Krivak-class frigate

Class of frigates built for Soviet/Russian navy

The Krivak class, Soviet designation Project 1135 Burevestnik (storm petrel), are a series of frigates and patrol ships built in the Soviet Union primarily for the Soviet Navy since 1970. Later some sub branches, like the Nerey (Nereus) were designed for coastal patrol by the KGB Border Troops. Until 1977, the ships in the class were considered to be large anti submarine warfare vessels. These ships are commonly known by their NATO reporting class name of Krivak and are divided into Krivak I, Krivak II, Krivak IV (navy), and Krivak III (coast guard) classes.

The frigates were designed as a successor to the The design started in the late 1950s and matured as an anti submarine ship in the 1960s. The first ship was Soviet frigate Bditelnyy that was commissioned in 1970. A total of 40 ships were built, 32 ships for the Soviet Navy and 8 modified ships of the Nerey (Krivak III) subclass for the KGB Maritime Border Guard. Currently 2 vessels of the Nerey subclass are in service with the FSB Coast Guard and one was the flagship of the Ukrainian Navy (scuttled in 2022 to avoid capture). The ship's unique features — the bow missile box, the stack and the angled mast, earned it a rap like nickname among U. S. sailors that comes from their foreign ship silhouette identification training — "Hot dog pack, Smokestack, Knife in the Back, two Guns in the Back — Krivak." The Indian Navy ordered six frigates of upgraded Krivak III class as the Three ships were delivered in 2003–2004. Three more were delivered in 2011–2012. On 12 October 2010, it was announced that the Yantar Shipyard at Kaliningrad had won a contract for construction of three new warships for the Russian Navy. The construction of the frigates for the Russian Navy will be carried out in parallel with the construction of the same type frigates for the Indian Navy.

Project 1135 Burevestnik (Krivak I): Design process started in 1956 as an anti surface frigate successor to the Riga class frigate. The role changed to an anti submarine ship powered by gas turbines and armed with the SS N 14 missile. The main building yards were Zhdanov Yard (now known as Northern Shipyard) (Leningrad), Yantar Yard (Kaliningrad) and Kamysh Burun Yard, (Kerch, Crimea). NATO referred to these ships as Krivak I class. (21 ships built). Project 1135M Burevestnik M (Krivak II): This group of ships were fitted with single 100 mm AK 100 guns instead of the twin 76 mm AK 726 weapons of the Burevestnik design. They also had a redesigned Variable Depth Sonar (VDS) installation. All of these ships were built in Kaliningrad. NATO referred to these ships as Krivak II class. (11 ships built). Project 11351 Nerey (Krivak III): These ships lacked the SS N 14 missile system, which was replaced by a helicopter and hangar, and only one 100 mm gun at the bow of the ship. All ships were built in Kerch and were intended for the Soviet Border Troops under the KGB. Two ships remain in service with the Russian FSB Coast Guard and one ship was in service with the Ukrainian Navy until being scuttled in 2022 to avoid capture. It is believed that a single incomplete Krivak III hull (Hetman Bayda Vyshnevetsky c. 1995) from Ukraine was transferred to Russia and then to the Korean People's Navy. NATO referred to these ships as Krivak III class. (8 ships built). Project 11352/11353 (Krivak IV): This was a modernization of the Project 1135 (Krivak I) ships Leningradski Komsomolets (renamed Legkiy in 1992), Letuchiy, Pylkiy and Zharkiy of the Krivak I group. The refit involved replacing the RBU 6000 anti submarine mortars with SS N 25 anti ship missiles, new radar, sonar and ECM equipment. These ships completed their refits in 1990–1992, and others were to have been modernised but the programme was cancelled with the collapse of the Soviet Union. NATO referred to these ships after their modernization as Krivak IV class. Project 11356 : This is an advanced derivative built for the Indian Navy from 1999 to 2012. Three improved Nerey frigates were ordered by the Indian Navy on 17 November 1997. They are known as Talwar class frigates in Indian naval service. Three more, armed with the BrahMos missile, were ordered on 14 July 2006. (6 ships built). Project 11356R/M : Derivative of the Talwar class intended for the Russian Navy. Six ships were ordered for the Russian Black Sea Fleet under two contracts signed in 2010–2011, with the first ship laid down on 18 December 2010. However, due to the non delivery of the Ukrainian gas turbines, construction of frigates Admiral Butakov and Admiral Istomin was suspended in spring 2015. Despite earlier reports about the resumption of construction of the incomplete frigates, in October 2018, it was announced the frigates Admiral Butakov and Admiral Istomin will be sold to India under a $950 million contract signed the same month. The last frigate, the former Admiral Kornilov, is to be sold abroad. (Total: 3 ships built for the Russian Navy, 3 ships under construction for sale abroad).

