Projects of Soviet destroyers. Destroyers and torpedo boats. Series construction plans and completion of design work

Project 956 destroyers are third-generation Soviet destroyers, whose construction lasted from 1976 to 1992. The ships of this project became the last destroyers built in the USSR. Project code 956 is “Sarych”, in NATO they were called Sovremenny class destroyer - after the name of the first ship of this series, the destroyer “Sovremenny”.

The construction of Project 956 ships was carried out at plant No. 190 named after. Zhdanov in Leningrad, the customer of the latest ships of the series was already the Russian Navy. Today, the Russian fleet includes six Sarych destroyers: three in service, two in reserve, and another ship undergoing scheduled repairs.

After the collapse of the USSR, the laying of new ships of Project 956 "Sarych" was stopped due to insufficient funding, two ships were completed for the Navy of the People's Republic of China under the export project 956-E (1997-2000), and more were manufactured for the Chinese in the 2000s two Sarychs according to the modernized project 956-EM.

Initially, it was planned that Project 956 destroyers would become the most popular not only in their class, but also in the entire Soviet fleet. In total, they planned to build about fifty of them. In total, 17 destroyers of the Sarych project entered service with the USSR Navy (and then Russia).

History of creation

A destroyer (destroyer) is a class of multi-purpose, high-speed maneuverable ships capable of solving a large number of combat missions: fighting submarines, destroying enemy aircraft (including missiles), working on enemy surface ships, covering formations of ships and escorting convoys. Destroyers can also be used in landing operations, patrol and reconnaissance duties, and laying minefields.

The first destroyers appeared at the end of the 19th century. At that time, their main task was to destroy enemy destroyers using powerful artillery weapons. The prefix “squadron” meant that these ships could operate as part of a naval formation in the sea or ocean zone.

Destroyers were actively used during the First and Second World Wars. The wide range of tasks that these ships could solve significantly increased their importance in the fleet. The displacement of modern destroyers is approximately equal to the cruisers of the Second World War, but is much more powerful than them. The role of destroyers grew even more after the advent of missile weapons.

In the early 60s, the active development of the surface fleet began in the USSR. In the 50s, a large number of large surface ships were disposed of, and the main emphasis was placed on the submarine fleet and missiles. This was a clear mistake.

In the 60s, the USSR Navy became an ocean-going one; it was given a number of new tasks: protecting patrol areas of Soviet missile submarines, tracking enemy strategic submarines, detecting and reconnaissance of enemy aircraft carrier groups, controlling sea communications, and conducting foreign policy actions.

Aircraft-carrying ships would be best suited to perform such tasks, but their construction was very expensive. Large anti-submarine ships (BODs) became the Soviet alternative to aircraft carriers, but they had to be covered by escort ships, which were sorely in short supply. In addition, the destroyers that were in service with the USSR Navy at that time were already considered obsolete. The ships of projects 3-bis, 56, 68-K and 68-bis did not have missile weapons and could not compete on equal terms with their foreign counterparts. All of the above was especially clearly demonstrated by the large ocean maneuvers “Ocean”, carried out in 1970.

The Soviet fleet needed a modern destroyer, equipped with powerful artillery and missile weapons and capable of operating both as part of naval groups and independently.

The creation of such a ship was provided for in the shipbuilding program for 1971-1980, which was adopted in 1969. The military wanted the new destroyer to be able to take part in landing operations, destroy small targets on the shore, suppress enemy anti-landing defenses, and provide air defense in the landing zone. The future destroyer was called a “landing fire support ship.” The Project 56 destroyer was chosen as its prototype, so the new project was assigned the number 956.

Work on the creation of a new destroyer started in 1971 and progressed rather slowly.

The fact is that the customers changed the purpose of the ship several times right during the design process. The program to create the American destroyers Spruance, the first truly multi-purpose ships of the US Navy, had a strong influence on the Soviet military. It was the emergence of such a program among the Americans that contributed to the transformation of the “landing fire support ship” into a multi-purpose destroyer.

In addition, the Project 956 destroyers were planned to be used in conjunction with the Project 1155 BOD. Soviet strategists believed that together they would be more effective than a pair of American Spruance destroyers.

