Natya-class minesweeper
The Natya-class were a group of minesweepers built for the Soviet Navy and export customers during the 1970s and 1980s. The Soviet designation was Project 266M Akvamarin. The ships were used for ocean minesweeping.
Russian ocean minesweeper project 266M "Akvamarin" Ivan Golubets in Sevastopol, 2005 | |
Class overview | |
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Name: | Natya class (Project 266M) |
Builders: | KB Baltic zavod |
Operators: |
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Preceded by: | Yurka class minesweeper |
Succeeded by: | Gorya class minesweeper |
Subclasses: | Pondicherry class minesweeper |
Built: | 1970s-2001 |
In commission: | 1970-present day |
Completed: | 45 |
General characteristics | |
Displacement: | 873 tons |
Length: | 61 meters |
Beam: | 10.2 meters |
Draught: | 3.6 meters |
Propulsion: | 2 M-503 Diesel engines 5000 hp |
Speed: | 17 knots (31 km/h) |
Range: | 1,500 nautical miles (2,778.0 km) at 12 knots (22 km/h) |
Endurance: | 7 days |
Crew: | 68 (6 officers) |
Sensors and processing systems: |
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Electronic warfare & decoys: |
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Armament: |
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Design
The design evolved from the Yurka class minesweeper with new demining equipment including more advanced sonar and closed circuit TV. A stern ramp made recovering sweeps easier. The hull was built of low magnetic steel. The engines were mounted on sound dampening beams and shrouded propellors were used to reduce noise. An electrical field compensator was also installed. A single ship designated Natya 2 by NATO was built with an aluminium hull for reduced magnetic signature.
Project 02668
Displacement: 852 tons. Armament: 1x6 30mm gun mount AK-306, 2x1 14.5 mm machine-gun installation MTPU-1, high-speed pin sweep BKT, electromagnetic sweep TEM-4, acoustic sweep AT-3, depth charge SZ-1 or SZ-2, mine detector-finder "Livadia". Crew: 60 people.
Pr.02668 designed by Design Bureau "Almaz" and is a prototype, which demonstrates the latest technology - the logical continuation of a series of pr.266ME. The minesweeper is equipped with the most modern means of anti-mine protection. The project 02668 for the first time in the Russian mine-sweeping ships introduced integrated navigation bridge and the main command center, as well as automated control system of anti-mine action activities "Diez-E."
St. Andrew's flag-raising ceremony was held on 17.01.2009, the ship was accepted into the Russian Black Sea Fleet.[1]
Operators
45 ships were built for the Soviet Navy from 1970 to 1982.
- 10 ships believed to remain in service.
- Black Sea Fleet - 6 ships
- Northern Fleet - 2 ships
- Pacific Fleet - 2 ships
- 1 ship in service, 1 captured by Russia.
- U310 Chernihiv (captured)
- U311 Cherkasy (captured)
- 12 ships built for the Indian Navy in two batches between 1978 and 1988. Ship design was modified to Indian specifications. Known as the Pondicherry class minesweeper in Indian Service. 5 Ships have been decommissioned leaving 7 in active service. To be replaced by Future Indian minehunter class.
- 8 ships transferred 1981-86. 2 still in active
- 2 ships captured in February 2011.
- One ship in 1986.
- One ship.
References
- Gardiner, Robert (ed.) (1995). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947–1995. London: Conway Maritime. ISBN 0-85177-605-1. OCLC 34284130.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link) Also published as Gardiner, Robert; Chumbley, Stephen; Budzbon, Przemysław (1995). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947–1995. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-132-7. OCLC 34267261.
- page in English from flot
- All Natya Class Minesweepers - Complete Ship List (in English)