Project 956 destroyer "Sarych": specifications and photos

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Ships of this project could become the most massive in their class. They were planned to be launched in huge quantities for our Navy. Fifty destroyers of the first rank - such an armada is enough to equip the whole fleet. In addition, the multi-purpose purpose assumed their use for solving a wide variety of tasks. The lead destroyer Sovremenny (project 956) was laid down in 1975, the last ship of the series was launched at the end of 1993. Of the planned fifty units, 17 were delivered to the navies of the USSR and Russia. Four more go under the Chinese flag. Two ships have been mothballed, two are under modernization, two more are in service with the Northern Fleet, the rest have been decommissioned. What is the reason for such massive cutting of non-old, according to naval concepts, units into metal?

Why did the USSR need new destroyers

The reasons for the rejection of a large number of Project 956 ships should be sought in times already distant. It was then, in the mid-fifties,there was an unfortunate phenomenon, called by sailors "Khrushchev's defeat". Intoxication with the successes of domestic rocket scientists led to a major strategic miscalculation. The probability of a global conflict has decreased due to the mutual destruction guarantee, but this does not mean at all that the need for the regional presence of the Soviet Navy has disappeared, and it turned out to be extremely difficult to ensure it without the presence of large ships in the arsenal. The actions of squadrons on combat duty in various remote sectors of the World Ocean were difficult (due to the small number of units that form their "core" and determine stability). Aircraft carriers were not built in the USSR because of their high cost, the destroyers of early projects (project 30-2 and 78) and cruisers (project 68), built under Stalin and “undercut” by Khrushchev, not only morally obsolete, but also physically worn out. The fleet required replenishment with modern ships of large displacement, equipped - along with rocket launchers - with powerful artillery. This is exactly what the newest destroyer of Project 956 was conceived of, the urgent need for which was fully realized after the large-scale exercises "Ocean" held in the spring of 1970.

What is a destroyer and why is it needed

Squadron destroyer - the concept is rather traditional than filled with real meaning. Of course, the armament is not limited to mines, but according to its purpose, the ship rather corresponds to the class of frigates adopted in many fleets of the world, which, in turn, also have little in common with old sailing ships. Project 956 destroyer "Sarych"(such was the cipher) was intended to perform a wide range of combat missions that could be beyond the power of the BOD (large anti-submarine ships), which formed the basis of the Soviet Navy in the late sixties. Officially, its main purpose was formulated as fire support for the landing, expressed in the suppression of small-sized ground targets, providing air defense and missile defense for the landing units and destroying the potential enemy's watercraft. It was also planned to be used jointly with the BOD (project 1155), which brought the effectiveness of such a pair closer to the combat capabilities of the most modern American Spruence frigates at that time. Based on the tasks set, the project 956 destroyer was created. The ship is expensive for the budget, it is built on the basis of a specific defense doctrine, especially when it comes to a large series.

Appearance and propaganda value of aesthetics

It is believed that for military equipment appearance is not as important as its functionality, but this is not entirely true. The impression it makes on a potential enemy often depends on how impressive the model looks, that in the absence of war it can play an important role in the development of the conflict, and possibly even prevent it. Based on this premise, the project 956 destroyer was also created. The model, the photo of which was presented to the IMF Commander-in-Chief Admiral S. G. Gorshkov at the end of 1971, was approved largely due to the formidable appearance of the ship, its sinister exterior and the propaganda effect that could produce hissilhouette after the appearance of the ship in the ocean. The naval authorities liked the layout, built on a scale of 1:50: it fully corresponded to the foreign policy doctrine of the USSR and demonstrated progress in science and technology in the second half of the 20th century. But, of course, it was not only in appearance - S. G. Gorshkov was not so simple as to evaluate the destroyer of project 956 by the general impression. The characteristics of the ship were more important, and they spoke of very good seaworthiness.

Shipbuilding innovations

The expert in the field of shipbuilding liked the preliminary project not only aesthetically. The main features of the external appearance of the ship were the smooth deck of the hull, the sheerness of its bow, the successful placement of artillery weapons of the main caliber, the location of anti-aircraft systems on the sides (which provided excellent opportunities for setting barrage fire) and the high elevation of the radar antennas (to improve the location view). The length of the hull was limited by the capabilities of the shipyards of the plant. A. A. Zhdanov and should not exceed 146 meters with a width of 17 m. When developing the general shipbuilding ideology of the ship, many technologies were used for the first time. The shape of the bow set the non-flooding (up to 7 points of excitement) by the oncoming wave, the side was made with a double break in the surface to reduce visibility. There were other features that distinguished the destroyer of project 956. The deck drawings were made in compliance with their strict horizontality, regardless of the contours, which significantly improved manufacturabilityequipment installation. The hull is divided into fifteen watertight compartments, the bow "bulb" underwater part not only reduces resistance, but also serves to accommodate a sonar post (MGK-335MS, aka the Platinum complex). Strengthening elements were rationally applied in places of greatest stress.

Power plant

The disadvantages of the ships of this series, experts include a deliberately outdated power plant. There were reasons for this. When choosing the type of turbine, S. G. Gorshkov gave preference to the boiler scheme, rejecting the gas one. This was done under the influence of the Minister of Shipbuilding of the USSR B. E. Butoma, who argued his opinion with the large load of the Southern Turbine Plant and the fact that it would be easier to arrange fuel oil supplies in a special period than diesel fuel. As a result, the project 956 destroyer was equipped with a twin boiler-turbine unit with a total capacity of 100 thousand liters. With. Today it is difficult to give a comprehensive assessment and speak purely in favor of this decision or against it. The fact is that at the beginning of the 70s there was an ambitious project to create technologically revolutionary direct-flow CTUs, which, if successful, promised to become unique, but it was not crowned with success. Ultimately, I had to stop at ordinary outdated high-pressure boilers, proven and, in general, also not bad. And another argument in their favor was the relative cheapness of fuel oil. The world energy crisis also affected the USSR.

