Soviet cruiser Admiral Isachenkov

Admiral Isachenkov (Russian: Адмирал Исаченков) was a Project 1134A Berkut A (NATO reporting name Kresta II) class cruiser of the Soviet Navy. The seventh ship of the class, the vessel was launched in 1972 and served during the Cold War with the Northern Fleet, often operating in the Atlantic Ocean but also travelling to various ports in the Mediterranean and Red Seas. The cruiser was taken out of service to be modernised in 1982 and substantially upgraded with new weapons and communications systems, re-entering service in 1987. After a career stretching nearly twenty years, Admiral Isachenkov was decommissioned in 1992.

History
Soviet Union
Name: Admiral Isachenkov
Namesake: Nikolai Isachenkov
Builder: Zhdanov Shipyard
Laid down: 30 October 1970
Launched: 28 March 1972
Commissioned: 5 November 1974
Decommissioned: 3 July 1992
Fate: Sold for scrapping in India, 1993
General characteristics
Class and type: Kresta II-class cruiser
Displacement:
  • 5,640 t (5,551 long tons) (standard)
  • 7,575 t (7,455 long tons) (full load)
Length: 156.5 m (513.5 ft) (o/a)
Beam: 17.2 m (56.4 ft)
Draught: 5.96 m (19.6 ft)
Installed power:
Propulsion:
Speed: 34 kn (63 km/h; 39 mph)
Range: 5,200 nmi (9,600 km; 6,000 mi) at 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph)
Complement: 343
Sensors and
processing systems:
  • Radar
    • Volga
    • MR-600 Voskhod
    • MR-310U Angara M
    • 2 x 4R60 Grom
    • 2 x MR-103 Bars
    • 2 x MR-123 Vympel
  • Sonar
    • MG-332T Titan-2T
Armament:
Aircraft carried: 1 Kamov Ka-25 'Hormone-A'
Aviation facilities: Helicopter deck and hangar

Design
Main article: Kresta II-class cruiser
A United States Navy-produced profile drawing of a Kresta II-class cruiser

Admiral Isachenkov was the seventh ship of the class of ten Project 1134A Berkut A (NATO reporting name Kresta II-class) cruisers, designed by Vasily Anikeyev.[1] They were designated as Large Anti-Submarine Ships in accordance with their primary mission of countering NATO submarines.[2]

As a Kresta II-class cruiser, Admiral Isachenkov was 156.5 metres (513.5 ft) long with a beam of 17.2 m (56.4 ft) and a draught of 5.96 m (19.6 ft). She displaced 5,600 tons standard, 6,500 tons light and 7,535 full load, and had a complement of 343. The ship was equipped with a hangar aft to carry a single Kamov Ka-25 Hormone-A helicopter[3]

Admiral Isachenkov was propelled by two TV-12 steam geared turbines powered by four high pressure boilers which created 75,000 kilowatts (100,577 hp), giving her a maximum speed of 34 knots (63 km/h; 39 mph). She had a range of 5,200 nmi (9,630 km; 5,984 mi) at 18 kn (33 km/h; 21 mph) and 1,754.86 nmi (3,250 km; 2,019 mi) at 32 kn (59 km/h; 37 mph).[1]

Armament

For her primary role as an anti-submarine cruiser, Admiral Isachenkov mounted two quadruple launchers for eight anti-submarine missiles in the Metel anti-ship complex. She was also equipped with two RBU-6000 12-barrel and two RBU-1000 6-barrel rocket launchers to protect against close-in threats.[4] The Ka-25 helicopter embarked on the cruiser was also capable of aiding in the search and destruction of submarines.[5]

Admiral Isachenkov was armed with four AK-725 57 mm (2.2 in) L/80 DP guns situated in two twin mountings to protect against aerial threats. The vessel also had four 30 mm (1.2 in) AK-630 CIWS mountings, and was armed with two twin launchers for the 48 V-611 surface-to-air missiles they carried in the M-11 Shtorm system. She also mounted two quintuple mountings for 533 mm (21 in) dual-role torpedoes.[4]

Electronics warfare

Admiral Isachenkov was equipped with the MR-600 Voskhod (NATO code name Top Sail) early warning air search radar, the MR-310U Angara-M (NATO code name Head Net C) search radar, and the Volga (NATO code names Don Kay and Don-2) navigational radar. For anti-submarine warfare she had improved MG-332T Titan-2T hull mounted sonar.[6] For fire control purposes she had Grom-M for the surface-to-air missiles, MR-103 Bars for the AK725 and MR-123 Vympel for the AK-630.[1] Admiral Isachenkov also had a MG-26 communications outfit and a MG-35 Shtil sonar.[6]

Construction

Built in the Zhdanov Shipyard with the serial number 727, Admiral Isachenkov, named for Soviet deputy for shipbuilding and armaments Nikolai Isachenkov whose leadership led to the development of this class of warships, was laid down on 30 October 1970 and launched on 28 March 1972.[7]

References

Citations
  1. Hampshire 2017, pp. 27–28.
  2. Hampshire 2017, p. 5.
  3. Pavlov 1995, p. 78.
  4. Chant 1987, p. 196.
  5. Hampshire 2017, p. 14.
  6. Averin 2007, p. 45.
  7. Berezhnoy 1995, p. 15.

Bibliography
  • Averin, A.B. (2007). Адмиралы и маршалы. Корабли проектов 1134 и 1134А. [Admirals and Marshals: Ships Project 1134 and 1134A] (in Russian). Moscow: Voennaya Kniga. ISBN 978-5-902863-16-8.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Berezhnoy, S.S. (January 1995). Советский ВМФ 1945-1995: крейсера, большие противолодочные корабли, эсминцы [Soviet Navy, 1945–1995: Cruisers, large anti-submarine ships, and destroyers]. Морская коллекция [Morskaya kollektsiya] (in Russian). Modelist-konstruktor (1).CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Chant, Christopher (1987). A Compendium of Armaments and Military Hardware. Abingdon, United Kingdom: Routledge. ISBN 978-0415710725.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Hampshire, Edward (2017). Soviet Cold War Guided Missile Cruisers. New Vanguard 242. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4728-1740-2.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Pavlov, Alexander (1995). Военные корабли СССР и России 1945-1995 гг. Справочник. [Warships of Russia and the Soviet Union, 1945–1995: Handbook] (in Russian). Yakutsk: Sakhapoligradizdat. OCLC 464542777.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
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