Name Udaloy class In commission 1980 | Succeeded by Lider-class destroyer Planned 15 | |
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Operators Soviet Navy
Russian Navy Completed 13 (including 1 Udaloy II) | ||
The Udaloy I class are a series of anti-submarine destroyers built for the Soviet Navy, eight of which are currently in service with the Russian Navy. The Russian designation is Project 1155 Fregat. Twelve ships were built between 1980 and 1991, while a thirteenth ship built to a modified design as the Udaloy II class followed in 1999. They complement the Sovremennyy-class destroyer in anti-aircraft warfare and anti-surface warfare operations.
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Design history
The Project 1155 dates to the 1970s when it was concluded that it was too costly to build large-displacement, multi-role combatants. The concept of a specialized surface ship was developed by Soviet designers. Two different types of warships were laid down which were designed by the Severnoye Design Bureau: Project 956 destroyer and Project 1155 large anti-submarine ship. The Udaloy class are generally considered the Soviet equivalent of the American Spruance-class destroyers. There are variations in SAM and air search radar among units of the class. Based on the Krivak class, the emphasis on anti-submarine warfare (ASW) left these ships with limited anti-surface and anti-air capabilities.
Udaloy II
Following Udaloy's commissioning, designers began developing an upgrade package in 1982 to provide more balanced capabilities with a greater emphasis on anti-shipping. The Project 1155.1 Fregat II Class Large ASW Ship (NATO Codename Udaloy II) is roughly the counterpart of the Improved Spruance class; only one was originally completed, but in 2006 Admiral Kharlamov was reported to have been upgraded to a similar standard. In April 2010 Severnaya Verf shipyard announced that the destroyer Vice-Admiral Kulakov, which had been retired in 1990, was being upgraded to Udaloy II standard and has since resumed patrolling in 2013.
Similar to Udaloy externally, it was a new configuration replacing the SS-N-14 with SS-N-22 "Sunburn" (Moskit) anti-ship missiles, a twin 130 mm gun, UDAV-1 anti-torpedo rockets, and gun/SAM CIWS systems. A standoff ASW capability is retained by firing SS-N-15 missiles from the torpedo tubes.
Powered by a modern gas turbine engine, the Udaloy II is equipped with more capable sonars, an integrated air defense fire control system, and a number of digital electronic systems based on state-of-the-art circuitry. The original MGK-355 Polinom integrated sonar system (with NATO reporting names Horse Jaw and Horse Tail respectively for the hull mounted and towed portions) on Udaloy-I ships is replaced by its successor, a newly designed Zvezda M-2 sonar system that has a range in excess of 100 kilometres (62 mi) in the 2nd convergence zone. The Zvezda sonar system is considered by its designers to be the equivalent in terms of overall performance of the AN/SQS-53 on US destroyers, though much bulkier and heavier than its American counterpart: the length of the hull mounted portion is nearly 30 meters. The torpedo approaching warning function of the Polinom sonar system is retained and further improved by its successor.
Service history
In 2008 Admiral Chabanenko became the first Russian warship to transit the Panama Canal since World War II.
Vice-Admiral Kulakov deployed to the Mediterranean Sea from its home base in Russia's Northern Fleet in June 2014.