Altay-class oiler

Last updated
Russian Navy tanker Yel'nya.jpg
Yel'nya in 2018
Class overview
NameProject 160 (NATO: Altay class)
BuildersRauma-Repola, Finland
Operators
Preceded by Olekma class
Succeeded by Dubna class
Built1967–1972
In commission1968–present
Completed6
Active4?
Retired2
General characteristics
Type Replenishment oiler
Displacement7,230 tons full load
Length106.17 m (348 ft 4 in)
Beam15.4 m (50 ft 6 in)
Draught6.7 m (22 ft 0 in)
Propulsion
Speed14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph)
Range
  • 5,000  nmi (9,300 km; 5,800 mi) at 13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph)
  • 8,600 nmi (15,900 km; 9,900 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Capacity
  • 1,300 tons heavy oil
  • 2,700 tons distilled fuel
  • 200 tons water
  • 100 tons lube oil
Complement60
Sensors &
processing systems
  • 2 Don-2 (navigation)
  • NEL-5 (sonar)
  • MGL-25 (underwater telephone)
Electronic warfare
& decoys		IFF

The Altay class, Soviet designation Project 160, is a class of replenishment oiler built for the Soviet Navy between 1967 and 1972.

Contents

Construction

The Altay-class vessels were built for the USSR by the Finnish shipbuilding yard Rauma-Repola. Over 60 vessels of this type were built for Soviet service, most with the fishing fleet and merchant fleet. Only six vessels were ordered for service with the Soviet Navy. Project 160 tankers can refuel one ship at a time from either side or over the stern. [1] [2] [3]

Operational history

1993 Yel'nya incident

In April 1993, while in reserve with the Black Sea Fleet at Sevastopol, Yel'nya was taken over by Ukrainian dissidents. After a brief seizure, control was reestablished by the Russian Navy. Yel'nya was later transferred to the Baltic Fleet. [2]

2021 Kola Gulf of Suez collision and Suez Canal obstruction

On 23 March 2021, Kola, along with Steregushchiy-class corvette Stoikiy, were in the northern part of the Gulf of Suez when Kola collided with civilian bulk carrier Ark Royal. The two ships, which were both approaching Suez, sustained light damage, according to the Russian Navy. Kola and Ark Royal resumed sailing after the collision. [4] [5]

That same day, Kola and Stoikiy were in the Gulf of Suez when the container ship Ever Given ran aground in the Suez Canal, completely obstructing the canal. Kola, along with Stoikiy and around 350 other ships on both sides of the canal, were forced to wait for the Ever Given to be refloated. Initially, Kola and Stoikiy were the only known military vessels to have been affected by the obstruction, however since normally military ships do not transmit their position to commercial websites, an unknown number of military ships were involved, with the Spanish amphibious assault ship Juan Carlos I being among the first ships to move through the canal. [6] At the time of the incident, maritime tracking website vesselfinder.com temporarily misidentified Kola as Stoikiy (specifically "Russian Warship 545"); this was corrected on 25 March. As of 29 March, Kola was still anchored in the Gulf of Suez. [7] [8] [9]

Ships in class

There were six vessels in the class. [1] [2] [3]

NameYard No.Laid downLaunchedCommissionedFate
KolaNo. 163not known30 July 19671967Still active as of 2021 [10]
Yel'nyaNo. 168not known21 February 1968June 1968Active as of 2025 [11]
YergorlikNo. 174not known15 November 1968April 1969Decommissioned 2007 [12]
IzhoraNo. 181not known21 October 19691970Active as of 2022 [13]
PrutNo. 203not known30 July 19711971Decommissioned 2011 [14]
IlimNo. 215not known21 August 1972November 1972Reported in the Pacific Fleet; status unclear [15]

References

  1. 1 2 Guide to the Soviet Navy (Polmer)
  2. 1 2 3 Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World (Wertheim)
  3. 1 2 russian-ships.info (accessed 29 Feb 2012)
  4. ↑ "Bulk carrier collided with Russian Navy tanker off Suez". FleetMon. 2021-03-24. Archived from the original on 2021-03-24. Retrieved 2021-03-25.
  5. ↑ "Bulk carrier collided with Russian Navy tanker off Suez". Maritime Bulletin. 23 March 2021. Archived from the original on 23 March 2021. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
  6. ↑ "MarineTraffic: Global Ship Tracking Intelligence | AIS Marine Traffic". www.marinetraffic.com.
  7. ↑ Storm.mg (2021-03-24). "長榮海運糗大了！台灣巨輪卡在蘇伊士運河，塞住連接歐亞的海上大動脈-風傳媒". www.storm.mg (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved 2021-03-29.
  8. ↑ "KOLA (Oil Products Tanker) Registered in Russia – Vessel details, Cur…". archive.is. 25 March 2021. Archived from the original on 25 March 2021. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
  9. ↑ "KOLA, Oil Products Tanker – Details and current position – IMO 672000…". archive.is. 25 March 2021. Archived from the original on 25 March 2021. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
  10. ↑ "Танкер Балтийского флота "Кола" пополнил запасы топлива отряда кораблей в Средиземном море". structure.mil.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 2021-03-26.
  11. ↑ "Royal Navy shadows another Russian warship in busy fortnight of activity around UK waters". Navy Lookout. 23 November 2025. Retrieved 23 November 2025.
  12. ↑ "Medium seagoing tankers Project 160". Russian Ships Info. Retrieved 23 November 2025.
  13. ↑ "Танкер "Ижора" пополнил запасы фрегата "Маршал Шапошников"". Центральный Военно-Морской Портал. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
  14. ↑ "Medium seagoing tankers Project 160". Russian Ships Info. Retrieved 23 November 2025.
  15. ↑ "Medium seagoing tankers Project 160". Russian Ships Info. Retrieved 23 November 2025.
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