Biographies Characteristics Analysis

Frigate of the Black Sea Fleet Admiral Grigorovich weapons. The last naval minister, Russian Admiral Grigorovich Ivan Konstantinovich

Ivan Konstantinovich Grigorovich was born on January 26 (February 7), 1853 in St. Petersburg in the family of a hereditary nobleman captain of the 1st rank (then rear admiral) K. I. Grigorovich. He spent his childhood years in Revel, where he studied at the Revel Gymnasium together with his peers Vladimir Baer, ​​the future first commander of the Varyag cruiser, and Evgeny Egoriev, the future commander of the Aurora cruiser.

After the death of his father, Ivan entered the naval service at the age of 18, and in May 1871 he set sail for the first time. In March 1874, he graduated from the Naval Cadet Corps in St. Petersburg and after a year's sailing as a midshipman and successfully passing the exams, in 1875 he was promoted to midshipman and enlisted in the Baltic Fleet.

Then I. K. Grigorovich served in the Baltic on various ships and in various positions. During the Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878, he participated on the clipper "Zabiyaka" in the Cymbrian expedition to the North American United States. Until 1881, he sailed on the "Zabiyak" in the position of watch chief and senior officer. In 1883, for diligence, he received the rank of lieutenant and became the commander of his first ship - at first the small port steamer Koldunchik, and then, in 1884-1886, the steamer Rybka.

Service career developed successfully. Since 1888, Ivan Konstantinovich - flag officer of the headquarters of the Pacific squadron chief, since 1890 - commander of the steamship "Petersburg", since 1891 - senior officer of the frigate "Duke of Edinburgh", flag captain of the coastal headquarters of the 2nd Naval Division, since 1893 of the year - senior officer of the corvette "Vityaz", and then the cruiser 1st rank "Admiral Kornilov". In 1895, Grigorovich was appointed commander of the 2nd rank cruiser "Robber", in 1895 - commander of the coastal monitor.
defense "Battleship", in 1896 - the commander of the mine cruiser "Voevoda". On September 22, 1896, Captain 2nd Rank Grigorovich was awarded the Order of St. Vladimir 4th degree with a bow for participating in 20 naval campaigns.

In 1896, a hereditary sailor was unexpectedly appointed to military diplomatic work and became a naval attaché in Great Britain. At the same time, he also works as a maritime agent in France, where the construction of the squadron battleship "Tsesarevich" and the cruiser "Bayan" is underway in Toulon. In February 1899, Captain 1st Rank Grigorovich took command of the battleship Tsesarevich, which was under construction, and upon completion of construction in 1903, under his command, this battleship made the transition to Port Arthur to reinforce the 1st Pacific Squadron.

There, "Tsesarevich" became the flagship, but at the very beginning of the Russo-Japanese War, on the night of January 27, 1904, during a surprise attack by Japanese destroyers, the ship was blown up in the Port Arthur roadstead. True, then the armored and anti-mine bulkheads withstood, and the Tsesarevich, having a list of 17 degrees, remained afloat and repelled enemy attacks all night. The commander of the battleship in this battle was shell-shocked by an exploding shell.

Later, the malfunctions of the Tsesarevich were eliminated, and the flagship of the Arthur squadron was put back into service. On July 28, 1904, after a fierce battle with the Japanese, he broke through to Qingdao, in 1908 he participated in helping the population of the Italian city of Messina, which was hit by an earthquake, participated in the First World War, fought in the Moonsund operation, made the Ice crossing from Helsingfors to Kronstadt, walked under the red flag during the Civil War under the name "Citizen", and only in 1924 the ship was dismantled for metal.

Having recovered from the shell shock, in April 1904, I.K. Grigorovich became the Chief Commander of the Port of Arthur, having received the rank of Rear Admiral. The range of his duties was very wide: repairing damaged ships, organizing trawling of the base water area and an external raid, laying minefields on the most likely enemy approach routes to Port Arthur, supplying the squadron with ammunition, spare parts and all kinds of allowances. During the period of hostilities in the ship repair shops of the besieged Port Arthur, it was possible not only to bring a number of warships back to life, but also to build a submarine. One of the participants in the defense wrote: “The energy and diligence of Ivan Konstantinovich work wonders. The fleet exists, and the merit of Grigorovich is indisputable. For courage shown during the defense of Port Arthur, in 1904 Grigorovich was awarded the Order of St. Stanislav 1st degree with swords and swords to the Order of St. Vladimir 3rd degree.

In 1905-1906, I.K. Grigorovich was the chief of staff of the Black Sea Fleet and the ports of the Black Sea. On May 14, 1906, during the explosion of a bomb thrown by terrorists at a parade in Sevastopol, he was shell-shocked in the head. After the assassination of the commander of the fleet, Admiral Chukhnin, he commanded the fleet for some time.
In December 1906, Ivan Konstantinovich was transferred to the Baltic, where he commanded a military port in Libau (Liepaja). There, Grigorovich managed in a short time to create a powerful ship repair base and form the first diving training detachment in Russia. For excellent work in Libava, Grigorovich was awarded the Order of St. Anna, 1st degree, in 1908. And from the end of 1908, Grigorovich was the chief commander of the Kronstadt port and the military governor of Kronstadt.

