Vishnya-class intelligence ship

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USS Texas (CGN-39) and Soviet AGI Kareliya (SSV-535) 1988.jpg
SSV-535 Kareliya (foreground) and USS Texas in 1988
Class overview
Builders, Gdańsk, Poland
Operators
Preceded byBalzam class
Succeeded by Yury Ivanov class
Planned7
Completed7
Active7
General characteristics
TypeIntelligence collection ship
Displacement3,470 tons full load
Length91.5 m (300 ft 2 in)
Beam14.6 m (47 ft 11 in)
Draught4.5 m (14 ft 9 in)
Propulsion2 shafts, 2x Zgoda Sulzer 12AV diesel engines, 4,400 bhp (3,300 kW)
Speed16 knots
Complement146 (= 6 passengers)
Sensors and
processing systems		Radar:[1] MR-212/201 (Palm Frond) Sonar: MG-349, MGP-303
Electronic warfare
& decoys		Various intercept arrays and radio direction finding equipment
Armament
  • 2 AK-630 six-barreled Gatling 30 mm/L60 guns
  • 2 SA-N-8 surface-to-air missiles

The Vishnya class (also known as the Meridian class) are a group of intelligence collection ships built for the Soviet Navy in the 1980s. The ships continue in service with the Russian Navy.[2] The Soviet designation is Project 864. The Russian Navy operates seven of these ships.[3]

Design[]

These ships are large, purpose built ships designed for signals intelligence gathering via an extensive array of sensors.[4] The data could be transmitted to shore via satellite link antennas housed in two large radomes. The ships are armed with two AK-630 close-in weapon systems and SA-N-8 surface-to-air missile (SAM) launchers, for last resort self-defense.

Operations[]

Vasily Tatishchev was deployed to the Eastern Mediterranean Sea on 5 October 2015 to monitor the conflict in Syria.[5]

On February 15, 2017, CNN reported that SSV Viktor Leonov, a Russian spy ship was sitting 30 miles (48 km) off the coast of Connecticut. This is the farthest north the Russian spy vessel has ever ventured, according to US defense officials. CNN later reported that Viktor Leonov, which conducted similar patrols in 2014 and 2015, was off the coast of Delaware, but typically she only travels as far north as Virginia. The ship is based with Russia's Northern Fleet but had stopped over in Cuba before conducting her patrol along the Atlantic Coast and is expected to return there following her latest mission. She was spotted operating off the coast of South Carolina and Georgia in December 2019. The United States Coast Guard at the time published a MSIB alleging unsafe operations being performed in that area, including running without navigation lights, and failing to respond to hails. The ship is outfitted with a variety of high-tech interception equipment and is designed to intercept signals intelligence. The official said that the US Navy was "keeping a close eye on it.".[6]

Ships[]

SSV-208 Kuril'y in 2005
Name Hull No. Laid down Launched Commissioned Fleet Status Notes
Fedor Golovin
(ex-Meridian) 		520 14 November 1985 Baltic Fleet Active
Kareliya 535 5 July 1986 Pacific Fleet Active Active in 2021 off Hawaii[7][8][9]
Tavriya 169 17 January 1987 Northern Fleet Active
Priazovye 201 12 June 1987 Black Sea Fleet Active In 2020-2021 deployed to the Mediterranean Sea[10]
Kurily 208 16 October 1987 Pacific Fleet Active
Vasiliy Tatishchev
(ex-Pelengator) 		231 27 November 1987 23 July 1988 Baltic Fleet Active In 2021 deployed to the Red Sea[11]
Viktor Leonov
(ex-Odograf) 		175 1988 Northern Fleet Active

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "Medium intelligence ship - Project 864". Russianships.info.
  2. ^ Toppan, Andrew (18 October 2001). "World Navies Today: Russian General Support Auxiliaries". Hazegray.org. Archived from the original on 15 January 2008.
  3. ^ "Project 864". Deagel.com. 2015. Archived from the original on 16 August 2016.
  4. ^ "864 Vishnya class". Warfare.be. 2015. Archived from the original on 22 November 2015.
  5. ^ Pike, John (15 March 2017). "Vishnya Meridian Project 864 class". Globalsecurity.org.
  6. ^ Browne, Ryan; Starr, Barbara (16 February 2017). "Russian spy ship lurks off Connecticut coast". CNN.
  7. ^ "UPDATED: Russian Navy Surveillance Ship Quietly Operating off Hawaii". 26 May 2021.
  8. ^ "ТОФ возвращает в строй СРЗК "Карелия"" [SRZK "Karelia" returns to the Pacific Fleet]. Vestiprim.ru (in Russian). 20 July 2017.
  9. ^ "Vishnya-class Intelligence Ship Karelia rejoined the Russian Pacific Fleet". Navy Recognition. 24 July 2017.
  10. ^ "Russian forces in the Mediterranean - Wk04/2021". Russian Fleet Analysis. 26 January 2021.
  11. ^ "Russian Warships Visit Port Sudan amidst Reports of Khartoum Suspending Naval Base Deal". defenseworld.net. 8 May 2021.
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