Udaloy class

The Udaloy I class was developed by the Northern Design Bureau in the 1970ies. According to the original tactical and technical specifications the class was designed to adress deficiencies found in project 1135 frigates (notably the lack of helicopters and a weak sonar). Project 1155 were originaly very highly specialized anti-submarine vessel, not designed to serve as defense or anti-surface vessels. As a result, anti-aircraft and anti-ship armament of the first ships of the class was limited to self-defense.

This class saw relatively little operational use during the 1990ies. Increased funding has permitted an increasing number of refits and ships of the class are now more balanced in terms of weapons and much more extensively employed in operations.

The combat system is named Lesorub-5. Four vertical launchers for the Kinzhal SAM system have a combined rate of fire of up to 24 rounds per minute and are located on the raised portion of the forecastle, two more are disposed athwartships in the small deckhouse between the torpedo tubes, and two are arranged fore and aft in the deckhouse between the RBU-6000 ASW RL mounts; each rotating cylinder holds eight missiles. All normally carry four antiship and four antisubmarine torpedoes in the 533-mm tubes; there are no reloads.

The two hangars are side by side and use inclined elevator ramps to raise the aircraft to the flight deck; the hangar roofs slide forward in two segmented sections to clear the rotors. From the third unit on, the helicopter deck was wider, extending to the sides of the ship. Two Privod (Round House) TACAN radomes are mounted on yards on the after mast, while the Fly Screen microwave landing-control radar is beside the starboard hangar. Four ASW torpedoes, 72 air-dropped rocket-propelled depth charges, and 20 standard depth charges can be carried for the helicopters.

The EW suite is incomplete, with several empty platforms on the after mast, except for Severomorsk, which has four Foot Ball (Start-series) radomes on the after mast. Vitse-Admiral Kulakov was to have had the radar suite updated to later class standard during her current, protracted overhaul. Marshal Shapashnikov still lacks the antenna for the MR-320M Topaz-V air-search radar atop the foremast.

The head of class, Udaloy was laid down in July 1977 and decommissioned in 1997.

In total, 8 Udaloy class anti-submarine destroyers remain in service in Russian Navy's Northern and Pacific fleets while 12 vessels of this class were completed in total.

• Anti-ship missiles:
  8x URK-5 Rastrub (SS-N-14 Silex) ASW and antiship SSM (2 quadruple KT-100 launchers; 8 Type 83R and 83RUS missiles);
• Anti-air missiles:
  8x Kinzhal (SA-N-9) (8 8-round PU 4S-95 VLS; 64 9M-330 Tor M1/Gauntlet missiles)
• Guns:
  2x 100-mm 70-cal. AK-100 DP turrets (main gun)
  4x 30-mm 54-cal. AK-630M gatling AA (CIWS)
• ASW
  2x 12-round RBU-6000 ASW RL (RGB-12 ASW rockets)
  2x quadruple 533-mm CLTA-53-1155 torpedo tubes (53-65K, SET-65 or PLUR 83RN torpedoes)
  2x mine rails

• 3x MR-212/201 Vaygach-U (Palm Frond) navigation radars
• 1x MR-320M Topaz-V (Strut Pair) surf./air search radar
• 1x MR-760MA Fregat-MA (Top Plate) 3-D air search radar
• 2x Drakon (Eye Bowl) fire control for ASW/antiship missiles
• 1x MR-145 Lev (Kite Screech-B) fire control for main gun
• 2x MR-360 Podkat (Cross Sword) fire control for SAM system
• 2x MR-123 Vympel (Bass Tilt) fire control for CIWS
• 1x Fly Screen-B microwave helicopter landing aid
• MGK-335 Platina (Horse Jaw) bow-mounted LF sonar
• Orion (Horse Tail) LF variable depth sonar
• MG-35 underwater telephone
• MGK-355TA torpedo detection sonar
• 2x Bell Squat jammer
• 2x PK-2 (ZIF-121) decoy launcher
• 10x PK-10 decoy launcher
• 6x Spektr-F (“Half Cup”) laser warning system