Neustrashimy-class frigate

The Neustrashimy class (Russian: Неустрашимый, alternate English spelling Neustrashimyy), Soviet designation Project 11540 Yastreb (hawk), is a series of large frigates built for the Soviet Navy and currently in service with the Russian Navy. Seven ships were planned for the Soviet Navy, but the fall of the Soviet Union disrupted those plans. Two ships were completed, both currently in active service with the Russian Baltic Fleet.

Russian frigate Neustrashimy
Class overview
NameNeustrashimy class
BuildersYantar Shipyard, Kaliningrad
Operators
Preceded byKrivak class
Succeeded by
Built1986–present
Planned7
Completed2
Cancelled5
Active2
General characteristics
TypeGuided-missile frigate
Displacement
  • Standard: 3,800 tons
  • Full: 4,400 tons
Length129 m (423 ft 3 in)
Beam15.6 m (51 ft 2 in)
Draught5.6 m (18 ft 4 in)
Installed power110,000 hp (82,000 kW)
Propulsion2 shaft COGAG 2x M70 or D090 cruise and 2x M90 boost gas turbines
Speed30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph)
Complement210
Sensors and
processing systems
  • Radar: 1 Top Plate, 2 Palm Frond, Cross Sword, 1 Kite Screech
  • Sonar: Ox Yoke LF bow monted sonar and Ox Tail VDS
Armament
Aircraft carried1 Ka-27 Helicopter
Aviation facilitieshelipad and hangar
Russian frigate Yaroslav Mudry during its voyage through the English Channel, April 2018

Design and construction

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The class was designed as a general purpose anti-submarine warfare (ASW) frigate to follow on from the Krivak-class frigates. The ship is equipped with a newly designed Zvezda-1 integrated sonar system (with NATO reporting name Ox Tail) as its primary ASW sensor.

The program started in 1986 and seven ships were originally planned.[1] After the collapse of the Soviet Union the project was frozen and only one ship, Neustrashimy (Неустрашимый - "Dauntless"), was in active service with the Russian Baltic Fleet by the mid-1990s. On 24 February 2009 the second ship in the class, Yaroslav Mudry, left the Yantar shipyard in Russia's Kaliningrad for its first sea trials.[citation needed] As of 2010, both Neustrashimy and Yaroslav Mudry are operational with the Baltic Fleet.

The ships were built by Yantar Yard, Kaliningrad. Only Neustrashimy was completed by the time the Soviet Union collapsed. Two further ships were incomplete. Yaroslav Mudry (named after the great ruler of the Kievan Rus, Yaroslav the Wise) and Tuman ("Fog", named after a World War II era Soviet patrol boat whose crew exhibited great valour in combat with three German destroyers). As of 2009, the frigate Yaroslav Mudry began sea trials and entered service.[citation needed]

Service history

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2008–2009 deployment to Somalia

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In late September 2008, Neustrashimy left the Baltic Fleet and was sent to the Gulf of Aden waters off the Somali coast to fight piracy in the region. Russian navy spokesman Captain Igor Dygalo told the Associated Press that the missile frigate Neustrashimy had left the Baltic Sea port of Baltiysk a day before the hijacking to cooperate with other unspecified countries in anti-piracy efforts.[2] As of 27 October, the frigate was operating independently in the vicinity of a group of NATO warships near the Somali coast. On 11 November, Neustrashimy helped capture suspected pirates along with Royal Marines from HMS Cumberland; the suspected pirates had been attempting to board the merchant vessel MV Powerful. On 16 November 2008, the frigate prevented pirates from capturing the Saudi Arabian ship MV Rabih.

Further deployment

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In June 2016 Yaroslav Mudry was part of a maritime incident between Russian and United States navies in which the ship came in close proximity to USS Gravely in the Mediterranean, though both sides claim the other was at fault for the encounter.[3][4] The American destroyer came within 315 yards (288 m) of the Russian vessel.[5]

In April 2018, Yaroslav Mudry and Uda-class oiler Lena were escorted by the Royal Navy frigate HMS St Albans as they were passing through the English Channel en route to the Mediterranean Sea.[6]

Yaroslav Mudry was again seen passing the English Channel on 1 November 2018.[7]

