Tarantul class

This article explains Soviet high-speed rocket craft with the NATO designation Tarantul class, for Soviet patrol boats with the Russian designation Tarantul (Project 205P) see Stenka class .

Project 1241.1

Russian project 1241.1M ship, 1999

Ship data Ship type corvette Shipyard Shipyard 345 Jaroslawski Shipyard 5 “Primorsky” Leningrad Shipyard 363 “Sredne-Newski” Leningrad / St. Petersburg shipyard 341 “Wympel” Rybinsk shipyard 876 Khabarovsk Construction period Since 1977 Units built Russia / Soviet Union: 75 Licensed buildings abroad: 9 planned licensed buildings: 9 period of service Since 1980

Ship dimensions and crew length 56.1 m ( Lüa ) width 10.2 m Draft Max. 2.5 m displacement Project 1241.1: Standard / full: 392 t / 469 t Project 1241.1M: Standard / full 436 t / 493 t   crew 38-44 men

Machine system machine Project 1241.1: COGAG 2 × M75 turbine 2 × M70 turbines Project 1241.1M: CODAG 2 × M510 diesel 2 × M70 turbines Machine performance Project 1241.1: M75 2 × 3,677 kW (5,000 PS) M70 2 × 8,826 kW (12,000 PS) Project 1241.1M: M510 2 × 2,942 kW (4,000 hp) M70 2 × 8,826 kW (12,000 PS) Top speed 42 kn (78 km / h) propeller 2 × three-leaf

Armament Project 1241.1: 2 × 2 P-15M - SzFk 1 × 1 76mm L / 60 gun AK-176M 2 × 1 30mm L / 54 AK-630M 1 × 1 MTU-4 with 2 × 2 9K32 FlaRaK each Project 1241.1M: 2 × 2 P-80 -SzFk 1 × 1 76mm L / 60 gun AK-176M 2 × 1 30mm L / 54 AK-630M 1 × 1 FASTA-4 with 2 × 2 9K32-FlaRaK each

Project 1241.1 Molnija ( Russian “Молния” ) (German: “Blitz”), designated by NATO as the Tarantul class , is a class of missile corvettes of Soviet and Russian design. In Russia they are classified as Small Missile Ships ( Russian МРК малый ракетный корабль ).

The construction dates from the 1970s and is continued in various versions to this day.

Planning and construction

Basics

A Project 205 boat launches a P-15 anti-ship missile

Project 1241.1 was developed in the 1970s by the Almas design office to compensate for problems with Project 205 (NATO: "OSA class") and the associated P-15 anti-ship missiles. The emerging influx of small speed boats with powerful rocket and artillery armament in the NATO navies increased the threat to the Project 205 boats considerably. They could not defend themselves against opponents who were as fast and agile as themselves, but who had powerful artillery, in combat at short distances, in which their own missile armament was useless. Project 1241.1 was supposed to counter this new threat with its own powerful artillery armament. Furthermore, they wanted to strengthen the air defense, as the 30 mm AK-230 cannon was no longer considered sufficient for close-range defense.

With the influx of powerful jamming and interception systems at NATO, the comparatively slow-flying P-15 anti-ship missile was no longer an effective weapon against modern warships in the foreseeable future. It was to be replaced by a new system that flew at almost three times the speed of sound and had improved guidance systems - the P-80 "Mosquit".

implementation

A hull to carry the new equipment and accommodate powerful machines was planned for both project 1241.1 and the anti -submarine corvettes of project 1241.2 (NATO: Pauk class), which were developed at the same time .

The ship's hull, which is more than 10 meters wide and has seven compartments, is made of steel ; an aluminum alloy was used in some cases for the interior fittings and the superstructure .

Originally, a defensive armament was planned that was similar to that of Project 1234 (NATO: Nanuchka class). They planned the installation of a twin starter for 4K33-Osa-M - aircraft missiles one on the stern. This solution proved to be unsustainable for the stability of the ship's hull, so the starter was canceled and in its place only brackets for light, actually shoulder-supported , short-range anti-aircraft missiles of the "Strela" type were provided.

variants

Project 1241.1 (Tarantul II)

R-255 in 1990. The dome for the radar on the bridge roof and the KT-138 launch container next to the superstructure identify it as a Project 1241.1 ship

Project 1241.1 ( Russian проекта 1241.1 ) was the first series designed for the Soviet Navy. She was supposed to carry P-80 anti-ship missiles, which were not yet available when construction of the ships began due to delays in the development of the weapon, which were supposed to last three years. Therefore, the existing P-15M and P-15TM "Termit" missiles were first installed in two twin launchers . This first version of Project 1241.1 is sometimes referred to as "Project 1241.1T". In contrast to the original version of the weapon, the two missile models had improved radar and infrared sensors.