Cannon weapons

Undervalued in past decadesThe role of artillery in the maritime theater of operations prompted the Sevmash Design Bureau to equip the Sovremenny destroyer (project 956) with two twin AK-130 installations equipped with Lev-218 (MP-184) multi-channel control systems. Guidance of the trunks is carried out on the basis of information received from the radar, range finder (laser) and television devices, and processed by a digital computer for firing parameters. The supply of ammunition is mechanized, the rate of fire reaches 90 rds / min, the range exceeds 24 km. In terms of artillery power, the Project 956 destroyer surpasses the battleships of the First World War, which had no other weapons than cannons. The weight of projectiles delivered to the target (in one minute) exceeds six tons.

Anti-aircraft artillery systems provide protection against complex targets (including cruise missiles) and are represented by two 30-mm AK-630M systems located on the side. These installations include six-barrel water-cooled systems controlled by the Vympel automated control system. They are capable of hitting high-speed targets at a distance of up to 4 km with a rate of fire of 4,000 rounds per minute.

Rockets

Missile armament of the destroyer "Sarych" is designed to combat air and sea targets. Complex "Hurricane" (in later modifications "Hurricane-Tornado") is equipped with single-beam launchers firing missiles. In the ammunition load of each of the two launchers - 48 guided missiles. "Hurricane" - a universal weapon, it is quite suitable for destroying surfaceships of small tonnage (for example, missile or torpedo boats). The number of targets tracked and destroyed is up to six (when triggered every 12 seconds).

The Project 956 destroyer carries out specialized anti-ship defense with the Moskit (Moskit-M) complex, equipped with ZM-82 missiles. There are two installations, they are protected by armor, each contains four shells. The combat radius of the complex is 120 km (170 for Mosquito-M). Supersonic missiles (M=3), the mass of explosives in the combat charging compartment is three centners. All eight ZM-82s can be fired within a half-minute salvo at the command of the ship's control system.

Terms of Service

"Sarych" favorably differed from many ships of the Navy with improved habitability conditions. The destroyer is equipped with a single microclimate unit that provides a comfortable atmosphere at outside temperatures ranging from -25°C to +34°C. 16 cabins with a capacity of 10 to 25 people serve for rest of the ratings, while each sailor has an area of more than 3 m². Midshipman (quadruple) and officer (single and double) cabins have an area of 10 square meters. m. Two spacious saloons and three dining rooms are used for eating. On board there is everything you need for life away from your native coast: a cinema, cable TV, a library, an internal radio system, comfortable showers, and a sauna. In hot weather, by order of the ship's commander, the pool can be assembled.

Inside the medicalblock has an outpatient clinic, a double isolation room, an infirmary and an operating room.

The habitability and comfort conditions on the Project 956 destroyers are not inferior to foreign standards, which affected the export potential of these ships.

Hard times

The project was created exclusively for internal use, and before the collapse of the USSR, there was no question of selling ships of this type. Fourteen destroyers entered the Soviet Navy in the period 1976-1881, each of them was built for an average of four years. The ships entered the Northern (six) and Pacific (eight) fleets, took part in large-scale naval exercises, made long-distance cruises and friendly visits to foreign ports.

In the last Soviet years and immediately after the collapse of the USSR, the situation changed. Public funding has dropped sharply. Maintaining a warship is expensive. Over a decade, a dozen of them were decommissioned, five destroyers of this type remained in service, the rest were dismantled or mothballed. Ten years later (in 2011), the only Project 956 destroyer Admiral Ushakov was in combat service in the Northern Fleet. "Persistent" was the flagship of the B altic Fleet, and "Fast" was in the Pacific Ocean. There are only three operational ships left of the seventeen built.

By this time, most of the Sarych-class weapon systems are outdated. The planned modernization of the Project 956 destroyers involved re-equipping with cruise missiles and new air defense and missile defense systems. The replacement of anti-submarine and anti-torpedo defense was required. At the same time, the running characteristics of the destroyers remained very good. An autonomous navigation range of 4,500 miles, high speed and powerful onboard artillery prompted the fleet command to refrain from completely withdrawing ships from combat strength.

Modernization and export deliveries

Two unfinished ships, which received the names "Important" and "Thoughtful" at the laying, and then renamed "Ekaterinburg" and "Alexander Nevsky", were completed and sold to China at the turn of the millennium. The export version of the project has undergone changes and received the code 956 E. The names of the Chinese ships are "Hanzhou" and "Fuzhou", they have been serving in the Eastern Fleet of the People's Liberation Army of China since 2000. The modernization of the destroyers of the project 956 series "E" (export) concerned only the power plant and some weapons systems.

The following two units, destined for the Chinese fleet, have undergone more serious changes. The Project 956EM destroyer differs from the E modification in size, Moskit-ME extended-range anti-ship missiles (they reach targets within a radius of 200 km) and new Kashtan anti-aircraft missile and artillery modules. The aft gun mount has been replaced by a helicopter hangar. Under this project, two destroyers (Taizhou and Ningbo) were built in 2005 and 2006.

If the sale of the first two ships to China was explained mainly by the difficult financial situation of the initial post-Soviet period, then the contract for the supply of the next pair can be called successfulforeign trade operation. In the middle of the first decade of the new century, a line was already outlined for the systematic modernization of the Russian armed forces, including the fleet. At that time, ships were being designed that were more advanced than the Project 956 destroyer, whose photo already evoked associations with a bygone era. Massive superstructures and numerous antennas corresponded to the appearance of the fleets of the last century. However, China did not fail, having bought powerful and reliable combat units that strengthened its Navy.