Soviet cruiser Vitse-Admiral Drozd

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Vitse-admiralDrozd1986a.jpg
Vitse-Admiral Drozd underway on 6 March 1986.
History
Russia
Name
  • Vitse-Admiral Drozd
  • (Вице-адмирал Дрозд)
NamesakeValentin Drozd
BuilderA.A. Zhdanov, Leningrad
Yard number793
Laid down26 October 1965
Launched18 November 1966
Commissioned27 December 1968
Decommissioned1 July 1990
FateSunk, March 1992
General characteristics
Class and typeBerkut-class cruiser
Displacement5,340 tonnes (5,260 long tons; 5,890 short tons) standard, 7,170 tonnes (7,060 long tons; 7,900 short tons) full load
Length156.2 m (512 ft 6 in)
Beam16.2 m (53 ft 2 in)
Draught5.5 m (18 ft 1 in)
Propulsion2 shaft; 4 x KVN-98/64 boilers, 2 x TV-12 GTZA steam turbines, 46,000 shp (34,000 kW)
Speed34 knots (63 km/h)
Range10,500 nmi (19,446 km) at 14 knots (26 km/h)
Complement30 officers, 282 ratings
Sensors and
processing systems		1 x MR-500 and 1 x MR-310 Angara-A air/surface search radars, 1 x MRP-11-12, 2 x MRP-13-14 Uspekh-U and 1 x MRP-15-16 Zaliv reconnaissance radars, 1 x Volga navigation radar, 1 x Binom-1134, 2 x 4R90 Yatagan, 1 x MR-103 Bars, 1 x Grozna-1134 and 1 x Burya-1134 fire control systems, 3 x Nickel-KM and 2 x Khrom-KM IFF, 1 x ARP-50R radio direction finder, 1 x MG-312M Titan and 1 x GAS-311 Vychegda sonars, 1 x MG-26 Khosta underwater communication system, 1 x MI-110R and 1 x MI-110K anti-subrmarine search stations, 1 x Planshet-1134 combat information control system
Electronic warfare
& decoys
  • 2 x Gurzuf ESM radar system
  • 1 x ZIF-121 launcher for PK-2 decoy rockets
Armament
Aircraft carried1 Kamov Ka-25 'Hormone-A' or KA-25T 'Hormone-B'
Aviation facilitiesHangar and helipad

Vitse-Admiral Drozd (Russian: Вице-адмирал Дрозд) was the third ship of the Project 1134 Berkut Large Anti-submarine Ships (Russian: Большой Противолодочный Корабль, BPK) built for the Soviet Navy, also known as the Kresta I-class or Admiral Zozulya-class guided missile cruisers. The vessel was launched on 18 November 1966 and served with the Baltic Fleet through the 1970s and 1980s. As well as taking part in naval exercises in the Atlantic, the ship assisted in the rescue of the crew of the stricken submarine K-19 in March 1972. Subsequently, the ship was visited by Sergey Gorshkov, commander of the Soviet Navy. The vessel was reclassified a Large Rocket Ship (Russian: Ракетные крейсера проекта, RKR) in 1977 to reflect its multi-purpose capability. After an upgrade in 1981, Vitse-Admiral Drozd continued to operate in the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean until being decommissioned in 1 July 1990. The ship was sent to India to be scrapped in March 1992 but sank en route.

Design and development[]

Design[]

Main article: Kresta I-class cruiser

Vitse-Admiral Drozd was the third Project 1134 Berkut-class vessel launched. The class were envisioned as a more balanced follow-on to the specialist Project 58 and Project 61 classes, combining the attributes of both in a single hull.[1] Termed Kresta I cruisers by NATO, the class were initially called Large Anti-submarine Ships (Russian: Большой Противолодочный Корабль or BPK) but this was changed to Large Rocket Ship (Russian: Ракетные крейсера проекта, RKR) to reflect their wider role.[2]

The vessel displaced 5,340 tonnes (5,260 long tons; 5,890 short tons) standard and 7,170 tonnes (7,060 long tons; 7,900 short tons) full load, and was 156.2 m (512 ft) in length.[a] Beam was 16.2 m (53 ft 2 in) on the waterline and average draught 5.5 m (18 ft 1 in). The hull was made of steel upon which was mounted a large aluminium-magnesium alloy superstructure dominated by a radar complex including MR-500, MR-310 Angara-A, MRP-11-12, MRP-13-14 Uspekh-U and MRP-15-16 Zaliv search radars and a Volga navigation radar.[4]

