Soviet frigate Razumnyy

Razumnyy 750 miles west of Midway Island in 1985.
History
Soviet Union
NameRazumnyy
NamesakeRussian for Reasonable
BuilderYantar, Kaliningrad
Yard number156
Laid down26 June 1972
Launched20 July 1973
Commissioned30 September 1974
Decommissioned16 March 1998
General characteristics
Class and typeProject 1135 Burevestnik frigate
Displacement
Length123 m (403 ft 7 in)
Beam142 m (465 ft 11 in)
Draft4.5 m (14 ft 9 in)
Installed power48,000 shp (36,000 kW)
Propulsion4 gas turbines; COGAG; 2 shafts
Speed32 kn (59 km/h)
Range4,000 nmi (7,408 km) at 14 kn (26 km/h)
Complement23 officers, 174 men
Sensors and
processing systems
Electronic warfare
& decoys		PK-16 decoy-dispenser system
Armament

Razumnyy (Russian: Разумный, "Reasonable") was a 1135 Burevestnik-class (Russian: Буревестник, "Petrel") Large Anti-Submarine Ship (Большой Противолодочный Корабль, BPK) or 'Krivak' class frigate that served with the Soviet and Russian Navies. Launched on 20 July 1973, the vessel operated as part of the Pacific Fleet, as a dedicated anti-submarine vessel, with an armament built around the Metel Anti-Ship Complex. The vessel undertook a number of tours, visiting the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen and India. The ship was decommissioned on 16 March 1998 and subsequently disarmed ready to be broken up before the end of the year.

Design and development

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Razumnyy was one of twenty-one Project 1135 ships launched between 1970 and 1981.[1] Project 1135, the Burevestnik (Russian: Буревестник, "Petrel") class, was envisaged by the Soviet Navy as a less expensive complement to the Project 1134A Berkut A (NATO reporting name 'Kresta II') and Project 1134B Berkut B (NATO reporting name 'Kara') classes of ships. The design was originally given to TsKB-340, which had designed the earlier Project 159 (NATO reporting name 'Petya') and Project 35 (NATO reporting name 'Mirka') classes. However, the expansion in the United States Navy ballistic missile submarine fleet, and the introduction of longer-ranged and more accurate submarine-launched ballistic missiles led to a revisit of the project, which was transferred to TsKB-53 in Leningrad.[2] The design, by N. P. Sobolov, combined a powerful missile armament with good seakeeping for a blue water role and shared the same BPK designation as the larger ships.[1] This was amended to Guard Ship (Сторожевой Корабль, SKR) from 28 July 1977 to reflect the change in Soviet strategy of creating protected areas for friendly submarines close to the coast.[3][4] NATO forces called the new class 'Krivak' class frigates.[5]

Displacing 2,810 tonnes (2,770 long tons; 3,100 short tons) standard and 3,200 t (3,100 long tons; 3,500 short tons) full load, Razumnyy was 123 m (403 ft 7 in) long overall, with a beam of 14.2 m (46 ft 7 in) and a draught of 4.5 m (14 ft 9 in). Power was provided by two M7 sets, each consisting of a combination of a 18,000-shaft-horsepower (13,000 kW) DK59 and a 6,000 shp (4,500 kW) M62 gas turbine combined in a COGAG installation and driving one fixed-pitch propeller. Design speed was 32 knots (59 km/h; 37 mph) and range 3,950 nautical miles (7,315 km; 4,546 mi) at 14 kn (26 km/h; 16 mph).[6] The ship's complement was 197, including 23 officers.[7]

Armament and sensors

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The ship was designed for anti-submarine warfare around four URPK-4 Metel missiles (NATO reporting name SS-N-14 'Silex'), backed up by a pair of quadruple launchers for 533 mm (21 in) torpedoes and a pair of RBU-6000 213 mm (8 in) Smerch-2 anti-submarine rocket launchers.[8] Defence against aircraft was provided by forty 4K33 OSA-M (SA-N-4 'Gecko') surface to air missiles which were launched from two sets of ZIF-122 launchers, each capable of launching two missiles. Two twin 76 mm (3 in) AK-726 guns were mounted aft and provision was made for carrying 18 mines.[4]

