Kashin-class destroyer

Smetlivy in the Red Sea in June 2003
Class overview
Name: Kashin class
Builders: 61 Kommunara Zavod Nikolayev Yard, Zhdanov yard, Leningrad
Operators:
Preceded by: Kanin class
Succeeded by: Sovremennyy class
Subclasses: Rajput class
In service: 1962
In commission: 1962
Completed: 25
Active: 6
Lost: 1
Retired: 19
General characteristics
Type: Destroyer
Displacement:
  • 3,400 tons standard,
  • 4,390 tons full load
Length: 144 m (472 ft)
Beam: 15.8 m (52 ft)
Draught: 4.6 m (15 ft)
Propulsion:
  • 2 × COGAG; 2 shafts,
  • 4 × M8E gas turbines; 72,000 hp (54,000 kW) up to 96,000 hp (72,000 kW)[1]
Speed: 38 kn (70 km/h; 44 mph) (4 gas turbines on full power)
Range: 3,500 nmi (6,480 km; 4,030 mi) at 18 kn (33 km/h; 21 mph)
Complement: 266 to 320
Armament:
Aircraft carried: 1 x helicopter (Rajput class only)
Aviation facilities: Landing pad

The Kashin-class destroyers were a group of guided missile destroyers built for the Soviet Navy in the 1960s and early 1970s. Their Soviet designation was Project 61. As of 2016, one ship is in service with the Russian Navy, and five modified ships are in service with the Indian Navy as Rajput-class destroyers.

In the Soviet Union they were officially classified as "guard ships" (storozhevoi korabl – SKR), then "large ASW ships" (BPK) or "large missile ships" (BRK), but in the rest of world they are commonly regarded as missile destroyers due to their size and armament. They were the first Soviet purpose-built anti-air warfare ships and the first to carry an ASW helicopter.

Design

A Kashin-class destroyer in the Mediterranean in January 1970.

The design specification was approved in 1957; the first ship was laid down in 1959 and commissioned in 1962. Much new equipment was developed for these ships, including surface-to-air missiles, radars and gas turbine engines. The gas turbines were arranged in two separate spaces and could be removed via the funnels for servicing. These were also the first Soviet ships designed to be closed down for nuclear fallout and had an operations room deep inside the ship rather than a large bridge.

Six ships were modernised in the 1970s as the Project 61M or 61MP (Kashin-Mod), by being fitted with four SS-N-2C Styx anti-ship missiles, new towed-array sonar, a raised helipad and four close range AK-630 Gatling guns. The two RBU-1000 ASW rocket launchers were mounted aft, but later removed.

Smetlivy was modernised (mk01090) at Sevastopol in the early 1990s and fitted with new Kh-35 (SS-N-25 Switchblade, Harpoonski) anti-ship missiles and MNK-300 sonar. She is the only Kashin-class vessel currently active in the Russian Navy.

The Rajput-class modification built for Indian Navy has the after gun turret replaced by a hangar for a helicopter, as well as SS-N-2C anti-ship missiles on the sides of the bridge.

Ships

The Kashin-class destroyer Strogiy in October 1985.
The bow of Strogiy after a collision

In all, twenty ships were built for the Soviet Navy, one ship (ORP Warszawa) was later transferred to Poland, while five similar ships were built to a modified design for the Indian Navy as the Rajput class.

Original design

Name Russian Builder Launched Commissioned Fate
Komsomolets Ukrainy Комсомолец Украины Nikolayev 31 December 1960 31 December 1962 Decommissioned in 1991, scrapped in 1995
Soobrazitelny Сообразительный Nikolayev 25 September 1961 26 December 1963 Decommissioned in 1992, scrapped in 1994
Provorny Проворный Nikolayev 23 March 1962 25 October 1964 Decommissioned in 1990, scrapped in 1993 (in 1974-1977 converted to experimental Project 61E, with Volna launchers removed and single SA-N-7 Uragan SAM launcher fitted.
Obraztsovy Образцовый Zhdanov 23 February 1964 29 September 1965 Decommissioned in 1993, scrapped in 1995
Odarenny Одаренный Zhdanov 11 September 1964 30 December 1965 Deployed in search for KAL 007 shot down in 1983. Decommissioned in 1990, scrapped in 1991
Otvazhny Отважный Nikolayev 17 October 1964 31 December 1965 Sunk after a fire on 30 August 1974 caused by a misfiring missile, with 24 fatalities
Steregushchy Стерегущий Zhdanov 20 February 1966 21 December 1966 Decommissioned in 1993, scrapped in 1994
Krasny Kavkaz Красный Кавказ Nikolayev 9 February 1966 25 February 1967 Decommissioned in 1998, scrapped in 2000
Reshitelny Решительный Nikolayev 30 June 1966 30 December 1967 Decommissioned in 1989, scrapped in 1999
Strogiy Строгий Nikolayev 29 April 1967 24 December 1968 Decommissioned in 1993, the hull was sold to India, but on the way the ship sank near Singapore in 1995
Smetlivy Сметливый Nikolayev 26 August 1967 25 September 1969 Modernized in the mid 1990s and in service with the Black Sea Fleet (2016)
Krasny Krym Красный Крым Nikolayev 28 February 1969 15 October 1970 Decommissioned in 1993, scrapped in 1996
Sposobny Способный Nikolayev 11 April 1970 25 September 1971 Decommissioned in 1993, scrapped in 1995
Skory Скорый Nikolayev 26 February 1971 29 September 1972 Decommissioned in 1997, scrapped in 1998

Modified ships

Ship Russian Builder Launched Commissioned Fate
Ognevoy Огневой Zhdanov 31 1963 31 December 1964 Decommissioned in 1989, scrapped in 1990 (Project 61MP)
Slavny Славный Zhdanov 24 April 1965 30 September 1966 Decommissioned in 1991, scrapped in 1995 (Project 61MP)
Stroyny Стройный Nikolayev 28 July 1965 15 December 1966 Decommissioned in 1990, scrapped in 1994 (Project 61MP)
Smyshleny Смышленый Nikolayev 22 October 1966 27 September 1968 Decommissioned in 1993, scrapped in 1994 (Project 61MP)
Smely Смелый Nikolayev 6 February 1968 27 December 1969 Decommissioned 9 January 1988, leased to Poland as ORP Warszawa (Project 61MP) in 1988. Bought by Poland in 1992 or 1993. Decommissioned in 2003
Sderzhanny Сдержанный Nikolayev 25 February 1972 30 December 1973 Decommissioned in 2001, scrapped in 2002 (Project 61M)

Export versions

Polish ship

ORP Warszawa
INS Ranvijay

Indian ships

See also

References

Notes

  1. ↑ "Project 61 Kashin class Project 61 Kashin Mod class Guided Missile Destroyer". fas.org. Retrieved 11 November 2015.

Sources

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