On February 9, 1909, he was appointed Comrade (Deputy) Minister of the Navy and was soon promoted to Vice Admiral. With the new appointment, the responsibility has become immeasurably greater. The post of Deputy Naval Minister was not so much an honorary one as a deadly difficult one. He was in charge of shipbuilding and ship repair, issues of logistics and hydrographic support for the fleet. And this despite the fact that after the end of the Russo-Japanese War, not a single department of Russia was in such extreme ruin as the Navy found itself in. For five years, admirals Birilev, Dikov and Voevodsky, who succeeded each other as Minister of the Navy, failed to cope with the task of reviving the fleet. There was a need for a radical reorganization of the maritime department.

On March 18, 1911, at the insistence of the State Duma, the Minister of Marine Admiral S. A. Voevodsky was dismissed. I. K. Grigorovich was appointed to this post, and in September of the same year he was awarded the rank of admiral.

In the last pre-war years, I. K. Grigorovich devoted himself entirely to the work of strengthening the Russian Navy. In a short time, having got rid of idlers and intriguers, the new minister organized the work of all institutions subordinate to him, established relations with the State Duma and other supreme governing bodies of the Russian Empire, and achieved almost complete satisfaction of the requests and needs of the fleet. According to the memoirs of his contemporaries, he was not a cabinet leader. He was more likely to be found at the stocks of the shipyard than in the Admiralty. Ivan Konstantinovich inspected the fleets and shipyards, personally supervised the progress of the construction of ships, the training of teams and individual specialists. He carried out a number of shipbuilding programs for the Black Sea and Baltic Fleets, established a shipbuilding conference that decided on the distribution of orders among private entrepreneurs and abroad. On the eve of the First World War, Russia had 9 battleships, 14 cruisers, 71 destroyers and 23 submarines.

I. K. Grigorovich headed the Naval Ministry of Russia for six years, including during the First World War. In this position, he can no longer be called a naval commander, but, as evidenced by the facts, he was an excellent administrator. Having studied the experience of the Russo-Japanese War, he built the fleet on a new basis. Through the efforts of the Minister of the Navy during the First World War, the fleet was reinforced with 9 more battleships, 29 destroyers, 35 submarines. The world's best destroyers of the Novik type, battleships of the Sevastopol type, the world's first minesweepers, and the world's best examples of mines and trawls were created. For the first time, the fleet of the Arctic Ocean and operational formations-squadrons appeared in the fleet. Suffice it to recall that 30 years later, at the beginning of World War II, the basis of the Soviet Navy were ships built when Grigorovich was Minister of War, including all battleships, 40% of cruisers and a third of destroyers.

Despite this, by the decision of the Provisional Government of March 22, 1917, Admiral I.K. Grigorovich was removed from his post and dismissed "with a uniform and a pension." The provisional government wanted to find "sins" behind him, but the commission of inquiry did not find anything seditious.

Ivan Konstantinovich had the opportunity to leave Russia in 1917 and after the October Revolution, but did not. The Bolsheviks invited him to work as part of the Naval Historical Commission to summarize the experience of the First World War and military operations at sea. On the instructions of this commission, he even wrote memoirs. But the service ration was not enough, and in the winter of 1920 he had to earn extra money sawing and chopping firewood. Later, I managed to get a job as an archivist of the Maritime Archives, then - to a teaching job at the Higher School of Water Transport.

In the autumn of 1924, the Soviet government allowed Grigorovich, already seriously ill, to travel abroad for medical treatment. He went to the French Riviera and never returned to Russia.

The rest of his life I. K. Grigorovich lived very modestly in France, in the resort town of Menton near Nice. He was a full knight of the orders of the French Legion, but refused the pension due to him in this country "for reasons of principle." For the same reason, he also refused the pension due to him by the British "as a reward for the services of the Russian fleet to the British in the era of the Great War." Ivan Konstantinovich also did not take part in the public life of the emigration. He lived by selling his paintings, seascapes, which he wrote here, on the embankment of Menton.

The admiral and the last naval minister of the Russian Empire died practically in poverty on March 3, 1930 in Menton. Before his death, he bequeathed that his ashes be committed to his native land and buried in St. Petersburg, in a family crypt next to his wife's grave. An inscription in English was carved on his grave in Menton: “Always beloved, always dear, O Russia, sometimes remember him, who thought so much about you.”

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Updated: November 20, 2016 By: admin

The resurgent naval power of Russia pleases all true patriots. After many years, during which the fleet fell into decay, its rearmament has finally begun, accompanied by the commissioning of new combat units that meet the requirements of the new century. Among them is the Project 11356 frigate Admiral Grigorovich, launched on March 14, 2014.

What is a Russian frigate

In the Soviet classification of the Navy, there was no such class of ships as a frigate. Large and patrol boats (SK) were built, which carried the main burden in ensuring the inviolability of the USSR's long water frontiers. Since 1968, military vessels of project 1135, being built at the Yantar plant, began to enter the arsenal of the fleet. A series of eighteen ships, as usual, was named after its first unit, the Petrel. Guard service was also carried by Noreys (project 11351), built in larger numbers (39 units). Some of them are still in service, but time and sea waves are merciless, equipment tends to wear out and grow old morally. The experience gained by shipbuilders in the development of these types is taken into account. They will be replaced by ships of a new project - 11356. The class "Admiral Grigorovich" corresponds to the concept of "frigate" adopted in many fleets of the world, both in terms of displacement and combat capabilities. Perhaps this class will take root in the Russian Navy.

