The Baltic Fleet is being saved by the Black Sea Buyan-M. MRK "Vyshny Volochyok"

Alexander FEDOROV

These small ships with a displacement of 949 tons and a length of 74.1 m are today known throughout the world. The first three ships of the series - "Grad Sviyazhsk", "Uglich" and "Veliky Ustyug" of the Caspian Flotilla - became famous for delivering unexpected attacks with high-precision long-range cruise missiles 3M-14 of the "Caliber-NK" complex developed by OKB "Novator" on terrorist targets in Syria in October and November 2015. Two MRKs “Zeleny Dol” and “Serpukhov” of the Black Sea Fleet also successfully attacked the bases of gangs in August 2016 from the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea. In the fall of the same year, “Green Dol” and “Serpukhov” “put the NATO leadership on the ears” by making an unprecedented transition from the Black Sea to the Baltic. This is understandable: thus, Russia took the states of the North Atlantic Alliance, as they said during the era of sailing fleets, “in two fires,” since our country gained the opportunity to reach any point in Western Europe with long-range “calibers,” including nuclear weapons. Central and Eastern Europe. And it is no coincidence that the unofficial title of “strategic missile boats” was assigned to the “Buyans”.

RTOs are designed not only to attack ground targets. “Calibers” of modifications 3M-54K and 3M-54T, placed on the Project 21631 MRK, are designed to hit surface targets at a range of up to 300 km. Their powerful warheads are capable of sinking or disabling any enemy ships.

In addition, the Buyan-M fires from the A-190 universal automatic 100-mm artillery mount at sea, air and coastal targets. The defensive potential of the RTO is complemented by the most effective “lawnmower” in the world, as sailors commonly call automatic cannons with rotating barrels - a 12-barreled 30-mm AK-630M-2 "Duet" machine gun with a rate of fire of 10,000 rounds per minute, as well as two anti-aircraft launchers 3M47 "Gibka" with "Igla" or "Igla-M" missiles. Two 14.5 mm and three 7.62 mm machine guns are used as anti-sabotage weapons.

The delivery of the Vyshny Volochek MRK to the fleet should have taken place last year. However, the German company MTU, in connection with the announced Western countries sanctions, refused to supply diesel engines ordered for ships of this type. But a holy place is never empty. Zelenodolsk residents found a replacement by installing CHD622V20 engines made in China.

Now on the stocks of the Zelenodolsk plant named after A.M. Gorky, four MRKs of Project 21631 are being assembled. Contracts have been signed with the Russian Ministry of Defense for the construction of two more such ships. If the tests of the Vyshny Volochok go according to schedule, then this year the small missile ship will join the Black Sea Fleet. This event will be a kind of gift for two round anniversaries of the Navy, domestic rocketry and shipbuilding, which are celebrated in October: the 60th anniversary of the first launch of the P-15 anti-ship missile and the 50th anniversary of the first successful use of anti-ship missiles against a real target.

On October 28, 1957, at a training ground in the Feodosia region, the P-15 anti-ship cruise missile was launched from a swinging platform simulating a boat at sea. It was developed by a team of designers from OKB-155-1 (now MKB Raduga) under the leadership of Alexander Bereznyak (1912-1974). The anti-ship missile was somewhat reminiscent of the first domestic jet fighter, or rather the BI-1 rocket aircraft, which took off on May 15, 1942. And this is not surprising. The creators of the machine, unusual for that time, were Alexander Bereznyak and Alexey Isaev (1908-1971). Hence the designation of the rocket aircraft - BI-1, that is, “Bereznyak-Isaev first”. A significant contribution to the development of the P-15 was made by OKB No. 2, which was headed by Alexey Isaev. This organization made liquid fuel for a cruise missile jet engine C2.722.

The P-15 anti-ship missile with a length of 6.425 m, a wingspan of 2.4 m and a launch weight of 2125 kg could hit surface targets at a distance of up to 40 km. The missile flew towards the target at a speed of 320 m/s and carried a high-explosive cumulative warhead weighing 480 kg. In other words, any surface ship would be doomed or seriously damaged if hit. The probability of hitting the target for that era was high, it was 0.7. It is no coincidence that NATO received the designation Styx - in Greek mythology, this was the name of the river through which the souls of the dead were transported to the underworld.

For detection and target designation, the Rangout radar was used (developed by NII-49, now by the Granit-Electron Concern). Pre-launch control was provided by MK-131A equipment (developed by KB-1, now by the Almaz-Antey VKO Concern). The fire control was carried out by the Klen control system (developed by MNII-1, now by the Morinformsystem-Agat Concern).

Torpedo boats of Project 183 developed by SKB-5, then TsKB-5 (now TsMKB Almaz) were chosen as carriers of new powerful naval weapons. More precisely, the talk was about creating a fundamentally new modification of the boat, capable of carrying and firing P-15 anti-ship missiles. This work was led by the head of the bureau, Evgeny Yukhnin (1912-1999). New project received the index “183E”, that is, “experimental”. An open hangar type launcher was designed and tested. It was an inclined guide on which the rocket was placed, which in the stowed position was covered with a light openwork metal structure and covered with a tarpaulin. Calculations and field tests also showed that a steel pilothouse needs to be installed on a wooden boat.

On August 6, 1957, from the berths of the Leningrad Shipyard No. 5, or as it was also called, the Primorsky Plant (now the Almaz Shipbuilding Company), two unusual boats set off in tow along inland waterways to the Black Sea. Their superstructures and aft parts were covered with plywood panels. This is how they hid a new top-secret weapon from prying eyes. Obviously, also for conspiracy, the boats were pulled by an old tug "Keta" with steam engine, burning wood.