The preliminary design of the new ship was developed by the Leningrad TsKB-53 (Northern PKB). As the work progressed, the designers were given more and more new tasks, the ship's armament options and the type of its power plant were constantly changing. The developers were limited by the capabilities of the shipbuilding plant named after. Zhdanov, where they planned to build new destroyers: its length should not exceed 146 meters and width - 17 meters.

A total of thirteen versions of the pre-design designs were produced, all of them were carefully studied from the point of view of combat effectiveness and cost.

As a result, the following requirements were put forward for the future destroyer:

  • steam turbine power plant (EP);
  • the presence of anti-ship missiles "Moskit" in the armament;
  • SAM "Hurricane";
  • placement of a helipad for the Ka-252 on the deck of the ship;
  • presence of AK-130 gun mounts.

The preliminary design was approved by Admiral Gorshkov at the end of 1972. However, even after this, changes continued to be made to the project. The steam turbine power plant was replaced by a boiler-turbine power plant, which is recognized by many experts as a rather unfortunate decision.

The Platina State Joint Stock Company was chosen as the main sonar system of the future destroyer. It was not possible to install the more advanced Polynom complex on the Sarychi due to the significant weight and size characteristics of the latter.

For this reason, the Project 956 ships were never able to approach the anti-aircraft defense capabilities of the American destroyer Spruance, but the Soviet ship was significantly superior to its opponent in terms of artillery power.

The result of all the improvements and changes was an increase in the ship's displacement by a thousand tons. The development of the destroyer 956 project cost the Soviet budget 165.6 thousand rubles.

On November 1, 1973, the design of a new ship began, the following year with the shipyard named after. Zhdanov, an official contract was concluded for the construction of ships. The cost of detailed design was 2.22 million rubles.

In June 1975, construction began on the first ship of Project 956, the destroyer Sovremenny. The Sarych project was completed in 1993, when the last ship from this series was accepted by representatives of the Russian Navy.

Initially, in 1976, it was planned to build from 32 to 50 Sarych destroyers, that is, Project 956 was to become one of the most massive in the history of the Soviet fleet. In 1988, the number of ships was reduced to twenty units. However, a total of 17 destroyers of this project were transferred to the Soviet and Russian fleets. On average, each Project 956 destroyer took four years to build.

There was an attempt to establish production at the 61st Communard shipyard in Nikolaev. They even began to build a new boathouse there and received documentation from the Northern Design Bureau, but in 1986 this idea was abandoned, and the two destroyer hulls that had already been laid down were mothballed.

Before the collapse of the Soviet Union, 14 destroyers of Project 956 were transferred to the navy, and three more ships were being completed for the Russian Navy (“Restless”, “Nastoichivy” and “Fearless”).

The construction of Project 956 Sarych ships was carried out using a sectional hull assembly method. The cost of one destroyer (at the time of construction of the lead and two subsequent ships) was more than 90 million rubles. The cost of building subsequent ships dropped to 71 million rubles.

The destroyer project 956 was created exclusively for the needs of the Soviet Navy. It was the newest ship, and no one was going to sell it abroad. However, after the collapse of the USSR, the situation changed: insufficient funding forced them to look for customers outside. In addition, by the beginning of the 90s, the Sarych’s weapons were somewhat outdated.

In the mid-90s, an export modification of the destroyer, 956E, was created. In 1999, the first Sarych entered the Chinese Navy. It is armed with anti-ship missiles with a slightly longer range (up to 200 km), instead of four AK-630s, it is equipped with two Kashtan missile and artillery systems, there is no aft artillery installation, but it is equipped with a full-fledged helicopter hangar. The ship's displacement has been slightly increased. Until 2006, four destroyers of Project 956E and 956EM were built for China.

Description of design

Domestic and foreign researchers of naval history note that almost all warships created at the Northern Design Bureau have a characteristic “spectacular” appearance. Project 956 is no exception. In descriptions of the appearance of destroyers of this project, the terms “aggressive”, “sinister”, “expressive” are often used. And this can hardly be considered an accident.

Warships are not only a tool for conducting combat operations at sea, they are also a serious geopolitical instrument, a symbol of the power of the country whose flag they represent. The navy is a means of political persuasion and influence, a demonstration of the achievements of the country's scientific and technological development and the power of its economy.