Who is the ship and series named after?

The Admiral Grigorovich project in the coming years will be continued by four more frigates already laid down, bearing the names of the famous Russian admirals Essen, Makarov, Butakov and Istomin. These naval commanders are known mainly to people interested in the history of Russia and its armed forces. All of them became famous during the heroic defense of Port Arthur during the Russo-Japanese War of 1905-1907. At the same time, our fellow citizens know least of all about the one in whose honor the titular ship of the series is named - the frigate Admiral Grigorovich. Perhaps this happened because the biography of the honored military statesman did not fully correspond to the ideas of Soviet propagandists about patriotism.

From midshipman to admiral

I. K. Grigorovich was born in 1853. He came to the fleet as a midshipman, a graduate of the naval school. He received excellent knowledge, for this reason, as a twenty-five-year-old officer, he was sent to the North American States as part of a group of specialists to receive four cruiser-class ships ordered from Philadelphia shipyards. Five years later, in 1883, Grigorovich for the first time became the commander of a very modest "Sorcerer", not leaving the port harbor. It seemed that the career was not progressing very successfully, but the authorities noticed a talented, diligent and not grumbling officer. Several transfers followed, the service became harder, but more interesting.

The fate of the admiral

At the end of the 19th century, he served as a naval attaché in London, and in 1904 he received a new appointment as commander of the naval base in Port Arthur, where he arrived on the bridge of the Tsesarevich, an armadillo. During the Japanese siege, I.K. Grigorovich showed himself from the very best side, having managed to provide defense with everything necessary. Since 1911, the Vice Admiral has served as Minister of the Imperial Russian Navy. His plans found their development after 1917. All the battleships of Soviet Russia, a third and almost half of the cruisers were launched in the prewar years according to the modernization programs developed by Grigorovich. The admiral himself, however, did not accept Bolshevik power, lived after the revolution on the French Cote d'Azur, where - after six years of emigration - he died in 1930.

The ashes of the honored Russian statesman and naval figure found their last resting place in 2005. According to the will of the deceased, he was buried in the family vault at the Nikolsky cemetery in St. Petersburg.

The appearance of the ship

The descent of the Admiral Grigorovich into the water took place on March 14, with some delay caused by bad weather. The ceremony was attended by the great-great-grandson of the naval commander Artem Moskovchenko, as well as his granddaughter, who broke the traditional bottle of champagne on the stem. So for the first time the ship "Admiral Grigorovich" met with the sea waves. The photo captured this solemn moment. There is no doubt that the recognition of the merits of the naval commander before his native country touched his descendants.

According to a relative, grandfather was a strict boss, he would certainly check everything, from stern to bow, before accepting a frigate. Grigorovich, apparently, would have been satisfied with the result of the inspection. The ship came out great. Having inherited all the best qualities of previous projects, this multi-purpose ship has acquired new properties that are characteristic of the most modern models of naval weapons. Its underwater contours provide excellent navigability, and the hull and superstructures are made using low visibility technologies. The equipment corresponds to the latest technology and electronics. The frigate Admiral Grigorovich looks impressive, modern and dynamic.

Purpose of the ship

Each warship is built for a specific purpose, to perform very specific tasks. This type of weapon differs from many others by the very high cost of both the unit itself and its subsequent operation.

The project 11356 frigate "Admiral Grigorovich" is intended for military service in the Mediterranean basin, and the city of Russian glory, Sevastopol, was planned from the very beginning. The Black Sea Fleet needs modern ships, the increased activity of NATO countries in the region dictates the need for retaliatory measures. However, the autonomous range (about five thousand also allows going beyond the boundaries of the outlined patrol zone, for example, to fight pirates, as well as in other extraordinary cases. The tasks that the Admiral Grigorovich frigate can solve are very diverse. It is able to successfully resist torpedo, air and missile attacks, is capable of repelling hostile actions.The weapons on board are quite enough to hit any underwater or surface target, including aircraft-carrying large-capacity ships.

Weapons complex

The ship's main weapon is the Caliber-NK launchers for the Onyx cruise missiles (3M-54TE). There are eight of them, these are very serious systems that are able to hit any object at sea and on land. They have no analogues in the world.

To protect against possible attacks from the air, the Admiral Grigorovich ship is equipped with two air defense systems, bearing the names Shtil-1 (36 guided missiles in the arsenal) and Broadsword. The first of them is a multi-channel missile, which means the ability to lead and hit several targets at the same time. The second is highly efficient, like the two Kortik systems, which are also responsible for the safety of the airspace. Two A-190 installations constructively contain the fastest-firing guns in the world with a caliber of 100 mm. Two TAs each hold three 533 mm torpedoes. The powerful protection is completed by the time-tested RBU-6000 jet bomb launcher. And, of course, the frigate 11356 "Admiral Grigorovich", like any modern patrol ship, could not do without its own air wing in the form of a Ka-31 helicopter (it is possible to use the Ka-27 PL).

low visibility

Nowadays, camouflage is understood not only as painting in camouflage colors, which provide maximum stealth against the background of sea water and sky. This is also necessary, visual detection remains one of the most important reconnaissance methods, but it is more important to remain invisible to the radars of a potential enemy. The principle of radar remains the same as at the dawn of its invention. The reflected high frequency electron beam displays on the screen the location of all objects rising above sea level. To reduce visibility, you can act in two ways: redirect the flow of particles in the other direction or absorb radiation. Together, these measures are called "Stealth technologies". The Project 11356 frigate "Admiral Grigorovich" and, of course, all subsequent ships of this series, have little visibility for the radars of a potential enemy. This is achieved by a special form of the hull, with outlines consisting of inclined planes, special absorbing coatings and electronic equipment, which makes it difficult to detect the ship using radar. Most of the weapons and equipment are hidden behind shielding surfaces. Of course, it is impossible to make a ship completely invisible to radars, but it will be quite difficult to find the Grigorovich frigate in the sea.