In October, TKA-14 and TKA-15 (at that time the first missile-carrying boats were also classified as torpedo boats, not least for the purpose of maintaining secrecy) arrived in Feodosia at the delivery base of Shipyard No. 5, which was located on the territory of the current More Shipyard. Tests were scheduled for December using an anti-ship missile prototype with a standard SPRD-30 solid-propellant booster with a thrust of about 40 tons. It was important to find out how a wooden boat would behave under a fiery jet stream and what effect the operation of the starting engine would have on people who, during the launch of the rocket, were supposed to be one and a half meters away from the turbojet engine accelerating it. Of course, the presence of the crew on the boats during these tests was strictly prohibited. Sheep took the place of the regular team.

But on December 20, 1957, when the TKA-14 boat arrived at the test site, the weather turned bad. They wanted to postpone the tests. However, Evgeny Yukhnin insisted on their continuation. He and five other volunteers remained on the boat. It was they who carried out the first launch of the P-15 from a real sea platform. Everything happened without serious damage.

Tests continued until the end of 1959, and in 1960 the P-15 anti-ship missile system was put into service. But even before its completion, testing began mass production Project 183R missile boats at the Primorsky and Vladivostok shipyards. A total of 112 missile boats were built or rebuilt from torpedo boats, 48 ​​of which were exported. About 40 more boats of type 24 were built under license in China, but with steel hulls and Chinese analogues of the P-15 - HY-1 missiles. According to Soviet documentation and using Soviet components, six Sohung-class boats were assembled at North Korean shipyards. In the early 1980s, in the image and likeness of Project 183P, six October-type boats were built in Egypt, armed with two Italian-made Otomat anti-ship missiles. The production boats of Project 183R differed from the prototypes of Project 183E mainly in the presence of hangar-type launchers, which prevented missiles from being splashed with sea water.

These boats, designated Komar in the West, with a total displacement of 81 tons, a length of 25.5 m, a width of 6.2 m and a draft of just over 2 m, developed a maximum speed of 38 knots. Their cruising range was 885 miles at 12 knots, and their autonomy was five days. The crew included three officers and 15 sailors conscript service. The boats carried two P-15 missiles. Self-defense equipment was represented by a twin 25-mm automatic artillery mount 2M-3M. Thus, we got small ships with powerful weapons.

And soon they made the whole world talk about themselves. The mosquito bites turned out to be fatal. On October 21, 1967, the Israeli destroyer Eilat with a total displacement of 1,710 tons, patrolling off the coast of the Sinai Peninsula, violated the border of Egypt's territorial waters. The President of this Arab republic, Gamal Abdel Nasser, ordered an attack on the enemy ship. Two Project 183R boats located in the Port Said roadstead under the command of Captain 1st Rank Lutfi Jadallah and Captain 3rd Rank Ahmed Shaker Abd el-Wahed, assisted by Soviet military advisers, fired four P-15 missiles from a distance of 16 kilometers. The Styxes tore the hull of the destroyer in two, which sank. At the same time, 47 Israeli sailors were killed and 91 wounded. Since then, October 21 has been celebrated in Egypt as National Navy Day.

The first use of anti-ship missiles caused shock among foreign naval experts. The leading naval powers began to hastily develop means of countering anti-ship missiles, and weaker countries began to hastily acquire missile boats.

Meanwhile, the development of a new type of naval weapon in the USSR continued successfully. In general, the end of the 50s and 60s of the last century can be called the heyday of missile weapons in our country. Suffice it to say that already in those days, the same OKB-155-1 was developing the Kh-45 Molniya hypersonic anti-ship missile.

But while the achievement of hypersound was still far away, the designers were improving the P-15. A modification of the P-15U appeared with a folding wing, which made it possible to place the missile not in a bulky hangar launcher, but in a fairly compact container one.

Shipbuilders did not lag behind the creators of rocket technology. In 1956, SKB-5 began the development of a new missile boat, Project 205 “Moskit” (Osa - according to the Western classification). With a total displacement of 216 tons and a 40-knot speed, it could already carry four P-15 missiles. A further development of this project was the Project 205U RCA with P-15U anti-ship missiles. In total, more than 600 boats of this type and their modifications were built for the USSR Navy and foreign customers. In China, type 021 RKAs were built in large series, which are analogues of the Soviet 205s.

“Mosquitoes” - “Wasps” were also quick to distinguish themselves. In October 1970, Egyptian missile boats of this type sank an Israeli signals intelligence ship with a displacement of 10,000 tons. But the actions of Indian sailors during the conflict with Pakistan in 1971 were especially impressive. On the night of December 4–5, three Indian “wasps” raided the enemy’s main naval base, Karachi. They sank the destroyer Khaibar, the minesweeper Muhafiz, and the Liberian transport ship Venus Challenger, which was carrying American ammunition from Saigon to Pakistan. The destroyer Shah Jahan was seriously damaged by the missile. It was completely burnt out and could not be restored. Another rocket set the port facilities on fire. It should be noted here that Indian sailors for the first time demonstrated that anti-ship missiles can successfully attack not only sea targets, but also coastal targets, although this was not provided for in the instructions and manuals. That is, they creatively developed the capabilities of the P-15. However, chance played a certain role in this episode. Radar operators of Indian boats mistook the markings of the harbor cranes of the port of Karachi for the masts of the Pakistani cruiser Babur.

