The Gepard-class frigates, Russian designation Project 11661, is a Russian class of frigates that were intended as successors to the earlier Koni-class frigates and Grisha, and Parchim-class corvettes. The first unit of the class, Yastreb (Hawk), was laid down at the Zelenodol'sk Zavod shipyard at Tatarstan in 1991. She was launched in July 1993, after which she began fitting out; fitting was nearly completed by late 1995, when it was suspended due to lack of funds. Renamed Tatarstan, the ship was finally completed in July 2002, and became the flagship of the Caspian Flotilla. She has two sister ships, Albatross (renamed Dagestan), and Burevestnik (Storm Petrel), which was still under construction as of 2012[update].
Quang Trung - one of the two ships in the second batch of Gepard 3.9 built for the Vietnam People's Navy
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Class overview | |
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Name | Gepard class (Project 1166.1) |
Builders | Zelenodolsk Plant Gorky |
Operators | |
Preceded by | |
Subclasses |
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Cost | |
Built | 1991–2016 |
Planned | 10 |
Completed | 6 |
Active | 6 |
General characteristics | |
Type | Frigate |
Displacement |
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Length | Approx 102.4 m (336 ft) (Gepard 3.9 batch II) |
Beam |
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Draught | 5.7 m (19 ft) |
Propulsion | Twin-shaft CODOG, FPP, 2 x 14,300 + 1 x 6,000 (kW) |
Speed | 29 knots (54 km/h; 33 mph) |
Range | 4,000 nmi (7,000 km) at 10 knots (19 km/h) |
Endurance | 20 days |
Complement | 94 |
Sensors and processing systems |
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Electronic warfare & decoys |
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Armament |
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Notes | [1] |
Vietnam is the main operator of the class with its navy having commissioned 4 frigates - twice the size of Russia's Project 11661 inventory - and having plans to order at least 2 more.
Design
editThese vessels are capable of employing their weapons systems in conditions up to Sea State 5.[citation needed] The hull and superstructure are constructed primarily of steel, with some aluminium-magnesium being used in the upper superstructure(stealth technology). They are equipped with fin stabilizers and twin rudders, and can use either gas turbines or diesel for propulsion in a CODOG configuration.
Gepard is Russian for cheetah.
Service history
editIn October 2015, Dagestan, in company with three other Russian Navy ships serving with the Caspian Flotilla, launched cruise missiles at targets in Syria. The missiles flew nearly 1,500 kilometres (930 mi) over Iran and Iraq and struck targets in Raqqa and Aleppo provinces (controlled by the Islamic State) as well as Idlib province (controlled by the al-Qaeda-linked Nusra Front).[1] Peshmerga forces (Kurdish armed forces located in northern Iraq) published a video allegedly depicting two cruise missiles mid-flight en route to Syria.[2]
Export
editThe Gepard-class was designed from the outset as a lightweight, inexpensive export vessel. Russia offers three variants of the class to the market:[3]
- Gepard 3.9: designed to search, track and fight against surface, underwater and air enemy independently and within task force, plant mine fields, provide protection and patrol of maritime state border and exclusive economic zone, perform combat missions, patrol service. Powered by gas-turbine engines with CODOG configuration. Fitted with two inclined quadruple launchers for eight Kh-35 anti-ship missiles with alternative options to be featured with VLS systems such as UKSK (for cruise missiles such as Club-N and Yakhont) and Shtil-1 air-defense system.[4] Being the only exported variant with Vietnam being its first and only operator.
- Gepard 5.1: configured as an ocean-going patrol ship. Intended for patrolling territorial waters, helping in distress on the sea, environment protection, support to marine missions and flag demonstration in areas being of state interest. Can be featured with "heavier" weapons if necessary. Powered entirely by diesel engines with a two-shaft CODAD propulsion plant.[5]
- Gepard 5.3: designed to search, track and fight against surface, underwater and air enemy independently and within task force, carry out convoy missions and patrol duty, guard maritime state border and economic zone. Featured with four quadruple launchers for sixteen Kh-35 anti-ship missiles. Powered by a two-shaft CODAD propulsion plant.[6]
Vietnam
editIn March and August of 2011, the Vietnam People's Navy received two Gepard 3.9-class frigates ordered in 2006, built in Russia at Tatarstan's Gorky Shipbuilding Plant. In late 2011, Vietnam signed a contract for an additional batch of two ships in an anti-submarine configuration.[7] A further two ships are being considered to bring the total order up to six vessels, and that potential acquisition is likely being stalled due to sanctions towards Russia as a result of the Ukrainian conflicts.[8][9][10]
Sri Lanka