Power was provided by two TV-12 steam turbines, fuelled by four KVN-98/64 boilers and driving two fixed pitch screws that provided 46,000 horsepower (34,000 kW).[5] Electricity was provided by a TD-760 driven off steam drawn from the main boilers which powered a 380 V AC circuit at a frequency of 50 Hz.[6] The ship carried 1,690 tonnes (1,660 long tons; 1,860 short tons) of fuel which gave a range of 10,500 nmi (19,446 km) at 14 knots (26 km/h).[7] Maximum design speed was 34 knots (63 km/h). Complement was 30 officers and 282 ratings.[5]

Armament[]

Vitse-Admiral Drozd was originally intended to mount the P-500 Bazalt (NATO reporting name SS-N-12 'Sandbox') but protracted development meant that instead the same 4K44 missiles (SS-N-3 'Shaddock') as the Project 58 warships mounted were retained.[8] However, they were launched from two specially designed twin KT-35-1134 P-35 launchers mounted midships.[1] The missiles could each carry a 900 kg (2,000 lb) warhead over a range in excess of 500 km (270 nmi) and were designed for attacking US Navy carrier battle groups.[9] An aft landing pad and hangar was fitted for a ranging Kamov Ka-25 helicopter to enable mid-course guidance.[10]

Similarly, anti-aircraft defence was to be based around the new M-11 Shtorm (SA-N-3 'Goblet') system but this did not become operational until 1969.[1] Instead, protection was enhanced by mounting two twin ZIF-102 M-1 Volna-M launchers, one forward and the other aft, and up to 64 4K91 (SA-N-1 'Goa') missiles, which was supplemented by two twin 57 mm (2 in) AK-725 guns mounted on the aft superstructure.[7] Fire control was directed by two 4R90 Yatagan units along with Binom-1134, MR-103 Bars, Grozna-1134 and Burya-1134 fire control systems along with a ARP-50R radio direction finder. Two Gurzuf ESM radar systems were fitted along with a ZIF-121 launcher for PK-2 decoy rockets. Threat response was coordinated with a Planshet-1134 combat information control system.[11]

Defence against submarines was provided by two quintuple 533 mm (21 in) PTA-53-1134 torpedo launchers, a pair of six-barrelled RBU-1000 Smerch-3 launchers for 300 mm (12 in) anti-submarine rockets and a pair of twelve-barrelled RBU-6000 Smerch-2 launchers for 213 mm (8 in) anti-submarine rockets.[4] Ten torpedoes, either 53-65, 53-65K or SET-65, were carried. An extensive anti-submarine sensor suite was also fitted, with MG-312M Titan and GAS-311 Vychegda sonars, the MG-26 Khosta underwater communication system and both MI-110R and MI-110K anti-submarine search stations.[11]

Between January 1980 and March 1983, the ship was upgraded with four AK-630 close-in weapon systems, with their attendant fire control radars, installed near the bridge to improve anti-missile defence.[12]

Construction and career[]

Vitse-Admiral Drozd was approved by Nikita Khrushchev as part of Sergey Gorshkov's buildup of the Soviet Navy.[13] The ship was laid down on 26 October 1965 at A.A. Zhdanov in Leningrad with yard number 793, and launched on 18 November 1966.[14] The total cost of construction was 32 million rubles.[15]

The ship was commissioned on 27 December 1968 and joined the Baltic Fleet as part of the 120th Missile Ship Brigade (Russian: бригада ракетных кораблей) in 5 May 1969.[16] The ship operated in the Northern Atlantic Ocean in June 1969 and then took part in Kolskiy Bereg between 12 and 15 August 1969 and Okean-70 between 10 March and 22 April 1970. Cruises in 1970 in the Norwegian Sea, Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea included a visit to Cienfuegos, Cuba, between 14 and 25 May; a return visit to Cuba in February 1971 took place as part of further tours of the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea and the Mediterranean Sea between 13 January and 28 April 1971. On 13 April 1971, the vessel tracked a submarine northeast of Ireland, subsequently tracking a NATO task force off the Faroe Islands and participating in the Soviet Orbita exercise.[17]

Vitse-Admiral Drozd crossed the equator for the first time on 17 February 1972 but returned to the Bay of Biscay to take part in the rescue operation for the Project 658 submarine K-19 between 3 and 20 March. The submarine surfaced after a fire broke out on 24 February, killing 28 sailors. Vitse-Admiral Drozd evacuated the survivors, leaving a skeleton crew to bring the boat to port.[18] On 3 May, the ship was visited by Soviet Navy commander Admiral Sergey Gorshkov.[17]