Four days later, the Indians launched a second sortie. During Operation Python, only one Indian RKA Vinash during a night attack set fire to the Karachi oil refinery and oil storage facilities (12 out of 34 storage facilities were completely burned), sank the Panamanian tanker Gulf Star with a displacement of 20,000 tons and the British transport Harmattan. The Pakistani tanker Dacca with a displacement of 5532 tons did not sink, but was completely burned out and could not be restored. Other ships and vessels were also damaged, covered in burning debris. Panic gripped the Pakistani garrison. The fire from Pakistani guns, which were trying to repel an attack from an invisible enemy, accidentally set fire to the Greek transport Zoe, which was carrying cargo to Karachi. A Pakistani patrol boat, firing in an unknown direction, shot through the side of the British merchant ship Eucadia. The total losses from the Vinash missile attack, according to some estimates, amounted to $3 billion.

The daring attacks of the Indian "wasps" made a strong impression on the Pakistani sailors. They rushed to purchase missile boats of types 024 and 021 from China, but they did not have the chance to take part in hostilities.

A further development of the P-15/P-15U anti-ship missile system was the P-15M Termit missile, which was put into service in 1972. Its firing range increased to 80 km, that is, doubled. The mass of the anti-ship missile warhead increased to 513 kg. It can also carry a nuclear weapon with a yield of 15 kt (the same power was the American atomic bomb Little Boy, dropped by the Americans on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945). The Termit has an inertial control system during the cruising phase of the flight and two versions of the active homing head: active radar and infrared "Snegir-M". The seeker is turned on at the final stage of the flight - when approaching the target. Before launch, a cruising flight program is introduced into the rocket at altitudes of 25, 50 and 250 m. When approaching the target, the Termit can descend to a height of 2.5 m above sea level.

P-15M missiles were equipped with Project 205MR and 1241-1 (1241T) Molniya missile boats developed by the Almaz Central Marine Design Bureau, as well as the Rubezh coastal missile system. “Termites” are still in service with the Russian Navy, as well as a number of foreign fleets.

From the “termites”, the baton of boat strike power was taken over by the Malachite, Uran and Kalibr anti-ship missiles, the supersonic Moskit and Oniks, which are armed with small missile ships of Project 12341 Ovod and 21631 Buyan-M, and also large missile boats of projects 12411 and 12418 Molniya.

On July 29 of this year, at the Leningrad shipyard "Pella" the small rocket ship "Uragan" was launched - the lead project 22800 "Karakurt" developed by the Central Marine Design Bureau "Almaz". In terms of its characteristics, it is close to the Buyan-M and is a further development of the 21631 project. However, it is distinguished by higher seaworthiness due to its greater draft (4 m versus 2.6 m for the Buyan) and, therefore, a better deadrise. Ships of this type are almost completely equipped with systems and assemblies domestic production. The power plant of the MRK of the Zvezda plant is diesel-electric. In addition to the well-known Mineral-M radar, designed for over-the-horizon detection and tracking of surface targets, the ship has an integrated mast with four fixed phased antenna arrays of a multifunctional radar complex. The UKSK 3S14 vertical launcher for the Kalibr-NK and Oniks missiles, just like on the Buyan-M, is located behind the wheelhouse and mast, but not along, but across the center plane of the ship. Due to this, the hull length was reduced to 67 m, and the displacement to 800 tons. But in terms of artillery armament, “Karakurt” is somewhat inferior to Project 21631. It includes a universal automatic 76-mm AK-176MA installation and two six-barrel anti-aircraft 30-mm AK-630M assault rifles. In the future, it is planned to install the Pantsir-M air defense missile system on this type of missile launcher, but it has not yet passed sea tests.

Small rocket ships of Project 22800 are being built at several factories: at Pella, at the Feodosia Sea, where the famous “mosquitoes” once got their start in life, at the Zelenodolsk plant named after A.M. Gorky and on the stocks of the Kerch “Zaliv”. In 2018, it is planned to begin assembling “karakurts” at the Amur Shipyard. To date, the Ministry of Defense expects to receive 18 attack ships of this type from industry, but the series may be increased.

Since the middle of the first decade of the 21st century, missile boats and small missile ships have been experiencing a Renaissance era around the world (for more details, see National Defense magazine No. 2/2013). And it’s clear why. For relatively little money, fleets are replenished with powerful attack ships that can successfully withstand destroyers, cruisers and even aircraft carriers. The emergence of “strategic missile boats” of projects 21631 and 22800, capable of striking enemy territory to great depths, generally changes the entire configuration of the use of naval power.

It is no coincidence that the theoretical works of Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Sergei Gorshkov, who was the “godfather” of the USSR Large Fleet, are now becoming increasingly popular abroad. Thus, the most influential American publishing house of naval literature, Naval Institute Press, released the collection 21st Century Gorshkov (“21st Century Gorshkov”), which contains articles and excerpts from articles by the Soviet admiral. And here it is worth emphasizing that Sergei Georgievich saw the Large Fleet not only in distant oceans, but also off his shores. It is thanks to his concerns Soviet Union had a large number of missile boats, small missile and anti-submarine ships, which were guaranteed to close the approaches to the country's coast and which, by the way, to this day make up the bulk of the surface forces of the Russian Navy.

The Chinese followed the same path when building the PLA Navy, which is now boldly challenging the US Navy in the World Ocean. The Great Fleet begins off the coast - this is one of Gorshkov’s main behests. Russia, which in the 90s of the last century lost its ocean-going fleet and lost a significant part of the potential of the shipbuilding industry, should not take on the tasks of creating aircraft carriers and nuclear destroyers that are impossible today, but concentrate on the development of submarines, small attack and anti-submarine ships, as well as minesweepers. Then success will be guaranteed.