Naturally, the “expressiveness” of the ship’s external appearance should not reduce its combat effectiveness. However, the Project 956 ships are fine with this: most experts believe that the destroyers of this series are an example of an excellent combination of high functional qualities and aesthetic perfection.

The Sarych destroyers have a long-deck design with a sheer bow. The shape of the hull reliably ensures that the deck does not flood and provides optimal firing angles for the ship's artillery weapons. The contours of the hull ensure non-flooding in seas up to 6-7 points. The deck aspect ratio is 8.7. The hull of the ship is made taking into account the requirements of reducing the radar signature of the ship, although it should be noted that the Sarych destroyers are not classified as “stealth ships”.

In the bow of the hull, in the keel bulb, there is the antenna of the Platina State Joint Stock Company.

The destroyer's side sail area is 1,700 m2. The decks are placed parallel to the waterline, which simplified the installation of equipment during construction and made the Project 956 destroyers more technologically advanced.

Fifteen main bulkheads divide the ship's hull into sixteen watertight compartments. Project 956 ships have six decks: the second, third and upper decks, the forecastle deck, two platforms, one of which smoothly passes into the second bottom flooring. The main hull structures, reinforcements and foundations are made of low alloy steel. There are two longitudinal bulkheads located from the stern to the engine room; they provide additional rigidity to the aft part of the ship. The destroyer's frames have a significant camber, which increases the stability of the ship.

Project 956 destroyers have high seaworthiness (unlimited seaworthiness). Sailors can use onboard weapons systems in sea conditions up to five. The vessels are equipped with heave stabilizers. When the sea state is six, the destroyers are capable of developing a speed of up to 24 knots.

The superstructures of Project 956 ships are made of aluminum-magnesium alloy; they are connected to the hull and decks using rivets.

The ship's superstructure can be divided into two large blocks: bow and stern. The bow ends with a foremast, and the stern consists of a block with a chimney and a movable hangar on which the mainmast is located.

The standard displacement of the destroyer is 6500 tons, the total displacement is 7940 tons, with overload - 8480 tons.

The power plant of Project 956 destroyers consists of two GTZA-674 boiler-turbine units (total power 100 thousand hp), located in two engine rooms - bow and stern. It should be noted that the Sarychi are the only third-generation warships in the world with a boiler-turbine power plant.

The turbo-gear unit has a control system that is capable of adjusting the rotation speed in different operating modes of the installation. Each engine room contains two boilers and a steam turbine. All destroyers, starting with the seventh (“Stoikiy”), were equipped with more reliable KVG-3 boilers. Despite this, the boilers are called the weakest point of the ships of this series. They are very demanding on the water supplied and quite often fail.

The water treatment system installed on the project ships does not properly ensure water quality, which led to rapid wear of the boilers. Unlike nuclear submarine missile carriers, it is open, that is, it communicates with atmospheric air.

Experience in using high-pressure boilers has shown that the domestic fleet (both Soviet and Russian) is not yet ready to switch to such power plants.

In addition to the main ones, the ship’s power plant also includes an additional emergency boiler, which can produce 14 thousand kg of steam. The destroyer has two shafts and two low-noise propellers. The maximum speed of ships of this project is 33.4 knots. The fuel reserve is 1.7 thousand tons, which provides a cruising range of 3,900 nautical miles.

The steering unit consists of a hydraulic machine and a semi-balanced steering wheel.

Project 956 destroyers are equipped with two steam generators (total power 2500 kW) and two diesel generators (600 kW each), which provide the ships with electricity.

Under normal conditions, the crew size is 296 people, including 25 officers and 48 midshipmen. In wartime, the ship's crew increases to 358 people. The Sarych destroyers have created comfortable living conditions for the crew: single and double cabins are equipped for officers, and double and four-berth cabins for midshipmen. Sailors are accommodated in sixteen cubicles of 10-25 people each. There are more than three square meters of living space per person.

On board there is a separate wardroom for feeding officers, another one is intended for feeding midshipmen, and several dining rooms where sailors eat food. There are several showers and a sauna on board. The crew has a library, a cinema room, cable TV, and there is even a prefabricated swimming pool.

