Udaloy-class destroyer
The Udaloy class, Soviet designation Project 1155 Fregat and Russian designation Project 11551 Fregat-M (Russian: Фрегат, 'Fregat' meaning Frigate), are series of anti-submarine guided-missile destroyers built for the Soviet Navy, seven of which are currently in service with the Russian Navy. Twelve ships were built between 1980 and 1990, while the thirteenth ship built to a modified design, known as Udaloy II class, followed in 1999. They complement the Sovremenny-class destroyers in anti-aircraft and anti-surface warfare operations. The codename Udaloy comes from a Russian adjective удалой, meaning daring or bold.
History
The Project 1155 dates to the 1970s when it was concluded that it was too costly to build large-displacement, multi-role combatants. The concept of a specialized surface ship was developed by Soviet designers. Two different types of warships were laid down, which were designed by the Severnoye Design Bureau: Project 956 destroyer and Project 1155 large anti-submarine ship. The Udaloy class are generally considered the Soviet equivalent of the American Spruance-class destroyers. There are variations in SAM and air search radar among units of the class. Based on the Krivak class, the emphasis on anti-submarine warfare (ASW) left these ships with limited anti-surface and anti-air capabilities.
In 2015, the Russian Navy initially announced that five out of the eight Project 1155 ships will be refurbished and upgraded as part of the Navy modernization program by 2022. In 2020 it was suggested that a total of eight Project 1155/1155.1 vessels would be upgraded to the same standard, though work on the remaining three units would extend beyond 2022. In addition to overhauling their radio-electronic warfare and life support systems, they will receive modern missile complexes to fire P-800 Oniks and Kalibr cruise missiles. The ships are to have their service life extended by 30 years until sufficient numbers of Admiral Gorshkov-class frigates are commissioned. Upgrades will include replacing the Rastrub-B missiles with 3S24 angling launchers fitted with four containers using the 3M24 anti-ship missile, and two 3S14-1155 universal VLS with 16 cells for Kalibr land attack, anti-ship, and anti-submarine cruise missiles in place of one of the AK-100 guns.
Udaloy II
Following the Udaloy's commissioning, designers began developing an upgrade package in 1982 to provide more balanced capabilities with a greater emphasis on anti-ship warfare. The resulting Project 1155.1 Fregat-M Large ASW Ship (NATO reporting name: Udaloy II) is roughly the counterpart of the improved Spruance-class. Due to the collapse of the Soviet Union, the dire economic situation in Russia that followed it and the radical cuts in military spending, only one ship was completed.
Similar to the Udaloy-class externally, it has a new weapon configuration with P-270 Moskit anti-ship missiles replacing the URK-5 Rastrub-B ASW/ASuW missiles; a twin 130 mm AK-130 gun replacing two single 100 mm AK-100 guns; two RBU-12000 ASW rocket launchers replacing both RBU-6000 ASW rocket launchers and two Kortik CIWS replacing all six AK-630 CIWS. A standoff ASW capability is retained by launching RPK-6 Vodopad missiles from the torpedo tubes.
Powered by a modern gas turbine engine, the Udaloy II is equipped with more capable sonars, an integrated air defense fire control system, and a number of digital electronic systems based on state-of-the-art circuitry. The original MGK-355 Polinom integrated sonar system (with NATO reporting names Horse Jaw and Horse Tail for the hull-mounted and towed parts respectively ) on Udaloy-I ships is replaced by its successor, a newly designed Zvezda M-2 sonar system that has a range in excess of 100 kilometres (62 mi) in the 2nd convergence zone. The Zvezda sonar system is considered by its designers to be the equivalent in terms of overall performance of the AN/SQS-53 on US destroyers, though much bulkier and heavier than its American counterpart: the length of the hull-mounted portion is nearly 30 m (98 ft). The torpedo approaching warning function of the Polinom sonar system is retained and further improved by its successor.
Operational history
In 2008, Admiral Chabanenko became the first Russian warship to transit the Panama Canal since World War II.
Vice-Admiral Kulakov deployed to the Mediterranean Sea from its home base in Russia's Northern Fleet in June 2014.
Ships
Gallery
Admiral Levchenko (605) sailing along with USS Hue City in the North Sea, 2004
Marshal Shaposhnikov transiting the channel into Pearl Harbor in 2003
Admiral Panteleyev
Vice Admiral Kulakov in 1985
Vice-Admiral Kulakov arriving at Portsmouth, UK in August 2012.
Vice-Admiral Kulakov arriving at Portsmouth, UK in August 2012.
Vice-Admiral Kulakov leaving Portsmouth, UK in August 2012.
Vice-Admiral Kulakov's upperworks and Top Plate radar.
SS-N-14 Silex missiles aboard Vice-Admiral Kulakov.
100mm 70cal DP guns of Vice-Admiral Kulakov.
Stern & flight deck of Vice-Admiral Kulakov.
Severomorsk during the Russian Navy Day Parade in 2023.