The small rocket ship “Vyshny Volochek” is the sixth serial ship of Project 21631 (code “Buyan-M”), which are being built at JSC Zelenodolsk Plant named after. A.M. Gorky" commissioned by the Russian Navy. The lead ship is (introduced into the Caspian Flotilla on July 27, 2014). Second - (introduced into the Caspian Flotilla on July 27, 2014). Third - (introduced into the Caspian Flotilla on December 19, 2014). Fourth - (December 12, 2015 introduced into the Black Sea Fleet). Fifth - (December 12, 2015 introduced into the Black Sea Fleet).

Small missile ships of Project 21631 (code "Buyan-M") are multi-purpose ships of the "river-sea" class.

Project 21631 was developed by the Zelenodolsk Design Bureau for the Russian Navy, the first chief designer of the project is Ovsienko. The purpose of small missile ships of this project is to guard and protect the economic zone of the state. In total, it is planned to build from 8 to 10 ships of this project to replenish the ship composition of the Caspian Flotilla and the Russian Black Sea Fleet. They are a modernized version, designed and built specifically for the Caspian Flotilla, taking into account the shallow depths of the Volga River and the Caspian Sea.

Unlike their prototypes, the new buildings have a larger displacement and are equipped with modern types of artillery, missile, anti-sabotage, anti-aircraft and radio-technical weapons.

All ships of this project are equipped with the latest missile weapons - the Kalibr-NK universal long-range missile system. The ship's main missile system is a vertical launcher for eight supersonic anti-ship missiles designed to destroy surface ships and submarines of various classes and types, land-based stationary and limitedly mobile targets with pre-known coordinates at a distance of 200 to 500 kilometers.

When constructing the ships, so-called stealth technology was used, which makes them difficult for the enemy to detect. The architectural appearance of the ships meets the requirements for reducing radar signature (inclined flat surfaces of the superstructure, the presence of bulwarks, hidden superstructures and decks in the planes, doors and hatches).

Main characteristics: Displacement 949 tons. Length 74.1 meters, width 11.0 meters, height 6.57 meters, draft 2.6 meters. Speed ​​25 knots. Cruising range up to 1500 miles. Autonomy 10 days. Crew from 29 to 36 people.

Propulsion: Water jet propulsion.

Weapons:

Artillery: 1x1 100mm AU A-190 “Universal”, 2x1 14.5mm machine gun mount, 3x1 7.62mm machine gun mount.

Anti-aircraft artillery: 2x6 30-mm ZAK Duet (AK 630-M2).

Missile armament: 1x8 Caliber or 1x8 Oniks, 2x4 3M47 Gibka launchers with Igla or Igla-M missiles.

Small rocket ship "Vyshny Volochek" (building number 636) August 29, 2013. The ship is named after the city of Vyshny Volochek, a city in the Tver region of Russia. According to a message dated April 10, 2015, construction is underway. In 2016 it should be transferred to the Customer and introduced into the Black Sea Fleet. On August 05, 2017, the ship moved under tugs along inland waterways to the Black Sea and arrived at the Novorossiysk naval base to conduct sea and state tests. According to a message dated August 19, the crew of the ship began to conduct factory and sea trials. On September 19, as part of factory sea trials to perform tasks at the combat training grounds of the Black Sea Fleet. According to a report dated November 10, state tests of the ship were carried out at the Novorossiysk naval base. According to a message dated April 6, 2018, state tests of the ship were carried out at the Novorossiysk naval base. During sea trials, the state acceptance committee, the ship’s crew and representatives of the shipbuilder test the reliability and functionality of power plants in real conditions of a sea passage, navigation equipment and other ship systems and mechanisms. The ship's seaworthiness, controllability, stability, propulsion and inertia in different running conditions are also checked. According to a message dated May 8, it is at the final stage of state tests in Novorossiysk and will become part of the Russian Navy this month. May 25 in Sevastopol. On June 1, a ceremonial raising of the St. Andrew's flag took place in Sevastopol. The ship has tail number 609.

According to a message dated June 04, 2018, the ship’s crew before going to sea to perform a special course task (K-1), which is the initial stage in the ship’s combat training system for solving missions as intended. According to a message dated June 19, to the base city of Sevastopol after completing planned combat training missions in the sea ranges of the Black Sea. According to a message dated June 29, an air defense exercise was carried out with the ship’s crew at the sea ranges of the Black Sea. According to a message dated August 16, a planned passage from Sevastopol to the Mediterranean Sea. According to a message dated November 6, he carried out tasks as part of a permanent group of the Russian Navy in the Mediterranean Sea and set a course for his permanent base - the hero city of Sevastopol.

According to a message dated March 31, 2019, as part of a detachment of ships of the Black Sea Fleet to a permanent deployment point after performing anti-aircraft and artillery firing at sea combat training grounds.

The latest news from the Baltic Fleet, in my opinion, indicates at least two things. First: Moscow today assesses the likelihood of a major war in Europe as very high and is taking emergency defensive measures. Second: everything is so serious that we even have to go to the detriment of our group, which is actively participating in the fighting in Syria.

This becomes obvious if you carefully read the text of the interview, which Commander of the Baltic Fleet, Vice Admiral Alexander Nosatov gave to the newspaper "Red Star". Among other things, the commander said that this year another new small missile ship (SMRK) will be at his disposal. What kind of ship could this be?

The only option is that Nosatov means the Vyshny Volochek MRK (project 21631, code “Buyan-M”). Why him? There is simply nothing else of this class of combat units coming out of our shipbuilding factories. In August 2013, Vyshny Volochek, the sixth of the Buyanov-M series, was laid down in Zelenodolsk. It was launched a year ago, is in a high degree of readiness, and its commissioning into the Navy is actually scheduled for this year.

