 ° does not exceed 200 s (at a rudder angle of 25 °), and the tactical circulation diameter is not more than 30 ship lengths. The run distance from full speed to full stop is no more than 75 ship lengths, an emergency stop is possible in 55 seconds.
Crew and accommodation.
The crew of RTOs is 49 people, including 7 officers. For the first time, air conditioners and an additional refrigerator were installed on RTOs of project 1234E to improve living conditions. The design of the ship's hull provided for three different types of insulating materials: to reduce airborne noise, to protect against penetrating impulse noise, and to protect rooms from cooling.
Armament.
Anti-ship weapons.
The armament of the Project 1234E ships included four P-20 cruise anti-ship missiles (NATO code designation - SS-N-2C Styx), which were export versions of the P-15M Termit anti-ship missiles. The missiles were placed side by side on the upper deck in four non-guided, non-stabilized, non-armored, non-absorbed launch launchers KT-15M. The P-20 missiles were equipped with an infrared seeker and had a firing range of up to 83 km. On the marching section, the flight altitude of the missiles was 100-300 m, and on the final section - no more than 2-5 m. The flight speed on the marching section was 1134 km / h. Warhead weight - 515 kg, incl. explosive mass 375 kg. The rocket was controlled using the Rangout-E radar. The starting weight of one anti-ship missile is 2471 kg (including the mass of the starting powder jet engine- 346 kg), length 6550 mm, the largest diameter of the anti-ship missile hull - 760 mm, wingspan in flight - 2400 mm. Type of seeker - combined, with radar and thermal channels. The speed of the rocket from the guides is 39-56 m / s, the flight speed is 1100 km / h. Start readiness time during preheating - 60 s. The probability of hitting a typical target without counteraction is 0.8.
The use of anti-ship weapons on RTOs of project 1234E is possible with sea waves of no more than 5 points. With a strong wave from the stern corners, serious restrictions are imposed on firing a missile system. For example, due to the fact that a ship cannot lie on a combat course during heavy seas, the interval for launching cruise missiles can be up to 1.5 minutes.
Anti-aircraft missile weapons.
anti-aircraft missile system"Osa-M"
On Project 1234E ships, the Osa-M anti-aircraft missile system was installed in the bow, designed for air defense and the destruction of single air targets. The air defense system included the ZiF-122 double-beam launcher, a missile supply and reloading system, a 4R-33 control system and an ammunition load of 20 9M-33 anti-aircraft missiles. The rate of fire of the air defense system was two launches per minute when firing at air targets and 2.8 launches when firing at surface targets, the reload time of the launcher did not exceed 16-21 s.
The Osa-M air defense system could hit air targets flying at a speed of 300 m / s at an altitude of 200-5000 m with a range of up to 9000 m, and supersonic targets - up to 7100 m. At low altitudes (50-100), the range of destruction was reduced to 4000-6000 m. The low rate of fire of the Osa family air defense systems did not allow them to repel simultaneous attacks of several air targets or anti-ship missiles, therefore beginning of XXI century, all modifications of the Osa air defense system were recognized as obsolete and ineffective weapons.
Artillery weapons.
The artillery of small rocket ships of project 1234 consisted of one double-barreled turret artillery mount AK-725 of 57 mm caliber, located at the stern. The AU tower was not armored, it was made of 6 mm thick duralumin alloy. In the turret AU, in one cradle, there were two 57-mm / 75 ZiF-74 assault rifles with a total ammunition capacity of 1100 rounds, a rate of fire of 200 rounds per minute with a continuous burst of 100 rounds. Horizontal guidance angles - 200 ° on both sides, AU calculation - 2 people, AU mass - 3.9 tons. Firing range - 8420 m (6950 m for self-liquidator). Guidance of guns is possible both from a remote control and remotely from the MP-103 Bars fire control radar with a maximum target detection range of 40 km.
Radio equipment.