This older form of armament in combination with the already modern “Monolit-T” radar ( Russian Монолит-Т ) under a dome (NATO: “Band Stand”) on the roof of the bridge structure was ultimately a clear identification feature of Project 1241.1. This radar system also included a sensor mounted under a small spherical dome on the top of the mast. In the first ship R-5, however, the simpler "Garpun" radar was installed as the only one in the series instead of the Monolit-T.

The naming system of NATO, in which ships of different versions within a ship class were given a class name and consecutive numbers for the versions according to the order in which they appeared, has a special feature in the case of the Tarantul class. NATO soon referred to these first ships of the class as "Tarantul II", as they apparently had better sensor equipment than the ships of the subsequent class, which was appropriately named "Tarantul I".

Besides the two twin starters for P-15 anti-ship missiles was on the back , a 76-mm-L / 60-gun AK-176m mounted. Two 30 mm L / 54 automatic cannons AK-630M for close-range defense were installed on the superstructure behind the chimney . At the stern was the MTU-4 launching frame for 2 × 2 9K32 (“Strela-2”) anti-aircraft missiles.

An MR-123 “Wympel” radar (NATO: “Bass Tilt”) was set up at the foot of the main mast to control the fire of the AK-176 and the two AK-630M guns.

The propulsion of these ships was guaranteed by a COGAG system. Two gas turbines each of the types M75 with 5,000 HP (2,942 kW) and M70 with 12,000 HP (8,826 kW) each were installed. While the two smaller M75 marching turbines were sufficient for a speed of 13 knots, the two heavy M70 combat turbines could be switched on to accelerate the ships of the class to 42 knots.

The crew consisted of 36 seamen and five officers.

13 ships of the type were built between 1979 and 1984. Another, R-55, was rebuilt after its completion as a test carrier for the "Kortik" close range defense system, known as Project 1241.7.

Project 1241.7

Project 1241.7 ship R-71 2011. The cortical system has already been removed here.

Project 1241.7 designated initially the ship R-55, which was originally built as a project 1241.1, the but with a Kortik - close-in weapon system (1 CADS-N) instead of the two AK-630M-guns was retrofitted and the identification R-71 was carrying. The weapon system has two six-barreled 30 mm guns, anti-aircraft missiles and a corresponding fire control radar.

Propulsion, speed, missile and main gun remained the same as in Project 1241.1. The water displacement changed to 436 tons empty and 493 maximum.

After removing the 2001 weapon system from R-71, a similar "cortic" system was installed on R-60, a Project 12411 ship.

Project 1241RE (Tarantul I)

The former project 1241RE - ship Rudolf Egelhofer as USNS Hiddensee (185NS9201), 1993 - the most obvious difference to project 1241.1 is the lack of the dome of the fire control radar on the observation deck above the bridge, which has been replaced by a "Garpun" radar on the top of the mast .

Project 1241RE ( Russian проекта 1241РЭ ), designated by NATO as "Tarantul I", was an export version of Project 1241.1.

First and foremost, the P-80 missile complex was not installed here from the outset and the P-20 missile, an export version of the P-15, was planned. However, the KT-138 launch container was used for two missiles each, which the Soviet ships of Project 1241.1 also had.

Project 1241RE corresponded to Project 1241.1 in terms of armament and propulsion, but had changed sensor equipment. Most noticeable here compared to the Russian ships was the lack of fire control radar on the roof of the bridge.

Instead, the "Garpun" radar (NATO: "Plank Shave") was installed as a fire control radar for the anti-ship missiles. It worked in the X-band and was installed on the top of the mast.

The small navigation radar on the bridge roof, type “Kiwatsch-2” (or MR-312 “Petschera-1” on the ships for Poland), and the gun fire control radar MR-123 “Wympel” (NATO: “Bass Tilt “) At the base of the mast. Two decoy PK-16 launchers were also installed.

Between 1977 and 1979, 22 ships of this class were produced exclusively for export. Only one of these ships, R-26, was kept by the Soviet Navy for training purposes. India bought five of the ships, but between 1991 and 1997 built eight more modified ships in their own shipyards as the "Veer class". According to various sources, the People's Republic of Vietnam bought four Project 1241RE ships, of which only two can be clearly identified.

In the People's Navy of the GDR , the ships were classified as small rocket ships. Five of them were put into service from 1984 and belonged to the 6th flotilla , which was stationed on Rügen .