But the most remarkable thing is that from the very beginning this ship was laid down not for the Baltic Fleet, but for the Black Sea Fleet. It was planned that “Vyshny Volochek” would strengthen our naval group in Sevastopol, which had been very weakened in recent decades. Namely, the 41st separate brigade of missile boats, the newest of which is the small hovercraft Samum, which was built 25 years ago, in 1992.

Today, the brigade, which includes only four small missiles of various projects, regularly and with all its strength participates in the combat service of our permanent operational formation in the Mediterranean Sea. Including off the coast of Syria. With these almost flat-bottomed small ships with cruise missiles, we are forced to plug the gaps in the Middle East that have arisen due to the acute shortage in the current Russian Navy of large attack ships for long-distance sea and ocean zones. But due to the great deterioration of the ship composition of the remnants of the brigade, this is becoming increasingly difficult.

Therefore, it seemed quite natural that Moscow’s plans to urgently replenish the warring Black Sea formation with at least a division of the Buyanov-M just built in Zelenodolsk with Kalibr-NK long-range cruise missiles seemed quite natural. In April 2015, the first two of them (“Serpukhov” and “Green Dol”) made the transition from the Caspian Sea to Sevastopol via inland waterways and became part of the 41st brigade. And they were immediately sent to military service in the Mediterranean Sea.

Small rocket ship (SMRK) “Green Dol” (Photo: function.mil.ru)

On August 19, 2016, “Serpukhov” and “Green Dol” carried out very effective missile firing with “Caliber” missiles at terrorist positions in Syria. But they soon returned to Sevastopol only to replenish supplies. On October 4, 2016, both MRKs, once designed exclusively for navigation in the shallow Caspian Sea and the Volga Delta, accompanied by a rescue tug, set out on a risky ocean voyage - across the entire Mediterranean, the Bay of Biscay, the English Channel, the North Atlantic and the Baltic Straits. The final point of the route was Baltiysk, to which the crews, by order of the Navy General Staff, had to change Sevastopol.

Small missile ship (MRK) of the Black Sea Fleet (Black Sea Fleet) "Serpukhov" (Photo: function.mil.ru)

Now, at the expense of the Black Sea Fleet, it was decided to replenish the 36th brigade of missile boats of the Baltic Fleet with a division of “caliber carriers”. And since two Buyanov-Ms will not be enough for a full-fledged division, soon, as follows from the words of Vice Admiral Nosatov, they will be joined by the Vyshny Volochek, the crew of which was also formed in Sevastopol.

That is, what happens? The desperately needed ships with modern high-precision weapons are being removed from the fleet that is actually fighting in Syria and are being sent to places where the guns are not roaring yet. There can be only one explanation for this - the guns in the Baltic are not roaring just yet. But they may very well rumble there too.

A photograph circulated on the Internet in February of this year can serve better than any words as a symbol of what is happening in those parts today. In it, brave US Marines with weapons and in white camouflage coats are captured on the Russian-Estonian border itself against the backdrop of the ancient fortress walls of our Ivan-Gorod.

You see: they are already literally two steps away from Russia! Moreover, every month Pandora's box opens wider and wider. Last winter, tanks from the 3rd Armored Brigade and the 4th Infantry Division of the US Army already unloaded in Poland. In the area of ​​the Norwegian city of Trøndelag, American military equipment that had been stored there for decades is being removed from storage. As they say - to participate in the “Strategic Mobility Exercise-17” exercises. Naturally, two steps away from the Russian Federation. At the end of January, the Polish Army received the first American JASSM stealth cruise missiles, capable of hitting any target in the Kaliningrad region, and if necessary, reaching Minsk.

And this list of intelligence signs of an imminent war is endless. It is clear that it will not necessarily start. But to prevent it from starting, you need to react adequately. Vice Admiral Nosatov spoke about at least some of Moscow’s retaliatory steps in the aforementioned interview with Krasnaya Zvezda. So what are we doing in response?

The deployment of divisions of the Bal and Bastion anti-ship missile systems has been completed near Kaliningrad. This weapon covers the entire Baltic Sea up to the strait zone. But not only. Until recently, it was believed that the P-800 Onyx missiles of the Bastion complex were intended exclusively for the destruction of enemy ships and vessels. For those who thought so outside Russia, an unpleasant surprise was probably presented on November 15 last year. On that day, our “Bastions” located in Syria launched a high-precision missile strike on the ground positions of terrorists in this country. And they made it clear that “Bastion” is a universal weapon. And, therefore, they are targeting not only the surface of the sea, but also American tanks in Poland.

To reach even the slowest-witted, on May 9, the launchers of the “Bal” and “Bastion” missile systems walked through Kaliningrad for the first time in history as part of parade crews. Whether the roar of their engines has reached Brussels and Washington - only time will tell.

Coastal missile systems "Bal" (Photo: Yuri Smityuk/TASS)

It is worth paying attention to the following words of Vice Admiral Nosatov: “Another missile formation of the Baltic Fleet is completing the preparation of infrastructure for new missile systems.” He didn’t say which ones. But I think the allusion to the famous Iskanders, which are currently only in the Kaliningrad region for exercises, is more than transparent.

And, of course, in this row of urgent equipment for Russian defensive lines, a division of small missile ships with a total of 24 Caliber-NKs in Baltiysk will look very organic. Although, perhaps, three Buyanov-Ms will not be enough in the event of a big mess on our western border. Especially compared to the thousands of Tomahawks, which in a matter of days are capable of delivering the US Air Force and Navy and their allies to the Baltic.