To control the firing of the P-20 anti-ship missiles, the MP-331 Rangout-E shipborne target designation radar was used, operating in the 8-12 GHz range at four fixed frequencies spaced within a range of ± 10 MHz. Rangout-E has two power levels (20 and 100 W) and the possibility of all-round visibility at a frequency of 4 or 12 rpm. Under favorable conditions, the detection range of a large target reached 60 nautical miles (112 km). After the target was detected, the ship's Klen-M fire control device was connected. To develop the flight task issued on board the missile, along with data on the coordinates, speed and heading of the target entering the Klen-M equipment from the Rangout radar, the values of the own speed and heading of the firing ship, the current parameters of pitching and rolling are entered into it .
To control the firing of the Osa-M air defense system, the SUO 4R-33 was used, and to control the artillery fire, the Bars radar with the MR-103 radar was used. The mass of the PUS MR-103 is about 3900 kg, the target detection range is 40 km. To illuminate the navigation situation and solve navigation problems, a 3-cm Don navigation radar was installed. The radar antenna post was located on the top of the mast. The Don station could detect air targets at a distance of up to 50 km and surface targets at a distance of up to 25 km.
Means of electronic intelligence and electronic warfare.
For electronic intelligence, the RTR MRP-11-12 Zaliv radar was used. For electronic warfare RTOs of project 1234E were equipped with two sixteen-barrel remote-controlled PK-16 launchers for setting passive jamming, firing 82-mm projectiles with chaff or heat traps.
Construction and testing.
Most of the ships of the project were laid down and built at the Vympel Shipbuilding Plant. Volodarsky in the city of Rybinsk, then they were distilled to Leningrad at the Almaz Production Association for completion and testing. The very first ships ("Hurricane", "Priboy", "Tide"), destined for the Soviet Navy, were originally laid down on the Almaz. For testing and training of the customer's crew, all ships were temporarily enrolled in the Baltic Fleet of the USSR Navy, and only after the ship was handed over to the customer were they excluded from the Navy. The transfer of all ships to customers took place in Riga.
Modernization.
1234E before modernization and 1234EM after modernization
In the mid-1990s, the leadership of the Algerian Navy decided to overhaul and modernize project 1234E RTOs delivered to Algeria from the USSR. The modernization project, which received the number 1234EM, was developed at the Almaz Central Design Bureau under the leadership of the chief designer Yu. V. Arseniev. The outdated P-20 SCRC was replaced by the 3K24E Uran-E SCRC with 4 quad launchers with 16 Uran-E anti-ship missiles. Anti-aircraft armament was reinforced by a six-barreled 30-mm gun AK-630M, located in the aft superstructure, and instead of the Rangout-E radar, an antenna of the Harpoon-E radar complex was installed on the roof of the wheelhouse, and on the mast - a three-coordinate general detection radar of the Pozitiv- ME", radar fire control system for naval artillery "Laska", optoelectronic fire control system for artillery "Rakurs" and radio navigation system "Horizon-25". The compatibility of the operation of Russian radio-technical weapons with foreign ones was ensured by a data exchange system of the SOD-1234EM type. In addition to installing new weapons, obsolete types of electrical equipment and ship systems were replaced on the ship.
In 1997-2000 ship 802 Salah Reis underwent modernization under project 1234EM at the Kronstadt Marine Plant, while the modernization was accompanied by a failure to meet deadlines and claims to the quality of work. In this regard, further modernization and modernization of the other two Algerian ships was carried out under a separate contract in 2006 with Rosoboronexport, and a new contractor represented by Severnaya Verf (St. Petersburg), and according to a simplified version. In October 2007, under the same project, shipbuilding enterprise" Severnaya Verf"The modernization of the second Algerian corvette was started, and in 2008 - the third. Small Rocket Ship 801 Reis Hamidou after modernization at Severnaya Verf, it was handed over to the Algerian side in February 2011, then the company began to modernize the third ship of the series (803 Reis Ali.). In 2012 work on Reis Ali completed and handed over to the customer. In Algiers at 802 Salah Reis installed a Chinese NRJ-6A electronic warfare system and two Chinese six-barreled launchers PJ46 for setting passive interference, instead of dismantled during the modernization of the Soviet PK-16.
