Large ASW ship Vice Admiral Kulakov returns to NF after capital upgrade

06.04.2010 Source: RIA Novosti, photo: Vice Admiral Kulakov

Large ASW ship Vice Admiral Kulakov (Project 1155) having passed fundamental modernization at Severnaya Verf (St. Petersburg) will be recommissioned into Northern Fleet, informed RIA Novosti citing the shipyard's representative.

"Lead ship of Project 1155 has passed capital upgrade at Severnaya Verf and will hold sea trials in mid-April; then the ship will be decommissioned into Northern Fleet", said the interviewee.

According to him, in the course of modernization weapon systems were replaced as well as life support systems; that significantly improved crew living conditions.

In 90's the ship was planned to be dismantled due to underfinancing, reminded representative of Severnaya Verf. However, in 2000's Russian ministry of defense appropriated money for repair and upgrade of the frigate.

Project 1155 Fregat large ASW ships (on NATO classification – Udaloy class destroyers) were commissioned into Soviet Navy in 80's. At present, seven of them (including large ASW ship Admiral Kharlamov which is laid up for repairs in 2006) are in-service ships of Russian Navy. One more ship – Admiral Chabanenko – is a modernized version, Project 1155.1.

Project 1155 large antisubmarine warfare ship was designed by Northern Design Construction Bureau.

Normal displacement of a Project 1155 ship is 6,930 tons; total displacement is 7,570 tons; length is 163.5 meters; beam is 19 meters; draft is 7.87 meters; max speed is 29 knots; operational range is 5,000 nm; endurance is 30 days (by provisions); crew is 220 (including 29 officers).

Armament comprises electronic warfare systems; 2 AK-100 gun mounts (1,200 shells); antiaircraft gun systems; ASW systems Rastrub-B, RBU-6000; SAM systems Kinzhal (64 missiles for self-defense); torpedoes and mines; air group of 2 Ka-27 helicopters.