Kildin-class

Summary

Description

The Kildin-class destroyer was a fleet of Soviet naval ships designed in the 1950s, with the primary mission of enhancing the missile capabilities of the Soviet Navy. These destroyers represented a progression from the earlier Kotlin-class, modified with missile armaments in response to evolving naval warfare requirements. The Kildin class is named after Kildin Island, with the ships built between 1953 and 1958.

The design of the Kildin-class retained the hull and machinery of the Kotlin-class but incorporated significant armament changes. The original design included a rail surface-to-surface missile (SSM) launcher at the stern and saw the removal of the forward 130mm gun, which was replaced by two quad 57mm anti-aircraft guns. These ships also had their torpedo tubes substituted for twin 533mm tubes placed on the beam. However, as the KSShch (SS-N-1) anti-ship missile became outdated in the 1960s, the Soviets executed a modernization program between 1972 and 1977 for three of the ships, where these missiles were swapped out for two 76mm gun turrets aft and four SS-N-2 missile launchers.

The operational history of the Kildin-class ships was limited to the Cold War period, with all vessels being decommissioned between the late 1980s and the early 1990s. Throughout their service, these ships did not engage in any notable conflicts but served as part of the Soviet Navy's cold war deterrence.

Technical specifications

Photo of Kildin class