Modules

According to the traditional technology, the ship's hull is laid on the slipway, then it is built from the bottom up as a whole. This is how ships have been built since ancient times. But in recent decades, the technology has become somewhat different. it takes into account the need for rapid modernization and installation of new equipment, sometimes large. The hull is built in parts, so that if there is a need for undocking, this would not cause technological problems. The construction of the frigate "Admiral Grigorovich" was carried out in a modular way, the most progressive to date. The ship has a reserve of modernization potential that allows you to replace any components, from power units to electrical equipment.

Indian frigate

The state-owned enterprise plant "Yantar" has existed since the victorious 1945. In the German Koenigsberg there was a shipyard "Schihau", which became the basis of ship production after the war, when this Baltic city became Soviet. During the existence of the plant, more than one and a half hundred ships, mostly combat ones, were launched here.

Since 2007, by order of the Indian government, a special order has been carried out at the Baltic Shipyard: ships are being built for the Navy of a friendly country. The project is the same, 11356, according to which the frigate "Admiral Grigorovich" was created. The difference, however, is significant. The common element of the two "brothers" is the hull, and the equipment and weapons are different. Indian frigates are armed with Brahmos missile systems with vertical launchers.

The buyers liked the seaworthiness of the Russian ships so much that they expressed a desire to build them on their own, according to the purchased technical documentation. They are provided with comprehensive assistance within the framework of the program of military cooperation. The names of the first four frigates of the Indian series are Talwar, Tarkash, Trikand and Teg.

EW complex

Electronic warfare against the means of communication and control of the enemy has now become the most important task, the successful solution of which practically guarantees victory over any enemy. Frigate 11356 "Admiral Grigorovich" is armed with four CREB PK-10 "Brave". These ten-barrel launchers are reminiscent of rocket-propelled bombers, but they have a different task. Instead of directly hitting enemy ships, they fire projectiles that can disable the enemy's combat electronics. The interference created will deprive the enemy fleet of the possibility of information exchange, blind the radars, and disable the air defense systems.

Fire control systems

Long gone are the days when they shot "by eye". Even the perfect ones no longer meet the requirements of military sailors due to the transience of the situation in the maritime arena of hostilities. It is the commander's prerogative to make decisions about opening fire, and the crew trusts automation to calculate the parameters of the shot. The ship "Admiral Grigorovich" has on board the most powerful computer systems that serve to quickly aim weapons at the target. The information comes from the Puma radar, the Vympel 123-02 control system is engaged in missile launches, and the Purga-11356 control system is responsible for the torpedoes.

Sizes and Quantities

The size of ships is judged by displacement. "Admiral Grigorovich" is a patrol ship, and therefore it should not be huge, like an aircraft carrier. Its draft is small, up to 7.5 meters, which is quite consistent with the characteristics of the Black Sea, which is shallow in many places. The displacement is approximately four thousand tons, which also does not speak of colossal dimensions. For example, in the cruiser "Peter the Great" it reaches 25 thousand tons.

Frigate "Admiral Grigorovich": photo and proportions

Frigates are large ships, but not the largest. This is the key to their maneuverability, speed and stealth. However, the Admiral Grigorovich frigate cannot be called small either. The photos provided by the press service of the Navy eloquently indicate a rather large length (125 meters). The hull is elongated, the ship is, as it were, “compressed” along the sides, which indicates its propulsion. The power plant, consisting of two, accelerates the ship to 30 knots, and in afterburner mode - even faster.

The crew consists of 18 officers, 142 sailors and twenty marines, totaling 180 people. The management of such a complex ship as the frigate "Admiral Grigorovich" requires a high level of training, coherence and cohesion. Only true professionals who love the sea and, of course, the Motherland can serve in his team.

On March 10, at the Yantar Baltic Shipyard, a signing ceremony was held for the act of acceptance and transfer of the patrol ship (frigate) Admiral Grigorovich (tail number - 745) - the head project 11356R / M developed by the Northern Design Bureau. And the next day, the Andreevsky flag was raised on the ship. The event was attended by Governor of the Kaliningrad Region Nikolai Tsukanov, Commander of the Black Sea Fleet Admiral Alexander Vitko, Vice President for Military Shipbuilding of the United Shipbuilding Corporation Igor Ponomarev, and other officials. Among the guests of honor are the descendants of Admiral Ivan Grigorovich, including his granddaughter Olga Petrova, the godmother of the ship. Honorary patronage of the new combat unit of the Russian Navy was taken by the Omsk region.

Alexander FEDOROV

“This is the first ship of the second rank that has been delivered to us lately,” Alexander Vitko said at the flag-raising ceremony. - He became part of the 30th division of the Black Sea Fleet. This is a modern ship that cannot even be compared with those that were built in the Soviet era.”