On 1 October 2019, Yaroslav Mudry, tanker Yelnya, and tug Viktor Konetsky embarked on the INDRA-2019 exercise. On 21 October, the frigate under the command of Captain 2nd rank Mikhail Navolotsky paid a visit to the Cypriot port of Limassol[8] and, in early December, patrolled the Gulf of Aden.[9] On 10 December, the ships arrived to Mormugao, India and have been participating in the exercises till 19 December.[10] On 27 December, the ships arrived at the Iranian port of Chakhbehar and participated in joint naval exercise.[11] Between 4-7 January 2020, the ship detachment visited the Omani port of Salalah and afterwards started patrolling the Gulf of Aden again.[12] Between 10-18 February, Yaroslav Mudry paid another visit to Salalah, Oman[13] and between 4-6 March Colombo, Sri Lanka.[14] On 4 May 2020, the ships returned to Baltiysk.[15]

From 2014 Neustrashimy was in overhaul with the deadline for the completion of her refit having passed on several occasions, partly due to the problem of acquiring parts for her Ukrainian-made engines. However, the ship completed her refit in December 2021 and is scheduled to return to the fleet in April 2022.[16][17][18] Post-refit sea trials were underway as of February 2022.[19] In July, Neustrashimy was reported to have fired the SA-N-9 air defence missile during its tests at sea.[20]

Project 11541 "Korsar"

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United Shipbuilding Corporation developed the escort ship Korsar based on the Neustrahimmy-class. The Project 11541 Korsar escort ship is designed to search for, track, and engage surface, underwater, and air targets, as well as to perform escort and patrol tasks. The ship can carry out a wide range of missions, operating autonomously and within a tactical task force in sea and oceanic areas. The customer can choose as armament between 4 Kh-35 launchers with 16 missiles, 2 P-800 Oniks launchers with 8 missiles, 8 3M-54 Kalibr VLS cells or 2 P-270 Moskit launchers with 8 missiles.[21][22]

Ships

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Name Hull No. Builder Laid down Launched Commissioned Fleet Status
Neustrashimy 712 Yantar Shipyard, Kaliningrad[1] 1986[1] May 1988[1] 24 January 1993[1] Baltic Fleet Completed Post-refit sea trials; rejoined the fleet April 2023[23][24][25][26]
Yaroslav Mudry
(ex-Nepristupnyi)
777 ex (727) 1988[1] May 1991[1] 2009[27] Baltic Fleet Active
Tuman 1990[1] 1996 Cancelled[28]

