The Udaloy class anti-submarine guided missile destroyers, Russian designations Project 1155 Fregat and Project 11551 Fregat-M.
During the Cold War, the great powers stepped up the arms race, and the mysterious submarines lurking under the water were quite a scary thing for the enemy. American submarines posed a clear threat to the Soviet Kiev-class aircraft carriers and Kirov-class battlecruisers. In response, the Soviet Union designed a class that could find and destroy NATO submarines. Udaloy-class destroyer was born. It has a number of abilities that can give nightmares to enemy submarines. And to this day, the Udaloy class is still active in the Russian Navy, and is a formidable threat to the West.
The Udaloy class anti-submarine guided missile destroyers, Russian designations Project 1155 Fregat and Project 11551 Fregat-M. Twelve ships were built between 1980 and 1991, while the thirteenth ship built to a modified design, known as Udaloy II class, followed in 1999. They complement the Sovremenny-class destroyers in anti-aircraft and anti-surface warfare operations. The ship has a full load displacement of 7,570 tons, an overall length of 163m (534.77 ft), a beam of 19.3m (63.3 ft) and a draft of 6.2m (20.34 ft).
The ship’s hull is made of steel, has an elongated forecastle, a large camber of frames in the bow and a double bottom along its entire length. The internal premises of the hull are separated by refractory bulkheads, non-combustible materials are widely used inside the ship. In the middle and aft parts of the hull of the ship are 3 groups of superstructures, aluminum-magnesium alloys are widely used. In the aft superstructure there are two helicopter hangars.
The ship is equipped with a combined gas and gas propulsion system feeding 2 shafts 4 gas turbines, providing total of 120,000 horsepower. The use of the combined gas and gas propulsion system allows the ship to have a smaller footprint and also better fuel efficiency at cruise speed than other propulsion systems. The ship can reach a maximum speed of 35 knots, the range can reach 10,500 nauticalmiles at 14 knots, the standard crew is 300 sailors.
The Udaloy class is equipped with MR-760MA Fregat-MA 3-D air search radar and MR-320M Topaz-V surface search radar. In addition, the ship is also equipped with Horse Tail LF VDS sonar and Horse Jaw bow mounted LF sonar. The fire control system includes 2 MR-360 Podkat, 2 3P37 SA-N-11 SAM control, Garpun-BAL SSM targeting.
Electronic warfare & decoys includes Bell Squat jammer, Bell Shroud intercept, Bell Crown intercept. This system includes decoy launchers, decoding missiles, control panels and radars. It deceives anti-ship missiles by distributing electronic and optical lures. The ship was fitted with 2 PK-2 decoy RL.
In 2020 it was suggested that a total of eight Project 1155 vessels would be upgraded to the same standard, though work on the remaining three units would extend beyond 2022. In addition to overhauling their radio-electronic warfare and life support systems, they will receive modern missile complexes to fire P-800 Oniks and Kalibr cruise missiles. The ships are to have their service life extended by 30 years until sufficient numbers of Admiral Gorshkov-class frigates are commissioned.
