Nanuchka class corvette

Updated on Oct 07, 2024

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Type Missile corvette Beam 12.6 m (41.3 ft)		Length 59.3 m (194.6 ft) Draught 2.4 m (7.9 ft)

Operators Soviet Navy Russian Navy Algerian National Navy Indian Navy Libyan Navy Libyan People's Army Displacement 560 long tons (569 t) standard, 660 long tons (671 t) full load

The Nanuchka class was the NATO reporting name for a series of corvettes or small missile ships built for the Soviet Navy and export customers between 1969 and 1981. The Soviet designation was Project 1234 Ovod (Gadfly) Small Missile Ship.

Variants

These ships were designed around the P-120 Malakhit ("Siren") anti ship missile. Export versions used the P-15 Termit ("Styx") missile. Unlike smaller missile boats, both carry SA-N-4 ("Gecko") SAMs for self-defence. The original Nanuchka I carried a twin 57mm AK-257 main gun, replaced by a 76mm AK-176 in the Nanuchka III. The latter also has a rotary 30mm AK-630 point-defence gun to bolster its protection against missile attack.

Service record

Reportedly the Mirazh, a Nanuchka III corvette, sank a Georgian vessel during an attempted attack on Russian ships off Abkhazia on 10 August 2008.

Soviet Navy

Nanuchka I (Project 1234) - 17 boats - retired in the 1990s, except Musson which was sunk in error by an SSM during an exercise in 1987 (27 fatalities)

Nanuchka III (Project 1234.1) - 18 boats - about 11 still in service with the Russian Navy

Nanuchka IV (project 1234.2) - 1 boat Nakat - in Russian Navy service. Trial vessel for P-800 Oniks ASHM

Export customers

Algeria - 3 ships delivered 1980-81 in service

India - 3 ships known as the Durg class, last ship decommissioned in 2004.

Libya - 4 ships delivered 1981-83; Ain Zaquit sunk by US aircraft 24 March 1986 and replaced by a new ship from the USSR.

Free Libyan Army - 1 ship captured in 2011 from the Libyan Navy

Ship list

Fleets: Baltic Fleet, Northern Fleet, Black Sea Fleet, Pacific Fleet

References

Nanuchka-class corvette Wikipedia

(Text) CC BY-SA