List of upgrades for project 1234EM
802 Salah Reis took place at the Kronstadt Marine Plant (1997-2000), at the Severnaya Verf (2006), received:
- AU 1x6 30 mm AK-630M (3000 rounds);
- RLC 3Ts-25E "Harpoon-E";
- RNS "Horizon-25".
801 Rais Hamidou took place at Severnaya Verf (2007-2011);
803 Rais Ali took place at Severnaya Verf (2011-2012); got:
- 4x4 anti-ship missile launchers 3M24E "Uran-E" instead of P-20 "Termite";
- control system "Laska-E" and opto-electronic control system SP-521 "Rakurs" instead of MP-103 "Bars";
- Radar general detection "Positive-ME1" instead of the radar "Rangout";
- RNS "Horizon-25".
Modernization 802 Salah Rais
1 - Anti-aircraft missile system "Osa-M"
2 - Fire control system 4R-33
11 - 57-mm artillery mount AK-725
12 - Quadruple launcher KT-184E anti-ship missiles 3M24E "Uran-E"
13 - Radar complex 3Ts-25E "Harpoon-E"
14 - Chinese-made NRJ-6A electronic warfare system
15 - General detection radar "Positive-ME1"
16 - Optoelectronic fire control system for artillery SP-521 "Rakurs"
17 - PJ46 six-barrel launcher for setting passive jamming made in China
18 - Fire control system for naval artillery "Laska-E"
19 - 30 mm artillery mount AK-630M
The fate of ten ships.
Indian RTOs.
- K71 Vijaydurg . RTO "Uragan" (building number 65) was laid down by the Almaz Production Association in Leningrad on May 1, 1974, and on June 5 of the same year it was enrolled in the USSR Navy, simultaneously with K72 and K73. All three Indian RTOs were already completed according to the project 1234 "Gadfly - E", but were temporarily introduced into the Baltic Fleet of the USSR Navy. K71 served with the Indian Navy until its withdrawal from service on September 3, 2002, its further fate is unknown.
- K72 Sindhudurg . RTO "Priboy" (building number 66) was laid down by the Almaz Production Association in Leningrad on January 22, 1975, served as the Indian Navy until it was withdrawn from service on September 24, 2004, and on April 15, 2005 was sunk as a target by a BrahMos cruise missile.
- K73 Hosdurg . RTO "Priliv" (building number 67) was laid down by the "Almaz" Leningrad on January 22, 1975, served as the Indian Navy until exclusion from the squad on June 5, 1999, and in June 2000 was sunk as a target by an anti-ship missile Sea Eagle fired from a fighter -bomber Jaguar IS.
| Name | Laid down | Enrolled in Soviet Navy |
Launched into the water | Entered service | Enrolled in Indian Navy |
Transferred to India | Excluded from membership Soviet Navy |
Excluded from membership Indian Navy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vijaydurg | 01.05.1974 | 05.06.1974 | 16.04.1976 | 30.09.1976 | 25.12.1976 | 04.1977 | 31.08.1977 | 03.09.2002 |
| Sindhudurg | 22.01.1975 | 05.06.1974 | 02.10.1976 | 18.02.1977 | 29.05.1977 | 09.1977 | 06.10.1977 | 24.09.2004 |
| Hosdurg | 22.01.1975 | 05.06.1974 | 14.04.1977 | 29.09.1977 | 29.05.1977 | 04.1978 | 06.10.1977 | 05.06.1999 |
Libyan RTOs.
- 416 Ain Mara (since 1991 Tariq ibn Ziyad ). MRK-9 (building number 203) was laid down by the Vympel Shipbuilding Plant named after. Volodarsky in the city of Rybinsk on April 21, 1979, was temporarily introduced into the
Small missile ship "Passat" of project 12341, code "Gadfly-1", was laid down on the slipway of the Leningrad Primorsky Shipyard in Leningrad and became the 14th in a series of 15 ships built at the plant.
Designed for launching missile attacks on enemy ships.
RTO "Passat" was laid down on May 27, 1988, building number 82. Launched on June 13, 1990. December 06, 1990 handed over to the customer. March 14, 1991 was enlisted in the Baltic Fleet. Currently has tail number 570, previously had tail number 465.
Main characteristics: Full displacement 730 tons. Length 59.3 meters, width 11.8 meters, draft 3.08 meters. Maximum speed 34 knots. Cruising range 3500 nautical miles at 18 knots. Autonomy 10 days. The crew consists of 64 people, including 10 officers and 14 midshipmen.
Power plant: 3 M-507A diesel engines with a total capacity of 30,000 horsepower, 3 shafts.
Armament: 6 Malachite anti-ship missile launchers (6 P-120 missiles), 1 AK-176 76-mm gun mount, 1x6 AK-630 30-mm gun mount, 1x2 Osa-M anti-aircraft missile launchers (20 missiles).
In 1999 he made a business call at the port of Karlskrona, Sweden.
From July 22 to August 08, 2006 he paid a visit to the ports of Germany with a passage through the Kiel Canal and a call at Bremerhaven and Warnemünde.
In early July 2007, he made a training trip to the North Sea, calling at the Dutch port of Vlissingen to participate in the celebrations on the occasion of the 400th anniversary of Admiral de Ruyter.
Was under renovation in 2013.
According to a report dated April 11, 2014, during which he fired cruise missiles at complex targets simulating a detachment of imaginary enemy ships.
According to a message dated May 19, 2014, together with the R-257 missile boat, it successfully imitates warships and means of air attack of a mock enemy.
According to a report dated February 27, 2015, the crews of the large landing ship "Korolev" and the small missile ship "Passat" of the Baltic Fleet successfully carried out artillery firing in conditions of limited visibility. According to a report dated April 09, artillery firing at various targets was successful.
According to a message dated March 30, 2016, the crew, as part of the first stage of the competition in the Baltic Fleet professional excellence"Sea Cup-2016" tasks for conducting artillery combat and repelling attacks by means of air attack of a mock enemy.
According to a report dated April 12, 2019, as part of a naval strike group, electronic missile launches were successfully launched at targets simulating a detachment of mock enemy warships. According to a message dated August 05 for the inter-fleet exercise of the Russian Navy "Ocean Shield - 2019".
It has been repeatedly noted that in the Navy of the USSR there was an amazing dependence: the smaller the warship was, the more useful it was.
It is still not clear what the heavy aircraft-carrying cruisers of the USSR Navy were. Huge ships with a displacement of 50 thousand tons left behind only a bitter annoyance: the high complexity and high cost, the lack of coastal infrastructure for their deployment and, in general, the unclear purpose made the TAVKRs ineffective and, simply put, useless - none of the tasks originally assigned to them TAVKRs could not solve, and those tasks that were within their power were solved in much cheaper and more efficient ways.
Soviet cruisers and BODs acted much more confidently. The ships carried out military service in all corners of the oceans, were regularly in combat zones and vigilantly watched the forces of the "probable enemy". Some even managed to “touch” the enemy live: in 1988, a modest BOD of the 2nd rank (guard) “Selfless” fell on the deck with a steel flurry missile cruiser USS Yorktown, demolished half of its side, a crew boat and an Mk-141 installation for launching the Harpoon anti-ship missiles. American sailors had to postpone their Black Sea cruises until better times.
Today, the “Selfless” rests on the bottom, and US Navy ships are free to conduct Sea Breeze exercises in the Black Sea. The Montreux Convention prohibits the presence of warships of non-Black Sea states in the Black Sea for a period of more than 21 days, but the formality does not bother the Americans much - once every three weeks the ships go to the Sea of Marmara, and after a few hours they return back. Thus, the rescue ship "Gresp" of the US Navy has been carrying out diving operations in the port of Odessa since May 2012.
If the ships of the main classes adequately represented the interests of the USSR in the vastness of the ocean, then the Soviet-built missile boats, to put it in Internet jargon, were simply burned. In the literal sense, they burned destroyers, transport ships, boats ... Any enemy was allowed to go to waste. Small boats were actively supplied to the navies of third world countries, which further increased the likelihood of their combat use.
Sometimes it seems to me that the sinking of the destroyer Eilat is given too much importance - missile boats have other great victories. For example, the daring raids on Karachi by missile boats of the Indian Navy (Soviet Project 205) in December 1970. Several Pakistani warships and three transports were sunk. In conclusion, a magnificent firework was given - P-15 rockets blew up 12 huge tanks located on the shore of an oil storage facility.
