Riga-class frigate

Last updated
Finnish Minelayer Hameenmaa (ex-Riga-Class) in 1982.jpg
Finnish Riga class Hämeenmaa
Class overview
NameRiga class
Operators
Preceded by Kola class
Succeeded by
Completed69
General characteristics
Class and type Frigate
Displacement
  • 1,160 tons (standard)
  • 1,416 tons (full load)
Length91 m (299 ft)
Beam10.2 m (33 ft)
Draught3.16 m (10.4 ft)
Propulsion2 × shaft steam turbines, 2 × boilers; 21,000 hp (16,000 kW)
Speed28 knots (52 km/h; 32 mph)
Range1,950 nmi (3,610 km; 2,240 mi) at 14 kn (26 km/h; 16 mph)
Complement175
Armament
  • 3 × 100 mm guns/56 (B-34) (3×1)
  • 4 × 37 mm guns (2×2)
  • 4 × 25 mm guns (2×2) - Some ships
  • MBU-600 anti-submarine rocket launchers (replaced by two RBU-2500)
  • 2 or 3 × 533 mm torpedo tubes (1×2 or 1×3)

The Riga class was the NATO reporting name for class of frigates built for the Soviet Navy in the 1950s. The Soviet designation for these ships was Storozhevoi Korabl (escort ship) Project 50 Gornostay ( Ermine stoat ). The Riga class was analogous to World War II era destroyer escorts.

Contents

Design

These ships were a smaller and simpler version of the Kola class. According to Conway's, this simpler group of ships were ordered by Joseph Stalin who was concerned about the cost of large ships. The class introduced high pressure steam turbines and new radars into Soviet service. The bridge, gun turrets, and magazines were covered in 8 mm (0.31 in)-thick armour. The main armament comprised three single dual-purpose 100 mm (3.9 in) guns with remote power control and a single Yakor type fire control director. The machinery comprised two TV-9 steam turbines with two boilers and had initial problems with reliability.

The Project 50 Riga class was a rather simplistic and straight forward design. With their basic capabilities, moderate size and ease of operation, they made perfect export vessels for smaller navies where such ships could easily fill the multi-purpose role, taking the place of large minesweepers and actual destroyers.

There was a modernisation programme designated Project 50 A in the late 1950s early 1960s. This included fitting anti-submarine rocket launchers (RBU-2500) new radar and adding permanent ballast for improved stability.

Ships

A Soviet Riga class during Exercise OKEAN in April 1970 Crewmen enjoy the sunshine in bathing suits aboard a Soviet "Riga"-class escort during the worldwide Soviet naval exercise "Okean". Photographed in the Philippine Sea, April 1970. (51168858345).jpg
A Soviet Riga class during Exercise OKEAN in April 1970
Karl Marx of the Volksmarine Bundesarchiv Bild 183-S1007-0005, Rostock, 25. Jahrestag DDR-Grundung, Flottenparade.jpg
Karl Marx of the Volksmarine

A total of 68 ships were built by Nikolayev yards (20 ships), Komsomolsk-on-Amur (7 ships) and Kaliningrad (the lead yard 41 ships). Most ships were decommissioned by 1980, however some were sold to China. The programme was cut short by Nikita Khrushchev in 1956 as the ships were becoming obsolete and the last ship was completed in 1959.