All living and working areas of the destroyer are equipped with an air conditioning system; it provides comfortable working conditions for the crew in the temperature range from −25°C to +34°C. It should be noted that Project 956 destroyers compare favorably with other Soviet and Russian-built ships in terms of living conditions for the crew.

The autonomy of the Sarych destroyers in terms of provisions is 30 days.

Armament

The anti-aircraft missile armament of the Sarych destroyers consists of the M-22 Uragan air defense system, which is a naval modification of the Buk complex. On ships of later construction, the Hurricane-Tornado air defense system was installed. Two anti-aircraft missile launchers are located at the bow (forecastle superstructure) and at the stern (behind the runway) of the ship. The mass of each air defense system is 96 tons, the total ammunition load is 48 guided missiles, which are located in the cellars on special drums.

The characteristics of the Uragan air defense system allow you to simultaneously fire at 4-6 targets at altitudes from 10 to 1 thousand meters and at a distance of up to 25 km. The capabilities of the Uragan-Tornado air defense system are even more impressive: the maximum destruction range is 70 km. The rate of fire is one missile launch every 6-12 seconds. The probability of hitting an aircraft with a salvo of two missiles ranges from 0.81-0.96, a cruise missile - 0.43-0.86.

Destroyers of the Sarych project have powerful artillery weapons, consisting of two twin AK-130 artillery mounts (130 mm caliber) and rapid-fire anti-aircraft artillery, which is the last line of ship air defense. The artillery armament of the destroyers also includes the MP-184 multi-channel fire control system, consisting of a radar, laser range finder, television and ballistic computer.

Each gun mount has a mechanized supply of ammunition, which allows it to fire at a rate of 30 to 90 rounds per minute at a range of over 24 km. The ammunition capacity for each barrel is 500 rounds, of which 180 are always ready for use.

Automation of the processes of loading and supplying ammunition allows you to fire until the ammunition is completely exhausted.

The weight of one gun mount is 98 tons.

The rapid-firing anti-aircraft artillery of Project 956 destroyers consists of two batteries of AK-630M automatic systems. The batteries are located on each side of the ship and are designed to destroy cruise missiles at low altitudes. Each battery includes two six-barreled gun mounts with a rotating barrel block and a Vympel control system. The firing range of the AK-630M is 4 km, the rate of fire is 4 thousand rounds per minute.

The main anti-ship weapon of the destroyer "Sarych" is the "Moskit" anti-ship missiles. The Bespokoiny and all subsequent ships of the project are equipped with the modernized Moskit-M complex. Project 956 destroyers have two fixed launchers, each of which houses four Moskit anti-ship missiles.

The target engagement range of the Moskit is 140 km, and that of the Moskit-M is 170 km. The missiles have a combat mass weighing 300 kg and develop flight speeds of up to M = 2.5-3. The ship can fire all eight missiles in just 30 seconds.

On the upper deck of the destroyers there are two twin-tube torpedo tubes of 533 mm caliber. Mine weapons are represented by two RBU-1000 rocket launchers, which can fire at a distance of 1 thousand meters. Bomb launchers are located at the stern of the ship. Their main task is to destroy enemy submarines at shallow depths in the immediate vicinity of the ship. The warhead of each rocket bomb is 98 kg. Project 956 destroyers can lay barrage mines (up to 22 mines can be taken on board).

Project 956 destroyers do not have a permanent helicopter hangar, but a temporary, removable one is provided. The Ka-27 helicopter can be based there. The helipad is located almost in the center of the ship, so it is less affected by pitching.

The helicopter can be used for anti-submarine warfare, and it can also conduct reconnaissance and provide target designation for anti-ship missiles.

The destroyers "Sarych" are equipped with several types of radar stations: "Fregat", "Fregat-M" and "Fregat-MA". For over-the-horizon detection of enemy objects and target designation, the “Bridge” system is used; it can search at distances of up to 200 km. Target designation for the anti-ship missile system is provided by the Mineral system; it has both an active and passive radar channel. The ship can receive target designation from airplanes or helicopters.

Project 9566 destroyers do not have an onboard information and control system; its functions are performed by the Sapphire-U situation tablet.

Project 956 ships are equipped with a complex of electronic warfare equipment, which includes electronic reconnaissance equipment and a jamming system, as well as passive and active countermeasures.