Project 11356R/M patrol ships are designed to conduct combat operations against enemy submarines and surface ships, strike coastal targets, and repel air attacks both independently and as part of formations. These frigates are the first surface ships in the far sea and ocean zones in post-Soviet times. Their total displacement is 4035 tons, length - 124.8 m, width - 15.2 m. Twin-shaft gas-gas turbine plant (according to the COGAG scheme) with a total capacity of 56,000 hp. allows you to develop a 30-knot full speed. Cruising range at 14 knots - 4850 miles. The crew consists of 180 people. The ships can additionally take on board up to 20 marines.

Patrol ships of project 11356R/M are armed with 24 anti-aircraft missiles 9M317M SAM "Shtil-1" in vertical launchers of cellular type 3S90M, eight cruise missiles of the multi-purpose complex "Caliber-NK" (instead of them, supersonic anti-ship missiles can be placed in the launcher 3S-14 " Onyx" or ballistic anti-submarine missiles 91R), A-190 universal automatic artillery mount, two six-barreled 30-mm AK-630M assault rifles, two twin-tube anti-submarine 533-mm torpedo tubes DTA-53-956 and RBU-6000. Closer to the stern there is a runway and a hangar for the Ka-27PL anti-submarine helicopter. Various electronic equipment. There is a combat information and control system, a radar station for various purposes, a sonar, and electronic warfare equipment. Architecturally, the frigates are made using low visibility technologies.

In total, six TFRs of this type should be built for the needs of the Black Sea Fleet. The lead one was laid down at the Yantar Baltic shipbuilding plant on December 18, 2010, and its commissioning was expected in 2013. But those plans were thwarted. The ship was launched only on March 14, 2014. The reasons for the "lateness" are different - from the untimely delivery of equipment, weapons and other components by counterparty enterprises to numerous changes in the leadership of the Kalingrad plant itself.

Especially a lot of trouble was caused by the integration of domestic component equipment instead of imported ones. The fact is that the TFR of project 11356R / M is a further development of the frigates of project 11356 (Talwar type) built in two series at the Baltic Shipyard and at the same Yantar for the Indian Navy. A significant part of their electronic and other equipment was made up of instruments and assemblies manufactured by Indian and other foreign companies. For a number of products, there were no Russian analogues, or they required improvement. Here is the first "trip" that "Admiral Grigorovich" stumbled over.

There were others. For example, during factory sea trials last summer, the coolers of the main engine “flew” at the frigate. They had to be changed. This operation is troublesome and time-consuming. As a result, the state tests of the Admiral Grigorovich once again shifted to the right and began only in October.

The ship was fully tested in the Baltic, and then in the Barents Sea, where it arrived on December 21 last year. Driving and seaworthiness were checked, all types of weapons on board were fired, including cruise missiles of the Caliber-NK complex, at sea and coastal targets, as well as 9M317M missiles. The tests of the latter were especially important and responsible. "Admiral Grigorovich" is the first of the warships to receive these missiles, designed to fire from under-deck launchers of the 100th type 3S90M. Project 956 destroyers and Talwar-class frigates use tilt-launch beam launchers with 9M38, 9M38M1E and 9M317ME missiles. The introduction of vertical launchers with a new missile provides a lot of advantages. SAMs are in constant readiness for use. The rate of fire has increased six times compared to the old-style Shtil air defense system. Now all-round protection of the ship is provided (fire sector - 360 °). The air defense system can simultaneously fire from two to twelve air targets and, with a high probability, hit a wide range of them - from high-altitude high-speed missiles to anti-ship missiles at extremely low altitudes, as well as intercept highly maneuverable targets in a wide range of altitudes and ranges. SAMs with high efficiency can also be fired at surface targets.

The state tests of the head frigate were successfully completed under the Christmas tree - on December 30 last year. But there was no time left for the transfer to the fleet. Therefore, we decided without unnecessary haste to carry out an audit of weapons, mechanisms and assemblies on the ship at the construction plant. "Admiral Grigorovich" arrived in Kaliningrad on January 11, and on March 3-4 made a control exit to the sea, and finally, on March 10, an acceptance certificate was signed.

It must be assumed that with the next two in the TFR series of this type, things will go faster. In any case, the leaders of the USC and representatives of Yantar claim that the delivery of the Admiral Essen fleet, which began state trials on February 1, will take place before the end of April this year, and the Admiral Makarov - in August. God forbid, but let's not forget that shipbuilders are always generous with advance payments.

But with the second trio of frigates of project 11356R / M, problems persist. They are known and associated with M7N1 gas turbine units manufactured by the Nikolaev enterprise Zorya-Mashproekt, which stopped deliveries of the GTU PSZ Yantar after Kyiv imposed an embargo on the export of military and dual-use products to Russia. The money for these power units has long been paid, but it is unlikely that they will reach Kaliningrad in the foreseeable future.

The solution to the problem can be threefold. Or you need to wait until the production of ship gas turbine engines will be established at NPO Salyut. This Rybinsk association promised to start production of such gas turbines in 2017. However, it will take another year, or even two or three, for the final debugging of the units and the organization of their mass production. Another option is the purchase of gas turbines in China, since, for obvious reasons, one cannot count on their purchase in the USA and Great Britain, but only in these countries, except for Ukraine, gas turbine units are developed and assembled (we are not talking about licensed copies here, since they are from Russia). also not available). The third option is to equip the SKR project 11356R/M with diesel units of domestic or foreign production. Yes, you will have to seriously redesign the ships and lose 3-4 knots in their speed, but this is still a way out.