The development of electronics and rocket technology has made it possible to create an even more formidable. The evolution of missile boats in the USSR led to the creation of a completely new class of warships - a project of a small missile ship with an easy-to-remember code 1234.
Gadfly
A clot of combat matter with a total displacement of 700 tons. Full speed 35 knots. The cruising range of the economic course allows you to cross the Atlantic Ocean (4000 miles at 12 knots). Crew - 60 people.
It is no coincidence that MRK pr.1234 was called "a pistol at the temple of imperialism." The main caliber is six launchers of P-120 Malachite anti-ship missiles! The name of the complex directly indicates the estimated firing range - 120 km. The starting weight of the monstrous ammunition is 5.4 tons. The mass of the warhead is 500 kg, some of the missiles were equipped with a special warhead. The marching speed of the rocket is 0.9M.
Also, the armament complex of a small rocket ship included:
- Osa-M air defense system for self-defense of the ship (20 anti-aircraft missiles, effective firing range - 10 km, reloading time of the launcher - 20 seconds. Weight of launcher without ammunition - 7 tons).
- twin artillery system AK-725 caliber 57 mm (later replaced by 76 mm single-barreled AK-176)
- modernized RTOs pr.1234.1 were additionally equipped with a 30-mm AK-630 assault rifle installed in the aft part of the superstructure.
Even with the naked eye, you can see how overloaded the ship is with weapons and combat systems. As for the sober assessment of RTOs pr.1234, the sailors were ambivalent about these ships: on the one hand, the salvo is equal in power to several Hiroshima, on the other hand, low survivability, poor seaworthiness and very little chance of reaching the distance missile attack. The command of the US Navy was skeptical about the "missile frigates": AUG aviation surveys 100 thousand square kilometers of space in an hour - the Russians must be great optimists in order to expect to approach unnoticed. The situation was aggravated by the standard problem in naval combat - target designation and guidance. RTOs' own radio-electronic means make it possible to detect surface targets at a distance of the radio horizon (30-40 km). Firing missiles at full range is possible with the presence of external means of target designation (for example, Tu-95RTs aircraft). And yet, the enormous power of these small ships forced even the US 6th Fleet to reckon with them. Since 1975, small missile ships have been regularly included in the 5th operational squadron of the Black Sea Fleet: numerous and ubiquitous, they created many problems for American sailors.
Despite its direct purpose - the fight against the ships of the "probable enemy" in the closed seas and the near ocean zone - RTOs pr. 1234 successfully completed the tasks of protecting the state border, provided combat training for aviation and the fleet, and were even used as anti-submarine ships, while, without having on board specialized means to combat submarines.
SAM "Osa-M"
In total, 47 small missile ships of various modifications were built under project 1234: 17 according to the basic design, 19 according to the improved pr. 1234.1, 10 RTOs in the export version of pr. rockets "Onyx" were installed).
In addition to the appearance of new weapon systems and a jamming station, one of the differences between RTOs pr.1234.1 imperceptible from the outside from the basic version was the presence of flame ovens on board - now the sailors were provided with freshly baked bread.
The dimensions of the hull of export ships pr.1234E remained the same. The power plant consisted of three diesel engines with a capacity of 8600 liters each. s, providing a full speed of 34 knots. (on the basic project there were engines with a capacity of 10 thousand hp) The crew was reduced to 49 people. Air conditioners and an additional refrigerator were installed for the first time on export modifications of RTOs to improve the living conditions of the crew.
RTOs of the Algerian Navy "Reis Ali" pr. 1234E
The strike armament has changed: instead of the Malachite anti-ship missiles, the ships received the P-15 anti-ship missiles in two twin launchers located side by side. In addition, to increase combat stability, two PK-16 launchers were added to set up passive jamming. Instead of the Titanit radar, the old Rangout radar was installed, at the same time, the impressive cap from the Titanit radar was retained for solidity.