Project 956 destroyers have a well-thought-out survivability system. Fire compartments have been created around potentially dangerous areas of the ship (cellars, engine rooms) by strengthening the hull with steel structures.

There is a fire main with several pumps, volumetric fire extinguishing systems, foam extinguishing systems, and water spraying of decks and bulkheads. The ship also has systems for rapid irrigation and flooding of cellars.

To eliminate the water threat, the ships of the project have: drainage, dewatering and tank balancing systems. There is an external washing system in case of contamination of external surfaces.

Only artillery mounts and the Moskit anti-ship missile launcher are provided with armor protection (anti-fragmentation).

Project 956 Sarych ships

Ship name Launch date Write-off date Notes
"Modern" 18.11.1978 30.09.1998
"Desperate" 29.03.1980 30.09.1998
"Great" 21.03.1981 30.09.1998
"Prudent" 24.04.1982 30.09.1998
"Irreproachable" 25.06.1983 20.07.2001
"Combat" 4.08.1984 in 2010
"Persistent" 27.07.1985 30.09.1998
"Winged" 31.05.1986 30.09.1998
"Stormy" 30.12.1986 Under repair
"Thundering" 30.05.1987 18.12.2006
"Fast" 28.11.1987 As part of KTOF The ship "Bystry" is the oldest ship of the project in service
"Efficient" 4.06.1988 Decommissioned On disposal
"Fearless" 18.02.1989 In reserve
"Thundering" 30.09.1989 Decommissioned
"Restless" 9.06.1990 In reserve DKBF
"Persistent" 19.01.1991 As part of the DKBF Flagship of the Baltic Fleet
"Admiral Ushakov" 28.12.1991 As part of the KSF
"Impressive" 17.10.1987 Cut to metal
"Hangzhou"
"Important"
27.05.1994 Part of the Chinese Navy
"Fuzhou"
"Thoughtful"
16.04.1999 Part of the Chinese Navy
"Exuberant" - Construction stopped
"Taizhou"

"Impressive"

27.04.2004 Part of the Chinese Navy
"Ningbo"

"Eternal"

23.06.2004 Part of the Chinese Navy

Characteristics

Displacement, t:
Standard 6500
Complete 7940
Dimensions, m:
Length 156,5
Width 17,19
Draft 5,96
Max. speed, knots 33,4
Cruising range, miles:
at a speed of 32.7 knots 1345
at a speed of 18 knots 3920
Autonomy, days 30
Crew, people
peacetime 296
wartime 358
Main power plant 2xGTZA-674
Total power, l. With. 100000 (2x50000)
Armament
Impact missile Anti-ship missile "Mosquito"
Anti-aircraft missile M-22 "Hurricane"
Artillery weapons AK-130
Artillery anti-aircraft weapons AK-630M
Anti-submarine 2xDTA-53, 2xRBU-1000

Project evaluation

The Project 956 Sarych destroyers were created during the Cold War era, and their main opponent in the oceans was the American ship of a similar class, Spruance. This US Navy destroyer and its characteristics had a great influence on the future appearance of the Buzzards. There was a competition between the two superpowers and the Soviet admirals demanded that our ship be no worse.

The first thing that catches your eye is the difference in the power plants of the two ships. Moreover, the Spruance gas turbine power plant looks much more preferable both in terms of characteristics and reliability. An American power plant can reach full power in twelve minutes; a Soviet destroyer needs an hour and a half for this.

The artillery armament is, of course, more powerful than the Soviet ship (it was originally designed as a landing support ship), but the American destroyer is superior to it in anti-submarine warfare capabilities. Initially, the Sarych had more powerful missile weapons, but after modernization, universal launchers for Tomahawk missiles were installed on the Spruance, which gave a significant advantage to the American.

However, currently the main US destroyer is the Arleigh Burke class. This ship was designed in the mid-80s and is significantly superior to Project 956 ships in almost all respects. "Arleigh Burke" is a fourth-generation destroyer, so comparing it with "Sarych" is not very correct.