Razumnyy had a well-equipped sensor suite, including a single MR-310A Angara-A air/surface search radar, Volga and Don-2 navigation radars, the MP-401S Start-S ESM radar system and the Spectrum-F laser warning system. An extensive sonar complex was fitted, including MG-332 Titan-2, which was mounted in a bow radome, and MG-325 Vega.[9] The latter was a towed-array sonar specifically developed for the class and had a range of up to 15 kilometres (9.3 mi).[10] The ship was also equipped with the PK-16 decoy-dispenser system.[11]

Construction and career

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Razumnyy was laid down by on 26 June 1972 with the yard number 156 at the Yantar Shipyard in Kaliningrad and launched on 20 July 1973.[12] The ship was named for a Russian word that can be translated reasonable, clever or sensible.[13] The vessel was commissioned on 30 September 1974 and joined the Pacific Fleet on 11 June 1975.[14] Almost immediately, the ship was dispatched to participate in the Okean-75 exercise, which spanned four fleets and involved over 200 other Soviet vessels.[15]

Razumnyy had a generally uneventful service, operating in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. The vessel undertook a goodwill visit to Aden in what was then the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen between 15 and 24 August 1978. The ship also visited Mumbai, India, between 15 and 19 November 1984 along with the Project 1135M Burevestnik M (NATO reporting name 'Krivak II') class vessel Revnostnyy.[16] With the dissolution of the Soviet Union on 26 December 1991, the ship was transferred to the Russian Navy.[12] Decommissioned on 16 March 1998 due to a general deterioration of the ship over the length of time in service, Razumnyy was transferred from the Navy and, by the end of the year, was completely disarmed and laid up at Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky ready to be broken up.[14]

References

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Citations

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  1. ^ a b Pavlov 1997, p. 132.
  2. ^ Balakin 2001, p. 5.
  3. ^ Balakin 2001, p. 23.
  4. ^ a b Gardiner & Friedman 1983, p. 491.
  5. ^ Baker 2002, p. 637.
  6. ^ Apalkov 2005, p. 70.
  7. ^ Balakin 2001, p. 12.
  8. ^ Baker 2002, pp. 637–638.
  9. ^ Apalkov 2005, p. 71.
  10. ^ Balakin 2001, p. 16.
  11. ^ Balakin 2001, p. 17.
  12. ^ a b Sharpe 1996, p. 544.
  13. ^ War Department 1945, p. 363.
  14. ^ a b Apalkov 2005, p. 76.
  15. ^ Baginda 1989, p. 108.
  16. ^ Hiranandani 2005, p. 39.

Bibliography

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  • Apalkov, Yuri Valentinovich (2005). Противолодочные корабли Часть 1. Противолодочные крейсера, большие противолодочные и сторожевые корабли [Anti-submarine ships Part 1. Anti-submarine cruisers, large anti-submarine ships and patrol ships] (in Russian). St Petersburg: Galeya. ISBN 978-5-81720-094-2.
  • Baginda, Abdul Razak Abdullah Baginda (1989). Soviet Military Power and the Asia-Pacific Region: A Survey. Kuala Lumpur: Regal Publications. ISBN 978-9-83995-860-7.
  • Baker, A. D. (2002). The Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World 2002–2003. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-1-55750-242-1.
  • Balakin, S. (2001). Бдительный: Сторожевой корабль проект 1135 [Bditelnyy: Patrol Ship Project 1135]. Marine Collection (in Russian). Vol. 6.
  • Gardiner, Robert; Friedman, Norman (1983). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947-1982 Part. 2, The Warsaw Pact and Non-Aligned Nations. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-0-87021-923-8.
  • Hiranandani, G.M. (2005). Transition to Eminence: The Indian Navy 1976-1990. New Delhi: Ministry of Defence. ISBN 978-8-17062-266-6.
  • Pavlov, Aleksandr Sergeevich (1997). Warships of the USSR and Russia, 1945-1995. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-1-55750-671-9.
  • Polmar, Norman (1991). Guide to the Soviet Navy. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-0-87021-240-6.
  • Sharpe, Richard (1996). Jane's Fighting Ships 1996–1997. London: Janes. ISBN 978-0-71061-355-4.
  • War Department (1945). Russian Military Dictionary. Washington DC: War Department. OCLC 616417.
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