After repairs and modernization at the A.A. Zhdanov Yard in Leningrad which took the ship out of action between January 1973 and February 1975, Vitse-Admiral Drozd sailed with Admiral Isachenkov and from Liepāja to Severomorsk and then operated in the Central Atlantic and Mediterranean, including visiting Annaba twice. Between 2 September and 2 October 1977, the vessel observed the NATO exercise Strong Express.[17]

On 20 June 1980, the ship's keel was damaged in an accident with Project 670 submarine K-508, which was repaired as part of an overhaul and upgrade that took place at Kronshtadt between January 1981 and March 1983. The ship was back in Severomorsk in May 1984, but spent the first six months of 1985 operating in the Mediterranean Sea as part of a task force led by Kiev. This cruise included a visit to Dubrovnik between 9 and 13 May. The first half of 1986 was also spent in the Mediterranean, with visits in April to Tripoli and Tobruk.[17]

After over 20 years of service, Vitse-Admiral Drozd was decommissioned on 1 July 1990. The flag was taken down on 2 June 1991 and, in March 1992, the vessel sank while being towed to India to be scrapped.[17]

Pennant numbers[]

Pennant Number[11] Date
583 1968
553 1970
548 1971
592 1972
298
224 1976
299 1976
087 1979
560 1982
060 1984
097 1985
054 1988
034 1990

Notes[]

  1. ^ NATO estimates vary. For example, the US Navy quoted 6,140 tons standard displacement, 7,600 tons full load and 155.6 m length.[3]

References[]

Citations[]

  1. ^ a b c Averin 2007, p. 9.
  2. ^ Kostev 2004, p. 248.
  3. ^ Hampshire 2017, p. 26.
  4. ^ a b Averin 2007, p. 10.
  5. ^ a b Averin 2007, p. 14.
  6. ^ Averin 2007, p. 40.
  7. ^ a b Averin 2007, p. 11.
  8. ^ Gogin 2015.
  9. ^ Hampshire 2017, p. 11.
  10. ^ Tucker-Jones 2015, p. 48.
  11. ^ a b c "Guided Missile Cruisers: Project 1134 Berkut". Russian Ships. 2016. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
  12. ^ Prézelin & Baker 1990, p. 566.
  13. ^ Sondhaus 2004, p. 302.
  14. ^ Hampshire 2017, p. 23.
  15. ^ Averin 2007, p. 23.
  16. ^ Kostev 2004, p. 304.
  17. ^ a b c d e Holm 2016.
  18. ^ Huchthausen 2002, p. 165.

Bibliography[]

  • Averin, A.B. (2007). Адмиралы и маршалы. Корабли проектов 1134 и 1134А [Admirals and Marshals: Ships Project 1134 and 1134A] (in Russian). Moscow: Voennaya Kniga. ISBN 978-5-90286-316-8.
  • Gogin, Ivan (2015). "ADMIRAL ZOZULIA large ASW ships (project 1134) (1967 - 1969)". Retrieved 20 April 2018.
  • Hampshire, Edward (2017). Soviet Cold War Guided Missile Cruisers. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-472-81740-2.
  • Jordan, John (1983). Soviet Warships: The Soviet Surface Fleet, 1960 to the Present. London: Arms and Armour. ISBN 978-0-85368-584-5.
  • Holm, Michael (2016). "Project 1134: Kresta I class". Soviet Armed Forces 1945–1991. Archived from the original on 6 January 2016. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
  • Huchthausen, Pauk (2002). K-19: The Widowmaker. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic. ISBN 978-0-79226-472-9.
  • Kostev, George G. (2004). The Soviet and Russian Navy, 1945-2000 [Военно-морской флот Советского Союза и России, 1945-2000]. Moscow: Peterof. ISBN 978-5-87579-038-6.
  • Prézelin, Bernard; Baker, A.D. (1990). The Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World 1990/91. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-250-8.
  • Sondhaus, Lawrence (2004). Navies in Modern World History. London: Reaktion. ISBN 978-1-86189-202-7.
  • Tucker-Jones, Anthony (2015). Soviet Cold War Weaponry : Aircraft, Warships and Missiles. Barnsley: Pen and Sword. ISBN 978-1-47382-361-7.
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