The Rudolf Egelhofer the People's Navy was after the reunification on 28 June 1991 as Hiddensee (P6166) from the German Navy adopted. Previously, Soviet specialists had expanded the "Nichrom" system for friend-foe recognition and the encryption system of the radio system. The ship was soon handed over to the United States for testing purposes. It was loaded onto a transport ship in Kiel and transported to Norfolk . The Hiddensee arrived there in December 1991 and was taken over by 20 former members of the Volksmarine, who then trained an American crew on her in Maryland for several months.

The New York Times reported in 1992 on the in-depth investigations and tests of the ship by the US Navy .

"[...] Navy officials say the vessel is the kind of small, affordable weaponry that terrorist states could use in the Persian Gulf and other trouble spots to wreak havoc on more technologically advanced craft."

"[...] US Navy officials believe the ship is the kind of small, affordable weapon that terrorist states could use to wreak havoc on more technologically advanced vehicles in the Persian Gulf and other trouble spots."

- Eric Schmitt

In 1996 the Americans took the Hiddensee out of service. As a museum ship, she has been part of the exhibition at Battleship Cove in Fall River (Massachusetts) since 1997 and is moored there between the submarine USS Lionfish and the battleship USS Massachusetts .

Project 12411 (Tarantul III)

Soviet project 12411 ship 1990. The radar cover on the roof of the bridge, in combination with the modified launch containers for “mosquito” marine target missiles, is a distinctive identification feature of the project.

While the planned anti-ship missiles of the type P-80 (NATO: SS-N-22 "Sunburn") were not yet available in Project 1241.1 and older "Termit" missile types were used, this deficiency was eliminated in Project 12411 and designed Ships according to the original plan with two KT-152 twin launchers, for P-80 “mosquito” missiles. Project 12411 is also referred to as project 1241.1M .

The superstructure was redesigned and the clad angled mast of the previous projects was replaced by a narrow straight lattice mast. The sensor equipment remained largely the same as in the 1241.1 project. Only the “Petschera” navigation radar was relocated from the roof of the bridge directly in front of the MR-123 “Wympel” fire control radar. The ships also received electronic countermeasures Wympel-R2. Two jammers of the system, called "Wine Glass" by NATO, are installed on both sides at the base of the mast.

The propulsion system has been changed on ships of this class. The ships have a CODAG drive . Two M510 diesel engines with 2942 kW (4000 hp) each were installed for the cruise , the two M-70 combat turbines were retained. On the one hand, this reduces fuel consumption and increases the reliability of the drive. On the other hand, it also increases the top speed.

The crew is made up of 35 seamen and 5 officers.

Between 1985 and 2001, 34 ships of this series were built. After the construction of eleven of these ships, the anti-ship missiles were changed from the P-80 “Moskit” to the more modern model P-270 “Moskit-M”, so that the following 23 boats in some sources bear the new identifier Project 1241.1MR .

Project 12421

Project 12421 was a prototype that the "Primorski" shipyard in Saint Petersburg built for a future export model of Project 12411 for the Indian Navy. The ship was designed for tropical climates and carried a modified "Garpun-Bal" type radar system on the roof of the bridge and a "Positive E" radar under a dome on the main mast. The primary armament here were two twin starters for the export version of the P-80 anti-ship missile, the P-80E or "Moskit-E" ( Russian Москит-Э ).

After the trial by the shipyard, which was completed in 2000, no deal was made and the ship R-5 with hull number 216 initially remained in the shipyard's portfolio until it was sold to Egypt. India, however, decided to build its own Veer-class ships, which are also based on Project 1241.

Project 12418

Project 12418 is an export version of project 1241.1M. At 56.9 meters, the ships are slightly longer than their predecessor classes. They are powered by M-15E.1 turbines with 23,547 kW (32,015 hp). The main armament has been modified and consists of four launchers for four 3M24 (uranium-E) marine target missiles (NATO: SS-N-25) each . 40 seamen make up the crew.

Two ships were built in Rybinsk from 2006 to 2007 for the Navy of the People's Republic of Vietnam . Vietnam also acquired a simulator for crew training for 12418 and 1241PE ships and the license to build ten additional Project 12418 ships. The first of these ships was launched in Vietnam in January 2012. In 2009–2011 two more ships for Turkmenistan were built in Saint Petersburg .

literature

• Юрий В. Апальков: Корабли ВМФ СССР. Том II. Ударные корабли. Часть II. Малые ракетные корабли и катера. (For example: Yuri W. Apalkow: Ships of the Soviet Navy. - Part II “Assault Ships”, Section 2 “Small Missile Ships and Boats”), Galea Print, 2004, ISBN 5-8172-0087-2 (Russian)
• Magazine: Техника и вооружение. 2007, issue number 9, Ракеты отечественного , ISSN  1682-7597
• Dieter Flohr: The small rocket ship Project 1241 RÄ (NATO - name "Tarantul") - and its time in the Voksmarine. in Schiff & Zeit , Panorama maritim, published by the DGSM , edition 118-2020, pp.26-31.

