Missile hovercraft "Samum"

• Missile hovercraft "Samum"

Missile hovercraft "Samum" and "Bora", included in the 41-th brigade of missile boats Black Sea Fleet of Russia, considered to be one of the most extreme and somewhat unique warships.

This type skeg ships (hovercraft), in fact - a catamaran with two narrow hulls and a very large deck. They have unique qualities Shipbuilding - it transformability hydrodynamic platform and multi-variant - 36 uses of propulsion installation.

On one side of the ship - a catamaran with a speed range of up to 20 knots, on the other - a high-speed hovercraft with a maximum speed of 55 knots, allowing the ship did not fall into the grip of homing missiles, and move faster than a torpedo fired.

Due to the anti-missile complex "Mosquito" of 8 missiles, these ships are optimal shock ships for sea ice-covered theater.

Today we will visit one of these unusual warships - "Sandstorm", hull number 616.

Missile hovercraft (RKVP project in 1239) was established as a development of the existing fleets of the Soviet Union small missile ships of projects in 1234 and 12341. The experience of these ships in the fighting services in the Mediterranean showed that the ships of a size and a classical education limited deployment of weapons. Catamaran Project 1239 different large deck that allows you to solve this problem, more comfortable conditions for the use of weapons and crew accommodation. Besides, it has a high seaworthiness. When creating RKVP also widely used experience CMDB "Almaz" and shipbuilding industries, acquired during the construction of landing craft air cushion type "Jeyran", "Bison" and others.

The first rocket ship on an air cushion of the project was RKVP "Bora", founded in 1984 on the stocks of shipyard "Red Metallist" Zelenodolsk near Kazan. In sentyarbe 1991 laid the second ship of this series - "Sandstorm". The water was lowered, the 12.10.1992

NATO-BCRA classification of ships of this type - "BORA CLASS"

After the construction of "Sandstorm" was moved by inland waterway to the Black Sea, arriving in November 1992 in Kerch and in March 1993 - in Sevastopol. Then the ship was sent back to the factory construction, in October 1993, arrived in Zelenodolsk. In September 1994, by inland waterway went to the Baltic Sea, and in December 1996 passed state tests in the Baltic and officially put into operation 02.26.2000 He was a member of the 36th brigade of missile boats of the Baltic Fleet. In 2002, the RKVP was relocated from the Baltic to the Black Sea fleet, joining the 41-th separate brigade of missile boats Black Sea Fleet.

The ship represents two narrow body, covered platform 64 m long and 18 m wide. Ahead is a flexible screen.

As the arms on the ship apply two quadruple launchers anti-ship missile system "Mosquito" (8 missiles 3M80), anti-aircraft missile complex "OSA-M" (20 rockets), one 76-mm gun mount AK-176, two 30 -mm gun mount AK-630.

gun mounts AK-176 caliber 76 mm 2 is mounted on the tank (bow) of the ship is a powerful and easy at the same time universal automatic gun systems for weapons of small ships and boats. Its main purpose - to fight against low-flying cruise missiles type "Harpoon" and "Tomahawk".

The sides of "Sandstorm" is set two quad install anti-ship missile complex "Mosquito".

This complex is used 3M-80 cruise missiles, which are designed to engage surface ships and transports from the naval strike groups, amphibious compounds and convoys single ships. 4-Chthon missile has a length of nearly 10 meters and a range of up to 90 km.

After starting the rocket makes a "hill", and then reduced to the cruise flight height of about 20 meters, at the approach to the target is a decrease up to 7 meters (above the crest of the waves). The missile can perform intensive evasive maneuver with overloads exceeding 10 units. Due to the enormous kinetic energy and its polubroneboynoy warhead "Mosquito" pierces the body of any ship and exploded inside.

Artillery 6-barrel 30 mm artillery systems mm AK-630 is a means of defense and spacecraft can be used to destroy air targets at slant range up to 4000 m and a surface light enemy forces at distances up to 5000 m.

This artillery system has a very high rate (up to 5,000 rounds per minute), and the range of the projectile flight - up to 8 km.

"Sandstorm" is equipped with two 82-mm naval systems decoy PC-16. They are intended for the production of radar and electro-optical distracting decoys to counter the guided weapons with radar and optical-electronic guidance systems.

The two gas turbines with capacity of 36 thousand. Hp each ensure progress on an air cushion.

It is said that having two separate propulsion installation cruise and full speed, able to work separately and together, the ship can move in three main modes (catamaran, hovercraft-1 and -2), which provides almost one hundred percent guarantee progress in any situation.