What else, besides this newly formed division of small missile ships, can we oppose to the enemy in the Baltic? We will not take into account the combat capabilities of naval aviation and the Western Military District, which includes the Baltic Fleet, we will only talk about the ship’s composition. The picture here is sad.

Of our two Baltic destroyers of Project 956 (“Restless” and “Nastochivyy”) due to chronic problems with the main power plants no one has been able to go to sea for a long time.

Destroyer of the Baltic Fleet "Restless" (Photo: Igor Zarembo/TASS)

Of the pair of relatively new patrol ships of Project 11540, only one is operational - Yaroslav the Wise. The Neustrashimy SKR has long been rusting at the pier without an afterburner turbine.

The fleet has only two submarines. Both are Project 877 (“Dmitrov” and “Vyborg”). But only the last one is in service, the Dmitrov is under repair.

It is gratifying that there are 4 new Project 20380 corvettes in technical order (“Steregushchiy”, “Soobrazitelny”, “Boikiy” and “Stoikiy”). But their main strike weapon - eight each of the Kh-35 anti-ship missiles of the Uran complex - has a maximum range of hitting targets of only 130 kilometers and cannot be compared with the combat capabilities of Caliber-NK. It is no coincidence that the next corvette “Gremyashchiy” of the modernized project 22385, which is being built at Severnaya Verf, will be equipped with “Caliber” instead of “Uran”.

Such an “oil painting,” of course, hurts the eyes. But, alas, the Baltic Fleet cannot expect new reinforcements today. After all, the Vyshny Volochek MRK for it, to be honest, is being completed with great difficulty in Zelenodolsk. The blame lies with the notorious Western sanctions and the protracted history of our import substitution.

Let me remind you that all five previous Buyanov-Ms are equipped with German diesel engines MTU. Work on these ships proceeded so rhythmically until 2014 that CEO Zelenodolsk Shipyard named after. Gorky Renat Mistakhov proudly declared: the work time on each Buyan-M was reduced from 34 months to 28.

But then supplies from Germany were stopped. We did not prepare anything of our own for this case. I had to look for replacement MTU engines in China. From there, CHD622V20 diesel engines were delivered to Vyshny Volochok without any problems. In fact, they are the same German ones, only outdated and manufactured under license. But even at the same time, instead of 28 months, “Vyshny Volochek” has been built since August 2013 (approximately 45 months). And it is still unknown when it will leave the factory. Moreover, it is unknown when the fleet will receive the next Buyany-M - Orekhovo-Zuevo (laid down in May 2014), Ingushetia (August 2014), and Grayvoron (April 2015).

So for now, off the coast of Syria and in the Baltic, we will have to do without them.

In December 2011, it was announced in the media that a total of 8-10 ships of the project could be built for the Russian Navy. On January 28, 2013, a contract was signed between the Russian Ministry of Defense and the Zelenodolsk Shipyard for three MRKs pr.21631 (with an option for two more ships) for delivery to the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Navy. The lead ship of the series for the Black Sea Fleet ("Vyshny Volochek") was laid down on August 29, 2013 ().

The lead ship of Project 21631 "Grad Sviyazhsk" was launched on March 9, 2013. The launch of the second ship - "Uglich" - is planned for the end of March 2013. Both ships, upon completion of mooring tests at the end of summer, will move to the main base of the Caspian flotilla - in Astrakhan, where the stage of factory running and then state testing will begin. Acceptance of both ships of the Russian Navy is planned before the end of 2013 (). 06/17/2013 From Zelenodolsk to the Caspian Sea, the lead MRK of the project, Grad Sviyazhsk, began its journey. By the end of 2013, the ship passed all stages of sea trials and state trials in the Caspian Sea and will become part of the ship association ().

In the second ten days of December 2013, the lead ship of the project "Grad Sviyazhsk" and the first serial "Uglich" successfully completed all stages of State tests with four missile firings and in 2014 they will be officially accepted into the Caspian flotilla of the Russian Navy.

Movers- 2 or more water-jet installations manufactured by JSC Almaz. The installation of water jet systems was carried out by specialists from the Zvezdochka Center (Grad Sviyazhsk, the work was completed by December 2012).

Design The ship is designed to reduce radar signature.

Performance characteristics of the ship:
Crew - 32 people (36 people according to other data)

Length - 74.1 m
Width - 11 m
Height amidships - 6.57 m
Draft - 2.6 m

Displacement - 949 t

Maximum speed - 25 knots
Cruising range - 2500 miles (at a speed of 12 knots)
Autonomy - at least 10 days

Armament:
- vertical launch launcher 3R14UKSK manufactured by the MIS Agat concern of the Kalibr-NK complex or the " " complex for 8 missiles, located in the superstructure; A special feature of the ship is that it is equipped with a universal launcher for missile systems in the absence of target detection means for such missile systems on the ship (for example, for the Caliber complex when using missiles against ground targets). Thus, one of the options for using the ship is a floating launch platform for CRBD, the placement of which in a land-based version is prohibited by international treaties.

Vertical launcher 3R14UKSK on the Grad Sviyazhsk small missile launcher, pr.21361. The photo was probably taken in Astrakhan in the summer of 2013. Publication 08/01/2013 (http://forums.airbase.ru).

Loading of a TPK with a missile or a mock-up of a TPK into the UKSK launcher at the Grad Sviyazhsk MRK pr.21631 at the Zelenodolsk Shipyard, March 13, 2013 (http://forums.airbase.ru).

Loading of a TPK, presumably from the Caliber missile launcher, into the 3R14UKSK launcher on the Grad Sviyazhsk missile launcher, pr.21361. The photo was probably taken in Astrakhan in the summer of 2013. Publication 08/01/2013 (http://forums.airbase.ru).

