Soviet cruiser Admiral Isachenkov

Admiral Isachenkov (Russian: Адмирал Исаченков) was a Project 1134A Berkut A (NATO reporting name Kresta II)-class Large Anti-submarine Ship (Russian: Большой Противолодочный Корабль, BPK) 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 Sea. The ship acted as flagship for the Minister of Defence, Marshal of the Soviet Union Andrei Grechko, during Okean-75 in 1975 and operated alongside the newly launched Project 1143 Krechyet aircraft carrier Kiev in 1977 and 1978. The ship also shadowed the NATO aircraft carriers HMS Ark Royal, USS Independence and USS John F. Kennedy. The cruiser was taken out of service for repairs in 1981 and substantially upgraded with new weapons and communications systems, re-entering service in 1982. With the end of the Cold War, the Navy reassessed its need for large warships and, after a career stretching nearly twenty years, Admiral Isachenkov was decommissioned in 1992 and sold to be broken up.

Admiral Isachenkov underway in 1985
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 to be broken up in India
General characteristics
Class and type: Kresta II-class cruiser
Displacement:
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 knots (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:
Armament:
Aircraft carried: 1 Kamov Ka-25 'Hormone-A' helicopter
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] The class were designated as Large Anti-submarine Ships (Russian: Большой Противолодочный Корабль, BPK) in accordance with their primary mission of countering NATO ballistic missile submarines, particularly the United States Navy fleet of Polaris-equipped submarines. However, before the ships began to be built, commander-in-chief of the Soviet Navy Admiral Sergey Gorshkov changed the role of the ships to that of destroying NATO attack submarines to allow Soviet Yankee-class ballistic missile submarines to reach the central Atlantic and Pacific, from which the latter could launch their comparatively short-ranged ballistic missiles against targets in the United States.[2][3]

Admiral Isachenkov was 156.5 metres (513.5 ft) long overall with a beam of 17.2 m (56.4 ft) and a draught of 5.96 m (19.6 ft). Displacement was 5,640 t (5,551 long tons) standard and 7,575 t (7,455 long tons) full load. The ship's complement was 343. A hangar was fitted aft capable of handling a single Kamov Ka-25 (NATO reporting name Hormone-A) helicopter.[4][5]

Admiral Isachenkov was propelled by two TV-12-1 geared steam turbines each powered by two high pressure boilers, with the forward engine room powering the port screw and the aft the starboard. Total power was 90,000 kilowatts (120,692 hp), giving a maximum speed of 34 knots (63 km/h; 39 mph).[6] The ship had a range of 5,200 nautical miles (9,630 km; 5,984 mi) at 18 kn (33 km/h; 21 mph) and 1,755 nmi (3,250 km; 2,020 mi) at 32 kn (59 km/h; 37 mph).[4][7]

Armament

For her primary role as an anti-submarine warship, Admiral Isachenkov mounted two quadruple URPK-3 launchers for eight 85R anti-submarine missiles in the Metel anti-ship complex (NATO reporting name SS-N-14 Silex). This was backed up by two RBU-6000 12-barrel and two RBU-1000 6-barrel rocket launchers to protect against close-in threats.[7] The Ka-25 helicopter embarked on the ship was also capable of aiding in the search and destruction of submarines.[8]

Admiral Isachenkov was armed with two twin launchers for the 48 V-611 surface-to-air missiles carried in the M-11 Shtorm system (NATO reporting name SA-N-3 Goblet) to protect against aerial threats, one mounted fore and the other aft. The vessel also had four AK-725 57 mm (2.2 in) L/80 dual-purpose guns situated in two twin mountings and four 30 mm (1.2 in) AK-630 close-in weapon systems.[7] Two quintuple PT-53-1134A mountings for 533 mm (21 in) torpedoes were also fitted which could be used in both the anti-shipping and anti-submarine role.[9]

Electronics warfare

Admiral Isachenkov was equipped with the MR-600 Voskhod (NATO reporting name Top Sail) early-warning radar, supported by a MR-310A Angara-A (NATO reporting name Head Net C) search radar, and two Volga (NATO reporting names Don Kay and Don-2) navigational radars. The MR-310A was an advanced system that could track up to 15 targets at a range of up to 40 km (25 mi). The improved MG-332T Titan-2T hull-mounted sonar was fitted in a bulbous radome for anti-submarine warfare.[10] For fire-control purposes the vessel had Grom-M for the surface-to-air missiles, MR-103 Bars for the AK-725 and MR-123 Vympel for the AK-630.[4] Admiral Isachenkov was also fitted with a MG-26 communications outfit and a MG-35 Shtil passive sonar.[10]

Her electronic warfare equipment included the MRP-15-16 Zaliv and two sets each of the MRP-11-12 and MRP-13-14 direction-finding systems, as well as the MRP-150 Gurzuf A and MRP-152 Gurzuf B radar-jamming devices.[11]

Construction and career

Built in the Zhdanov Shipyard with the yard number 727, Admiral Isachenkov, named for the Soviet official responsible 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.[12][13] The flag was raised on 7 July 1974 and the ship undertook trials in the Baltic Sea between 27 September and 5 November 1974 under the command of Captain 2nd Rank G. V. Sivukhin.[13] During the trials, air, surface and underwater surveillance systems were tested and seven anti-aircraft and four anti-submarine missiles were launched, the guns were fired and a torpedo was released.[14]

