Kresta I-class cruiser

Kresta I-class cruiser
Kresta cruiser
Class overview
Builders:	Zhdanov, Leningrad
Operators:	Soviet Navy Russian Navy
Preceded by:	Kynda
Succeeded by:	Kresta II
Completed:	4
Retired:	4
General characteristics
Displacement:	6,000 tons standard, 7,500 tons full load
Length:	159.0m
Beam:	17.0m
Draught:	6.0m
Propulsion:	2 steam turbines 91,000-100,000 shp
Speed:	34 knots
Range:	10,500 nm at 14 kt
Complement:	343-360
Armament:	2 twin SS-N-3 Shaddock anti ship missiles 2 twin SA-N-1 Goa surface to air missile launchers (44 missiles) 2 twin 57-mm/70-cal AK-725 anti-aircraft guns 2 quintuple 533mm torpedo tubes
Aircraft carried:	1 Kamov Ka-25 'Hormone-B'
Aviation facilities:	Helicopter deck and hangar

Kresta I class cruiser is a Soviet cruiser class, the Soviet designation was Project 1134 Berkut (Golden Eagle).

These ships were designed for a surface warfare role. Soviet priorities were changed to an anti-submarine role and only 4 ships were built with this configuration. These ships were followed by the Kresta II class cruiser, an anti-submarine derivative.

Design

Though considerably larger, more effective and reliable than the previous Soviet cruiser class, Kynda, the Kresta I surface warfare cruisers carried only half as many Shaddock launch tubes and one-fourth the total number of missiles. Initially it was planned to fit the SS-N-12 Sandbox ( P-500 Bazalt) missile but the protracted development of this missile led to the older SS-N-3 being shipped. The self-defence armament was considerably increased as were command and communications facilities.

The Kresta I could launch four SS-N-3b SLCMs and 44 SA-N-1 surface-to-air missiles with two twin launchers fore and aft, and have ten 21-inch torpedo tubes. A single Ka-25 Hormone B helicopter is carried for targeting the cruise missile, and mid-course corrections.

Electronics Fit carried :

• Radar:

MR-500 Kliver air search

MR-302 Rubka

MR-310 Angara

Don navigation

• Sonar:

MG-312 hull mounted

MG-26 hull mounted

• Other systems:

Khrom-2M IFF

Yatagan SA-N-1 fire control

MR-103 AK-725 fire control

Binom P35 Progress fire control

Two unbuilt variants were proposed;

• Project 934 - A variant armed with 8 short range anti ship missiles (SS-N-9) otherwise similar to the ships built. This design evolved into the Kresta 2 class

• Project 934 K - This was a larger flagship variant with enlarged command facilities and a bigger hangar for 4-5 helicopters. This variant was cancelled

Ships

The initial plan was for a single squadron of seven ships armed with long range missiles and two squadrons of fourteen ships armed with shorter range missiles. In reality only four ships were built before production switched to the anti-submarine variant the Kresta 2 class

Ship	Laid Down	Launched	Commissioned	Scrapped
Admiral Zozulya Адмирал Зозуля	1964	1965	1967	1994
Vize-Admiral Drozd Вице-Адмирал Дрозд	1965	1966	1968	Sank 1992 on way to breakers
Vladivostok Владивосток	1964	1969	1969	1991
Sevastopol Севастополь	1966	1967	1969	1991

Kresta class missile cruiser moored to a pier together with a Udaloy class destroyer in 1992.

References

Gardiner, Robert (ed.) (1995). Conway's all the World's Fighting Ships 1947-1995. London: Conway Maritime. ISBN 0-85177-605-1. OCLC 34284130.  Also published as Gardiner, Robert; Chumbley, Stephen; Budzbon, Przemysław (1995). Conway's all the World's Fighting Ships 1947-1995. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-132-7. OCLC 34267261. 

External links

• - Article in Russian
• - page from FAS in English
• (English) All Russian Kresta I Class Cruisers - Complete Ship List