Launch of the Kalibr-NK complex rocket from the Grad Sviyazhsk missile launcher, pr.21361, 2013-2014. (http://www.oborona.ru/).

1 x 30-mm double-barreled six-barrel "Duet" installation, located on the aft part of the superstructure;

2 x 14.5 mm MTPU naval machine gun mounts with KPV machine guns;

14.5-mm KPV machine gun in the MTPU installation on the Grad Sviyazhsk MRK pr.21361. The photo was probably taken in Astrakhan in the summer of 2013. Publication 08/01/2013 (http://forums.airbase.ru).

3 x 7.62 mm machine guns;

1 x anti-sabotage depth charge hand grenade launcher.

Mines (2 drop points);

Equipment:

Status: Russia
- 2010 May 26 - a contract was signed with the Zelenodolsk Shipyard for the construction of a series of 5 ships, Project 21631.

2010 August 27 - the lead ship of the project, Grad Sviyazhsk, was laid down at the Zelenodolsk Shipyard.

http://fleetphoto.ru via http://bmpd.livejournal.com).

Towing of the MRK "Grad Sviyazhsk" pr. 21631 by inland waterways from Zelenodolsk to Astrakhan, 06/19/2013 (via http://bmpd.livejournal.com).

Towing of the MRK "Grad Sviyazhsk" pr.21631 by inland waterways from Zelenodolsk to Astrakhan, 06/19/2013 (photo - Dvizzzok, http://fleetphoto.ru via http://bmpd.livejournal.com).

2013 August 22 - The Ministry of Defense reports that the Uglich MRK pr.21631 has begun the transition from the Zelenodolsk plant named after A.M. Gorky" to the Caspian flotilla.

- 2013 December 09 - The Ministry of Defense reports that the Grad Sviyazhsk and Uglich pr. 21631 missile launchers successfully carried out missile firing with the Caliber-NK missile system at State tests. The Grad Sviyazhsk MRK has completed all stages of State Tests, and the Uglich MRK will enter the final stage of State Tests in the second ten days of December. During the state tests, the crews of the ships successfully carried out four missile firings with the high-precision universal missile system "Caliber-NK", two firings were carried out at a sea target and two at a coastal target. All missiles accurately hit target positions.

Register of MRK pr.21631:

Board numbers of MRK pr.21631:

Sources:
Wikipedia is a free encyclopedia. Website

The latest news from the Baltic Fleet, in my opinion, indicates at least two things. First: Moscow today assesses the likelihood of a major war in Europe as very high and is taking emergency defensive measures. Second: everything is so serious that we even have to go to the detriment of our group, which is actively participating in the fighting in Syria.

This becomes obvious if you carefully read the text of the interview that the commander of the Baltic Fleet, Vice Admiral Alexander Nosatov, gave to the Krasnaya Zvezda newspaper. Among other things, the commander said that this year another new small missile ship (SMRK) will be at his disposal. What kind of ship could this be?

The only option is that Nosatov means the Vyshny Volochek MRK (project 21631, code “Buyan-M”). Why him? There is simply nothing else of this class of combat units coming out of our shipbuilding factories. In August 2013, Vyshny Volochek, the sixth of the Buyanov-M series, was laid down in Zelenodolsk. It was launched a year ago, is in a high degree of readiness, and its commissioning into the Navy is actually scheduled for this year.

But the most remarkable thing is that from the very beginning this ship was laid down not for the Baltic Fleet, but for the Black Sea Fleet. It was planned that “Vyshny Volochek” would strengthen our naval group in Sevastopol, which had been very weakened in recent decades. Namely, the 41st separate brigade of missile boats, the newest of which is the small hovercraft Samum, which was built 25 years ago, in 1992.

Today, the brigade, which includes only four small missiles of various projects, regularly and with all its strength participates in the combat service of our permanent operational formation in the Mediterranean Sea. Including off the coast of Syria. With these almost flat-bottomed small ships with cruise missiles, we are forced to plug the gaps in the Middle East that have arisen due to the acute shortage in the current Russian Navy of large attack ships for long-distance sea and ocean zones. But due to the great deterioration of the ship composition of the remnants of the brigade, this is becoming increasingly difficult.

Therefore, it seemed quite natural that Moscow’s plans to urgently replenish the warring Black Sea formation with at least a division of the Buyanov-M just built in Zelenodolsk with Kalibr-NK long-range cruise missiles seemed quite natural. In April 2015, the first two of them (“Serpukhov” and “Green Dol”) made the transition from the Caspian Sea to Sevastopol via inland waterways and became part of the 41st brigade. And they were immediately sent to military service in the Mediterranean Sea.

On August 19, 2016, “Serpukhov” and “Green Dol” carried out very effective missile firing with “Caliber” missiles at terrorist positions in Syria. But they soon returned to Sevastopol only to replenish supplies. On October 4, 2016, both MRKs, once designed exclusively for navigation in the shallow Caspian Sea and the Volga Delta, accompanied by a rescue tug, set out on a risky ocean voyage - across the entire Mediterranean, the Bay of Biscay, the English Channel, the North Atlantic and the Baltic Straits. The final point of the route was Baltiysk, to which the crews, by order of the Navy General Staff, had to change Sevastopol.

Now, at the expense of the Black Sea Fleet, it was decided to replenish the 36th brigade of missile boats of the Baltic Fleet with a division of “caliber carriers”. And since two Buyanov-Ms will not be enough for a full-fledged division, soon, as follows from the words of Vice Admiral Nosatov, they will be joined by the Vyshny Volochek, the crew of which was also formed in Sevastopol.