Name Namesake Builders Laid down Launched Commissioned Fleet Status Notes Project 1135 (Krivak I) Soviet frigate Bditelnyy Watchful Yantar, Kaliningrad 21 July 1968 28 March 1970 31 December 1970 Baltic Decommissioned in 1996 Soviet frigate Bodryy Brisk Yantar, Kaliningrad 15 January 1969 28 April 1971 31 December 1971 BalticDecommissioned in 1997 Soviet frigate Dostoynyy Virtuous Zaliv, Kerch 11 August 1969 8 May 1971 31 December 1971 Northern Decommissioned in 1993 Soviet frigate Svirepyy Fierce Yantar, Kaliningrad 15 June 1970 27 January 1971 29 December 1972 Baltic Decommissioned in 1993 Soviet frigate Silnyy Strong Yantar, Kaliningrad 15 March 1971 29 August 1972 30 June 1973 Baltic Decommissioned in 1994 Soviet frigate Doblestnyy Valorous Zaliv, Kerch 30 November 1970 22 February 1973 28 December 1973 Northern Decommissioned in 1992 Soviet frigate Storozhevoy Vigilant Yantar, Kaliningrad 20 July 1972 21 March 1973 30 December 1973 Pacific Decommissioned in 2002 This ship was involved in a mutiny in 1975, which inspired the novel The Hunt for Red October Soviet frigate Razumnyy Clever Yantar, Kaliningrad 26 June 1972 20 July 1973 30 September 1974 Pacific Decommissioned in 1998 Soviet frigate Razyashchiy Striking Yantar, Kaliningrad 28 September 1972 22 July 1974 30 December 1974 Pacific Decommissioned in 1992 Soviet frigate Druzhnyy Friendly Yantar, Kaliningrad 12 October 1973 22 January 1975 30 September 1975 Baltic Decommissioned in 2002 Currently on the Moscow River in northwest Moscow, intended to become a floating museum Soviet frigate Deyatelnyy Active Zaliv, Kerch 21 June 1972 5 April 1975 25 December 1975 Black Sea Decommissioned in 1995 Soviet frigate Retivy Ardent Zhdanov, Leningrad 12 June 1974 14 August 1976 28 December 1976 Pacific Decommissioned in 1995 Bezzavetnyy Serene Zaliv, Kerch 28 May 1976 7 May 1977 30 December 1977 Black Sea Decommissioned in 2000 Collided with Yorktown in February 1988 in the Black Sea bumping incident. Transferred to Ukrainian Navy on 1 August 1997 Soviet frigate Zadornyy Passionate Zhdanov, Leningrad 10 November 1977 25 March 1979 31 August 1979 Northern Decommissioned in 2005 Bezukoriznennyy Irreproachable Zaliv, Kerch 12 July 1978 3 June 1979 29 December 1979 Black Sea Decommissioned in 2000 Transferred to Ukrainian Navy on 1 August 1997 Ladnyy Harmonious Zaliv, Kerch 25 May 1979 7 May 1980 29 December 1980 Black Sea Active Completed refit in 2021 and returned to the fleet Soviet frigate Poryvistyy Impetuous Zaliv, Kerch 21 May 1980 16 May 1981 29 December 1981 Pacific Decommissioned in 1994 Transferred to Vladivostok 25 November 1994 as a training base Project 1135M (Krivak II) Soviet frigate Rezvyy Frisky Yantar, Kaliningrad 12 December 1973 30 May 1975 30 December 1975 Northern Decommissioned in 2001 Soviet frigate Rezkiy Sharp Yantar, Kaliningrad 28 July 1974 17 February 1976 30 September 1976 Pacific Decommissioned in 1995 Soviet frigate Razitelnyy Striking Yantar, Kaliningrad 11 February 1975 1 July 1976 31 December 1976 Black Sea Decommissioned in 2004 Transferred to Ukrainian Navy on 1 August 1997 Soviet frigate Grozyashchiy Threatening Yantar, Kaliningrad 4 May 1975 7 February 1977 30 September 1977 Pacific Decommissioned in 1995 Soviet frigate Neukrotimyy Indomitable Yantar, Kaliningrad 22 January 1976 7 September 1977 30 December 1977 Baltic Decommissioned in 2009 Sank on 5 November 2012 in the Baltic Sea Soviet frigate Gromkiy Loud Yantar, Kaliningrad 