The Proje ct 1143.4 Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union, Gorshkov (forme rly Baku) was obtaine d by India and conve rte d, in Russia, to a CTOL aircraft carrie r (top), drawing on some of the de sig n work e mbodie d in the Proje ct 1143.5 Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union, Kuznetsov ope rating with the Russian Fe de ration Navy (above ). Nevskoe Design Bureau
As well as the purpose built aircraft carrying vessels of the Project 1123 and Project 1143-1143.4, the Soviet Navy, like her western counterparts, routinely based helicopters on a number of ship classes ranging from cruisers/destroyers/frigates to landing/assault ships and auxiliaries. Most prominent among these in the latter Cold War years were the Project 1174 Ivan Rogov Class Large Landing Ship, which had two separate flight decks for helicopter operations.
The project 1174 was a three ship class of Large Landing Ships designed to increase the
capability of the USSR to conduct amphibious assault operations, for which they were designed with the capacity to accommodate, operate and maintain a modest air wing of four Kamov Ka-29 transport helicopters (Ka-27 derivative). The three ships of the class, Ivan Rogov, Alexander Nikolaev and Mitrofan Moshalenko, were constructed between 1978 to 1989 at the Yantar Shipyard in Kaliningrad on the Baltic coast and primarily operated with the Soviet and later Russian Federation Baltic and Black Sea Fleets.
Project 1174 Ivan Rogov Class Amphibious Assault Ship – data furnished by JPSC Nevskoe Design Bureau
Propulsion: 2 x gas turbines each rated at 13240 kW (18000 hp.) driving two shafts Full Displacement: 13880 tons
Length overall: 157 m Beam: 23.8 m
Mean draught at full displacement: 6.7 m Speed (maximum): 21 knots
Range at economic speed of 14.5 knots: 4,000 miles
Armament: 1 x OSA-M surface to air missile launcher; 1 x 20 tube BM-21 122 mm rocket launcher; 1 x AK-726 76 mm gun mounting; 4 x 30 mm AK-630 CIWS
Air wing: 4 x Kamov Ka-29 transport helicopters
Pre vious pag e top and ce ntre : Proje ct 1174 Ivan Rog ov Class Larg e Amphibious Landing Ships in Sovie t Naval se rvice . USNA/CC Pre vious pag e bottom: A starboard side -on silhoue tte of the Proje ct 1174 Ivan Rog ov Class Larg e Amphibious Landing Ship. USN
Above : The Ivan Rog ov Class fe ature d two se parate he licopte r ope rating platforms, one fore and one aft. CC
Top: Mode l of the Proje ct 11780 Unive rsal Landing Ship de sig n date d around 1980. Nevskoe Design Bureau The Sovie t Navy conducte d a se rie s of trials ope rating Yak-38 V/STOL fig hte r aircraft from non-aircraft carrie r platforms, including a conve rte d containe r ship (above ) with a Yak-38 in the take -off/landing /hove r mode and a furthe r Yak-38 on the forward de ck.
By 1980, design of a large universal landing ship, the Project 11780, which would have been capable of accommodating 24 helicopters, was well advanced at Nevskoe (Neva) Design Bureau. This project was cancelled as there was insufficient capacity in Soviet shipyards for the build of ships of that size, available capacity being allocated to more urgently required designs.
The design of the Project 1144 Kirov Class Nuclear Powered Guided Missile Cruiser incorporated the ability to accommodate, operate and maintain up to four (two being standard) Ka-25/27 helicopters, primarily for the ASW (Anti-Submarine Warfare) role.
Increasingly from the mid to late 1960’s, many warship and auxiliary types, the former including the Project 57-Bis Missile Destroyer, Project 58 Missile Cruiser, Project 61ME Destroyer and Project 1134 Large Anti-Submarine Ship, were provided with the capacity to operate a single Ka-25 ASW helicopter, the latter two designs, as was the case with the later Kirov, accommodating the aircraft in a hanger.
Pre vious pag e : Like he r NATO counte rparts, from the mid-1960’s, and particularly g oing into the 1970’s, the Sovie t Union be g an de sig ning a he licopte r ope rating capability into he r larg e r surface combatants such as the Proje ct 1164 Slava Class Cruise r (top) and the Sovre me nny Class De stroye r (bottom). USN Above : The Proje ct 1144 Nucle ar (Atomic) Powe re d Missile Cruise r was de sig ne d with the facilitie s to ope rate and maintain ASW he licopte rs, two standard and four ove rload, the se typically be ing Kamov Ka-25 and late r Ka-27. USN
The Soviets practiced Yakovlev Yak-38 V/STOL fighter aircraft take-off and landings from a container ship, the main purpose for this most likely being to enable such vessels to transport replacement aircraft to within several hundred kilometers of a Kiev Class HACC (Heavy Aircraft Carrying Cruiser) operational area, allowing the HACC to remain on station rather than return to port due to lack of operational aircraft. Theoretically vessels like the Ivan Rogov Class could have been utilized in this role also, particularly in support of any Kiev Class HACC operating with the Baltic or Black Sea Fleet’s, although the short distances may have negated their need.
Many modern day Russian warship and auxiliary designs, including all Frigate size and above warships, along with many smaller size patrol vessels, are configured for the operation and accommodation of at least one helicopter, typically a Ka-27/28 or Ka-31, some small size patrol vessels also having provision for the operation of small size VTOL (Vertical Take-Off and Landing UAV (Uninhabited Air Vehicles).
The stable of mode rn Russian Fe de ration Naval ships fe aturing he licopte r ope rating facilitie s rang e from larg e ve sse ls like the Proje ct 21301 Salvag e Ve sse l (pre vious pag e top), Proje ct 21818 Me dium Amphibious Landing Ship (pre vious pag e ce ntre ), Proje ct 11661/11541 Ge pard 3.9 Frig ate (pre vious pag e bottom) and the Proje ct 20382 Frig ate (this pag e top). In the case of the Frig ate size ve sse ls, a Kamov Ka-27/28 or Ka-31 he licopte r could be carrie d while the Proje ct 21818 Me dium Landing Ship can ope rate he licopte rs up to 12 ton. Admiralty Shipyards/USC/Almaz Above: Concept model of a Russian desig ned helicopter carrier to replace the Mistral Class he licopte r carrie rs orde re d from France , but cance lle d following the imposition of Europe an Union sanctions on Russia in 2014. The carrie r conce pt is shown with Ka-29/32 assault transport and Ka-52K naval attack he licopte rs.
KRET.