Alternative Cold War History 1994

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Frigates

Soviet Navy Frigates

Soviet naval doctrine stresses the need for Submarine and Anti Submarine Warfare (ASW) in an effort to protect Ballistic Missile Submarines in arctic and Northern Pacific waters, this in order to preserve their nuclear options. A key factor in that doctrine are groups of ASW ships both in littoral waters and in the open ocean. Frigates, or in Russian ‘Guard’ or ‘Escort’ or ‘Sentry’ ship, essentially the same role, size and armament as western or other Frigates conduct this task in open water. Although the Neustrashimyy class is leading the Soviets into a new age, the Krivak is the mainstay of this type and can be found either protecting larger ships from, or hunting, submarines.

Neustrashimyy Class

This class was intended to be a modern replacement for the Krivak class Frigates, seven were planned but the fall of the Soviet Union disrupted those plans. In Northern Fury however six of these ships have been commissioned into service. Equipped with excellent sonar and ASW equipment, 16 SS-N-25 Uran (Switchblade) SSMs, 32 SA-N-9 Gauntlet SAMs, and the SA-N-11 Grison air defence gun/missile air defence system, these ships are a significant step forward in both technology and capability. These ships have a hangar and operate a Ka-27 ASW helicopter.

Class Pennant Name Status Remarks
Neustrashimyy 772 Neustrashimyy Northern Fleet
777 Nepristupnyi Black Sea Fleet
712 Tuman Northern Fleet
727 Yaroslav Mudry Baltic Fleet
691 Yastreb Pacific Fleet
693 Albatros Northern Fleet Commissioning 2/94

Krivak Class

This was a highly successful class of ship has two primary users, 32 were built, in two versions for the Navy while another nine were built for the Coast Guard. The Krivak I, and Krivak II built for the navy in the ‘70s and ‘80s are primarily ASW ships, the Kivak II replaced the two twin 76mm guns with single 100mm turrets and has an improved Variable Depth Sonar (VDS). Eight (historically 4) of the Krivak I’s have been modernized to carry the SS-N-25 Switchblade SSM, new radar, sonar and ECM equipment and are called Krivak IVs. The nine ships of the Krivak III sub-class are quite different, the SS-N-14 ASW missiles are removed, they only have a single 100mm gun which is move to the bow, and they have a helicopter deck and hangar, they were operated by the KGB Maritime Border Guard.

Class Pennant Name Status Remarks
Krivak I 500 Silnyy Baltic Fleet
953 Doblestnyy Northern Fleet
663 Storozhevoy Baltic Fleet
601 Razumnyy Northern Fleet
640 Razyashchiy Northern Fleet
754 Druzhnyy Pacific Fleet
811 Deyatelnyy Northern Fleet
605 Retivyy Black Sea Fleet
807 Bezzavetnyy Pacific Fleet
955 Zadornyy Pacific Fleet
802 Bezukoriznennyy Northern Fleet
801 Ladnyy Pacific Fleet
618 Poryvistyy Pacific Fleet
Krivak II 952 Rezvyy Pacific Fleet
660 Rezkiy Baltic Fleet
640 Razitelnyy Baltic Fleet
621 Grozyashchiy Northern Fleet
731 Neukrotimyy Northern Fleet
968 Gromkiy Pacific Fleet
963 Bessmennyy Northern Fleet
641 Gordelivy Northern Fleet
689 Ryanyy Northern Fleet
662 Revnostnyy Black Sea Fleet
808 Pytlivyy Pacific Fleet
Krivak III 116 Menzhinskiy Northern Fleet
097 Dzerzhinskiy Northern Fleet
156 Oryol Pacific Fleet
175 Pskov Black Sea Fleet
148 Anadyr Pacific Fleet
110 Kedrov Baltic Fleet
052 Vorovskiy Northern Fleet
149 Hetman Sahaydachniy Pacific Fleet (ex-Kirov)
059 Krasny Vympel Northern Fleet
Krivak IV 930 Legkiy Northern Fleet
645 Letuchiy Northern Fleet
809 Pylkiy Northern Fleet
921 Zharkiy Northern Fleet
707 Bditelnyy Northern Fleet
710 Bodryy Pacific Fleet
978 Dostoynyy Black Sea Fleet
719 Svirepyy Black Sea Fleet