23 June 1976 11 April 1978 30 September 1978 Northern Decommissioned in 1998 Soviet frigate Bessmennyy Unchanging Yantar, Kaliningrad 11 January 1977 9 August 1978 26 December 1978 Northern Decommissioned in 1998 Soviet frigate Gordelivy Proud Yantar, Kaliningrad 26 July 1977 3 May 1979 20 September 1979 Pacific Decommissioned in 1994 Soviet frigate Ryavnyy Spirited Yantar, Kaliningrad 1 March 1978 1 September 1979 31 December 1979 Pacific Decommissioned in 1997 Soviet frigate Revnostnyy Zealous Yantar, Kaliningrad 1 March 1978 1 September 1979 31 December 1979 Pacific Decommissioned in 2003 Soviet frigate Pytlivyy Keen Yantar, Kaliningrad 27 June 1979 16 April 1981 30 November 1981 Black Sea Active Project 11351 Nerey (Krivak III) Russian frigate Menzhinskiy Vyacheslav Menzhinsky Zaliv, Kerch 14 August 1981 31 December 1982 29 December 1983 Pacific Decommissioned in 1998 Russian frigate Dzerzhinskiy Felix Edmundovich Dzerzhinsky Zaliv, Kerch 20 January 1983 2 March 1984 29 December 1984 Pacific Active Serves with Russian Coast Guard. Russian frigate Oryol (ex Imeni XXVII siezda KPSS, ex Yuri Andropov) Oryol Zaliv, Kerch 26 September 1983 2 November 1985 30 September 1986 Pacific In reserve Serves with Russian Coast Guard. Hetman Vyshnevetskyi (ex Krasny Vympel) Dmytro "Baida" Vyshnevetsky Zaliv, Kerch 27 December 1992 Scrapped incomplete in 1995 Head no. 210 Zaliv, Kerch Construction had begun prior to scrapping, but never laid down Scrapped incomplete in 1995 Project 11352/11353 (Krivak IV) Lyogky (ex Leningradskiy Komsomolets) Zhdanov, Leningrad 22 April 1974 1 April 1977 29 September 1977 Northern Decommissioned in 2003 Letuchiy Flighty Zhdanov, Leningrad 9 March 1977 19 March 1978 10 August 1978 Pacific Decommissioned in 2005 Pylkiy Fervent Zhdanov, Leningrad 6 May 1977 20 August 1978 28 December 1978 Baltic Decommissioned in 2012 Zharkiy Heated Zhdanov, Leningrad 16 April 1974 3 November 1975 29 June 1976 Northern Decommissioned in 2002 Project 11356 (Talwar) Sword Baltic Shipyard, Saint Petersburg 10 March 1999 12 May 2000 March 2002 (Russia), 18 June 2003 (India) Active Trident Baltic Shipyard, Saint Petersburg 24 September 1999 24 October 2000 February 2002 (Russia), 25 June 2003 (India) Active Battle axe Baltic Shipyard, Saint Petersburg 26 May 2000 25 May 2001 January 2004 (Russia), 19 April 2004 (India) Active Saber Yantar, Kaliningrad 28 July 2007 27 October 2009 27 April 2012 (India) Active Quiver Yantar, Kaliningrad 27 October 2007 23 June 2010 October 2012 (Russia), 9 November 2012 (India) Active Mythological arrow consisting of three arrowheads Yantar, Kaliningrad 12 June 2008 25 May 2011 April 2013 (Russia), 29 June 2013 (India) Active Project 11356P/M (Admiral Grigorovich) Russian frigate Admiral Grigorovich Ivan Konstantinovich Grigorovich Yantar, Kaliningrad 18 December 2010 14 March 2014 11 March 2016 Black Sea Active Russian frigate Admiral Essen Nikolai Ottovich Essen Yantar, Kaliningrad 8 July 2011 7 November 2014 7 June 2016 Black Sea Active Russian frigate Admiral Makarov Stepan Osipovich Makarov Yantar, Kaliningrad 29 February 2012 2 September 2015 27 December 2017 Black Sea Active ex Admiral Butakov Grigory Ivanovich Butakov Yantar, Kaliningrad 13 July 2013 5 March 2016 By 2024 Sold to India, under construction ex Admiral Istomin Vladimir Ivanovich Istomin Yantar, Kaliningrad 15 November 2013 16 November 2017 By 2024 16 November 2017 but later simply reported as to be sold abroad