1970s

On 5 December, Admiral Isachenkov entered service with the Northern Fleet, and on 5 March the following year hosted the Minister of Defence, Marshal of the Soviet Union Andrei Grechko. Between 3 and 21 April, the vessel then acted as a flagship during Okean-75 under his leadership. This was then followed by service off the coast of Norway between 15 September and 22 November, including tracking the United States Navy aircraft carrier USS Independence.[15] The ship's helicopter also approached the aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal of the Royal Navy, flying close to the bow to take photographs of the aircraft on the flight deck.[16] The vessel proved suited to the role of monitoring NATO vessels.[17] Almost a year later, between August and October 1976, the ship once again observed NATO aircraft carriers, this time USS John F. Kennedy as well as Ark Royal, alongside sister ship Marshal Timoshenko.[15]

Between August and October 1977, the ship was part of an experiment to find a form of emergency underwater acoustic communication through detonating bombs in code, using the MG-35 Shtil. Although the trial was a success, the signals were very distorted due to the unreliability of the explosions. Admiral Isachenkov finished the year as an escort to the new Project 1143 Krechyet aircraft carrier Kiev. Joining the new capital ship on 20 December, the flotilla took to the Atlantic Ocean and, off the coast of Cape Finisterre on 7 January, met the newly commissioned Kerch which then took on the escort role. The ship then continued to serve in the North Atlantic until 12 April. After a scheduled repair, the vessel rejoined Kiev and Marshal Timoshenko to serve as a military taskforce, entering the Mediterranean Sea on 12 June 1979.[18]

1980s and end of service

The start of the new decade found Admiral Isachenkov serving in the Mediterranean, an operation that continued until 26 April 1980. Between 27 and 30 June 1980, the ship served again as the flagship for an exercise in the Atlantic, this time Atlantic-80.[19] Returning to the Mediterranean, the vessel then undertook manoeuvres with Kiev and the helicopter cruiser Leningrad between 4 January and 18 September 1981. During these operations, it was not just Soviet vessels that accompanied Admiral Isachenkov. British and Dutch frigates, such as HMS Ardent, shadowed the Soviet vessels as they transited through the English Channel in the middle of 1981.[20]

Between 19 December 1981 and 1 August 1982, the vessel was in Kronstadt being repaired and upgraded with URPK-5 Rastrub (SS-N-14B) missiles. The new missiles provided a greater anti-ship capability.[21] The Shlyuz Satellite navigation system and the Tsunami-BM satellite communication systems were also fitted. Once back in service, Admiral Isachenkov rejoined Kiev on 5 January 1987 for manoeuvres in the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean, serving until 24 June and observing the USS Nimitz carrier battle group.[19] During this time, between 2 and 5 June, the vessel also made an official visit to Tripoli, Libya.[22]

With the end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, the navy reassessed its need for a large fleet and decided to retire some of its larger ships.[23] After nearly twenty years in service, Admiral Isachenkov was suffering from deteriorating weapons and electronic systems. The cost of upgrades and repairs was considered unjustifiably high and instead, on 3 July 1992, the vessel was decommissioned. The flag was lowered on 23 September and subsequently the ship was sold to an Indian company to be broken up.[19]

During her career, Admiral Isachenkov was assigned the temporary tactical numbers 588, 584, 643, 686, 672, 667 and 640.[19]

References

Citations
  1. Hampshire 2017, pp. 27.
  2. Hampshire 2017, p. 5.
  3. Gardiner, Chumbley & Budzbon 1995, p. 345.
  4. Hampshire 2017, pp. 27–28.
  5. Pavlov 1995, p. 78.
  6. Averin 2007, p. 40.
  7. Chant 1987, p. 196.
  8. Hampshire 2017, p. 14.
  9. Averin 2007, p. 44.
  10. Averin 2007, p. 45.
  11. Averin 2007, p. 46.
  12. Berezhnoy 1995, p. 15.
  13. Averin 2007, p. 65.
  14. Averin 2007, p. 49.
  15. Averin 2007, pp. 65–66.
  16. Van der Aart 1985, p. 143.
  17. Averin 2007, p. 77.
  18. Averin 2007, pp. 66–67.
  19. Averin 2007, p. 67.
  20. "Red Letter Day!" (PDF). Navy News. 326. September 1981. p. 15.
  21. Averin 2007, p. 43.
  22. "Port call in Tripoli". Krasnaya Zvedza. 29 May 1987. p. 3.
  23. Hampshire 2017, p. 45.

Bibliography
  • Averin, A.B. (2007). Адмиралы и маршалы. Корабли проектов 1134 и 1134А. [Admirals and Marshals: Project 1134 and 1134A Ships] (in Russian). Moscow: Voennaya Kniga. ISBN 978-5-902863-16-8.
  • Berezhnoy, S.S. (January 1995). Советский ВМФ 1945-1995: ораблкрейсера, большие противолодочные ки, эсминцы [Soviet Navy, 1945–1995: Cruisers, Large Anti-Submarine Ships and Destroyers]. Морская коллекция [Morskaya kollektsiya] (in Russian). Modelist-konstruktor (1). OCLC 80363771.
  • Chant, Christopher (1987). A Compendium of Armaments and Military Hardware. Abingdon: Routledge. ISBN 978-0415710725.
  • 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.
  • Hampshire, Edward (2017). Soviet Cold War Guided Missile Cruisers. New Vanguard 242. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4728-1740-2.
  • 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.
  • Van der Aart, Dick (1985). Aerial Espionage: Secret Intelligence Flights by East and West. Shrewsbury: Airlife. ISBN 978-0-90639-352-9.
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