Končar-class missile boat

Končar-class missile boat
RTOP-21 Šibenik of Croatian Navy
Class overview
Builders:	Kraljevica Shipyard
Operators:	Croatian Navy Montenegrin Navy
Succeeded by:	Kralj class
In commission:	1978-present
Completed:	6
Active:	3
Laid up:	3
General characteristics
Type:	Fast attack craft
Displacement:	240 tons (full load)
Length:	147 ft 6 in (44.96 m)
Draft:	8 ft 5 in (2.57 m)
Propulsion:	2 RR Proteus gas turbines, 2 MTU 16V 538 TB91 diesels
Speed:	38 knots (70 km/h)
Range:	490 nautical miles (910 km) at 38 knots (70 km/h); 870 nautical miles (1,610 km) at 23 knots (43 km/h);
Complement:	5 officers, 25 enlisted
Sensors and processing systems:	Decca 1226 (surface search), Philips TAB (fire control)
Electronic warfare & decoys:	2 Wallop Barricade double layer chaff launchers
Armament:	2× SS-N-2B Styx, 2× Bofors 57 mm/70 Mk1 gun (in Montenegrin service) 2×4 RBS-15 Mk.1, 1× Bofors 57 mm/70 Mk1 gun, AK-630M CIWS (in Croatian service)

The Končar class is a class of fast attack craft that was built for the SFR Yugoslav Navy in the late 1970s. Following the break-up of Yugoslavia one craft went to the Croatian Navy whilst the remaining five went to the Montenegro Navy. As of 2009 three vessels remain in service. As planned by the Yugoslav navy, the entire class of six ships was due to undergo extensive overhauls and modernization during the early 1990s. The ships' anti-ship armament was to be replaced by the Swedish state-of-the-art RBS-15 system after the removal of the old Soviet P-15 Termit missiles. The stern Bofors 57 mm gun was also due to be removed and replaced by a CIWS AK-630M unit. However, only one ship managed to undergo these changes. It was the RTOP-402 which, as the war in Yugoslavia broke out, was being worked on in a Croatian shipyard and thus remained in Croatian service. All other RBS-15 missiles (out of roughly 100 delivered by the time) were captured by the Croatian forces. This ship entered Croatian Navy service as RTOP-21 "Šibenik" in late 1991 and saw additional light upgrading and overhauls over the years.

The class is named after the first vessel which in turn was named after Rade Končar.

Units

• Končar class Yugoslavia
  • RTOP-401 Rade Končar – Withdrawn from operational use by the MCG in 2006. Currently awaiting sale at Bar, Montenegro.
  • RTOP-402 Vlado Ćetković – Captured by the Croatian Navy during events of 1991. Introduced into operational use as Šibenik (RTOP-21). Located at Lora Naval Base in Split.
  • RTOP-403 Ramiz Sadiku – Heavy maintenance stopped mid-1990s. Withdrawn from operational use by the RMVJ in 2007. Partially cut, currently awaiting sale at Tivat Arsenal.
  • RTOP-404 Hasan Zahirović-Laca – Withdrawn from operational use by the MCG in 2006. Currently awaiting sale at Bar, Montenegro.
  • RTOP-405 Jordan Nikolov – Orce – Withdrawn from operational use by the MCG. Currently awaiting sale at Bar, Montenegro.
  • RTOP-406 Ante Banina –Withdrawn from operational use by the MCG. Currently awaiting sale at Bar, Montenegro.