All small rocket ships were assigned "weather" names, traditional for heroic patrol ships Great Patriotic War - "Breeze", "Monsoon", "Fog", etc. For this, the formations of RTOs were called the "bad weather division."
Results in dash: Ivanov → milk, Petrov → milk, Sidorov → Petrov
Many of the expired P-15 missiles ended their careers as aerial targets to provide combat training for anti-aircraft gunners. When the missile was transformed into the RM-15M target, the homing head was turned off on it, and the warhead was replaced with ballast. On April 14, 1987, the Pacific Fleet conducted combat training exercises to practice repelling a missile attack. Everything happened in all seriousness: RTOs "Musson", RTOs "Whirlwind" and MPK No. 117 formed a warrant on which missile boats fired from a distance of 21 km.
It is still not clear how this could happen. The means of self-defense failed to repel the attack, and the target missile with an inert warhead hit the superstructure of the Monsoon RTO. Some witnesses of the tragedy had the impression that the homing head of the target missile was not turned off. This was evidenced by the flight path of the rocket and its "behavior" on the final stage. From this, the conclusion was drawn: criminal negligence was committed at the base, forgetting to turn off the missile seeker. The official version says that somehow by chance, flying along a ballistic trajectory, the rocket hit the Monsoon RTO without aiming. The invisible hand of providence, the ship was destined to die on this day.
Death of the Monsoon
The components of the rocket fuel caused a volumetric explosion and an intense fire in the interior of the ship. In the first second, the commander and most of the officers were killed, as well as the first deputy commander of the Primorsky Flotilla, Admiral R. Temirkhanov. According to many experts, the reason for such a violent fire and poisonous smoke was the material from which the structures of not only the Monsoon, but also almost all modern warships are made. This is an aluminum-magnesium alloy - AMG. The killer material contributed to the rapid spread of fire. The ship was de-energized, lost intra-ship and radio communications. The fire pump stopped. Jammed almost all the hatches and doors. The fire system and irrigation systems for the bow and stern magazines of ammunition were destroyed. In order to avoid a premature explosion, the sailors managed to slightly open the lids of the cellar with anti-aircraft missiles in order to reduce internal pressure.
After checking the temperature of the bulkheads in the area of the 33rd frame, behind which there was a cellar with anti-aircraft missiles, and making sure that the bulkheads were hot, the sailors realized that there was nothing to help the ship.
At night, the Monsoon RTO sank 33 miles south of about. Askold, taking the burnt bodies of 39 people to a depth of 3 kilometers.
After the death of the destroyer URO Sheffield in 1982 from an unexploded Exocet missile, Western military experts concluded that the rapid spread of fire was facilitated by a large number of various combustible materials, in particular, aluminum alloys. Since 1985 superstructures American ships covered with silicate felt insulation combined with fiberglass. English engineers developed an insulation called "counterflame" to protect structures from fire. However, AMG alloys are still widely used in shipbuilding.
And this could be called an accident, but apparently once was not enough. On April 19, 1990, training and combat firing was carried out in the Baltic to practice repelling a missile attack. Under similar circumstances, the target missile hit the Meteor RTO, knocking down several antennas on the ship's superstructure. Fly it a little lower - and the tragedy could happen again.
"Missile corvettes" in battle
During the incident in the Gulf of Sidra (1986), the American cruiser USS Yorktown (the same Black Sea "hero") discovered a small target 20 miles from Benghazi. It was the Libyan RTO "Ein Zakuit", crept up to the Americans in radio silence, simulating a fishing boat. Even a short-term (only two turns of the antenna) inclusion of the radar unmasked a small missile ship and thwarted the attack. The launch of two missiles "Harpoon" RTO was set on fire and sank after 15 minutes. There is still no exact description of that battle: some sources attribute the death of RTOs to the successful actions of carrier-based aircraft. The Americans also call another small missile ship destroyed by aircraft "Entrance". It is reliably known that another Ein Mara RTO was damaged in this battle - it had to undergo emergency repair with the elimination of combat damage at the Primorsky Plant in Leningrad, in 1991 it returned to the Libyan fleet again under the name "Tariq ibn Ziyad ".