However, the USC leadership, apparently, is more inclined towards a different option ...

A few days before the raising of the flag on the Admiral Grigorovich - on March 2 - at the Yantar Shipyard, without the usual ceremonial events in such cases, the frigate Admiral Butakov, the fourth TFR of the series, was launched. Such "modesty" is easy to explain. For known reasons, there is no power plant on the ship. In order to release the slipway, which is needed for other production needs, it was launched and put into de facto sludge. The same fate, it seems, awaits the Admiral Istomin, the fifth frigate of project 11356R / M. The sixth TFR - "Admiral Kornilov" - will avoid this procedure, since it was not even officially laid down.

As early as last summer, there were reports that two frigates left without engines were going to be sold to India, to which Ukraine does not mind transferring the GTU. Delhi was interested in this proposal. Indian Ambassador to Russia Pundi Srinivasan Raghavan even visited Yantar to get an idea of ​​the condition of the goods. “We are so open about all projects for the development of military-technical cooperation that if India has such an interest, then we will be happy to work with them,” said Alexei Rakhmanov, head of USC, in September last year. In December, during a visit to Russia by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a corresponding contract was expected to be signed. But it didn't work out. Obviously, they did not agree on the price. However, negotiations are ongoing. This was announced by Igor Ponomarev, Vice-President for Military Shipbuilding of the USC, after the flag-raising ceremony on board the Admiral Grigorovich. “So far, we are carrying out work on the state defense order (that is, on the second trio of TFRs of project 11356R / M - author’s note), we are building these ships, at the same time we are negotiating with the Indian side about the possibility of selling these ships to the Indian side.” Undoubtedly, the management of the United Shipbuilding Corporation wants to get rid of unfinished ships that are "hanging" on the USC balance sheet - according to the principle "out of sight - out of mind."

Delhi is not averse to acquiring these two ships, especially since Talwar-class frigates enjoy a good reputation in the Indian Navy. A couple more ships, especially those equipped with missiles in vertical launchers, will obviously not be superfluous. On the other hand, the project will require processing for the introduction of Indian-made weapons systems. That is why the Indian side, realizing the difficult position of the USC, is trading and trying to acquire two hulls at a price slightly higher than the cost of scrap metal.

However, the Indian Navy does not have a particularly great need for these ships. In this country, in the image and likeness of project 11356, with the assistance of the Northern Design Bureau, three Shivalik-class frigates (project 17) were designed and built. They are very similar to prototypes. At the same time, their total displacement increased to 6200 tons, and the length increased to 142.5 m. Due to the increase in dimensions, it was possible to strengthen anti-aircraft weapons - in addition to the Shtil with a beam launcher, vertical launchers appeared for 32 Israeli short-range missiles Barak 1 .Two helicopters are placed in the hangar. And the power plant is not Zori-Mashproekt, but combined according to the GODOG scheme, consisting of two Pielstick 16 PA6 diesel engines and two General Electric LM2500 gas turbine units.

Last year, the Indian Ministry of Defense gave approval for the construction of seven Project 17A frigates, whose prototypes were the ships of Projects 11356 and 17. They will be assembled at the Mazagon Dock and Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers shipyards with the participation of the Italian shipbuilding concern Fincantieri. The displacement of ships has increased again - up to 6670 tons. The architecture is very concise, completely stealth. On the integrated mast - phased arrays of multifunctional radar. The main strike weapon is Russian-Indian BRAHMOS supersonic cruise missiles, and the Israeli-Indian long-range Barak 8 (LR-SAM) anti-aircraft missiles. That is, the Indian Navy does not experience an urgent need for a pair of Russian frigates.

Not everyone in Russia shares the point of view of the USC leadership. “The second trio of Project 11356 frigates should be completed and transferred to the Russian Black Sea Fleet, despite the delay associated with import substitution,” said Admiral Alexander Vitko, commander of the Black Sea Fleet. We need them, of course. The fact is that we need to update the old fleet of ships. Some of them are 40-50 years old and their life cycle is over.”

Yes, it's kind of awkward. In the Russian fleet today, there are three patrol ships / frigates of the ocean zone in service. All of them serve in the Black Sea Fleet, but it is just right for them to take a place at the pier of some naval museum. Two more Baltic TFRs are under repair due to breakdowns of gas turbine engines. And under these circumstances, instead of finding solutions to complete the construction of ships badly needed by the Navy, it is completely unpatriotic to look for ways to sell them abroad. Especially in the year of the Duma elections and the upcoming presidential ones. They may not understand.

In addition, we must not forget that the Western and Ukrainian "partners" of Russia will not fail to use the fact of the sale of frigates to India as an example of the successful application of sanctions against our country. Therefore, nosebleeds, but we must not give them that chance.

Speaking at the Ministry of Defense on a single day of acceptance of military products on March 11, that is, at the same time when the Andreevsky flag was hoisted on the Admiral Grigorovich, President Vladimir Putin said: “For almost a year and a half, we have been implementing an import substitution program, and the production of many components previously supplied from abroad. At the same time, problems still persist for a number of important assemblies, parts and components. We need to expand their production faster. As a last resort, look for alternative suppliers. But I am sure that our military-industrial complex is able to cope and will certainly cope with the task assigned to it.” Therefore, USC needs to pay more attention to solving the problems that have arisen, rather than looking for buyers abroad.