Building

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The work on Tuman was suspended in late 1993 when about 47% complete due to lack of funding. In 1996, the ship was launched to clear space in slip and was subsequently laid up in 1998 to clear space in dry dock. In April 2016, the director of the Yantar shipyard announced the incomplete hulk was to be scrapped as the high cost of completing the ship to an outdated design was considered inefficient and the space freed up by its disposal could be employed on more cost-effective projects.[29][30]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Gardiner & Chumbly, p. 395
  2. ^ ""Russia Somalia Piracy"". Yahoo! News. Retrieved September 26, 2008.[dead link]
  3. ^ Martinez, Luis; Reevell, Patrick; McLaughlin, Elizabeth (June 29, 2016). "US Officials Say Russian Warship Intentionally Interfered With Navy Operations". ABC News. Retrieved June 29, 2016.
  4. ^ "Russia, United States blame each other for maritime incident". MSN. Reuters. June 28, 2016. Archived from the original on August 16, 2016. Retrieved June 29, 2016.
  5. ^ Starr, Barbara (June 28, 2016). "U.S. officials say Russian warship came dangerously close to Navy ship". CNN. Retrieved June 29, 2016.
  6. ^ "Baltic Fleet ship squadron passes English Channel within long-range cruise". Russian Ministry of Defence. April 21, 2018. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
  7. ^ "HMS Tyne escorts Russian frigate months after returning to service". Navaltoday.com. November 1, 2018. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
  8. ^ "Сторожевой корабль «Ярослав Мудрый» Балтийского флота совершил деловой заход в кипрский порт Лимассол" [Baltic Fleet patrol ship "Yaroslav Mudry" made a call at the Cypriot port of Limassol]. Russian Ministry of Defence (in Russian). October 21, 2019. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
  9. ^ "Корабль Балтийского флота сопровождает в Аденском заливе караван гражданских судов" [A Baltic Fleet ship accompanies a convoy of civilian ships in the Gulf of Aden]. Russian Ministry of Defence (in Russian). December 2, 2019. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
  10. ^ "Сторожевой корабль Балтийского флота «Ярослав Мудрый» открыт для посещения жителям и гостям г.Панаджи" [Baltic Fleet patrol ship "Yaroslav Mudry" is open for visiting residents and guests of Panadzhi]. Russian Ministry of Defence (in Russian). December 14, 2019. Archived from the original on January 22, 2022. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
  11. ^ "Отряд боевых кораблей Балтийского флота совершил заход в иранский порт Чахбехар" [A detachment of Baltic Fleet warships made a call at the Iranian port of Chahbehar]. Russian Ministry of Defence (in Russian). December 27, 2019. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
  12. ^ "Сторожевой корабль Балтийского флота «Ярослав Мудрый» несет антипиратскую вахту в Аденском заливе" [Baltic Fleet patrol ship "Yaroslav Mudry" is on anti-piracy watch in the Gulf of Aden]. Russian Ministry of Defence (in Russian). January 9, 2020. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
  13. ^ "Находящийся на антипиратской вахте корабль Балтфлота зашел в Оман" [Baltic Fleet ship on anti-piracy watch entered Oman]. RIA Novosti (in Russian). February 10, 2020. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
  14. ^ "Сторожевой корабль "Ярослав Мудрый" покинул Шри-Ланку" [Patrol ship "Yaroslav Mudry" left Sri Lanka]. korabel.ru (in Russian). March 6, 2020. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
  15. ^ "Отряд кораблей Балтийского флота вернулся из дальнего похода" [A detachment of Baltic Fleet ships returns from a long voyage]. Russian Ministry of Defence (in Russian). May 4, 2020. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
  16. ^ "Russian Neustrashimyy patrol ship to re-join Baltic Fleet in April". April 6, 2022.
  17. ^ "Yantar Shipyard has to complete overhaul of Russian Navy Neustrashimy Yastreb-class frigate". February 7, 2021.
  18. ^ "Russian guard ship to rejoin Baltic Fleet in February after repairs - Military & Defense - TASS".
  19. ^ "Neustrashimy on Sea Trials After Long Refit – SeaWaves Magazine". Archived from the original on February 18, 2022. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
  20. ^ "Russian frigate Neustrashimyy fires Kinzhal missile during sea trials in Baltic Sea". July 22, 2022.
  21. ^ "Project 11541 "Korsar"". Archived from the original on February 23, 2024. Retrieved August 17, 2021.
  22. ^ "11541 escort ship Korsar | Catalog Rosoboronexport".
  23. ^ "Russian Neustrashimyy patrol ship to re-join Baltic Fleet in April". April 6, 2022.
  24. ^ "Russian Navy's guard ship wraps up Baltic tests after upgrade".
  25. ^ "На борту сторожевого корабля "Неустрашимый" прошло занятие с офицерами Балтфлота".
  26. ^ "ЦАМТО / / ПСЗ «Янтарь» завершил ремонт и модернизацию СКР «Неустрашимый»".
  27. ^ "Russian Navy takes delivery of new frigate". Rusnavy.com. June 21, 2009. Archived from the original on February 24, 2012. Retrieved October 9, 2015.
  28. ^ "Два корабля ВМФ России разрежут на металлолом в Калининграде" [Two Russian Navy ships will be scrapped in Kaliningrad]. Mail.ru (in Russian). Archived from the original on April 12, 2018. Retrieved July 3, 2017.
  29. ^ ""Янтарь" утилизирует два недостроенных корабля ВМФ России" [Yantar is scrapping two unfinished ships of the Russian Navy]. flotprom.ru (in Russian). April 18, 2016. Archived from the original on April 19, 2016. Retrieved May 10, 2016.
  30. ^ "Корпуса недостроенных "Тумана" и "Бородино" будут утилизированы" [The unfinished "Tuman" and "Borodino" will be disposed of]. vpk.name (in Russian). April 18, 2016. Retrieved May 25, 2020.

Sources

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  • Gardiner, Robert; Chumbley, Stephen; Budzbon, Przemysław, eds. (1995). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947–1995. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-132-7.
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