Riga-class frigates of the Soviet Union [1]
NameBuilderLaid downLaunchedCommissionedFate
LeopardKaliningrad21 December 195230 April 195330 April 1954
BarsKaliningrad25 April 195225 July 195330 June 1954
RosomakhaKaliningrad19 June 195216 August 195330 April 1954
SobolKaliningrad27 September 19525 November 195313 October 1954Transferred to East Germany in 1959 as Karl Liebknecht
BarsukKaliningrad2 December 195227 February 195415 September 1954
KuguarKaliningrad27 March 195331 December 195331 August 1954
YenotKaliningrad17 October 19539 April 195430 October 1954Transferred to East Germany in 1959 as Friedrich Engels
FilinKaliningrad27 August 19536 June 19549 December 1954Transferred to Finland in 1964 as Uusimaa
LuńKaliningrad20 October 19535 August 195427 December 1954
KobchikKaliningrad26 December 19532 November 195431 May 1955Transferred to Bulgaria in 1985 as Bodri
TurKaliningrad24 March 195416 December 195431 May 1955Transferred to East Germany in 1957 as Karl Marx
LośKaliningrad26 May 195429 March 195531 July 1955
OleńKaliningrad2 August 195429 April 195427 August 1955Transferred to East Germany in 1956 as Ernst Thälmann
SKR-76Kaliningrad29 April 195716 December 195715 June 1958
SKR-69Kaliningrad29 July 195628 December 195630 May 1957Transferred to Finland in 1964 as Hämeenmaa
SKR-70Kaliningrad13 August 195619 February 195720 June 1957
SKR-71Kaliningrad21 September 19563 April 195713 July 1957
SKR-72Kaliningrad26 January 195716 May 195726 September 1957Abandoned at the mouth of the Iokanga River, Murmansk Oblast. Wreck is visible as of 2022.
SKR-73Kaliningrad24 December 195621 June 195730 September 1957
SKR-74Kaliningrad4 February 195727 July 195726 November 1957
SKR-54Kaliningrad20 December 195431 August 195531 December 1955
SKR-75Kaliningrad14 March 19573 September 195730 December 1957
SKR-77Kaliningrad17 June 195720 January 195829 June 1958
SKR-80Kaliningrad17 September 195713 March 195831 July 1958
SKR-81Kaliningrad17 October 195715 April 195831 August 1958
SKR-10Kaliningrad27 November 195730 May 195821 October 1958
SKR-4Kaliningrad22 January 195830 July 195813 December 1958
SKR-5Kaliningrad24 December 19571 September 195831 December 1958
SKR-8Kaliningrad24 April 195818 October 195831 December 1958
SKR-14Kaliningrad29 May 19589 January 1959September 1959
SKR-15Kaliningrad10 July 195827 February 19591 October 1959
SKR-59Kaliningrad21 June 19552 February 195625 May 1956
SKR-60Kaliningrad8 December 195513 April 195629 June 1956
SKR-61Kaliningrad17 October 195524 May 195623 August 1956
SKR-62Kaliningrad21 December 195527 June 195625 September 1956
SKR-64Kaliningrad8 February 19561 August 195631 October 1956
SKR-55Kaliningrad18 February 195530 September 195531 December 1955
SKR-65Kaliningrad28 March 19564 September 195627 December 1956
SKR-68Kaliningrad17 May 195627 October 195623 March 1957
SKR-56Kaliningrad16 April 19556 January 195621 May 1956
SKR-50Kaliningrad12 October 195416 August 19553 January 1956
GornostayNikolayev20 December 195130 June 195230 June 1954
PanteraNikolayev21 February 195220 August 195221 May 1954
RyśNikolayev22 April 195231 December 195221 May 1954
YaguarNikolayev23 July 195214 February 195324 April 1954
SarychNikolayev24 September 195231 March 195331 August 1954Transferred to Indonesia in 1963 as RI Jos Sudarso (351)
PumaNikolayev25 November 195229 April 195331 August 1954Transferred to Indonesia in 1963 as RI Slamet Rijadi (352)
VolkNikolayev26 February 195323 July 195331 October 1954
KunitsaNikolayev27 May 195330 November 195323 December 1954
KorsakNikolayev1 August 195329 April 195430 December 1954Transferred to Indonesia in 1963 as RI Ngurah Rai (353)
NorkaNikolayev12 January 195429 April 195430 April 1955
VoronNikolayev12 March 195411 November 195418 June 1955
GrizonNikolayev15 April 195429 November 195430 June 1955Transferred to Indonesia in 1963 as RI Monginsidi (354)
SKR-51Nikolayev25 June 195426 February 195528 September 1955
SKR-52Nikolayev1 September 195415 April 195526 November 1955
SKR-53Nikolayev20 November 195415 April 195531 December 1955Transferred to Bulgaria in 1958 as Smeli
SKR-57Nikolayev23 December 195421 July 195528 February 1956
SKR-58Nikolayev15 March 195521 July 19557 May 1956
SKR-63Nikolayev5 May 195528 October 195530 May 1956
SKR-66Nikolayev10 February 195630 May 195629 September 1956
SKR-67Nikolayev1 March 195610 July 195622 December 1956Transferred to Bulgaria in 1957 as Druzki
ZubrKomsomolsk-on-Amur29 August 19529 July 195331 May 1954Transferred to Indonesia in 1965 as RI Hang Tuah (358)
BizonKomsomolsk-on-Amur4 October 19529 July 195330 June 1954Transferred to Indonesia in 1965 as RI Kakiali (359)
AistKomsomolsk-on-Amur25 December 195225 August 195327 August 1954Transferred to Indonesia in 1965 as RI Lambung Mangkurat (357)
GienaKomsomolsk-on-Amur5 March 195318 May 195425 October 1954
PelikanKomsomolsk-on-Amur1 August 195318 April 195430 November 1954Transferred to Indonesia in 1965 as RI Nuku (360)
PingvinKomsomolsk-on-Amur10 September 195313 August 195431 December 1954
GepardKomsomolsk-on-Amur21 December 195313 August 195431 December 1954

Export operators

Flag of Bulgaria.svg  Bulgaria
Bulgarian Navy  : 3 ships (Druzki, Smeli and Bodri) operated 1957–1990, decommissioned 1990 [2] [3]
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  People's Republic of China
4 ships were built in kits for the People's Liberation Army Navy to be licence assembled in China as Chengdu class (Type 6601/01) frigate. After that, PRC built 5 ships with a different gun arrangements as Jiangnan class (Type 065) frigate, reverse-engineered copies from type 6601.
Flag of Finland.svg  Finland
Finnish Navy  : 2 ships (Uusimaa and Hämeenmaa) acquired 1964, decommissioned 1979 and 1985 (source Conway's)
Flag of East Germany.svg  East Germany
East German Navy  : 4 ships (Ernst Thälmann, Karl Marx, Karl Liebknecht, Friedrich Engels)
Flag of Indonesia.svg  Indonesia
Indonesian Navy: 8 ships (Jos Sudarso, Slamet Rijadi, Ngurah Rai, Monginsidi, Lambung Mangkurat, Hang Tuah, Kakiali, Nuku) transferred 1962–1964, decommissioned 1971–1986 (Source Conway's)

See also

Notes

  1. "Guard Ships - Project 50". russian-ships.info. Archived from the original on 23 December 2014. Retrieved 22 December 2014.
  2. "Bulgaria Naval Forces". Library of Congress Reports. June 1992. Retrieved 13 November 2014.
  3. Sanders, Deborah (2014). Maritime Power in the Black Sea. Ashgate. p. 176. ISBN   978-1-4094-5296-6 . Retrieved 13 November 2014.

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