The lead ship of project 11356 "Admiral Grigorovich" for a short period of service under the Andreevsky flag fully showed what the new Russian frigates of the far sea zone are capable of. Combining advanced technical thought, the latest shipbuilding technologies, the results of the professionalization of the naval service, the development of the operational-tactical science of naval combat, this ship, following the results of the past year, became the most popular ship in the Black Sea Fleet and the leader in the number of successfully completed training and combat missions.

"Little" first-born

Sailors and shipbuilders believe that the frigate "Admiral Grigorovich" in its "destiny" is a special ship. He personifies for them a hard-to-be-beared, but very nice child. This first-born of a series of newest patrol ships of the far sea zone was eagerly awaited in the fleet, Russian and foreign experts spoke a lot about it. And now for our "sworn partners" each of his naval combat service becomes a "quiet horror." According to the commander of the division of surface ships of the Black Sea Fleet (BSF), Rear Admiral Oleg Krivorog, in terms of their characteristics, the ships of this project are commensurate with the missile cruisers of the previous generation, and even surpass them in some tactical and technical parameters.

Here are just the main milestones of the two-year biography of the ship. Two inter-fleet crossings were made, during which all the latest shipborne weapons were tested. In the Mediterranean Sea, the search and detection of submarines were practiced with an anti-submarine aircraft, and tasks were completed there according to the exercise plan with the aircraft carrier group of ships of the Northern Fleet. Upon arrival in the Black Sea, the sailors of the Admiral Grigorovich conducted training artillery and rocket firing at surface and air targets. At the Kavkaz-2016 exercises, the search and “destruction” of a mock enemy submarine was brilliantly carried out. Then the frigate represented the country in the Russian Week in the Ionian Islands forum.

Reference. TTX frigates project 11356:

Displacement - 3350 tons

Ship length - 124.8 m

Hull width 15.2 m

draft - 7.5 m

Maximum speed - 32 knots

Cruising range (at a speed of 14 knots) - 4850 miles

Autonomy of navigation - 30 days

Twice, with high accuracy, the crew of the Black Sea frigate sent Kalibr missiles from the Mediterranean Sea to targets of terrorist groups in Syria. In 2017, the ship was highly appreciated following the results of joint naval exercises with the Turkish Navy. This was followed by several more combat services at the limit of autonomy as part of the operational formation of the Russian Navy in the Mediterranean Sea.

The total lag of the ship is about 100,000 miles. At the same time, in the most severe conditions of combat training in the far sea zone, all the tactical and technical characteristics of the lead ship and its weapons were repeatedly verified in order to effectively improve the "younger brothers" under the project.

Armed and very dangerous

The main weapon of the Admiral Grigorovich is the Caliber-NK missile system. It is capable of hitting sea targets at a distance of up to 400, and ground targets - up to 2,000 kilometers. 8 patrol cells can be equipped with the most modern Onyx anti-ship missiles, which are capable of delivering a warhead weighing 300 kilograms over a distance of more than 500 kilometers at a speed of Mach 2.6. It is almost impossible to intercept this "thing". The "smart" missile itself chooses the trajectory of the combined flight and reacts to the counteraction of electronic warfare equipment, choosing the main one from several targets.

The ship is protected from air attack by the Shtil anti-aircraft missile system and the Broadsword missile and artillery system, which are capable of protecting the frigate from four enemy anti-ship missiles launched simultaneously. The artillery on the Admiral Grigorovich is represented by the A-190 automatic artillery mount of 100 mm caliber. It is capable of firing at targets at a distance of up to 21 kilometers. Two torpedo tubes have three new-generation 533-mm torpedoes each. The powerful ship's arsenal is complemented by the time-tested RBU-6000 jet bomb launcher. The newest Russian patrol aircraft also has its own air wing - the Ka-31 or Ka-27 PL helicopter.

No wonder the frigates of this project are called multi-purpose ships. Recently, at a paired test exercise in the Mediterranean Sea, the Admiral Grigorovich and the next ship in the series, the Admiral Essen, showed everything they are capable of. The crews of the frigates successfully carried out live artillery firing, worked out air defense tasks, performed electronic (conditional) missile launches against surface ships and submarines. They are also capable of providing fire for amphibious assaults and escorting transport convoys.

The new frigates are capable of operating with high efficiency both as part of groupings of ships and as independent raiders at a great distance from their shores. Based on the results of our frigates being escorted by NATO ships, foreign experts concluded that they were low visibility in the radar field. This is achieved by a special hull shape with inclined planes, special absorbing coatings and electronic equipment that makes it difficult to detect the ship using radar.

Alignment with the commander

The degree of automation of the frigate "Admiral Grigorovich" is the highest. Therefore, the requirements for the training of its crew are maintained at the same level. It is fully completed on a contract basis. The crew consists of 18 officers and about 150 sailors and foremen. By the way, for the first time on the "guard" it is specially provided for the placement of two dozen marines. Most of the enlisted personnel of the crew has a secondary technical education. Among midshipmen and foremen there are many specialists with institute diplomas. But, according to the frigate commander, this is only the basis of qualification, and its main content is naval practice at combat posts.