Web links

Commons : Tarantul class  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• Ship list project 12411 on russian-ships.info ( Memento from February 15, 2015 in the Internet Archive )

• Project 1241 ship list on inbsite.com (Russian)
• Security Policy and Armed Forces of the Russian Federation by Egbert Lemcke, 2004, on Sicherheitspolicy-dss.de (German; PDF; 6.7 MB)

Remarks

1. ↑ Also known as "Almas".
2. ↑ Occasionally the class name is not transcribed as Project 1241RE, but erroneously as "Project 1241RÄ", as stated by Egbert Lemcke in "Security Policy and Armed Forces of the Russian Federation" on p. 18.
3. ↑ The Veer class is made up of different Project 1241 variants. In addition to Project 1241RE, the armament of Project 12418 is also installed on some ships, in combination with an Italian OTO gun 76/62 Compact .
4. ↑ The sources mentioned under web links contradict each other in the assignment of the construction numbers of Romanian and Vietnamese units, so that no conclusive statement can be made here.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Техника и вооружение. 2007, issue number 9, p. 16.
2. ↑ Yuri W. Apalkow: Корабли ВМФ СССР. Том II. Ударные корабли. Часть II. Малые ракетные корабли и катера. P. 51.
3. ↑ Техника и вооружение. 2007, issue number 9, p. 15.
4. ↑ Russian / Soviet Sea-Based Anti-Ship Missile. (PDF; 485 kB) In: dtig.org. 2005, archived from the original ; accessed on May 29, 2016 . 
5. ↑ Marinerundschau: Journal for marine life . Volume 81, ES Mittler., 1984, p. 283.
6. ↑ R-54. In: flot.sevastopol.info. Retrieved January 18, 2012 (Russian).
7. ↑ ^{a b} R-60. In: flot.sevastopol.info. Retrieved January 18, 2012 (Russian).
8. ^ Carlyle A. Thayer: Vietnam People's Army: Development and Modernization. 2009, p. 15.
9. ↑ Eric Schmitt: Soviet Gunboat Gets Close Look As Still a Threat. In: nytimes.com. The New York Times , May 10, 1992 (English).
10. ^ Joe Rivers: The Tarantul I Class Missile Corvette "Rudolf Egelhofer", Later the "Hiddensee" . In: Lee Stewart (Ed.): Die Nationale Volksarmee - Journal for the Society of East German Militaria Collectors , No. 17. 1997 ( online ( memento from September 15, 2015 in the Internet Archive ))
11. ^ Exhibits. In: battleshipcove.org. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
12. ↑ ^{a b c d} Łukasz Zalesiński: Tarantule wychodzą z morkiego szyku . In: polska-zbrojna.pl, December 3, 2013, accessed October 5, 2019 (Polish).
13. ↑ Техника и вооружение. 2007, issue number 9, p. 31 and p. 35.
14. ↑ R-160. In: flot.sevastopol.info. Retrieved January 18, 2012 (Russian).
15. ↑ R-239. In: flot.sevastopol.info. Retrieved January 18, 2012 (Russian).
16. ↑ R-334. In: flot.sevastopol.info. Retrieved January 18, 2012 (Russian).
17. ↑ R-109. In: flot.sevastopol.info. Retrieved January 18, 2012 (Russian).
18. ↑ Yuri W. Apalkow: Корабли ВМФ СССР. Том II. Ударные корабли. Часть II. Малые ракетные корабли и катера. P. 52.
19. ↑ Article on the simulator sale from May 12, 2008 ( Memento from April 17, 2013 in the Internet Archive ), In: transas.ru. Retrieved January 18, 2012 (Russian).
20. ↑ Article from July 1, 2007 In: armstass.su. Retrieved January 18, 2012 (Russian).
21. ↑ Agency report on the launch of Pr. 12418 in Vietnam from January 17, 2012 In: rg.ru. Retrieved January 18, 2012 (Russian).
22. ↑ 26th article from September 2011 In: flot.com. Retrieved January 18, 2012 (Russian).