That is, what happens? The desperately needed ships with modern high-precision weapons are being removed from the fleet that is actually fighting in Syria and are being sent to places where the guns are not roaring yet. There can be only one explanation for this - the guns in the Baltic are not roaring just yet. But they may very well rumble there too.

A photograph circulated on the Internet in February of this year can serve better than any words as a symbol of what is happening in those parts today. In it, brave US Marines with weapons and in white camouflage coats are captured on the Russian-Estonian border itself against the backdrop of the ancient fortress walls of our Ivan-Gorod.

You see: they are already literally two steps away from Russia! Moreover, every month Pandora's box opens wider and wider. Last winter, tanks from the 3rd Armored Brigade and the 4th Infantry Division of the US Army already unloaded in Poland. In the area of ​​the Norwegian city of Trøndelag, American military equipment that had been stored there for decades is being removed from storage. As they say - to participate in the “Strategic Mobility Exercise-17” exercises. Naturally, two steps away from the Russian Federation. At the end of January, the Polish Army received the first American JASSM stealth cruise missiles, capable of hitting any target in the Kaliningrad region, and if necessary, reaching Minsk.

And this list of intelligence signs of an imminent war is endless. It is clear that it will not necessarily start. But to prevent it from starting, you need to react adequately. Vice Admiral Nosatov spoke about at least some of Moscow’s retaliatory steps in the aforementioned interview with Krasnaya Zvezda. So what are we doing in response?

The deployment of divisions of the Bal and Bastion anti-ship missile systems has been completed near Kaliningrad. This weapon covers the entire Baltic Sea up to the strait zone. But not only. Until recently, it was believed that the P-800 Onyx missiles of the Bastion complex were intended exclusively for the destruction of enemy ships and vessels. For those who thought so outside Russia, an unpleasant surprise was probably presented on November 15 last year. On that day, our “Bastions” located in Syria launched a high-precision missile strike on the ground positions of terrorists in this country. And they made it clear that “Bastion” is a universal weapon. And, therefore, they are targeting not only the surface of the sea, but also American tanks in Poland.

To reach even the slowest-witted, on May 9, the launchers of the “Bal” and “Bastion” missile systems walked through Kaliningrad for the first time in history as part of parade crews. Whether the roar of their engines has reached Brussels and Washington - only time will tell.

It is worth paying attention to the following words of Vice Admiral Nosatov: “Another missile formation of the Baltic Fleet is completing the preparation of infrastructure for new missile systems.” He didn’t say which ones. But I think the allusion to the famous Iskanders, which are currently only in the Kaliningrad region for exercises, is more than transparent.

And, of course, in this row of urgent equipment for Russian defensive lines, a division of small missile ships with a total of 24 Caliber-NKs in Baltiysk will look very organic. Although, perhaps, three Buyanov-Ms will not be enough in the event of a big mess on our western border. Especially compared to the thousands of Tomahawk flocks, which in a matter of days are capable of delivering the US Air Force and Navy and their allies to the Baltic.

What else, besides this newly formed division of small missile ships, can we oppose to the enemy in the Baltic? We will not take into account the combat capabilities of naval aviation and the Western Military District, which includes the Baltic Fleet, we will only talk about the ship’s composition. The picture here is sad.

Of our two Baltic destroyers of Project 956 (“Restless” and “Nastochivyy”), due to chronic problems with the main power plants, neither one has been able to go to sea for a long time.

Of the pair of relatively new patrol ships of Project 11540, only one is operational - Yaroslav the Wise. The Neustrashimy SKR has long been rusting at the pier without an afterburner turbine.

The fleet has only two submarines. Both are project 877 (“Dmitrov” and “Vyborg”). But only the last one is in service, “Dmitrov” is under repair.

It is gratifying that there are 4 new Project 20380 corvettes in technical order (“Steregushchiy”, “Soobrazitelny”, “Boikiy” and “Stoikiy”). But their main strike weapon - eight each of the Kh-35 anti-ship missiles of the Uran complex - has a maximum range of hitting targets of only 130 kilometers and cannot be compared with the combat capabilities of Caliber-NK. It is no coincidence that the next corvette “Gremyashchiy” of the modernized project 22385, which is being built at Severnaya Verf, will be equipped with “Caliber” instead of “Uran”.

Such an “oil painting,” of course, hurts the eyes. But, alas, the Baltic Fleet cannot expect new reinforcements today. After all, the Vyshny Volochek MRK for it, to be honest, is being completed with great difficulty in Zelenodolsk. The blame lies with the notorious Western sanctions and the protracted history of our import substitution.

Let me remind you that all five previous Buyanov-Ms are equipped with German MTU diesel engines. Work on these ships until 2014 proceeded so rhythmically that the General Director of the Zelenodolsk Shipyard named after. Gorky Renat Mistakhov proudly declared: the work time on each Buyan-M was reduced from 34 months to 28.

But then supplies from Germany were stopped. We did not prepare anything of our own for this case. I had to look for replacement MTU engines in China. From there, CHD622V20 diesel engines were delivered to Vyshny Volochok without any problems. In fact, they are the same German ones, only outdated and manufactured under license. But even at the same time, instead of 28 months, “Vyshny Volochek” has been built since August 2013 (approximately 45 months). And it is still unknown when it will leave the factory. Moreover, it is unknown when the fleet will receive the next Buyany-M - Orekhovo-Zuevo (laid down in May 2014), Ingushetia (August 2014), and Grayvoron (April 2015).

So for now, off the coast of Syria and in the Baltic, we will have to do without them.

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