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Chapter 1. Destroyers in the Soviet fleet in the pre-war period

The class of destroyers, torpedo-artillery ships, designed to interact with an operational formation (squadron), was formed on the eve of and during the First World War. It originally appeared due to the need to effectively combat enemy destroyers. Mine-resistant artillery of battleships, which has the same purpose, did not always protect the squadron from attacks by destroyer ships. Therefore, the idea arose of including destroyers in the squadrons, capable of protecting it during the transition and during the battle with the main enemy forces. Sailing with a squadron on the high seas necessitated an increase in seaworthiness, which was achieved “automatically” - with an increase in size and displacement, inevitable with an increase in the caliber and number of guns. The latter was absolutely necessary for victory in an artillery battle with enemy destroyers. The main purpose of the new ships was indicated by their name: counter-destroyer or destroyer, that is, destroyer of destroyers. Thus, the “fighters” were essentially enlarged destroyers with more powerful artillery (sometimes reinforced torpedo) weapons, greater speed and cruising range, more suitable for security service with a squadron, but at the same time capable of acting independently or in a group . With the speed reserves needed to perform tactical reconnaissance, counter-destroyers were able to take on much of the work that had previously been the responsibility of numerous predecessors of the light cruiser class. In the leading navies, which actually had squadrons of powerful artillery ships, on the eve of the First World War, serial construction of “fighters” began, which during the fighting earned a reputation as irreplaceable and universal warships capable of solving a wide range of tasks.

In the Imperial Russian Navy in 1909, the term “destroyer” was officially adopted. The first “true” representative of this class should be considered the destroyer Novik, which entered service in 1913, and was qualitatively different from its predecessors. Turbine mechanisms and liquid fuel boilers, which had already gained positions in the naval power industry of foreign fleets, four-inch artillery with a central aiming system, and twin torpedo tubes made this ship, which was classified as a mine cruiser when laid down, a worthy prototype for a numerous series of destroyers of the Russian fleet. The combat capabilities of the Novik were so different from the destroyers that were in service that the command of the Baltic Fleet considered it necessary to include it in the cruiser brigade. During the war in the Baltic, the Novik had to fight independently or in cooperation with ships of the same type, demonstrating its capabilities that exceeded the operational “scenarios” developed by naval tactics in its range. Russian destroyers repeatedly entered into artillery duels even with the cruisers of Germany and Turkey - the artillery fire of 102-mm guns was considered quite effective when firing at large lightly armored ships (in the German fleet, the 105-mm caliber was considered sufficient to arm light cruisers of almost all types up to the middle First World War).

Serial "noviki" formed the basis of the Soviet fleet in the twenties and thirties. However, already in the early thirties, progress in global military shipbuilding made these destroyers obsolete. Therefore, it is quite logical that the operational-tactical task for a “new destroyer for the Baltic and Black Seas”, developed since 1928 by the Naval Department of the Red Army Headquarters, was ultimately formed into a document that laid the foundation for the design of leaders of the Leningrad* type. The new destroyers, the construction of which, mainly due to financial restrictions, was planned in small numbers, were intended to be used precisely to lead the “newcomers” - in full accordance with the prevailing views in foreign fleets.

The class of destroyer leaders (flotilla leader) originated during the First World War, continuing the main trend in the evolution of destroyers - increasing displacement and increasing the power of weapons. In some cases, the weapons even “outstripped” the ship itself: an example is the destroyers built at the end of the First World War in Germany with 150 mm artillery. By the mid-thirties, Great Britain, France and Italy introduced into their fleets ships with a displacement of more than two thousand tons, armed with 4-5 guns of 120-138 mm caliber and 6-9 torpedoes in a salvo, capable of reaching a full speed of up to 40 knots. In the English fleet, the leaders were assigned the classic role of launching destroyers to attack, while the French and Italians essentially competed with each other in building increasingly powerful and fast ships that were supposed to confront each other in a duel. In the USSR, the term “leader” was officially adopted in 1933, and from that time “Leningrad” began to be called the leader of destroyers.

After the laying of the keel in 1932, the three leaders of “Project No. 1” began work again on the project of a serial destroyer, intended to replace the “noviki”, the technical condition of which, due to their advanced age and intensive use, was defined as “deplorable.” The destroyers, which the Red Army Navy expected to receive in quantities of more than 50 units, according to the then domestic naval science, should have been armed with two three-tube torpedo tubes for 533-mm torpedoes, four)

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