editSri Lanka began talks for the credit purchase of a Gepard 5.1 frigate in 2017 and the Sri Lankan cabinet approved the proposal by President Maithripala Sirisena for the purchase of the ship in September 2017.[11]
Ships
edit-
Vietnam People Navy Ship 011 Đinh Tiên Hoàng
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Vietnam People's Navy Ship 015 Trần Hưng Đạo
No. | Name | Namesake | Project designation | Builder | Laid Down | Launched | Commissioned | Fleet | Status |
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691 | Tatarstan (ex-Yastreb) |
Republic of Tatarstan | 11661 | Zelenodolsk Shipyard | 1993 | 2 July 2001 | 31 August 2003 | Caspian | Active |
693 | Dagestan (ex-Albatros) |
Republic of Dagestan | 11661K | 1994 | 1 April 2011[12] | 28 November 2012[13] | Active | ||
011 | Dinh Tien Hoang | Đinh Tiên Hoàng | 11661E (Gepard 3.9 batch I) | Zelenodolsk Shipyard | 10 July 2007 | 12 December 2010[14] | 23 March 2011[15] | Naval Region 4 | Active |
012 | Ly Thai To | Lý Thái Tổ | 27 November 2007 | 16 March 2011[citation needed] | 22 August 2011[16] | Active | |||
015 | Tran Hung Dao | Trần Hưng Đạo | 11661E (Gepard 3.9 batch II) | 24 September 2013[17] | 27 April 2016[18] | 6 February 2018 | Active[19] | ||
016 | Quang Trung | Quang Trung | 24 September 2013[17] | 26 May 2016 | 6 February 2018 | Active[20] | |||
- | - | - | 11661_ (Gepard 3.9 batch III) | - | - | - | - | Planned[10] | |
- | - | - | - | - | - |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Aji, Albert; Vasilyeva, Nataliya (7 October 2015). "Russia fires cruise missiles from warships into Syria". Yahoo! News. Associated Press. Archived from the original on 14 October 2015. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
- ^ "Kurdish Video Lends Credibility to Russian Navy Caspian Sea Strike Mission Claims". USNI News. 7 October 2015.
- ^ "Naval systems | Catalog Rosoboronexport". roe.ru. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
- ^ "Frigate (on the base of the project 11661 escort ship) Gepard 3.9 | Catalog Rosoboronexport". roe.ru. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
- ^ "Frigate (on the base of the project 11661) Gepard 5.3 | Catalog Rosoboronexport". roe.ru. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
- ^ "Frigate (on the base of the project 11661) Gepard 5.3 | Catalog Rosoboronexport". roe.ru. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
- ^ "Vietnam Bought Second Batch of Russian Gepard-Class Frigates". rusnavy.com. 7 December 2011. Archived from the original on 2 September 2014. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
- ^ Pike, John (21 August 2014). "Project 1166.1 Gepard class". Globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
- ^ "Vietnam Receives Second Russian-Made Frigate". Defense News. Agence France-Presse. 22 August 2011. Archived from the original on 31 July 2012. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
- ^ a b "Vietnam raises interest in procuring improved Gepard 3.9-class frigates from Russia". Asia Pacific Defense Journal. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
- ^ "Deal for Rs. 20 billion++ Russian patrol vessel this week, company chief comes in private jet". The Sunday Times. 3 December 2017. Retrieved 4 December 2017.
- ^ "Missile ship Dagestan was launched in Zelenodolsk". rusnavy.com. 5 April 2011. Archived from the original on 6 April 2012. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
- ^ "Caspian Flotilla Commissions New Corvette". rusnavy.com. 28 November 2012. Archived from the original on 24 December 2018. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
- ^ "Russian shipyard built frigate for Vietnam". rusnavy.com. 14 December 2009. Archived from the original on 27 September 2020. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
- ^ Работы над фрегатами "Гепард" для Вьетнама близки к завершению [Work on Gepard frigates for Vietnam close to completion]. flot.com (in Russian). 26 October 2010. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
- ^ "Vietnam gets most modern patrol ship in region". Tuổi Trẻ. 22 August 2011. Archived from the original on 23 September 2012. Retrieved 28 December 2011.
- ^ a b "Chi tiết thời điểm Việt Nam nhận 2 chiến hạm Gepard-3.9 mới". datviet.trithuccuocsong.vn. 2 April 2014. Archived from the original on 24 October 2021. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
- ^ "Фрегат "Гепард 3.9" тожественно спущен на воду" [The frigate "Gepard 3.9" was launched]. Zelenodolsk Plant (in Russian). 27 April 2016. Archived from the original on 6 February 2022. Retrieved 28 April 2016.
- ^ "Third Gepard frigate arrives to Vietnam from Russia". Naval Today. 30 October 2017. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
- ^ "Vietnam's fourth Gepard frigate arrives in Cam Ranh Bay". Jane's Information Group. Archived from the original on 7 February 2018. Retrieved 4 February 2018.
External links
edit- Project 11661 Gepard Class Frigates @ Zelenodolsk Plant named after A.M. Gorky
- Project 11661 Gepard-3.9 Class Frigates @ Zelenodolsk Plant named after A.M. Gorky
- Project 11661 Gepard Class Frigates @ Naval Technology
- Project 1166.1 Gepard class @ FAS
- 1166.1 Gepard @ Encyclopedia of Ships (in Russian)
- All Gepard Class Frigates - Complete Ship List @ RussianShips