SOVREMENNY CLASS (TYPE 956) DESTROYER, RUSSIA
The Sovremenny Class destroyer has a maximum displacement of 8480t
and is similar in size to the USA Navy's Aegis-equipped missile
cruisers. It is armed with an anti-submarine helicopter, 48 air
defence missiles, eight anti-ship missiles, torpedoes, mines,
long-range guns and a comprehensive electronic warfare
system.
The first-of-class Sovremenny was commissioned in 1985. A total of
18 have been built for the Russian Navy. Five remain in service.
All ships were built at the Northern Yard, Severnaya Verf, in Saint
Petersburg.
The Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) has two modified
Sovremenny destroyers, delivered in December 1999 and November
2000. In 2002, PLAN ordered two more. The first of these was
launched in April 2004 and the second in July 2004. The two vessels
are due to be delivered in 2005 and 2006.
COMMAND AND CONTROL
The ship's combat systems can use target designation data from the
ship's active and passive sensors, from other ships in the fleet,
from surveillance aircraft or via a communications link from the
ship's helicopter. The multi-channel defence suite is capable of
engaging several targets simultaneously.
MISSILES
The ship is equipped with the Raduga Moskit anti-ship missile
system with two four-cell launchers installed port and starboard of
the forward island and set at an angle about 15°. The ship carries
a total of eight Moskit 3M80E missiles, NATO designation SS-N-22
Sunburn. The missile is a sea-skimming missile with velocity Mach
2.5 and armed with a 300kg high-explosive warhead or a nuclear
200kt warhead. The range is from 10 to 120km. The launch weight is
4,000kg.
Two Shtil surface-to-air missile systems are installed, each on the
raised deck behind the two-barrelled 130mm guns. Shtil is the
export name of the SA-N-7, NATO reporting name Gadfly. The system
uses the ship's three dimensional circular scan radar for target
tracking. Up to three missiles can be aimed simultaneously. The
range is up to 25km against targets with speeds up to 830m/s. The
ship carries 48 Shtil missiles.
GUNS
The ship's 130mm guns are the AK-130-MR-184 supplied by the Ametist
Design Bureau and the Frunze Arsenal Design Bureau in Saint
Petersburg. The system includes a computer control system with
electronic and television sighting. The gun can be operated in
fully automatic mode from the radar control system, under
autonomous control using the turret mounted Kondensor optical
sighting system and can also be laid manually. Rate of fire is
between 20 and 35 rounds/min.
The ship has four six-barrel 30mm AK-630 artillery systems. The
maximum rate of fire is 5,000 rounds/min. Range is up to 4,000m for
low flying anti-ship missiles and 5,000m for light surface targets.
The gun is equipped with radar and television detection and
tracking.
ANTI-SUBMARINE SYSTEMS
The destroyer has two double 533mm torpedo tubes and two six-barrel
RBU-1000 anti-submarine rocket launchers, with 48 rockets. Range is
1,000m The rocket is armed with a 55kg warhead.
HELICOPTER
The ship's helicopter pad accommodates one Kamov Ka-27
anti-submarine warfare helicopter, NATO codename Helix. The
helicopter can operate in conditions up to Sea State 5 and up to
200km from the host ship.
COUNTERMEASURES
The Project 956 destroyer is fitted with an electronic
countermeasures system and carries a store of 200 rockets for the
two decoy dispensers, model PK-2.
SENSORS
The ship is equipped with three navigation radars, an air target
acquisition radar, and fire control radars for the 130mm gun and
the 30mm gun. The sonar suite includes active and passive hull
mounted search and attack sonar.
PROPULSION
The ship's propulsion system is based on two steam turbine engines
each producing 50,000hp together with four high-pressure boilers.
There are two fixed-pitch propellers. The ship's maximum speed is
just under 33 knots. At a fuel-economic speed of 18 knots the range
is 3,920 miles.