"Ein Zakuit"
If, on the basis of these data, dear readers have concluded that RTOs pr.1234 are weak and useless, then I suggest that you familiarize yourself with the following.
The naval battle off the coast of Abkhazia on August 10, 2008 was the first serious combat clash of the Russian Navy in the 21st century. Here is a brief chronology of those events:
On the night of August 7-8, 2008, a detachment of ships of the Black Sea Fleet went to sea from the Sevastopol Bay and headed for Sukhumi. The detachment included the large landing ship "Caesar Kunikov" with a reinforced company of marines on board, and its escort - MRC "Mirage" and a small anti-submarine ship"Murometz". Already in the campaign, they were joined by the large landing ship Saratov, which set off from Novorossiysk.
On August 10, five high-speed Georgian boats left the port of Poti to meet them. Their task is to attack and sink our ships. The tactics of the attack are well known: fast small boats equipped with powerful anti-ship missiles suddenly strike at the large landing craft and leave. With a successful scenario, the result is "shock and awe." Hundreds of dead paratroopers, a burned-out ship and Saakashvili's victorious reports: "We prevented the intervention", "The Russians do not have a fleet, they are not capable of anything." But it turned out the opposite. Vesti managed to collect detailed information from the participants in this battle:
18 hours 39 minutes. Russian radar reconnaissance discovered several fast-moving targets on a combat course towards the formation of our ships.
18.40. Enemy boats approached a critical distance. Then from the flagship "Caesar Kunikov" a volley was fired from the MLRS A-215 "Grad". This does not stop the Georgians, they increase their speed and try to reach the so-called "dead zone" where rocket weapons are useless. The Mirage small missile ship is ordered to destroy the enemy. The distance to the target is 35 kilometers. Preparation for the strike, calculations - everything was done in just a few minutes. Naval combat is always fleeting.
18.41. The commander of the "Mirage" gives the command "Volley!". The first rocket went to the target. A few seconds later - the second. Flight time to the Georgian boat "Tbilisi" is only 1 minute 20 seconds. The distance between the opponents is about 25 kilometers.
The hit of the first rocket in the engine room of the boat "Tbilisi". A second later - another report - hitting the second in the wheelhouse. On the radar of our ship for 30 seconds there was a strong flare, which means the complete destruction of the target, accompanied by a large release of thermal energy.
18.50. The commander of the Mirage gives the command to change position. The ship at high speed leaves towards the coast, makes a U-turn and again falls on the combat course. The radar shows only 4 targets. One of them, a Georgian boat, having increased its speed, is again approaching our ship. "Mirage" opens fire from the "Osa" air defense system.
At this time, the distance was reduced to 15 kilometers. The missile hit the side of the Georgian boat, which immediately began to smoke, slowed down and tried to leave the line of fire. The rest of the Georgian ships disengage from the battle, turning sharply in the opposite direction. Mirage does not pursue a downed enemy, there is no order to finish off.
From the report of the commander of the Mirage MRK to the flagship: “Of the five targets, one was destroyed, one was damaged, three were out of combat. The consumption of missiles: anti-ship - two, anti-aircraft - one, there are no losses among the personnel. There is no damage to the ship."
As of 2012, the Russian Navy has 10 RTOs pr.1234.1 and 1 RTOs pr.1234.7. Considering the difficult state of the domestic Navy, these modest ships are good support - their operation does not require large expenses, at the same time, they have fully retained their combat qualities, which once again confirmed the naval battle off the coast of Abkhazia.
The main thing is not to set impossible tasks for small missile ships; other means should be used to counter aircraft carrier strike groups.
RTO "Zyb" at the parade in St. Petersburg
The traditions of creating highly effective naval weapons have not been forgotten - in Russia it is planned to build a series of 10 small missile ships pr. 21631 "Buyan". The total displacement of RTOs of the new type will increase to 950 tons. The water jet provides a speed of 25 knots. The strike armament of the new ship will be strengthened by the appearance of the Universal Shipborne Firing Complex (UKKS) - 8 launch cells for launching missiles of the Caliber family. The lead RTO pr.21631 "Grad Sviyazhsk" has already been launched, in 2013 it will replenish the combat strength of the Caspian flotilla.