In the difficult trials of naval service, the crew of the ship thoroughly imbued with the characteristic features of their commander. The commander of the frigate "Admiral Grigorovich", Captain 2nd Rank Anatoly Velichko, in his pursuit of knowledge, clearly adheres to the "golden" tradition: he graduated from the Nakhimov School and the Naval Institute of Radio Electronics with gold medals. Last year, Anatoly Velichko became the winner of the Russian Army-2017 competition in the Sea Wolf nomination and was named the best ship commander of the Russian Navy. And the frigate itself under his command earned the honorary name of an attack ship.

The creation of unique warships capable of erasing small countries from the face of the earth is a whole science. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, the design and construction of ships with such capabilities practically came to naught. Despite the enormous difficulties that the Russian shipbuilding industry experienced at the turn of the 90s, titan frigates are returning to service. One of these ships, the Admiral Grigorovich frigate, is about to be handed over to the military by shipbuilders. Experienced sailors call "Admiral Grigorovich" not only the newest ship, but also one of the symbols of the revival of domestic shipbuilding. brand new The need to radically upgrade the domestic Navy is long overdue. During the time that the country was recovering from the total collapse of the armed forces, not only the production, the modernization of existing ships in the fleet was not properly carried out. Almost no one thought about the construction of new ships in difficult times. In a sense, the frigates of project 11356, conceived as a means for an instant rejuvenation procedure for the Black Sea Fleet, became a real find: a versatile, well-armed and relatively small ship had to not only demonstrate the presence The Russian Navy in the region, but also, if necessary, go to other areas to perform a combat mission. The Admiral Grigorovich is a landmark ship. For a long time it was believed that individual ships could solve certain tasks, whether it was the fight against enemy submarines or the shelling of surface targets, which were assigned the “alien” type by the identification system. The trio of admirals - "Grigorovich", "Essen" and "Makarov", who will soon become part of the Black Sea Fleet - are real universal masters in the fight against the enemy. However, before talking about what exactly the new Russian watchdogs can fight with, one should also remember one more, no less important detail. All Project 11356 ships were built not just taking into account universal work on several types of targets. The engineers also did a great deal of work on the ships in terms of ergonomics, making the most convenient use of the vital space inside the ship. A qualitatively new level of ship performance, according to experts, is achieved by special attention to detail: even the location of combat posts and rest areas for the crew has been calculated several times. All-round defense The watchman "Admiral Grigorovich", like all ships of project 11356, is one of the most protected. The missiles of the Shtil anti-aircraft missile system will be the first to take the fight in case of danger. A few seconds are allotted to the crew of the ship to intercept training targets during state tests. The mode of service throughout the state tests is assessed by experts as combat - no, even the slightest indulgence is given to either the ship or its crew. and the speed of the target is only a small part of the data processed by the system based on high-performance computing systems. Experts explain that the CICS developed by NPO Meridian from St. Petersburg is one of the most high-performance in the world. in the world, ”explains Sergey Gureev, a programmer, candidate of mathematical sciences, in an interview with Zvezda. The expert explained that the developers paid close attention to the speed of the system and weapon control. It is also noted that a modern weapon and electronic equipment control system ensures effective combat both alone and as part of an operational formation of the Navy. Experts also note that the latest CICS, designed to automate the control of all control processes of the guard's weapons, is able to process and distribute in terms of importance, a huge number of processes - from collecting, processing and displaying information about the tactical situation to navigating and managing the entire range of ship weapons. Of all the guns The ability of "Admiral Grigorovich" to respond to the attack of a potential enemy is not the only thing that the newest watchdog can boast of. "Caliber-NK" - the latest cruise missiles successfully tested by the Caspian Flotilla during massive missile attack according to the positions of ISIS militants, they are also part of the armament of the Admiral Grigorovich and other ships of project 11356. The world community noticed a distinctive feature of the Caliber relatively recently - after the latest cruise missiles were used to destroy infrastructure facilities of ISIS militants in Syria. The massive missile strike of the ships of the Caspian Flotilla clearly showed that the Caliber is deservedly considered the main missile armament of the ships: before hitting the marked targets in Syria, the missiles crossed the territory of several countries. The presence of eight air launchers with Caliber missiles, according to experts, will allow the latest project 11356 patrol boats to carry out any assigned task. successful use of weapons, ”explains retired Navy captain 3rd rank Andrey Golovin in an interview with Zvezda. Experts note that the successful fulfillment of the assigned tasks by the project 11356 watchdogs is ensured not only by the most advanced missile weapons. For artillery firing, the A-190 ship gun mount, developed at the Nizhny Novgorod Central Research Institute Burevestnik, can be used. This 100 mm 15 ton rig is capable of delivering 80 unpleasant sensations per minute to any opponent. For artillery countermeasures on ships of project 11356, the Broadsword ZRAK of the Tula KBP is the only artillery system in the world that combines the most powerful artillery weapons, effective multi-mode missile weapons and an integrated control system in a single tower installation. Experts note that one combat module "Broadsword", placed on a ship with a small displacement is enough to effectively close the ship from four enemy anti-ship missiles simultaneously approaching the ship. in general. It remains only to wait until all the ships scheduled for combat duty are put into operation. Photo: Dmitry Yurov / Vitaly Nevar TASS