Soviet Frigate Razyashchiy

''Razyashchiy'' (, "Striking") was a Project 1135 Burevestnik-class Large Anti-Submarine Ship (, BPK) or ''Krivak''-class frigate of the Soviet Navy. Displacing full load, the vessel was built around the Metel anti-submarine missile system. Launched on 22 July 1974, ''Razyashchiy'' joined the Pacific Fleet of the Soviet Navy. While serving in the Arabian Sea, in 1983, ''Razyashchiy'' suffered minor hull damage from colliding with the destroyer while approaching a US fleet. The ship also undertook visits to Port Louis, Mauritius, and Danang, Vietnam, to, among other objectives, enhance the relationships between these countries and the Soviet Union. In 1991, the vessel was transferred to the newly-formed Russian Navy. After nearly twenty years of service, however, ''Razyashchiy'' was in a poor state and so was decommissioned on 29 October 1992 and sold to be broken up on 6 October 1994.

Design and development

''Razyashchiy'' was one of twenty-one Project 1135 Burevestnik (, "Petrel") class ships launched between 1970 and 1981. Project 1135 was envisaged by the Soviet Navy as a less expensive complement to the Project 1134A ''Berkut'' A ( NATO reporting name 'Kresta II') and Project 1134B ''Berkut'' B (NATO reporting name 'Kara') classes of anti-submarine warfare ships, designated Large Anti-Submarine Ship (, BPK). The design was originally given to the TsKB-340 design bureau of Zelenodolsk, which had created the earlier Project 159 (NATO reporting name 'Petya') and Project 35 (NATO reporting name 'Mirka') classes. However, the expansion in the United States Navy ballistic missile submarine fleet and the introduction of longer-ranged and more accurate submarine-launched ballistic missiles led to a review of the project to deal with this new threat. The work was transferred to TsKB-53, a design bureau in Leningrad that produced a substantially larger and more capable design created by N. P. Sobolov which combined a powerful missile armament with good seakeeping for a blue water role and shared the same BPK designation as the larger ships. This was amended to Guard Ship (, SKR) from 28 July 1977 to reflect the change in Soviet strategy of creating protected areas for friendly submarines close to the coast. NATO forces called the new class 'Krivak' class frigates.

Displacing standard and full load, ''Razyashchiy'' was long overall, with a beam of and a draught of . Power was provided by two M7 power sets, each a combination of a DK59 and a M62 gas turbine linked in a COGAG arrangement and driving one fixed-pitch propeller. Design speed was and range was at . The ship’s complement was 197, including 23 officers.

''Razyashchiy'' had a primary mission of anti-submarine warfare for which it was equipped with four URPK-3 ''Metel'' missiles (NATO reporting name SS-N-14 ''Silex''), two quadruple torpedo tube mounts for torpedoes and a pair of RBU-6000 ''Smerch-2'' anti-submarine rocket launchers. Defence against aircraft was provided by forty 4K33 ''OSA-M'' (SA-N-4 'Gecko') surface-to-air missiles which were launched from two sets of ZIF-122 launchers, each capable of launching two missiles. Two twin AK-726 guns were mounted aft and two single mounts for 21-KM guns were carried on the superstructure. Provision was made for carrying 18 mines.

''Razyashchiy'' had a well-equipped sensor suite, including a single MR-310A ''Angara-A'' air/surface search radar, ''Volga'' and ''Don-2'' navigation radars, MP-401S ''Start-S'' ESM radar system and ''Spectrum-F'' laser warning system. An extensive sonar complex was fitted, including MG-332 ''Titan-2'', which was mounted in a bow radome, and MG-325 ''Vega''. The latter was a towed-array sonar specifically developed for the class and had a range of up to . The ship was also equipped with the PK-16 decoy-dispenser system.

Construction and career

Laid down at the Yantar Shipyard in Kaliningrad on 28 September 1972, ''Razyashchiy'' was the seventh of the class to be constructed by the shipbuilder, and was given the yard number 157. The vessel was named for a Russian word that can be translated to striking or smashing. Launched on 22 July 1974 and commissioned later the same year on 30 December, ''Razyashchiy'' joined the Pacific Fleet and was transferred to the naval base in Vladivostok. The ship undertook operations in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

Between 10 and 17 November 1976, ''Razyashchiy'' visited Port Louis, Mauritius. On 7 April 1978, the ship participated in Pacific Fleet exercises with the missile cruisers, also known as BPK to the Soviet Navy, , and , and observed by General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union Leonid Brezhnev and Defense Minister Dmitry Ustinov from the cruiser . On 10 October 1981, the vessel arrived at the Vietnamese port of Danang, accompanying the cruiser . The sailors were greeted by members of the People's Army of Vietnam and local people. The ships stayed for four days, with the crews taking part in cultural activities. The aim of the visit was to foster better relationships between the two countries.

The ship returned to Vladivostock in November 1981 and docked at Dalzavod for repairs. When these were completed, in April 1983, ''Razyashchiy'' resumed service, travelling to the Arabian Sea. While operating there, on 17 November, the vessel approached a fleet of US Navy ships, led by the aircraft carrier . In response, the destroyer manoeuvred to cut across the Soviet vessel's path and the two collided. ''Razyashchiy'' suffered minor hull damage.

Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union on 26 December 1991, the ship was to be transferred to the Russian Navy. However, service in this force was short-lived. Intensive operations over a prolonged duration had meant that much of the ship was in a poor state. ''Razyashchiy'' was decommissioned on 29 October 1992 and disarmed. On 6 October 1994, the vessel was sold to a South Korean business to be broken up.

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Razyashchiy
1974 ships
Cold War frigates of the Soviet Union
Krivak-class frigates
Krivak-class frigates of the Russian Navy
Ships built at Yantar Shipyard
Ships built in the Soviet Union