Girish Mahajan (Editor)

Kresta I class cruiser

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Name
  
Kresta I class

Preceded by
  
Kynda class

Completed
  
4

Builders
  
Zhdanov, Leningrad

Succeeded by
  
Kresta II class

Kresta I-class cruiser

Operators
  
Soviet Navy  Russian Navy

The Kresta I-class cruiser is a Soviet cruiser class. The Soviet designation was Project 1134 Berkut (golden eagle).

Contents

These ships were designed for a surface warfare role. Soviet priorities were changed to an anti-submarine role and only 4 ships were built with this configuration. These ships were followed by the Kresta II class, an anti-submarine derivative.

Design

Though considerably larger, more effective and reliable than the previous Soviet cruiser class, the Kynda class, the Kresta I surface warfare cruisers carried only half as many Shaddock launch tubes and one-fourth the total number of missiles. Initially it was planned to fit the SS-N-12 Sandbox (P-500 Bazalt) missile but the protracted development of this missile led to the older SS-N-3 being shipped. The self-defence armament was considerably increased as were command and communications facilities.

The Kresta Is could launch four SS-N-3b SLCMs and 44 SA-N-1 surface-to-air missiles with two twin launchers fore and aft, and had ten 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes. A single Ka-25 Hormone B helicopter was carried for targeting the cruise missile, and mid-course corrections.

Electronics Fit carried :

  • Radar:
    • MR-500 Kliver air search MR-302 Rubka MR-310 Angara Don navigation
  • Sonar:
    • MG-312 hull mounted MG-26 hull mounted
  • Other systems:
    • Khrom-2M IFF Yatagan SA-N-1 fire control MR-103 AK-725 fire control Binom P35 Progress fire control

    Two unbuilt variants were proposed;

  • Project 934 - A variant armed with 8 short range anti ship missiles (SS-N-9) otherwise similar to the ships built. This design evolved into the Kresta 2 class
  • Project 934 K - This was a larger flagship variant with enlarged command facilities and a bigger hangar for 4-5 helicopters. This variant was cancelled

    • Ships

    The initial plan was for a single squadron of seven ships armed with long range missiles and two squadrons of fourteen ships armed with shorter range missiles. In reality only four ships were built before production switched to the anti-submarine variant the Kresta II class

    References

    Kresta I-class cruiser Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA