Končar-class (Type 240)

Summary

Description

The Končar class missile boats were built for the Yugoslav Navy in the late 1970s at Tito's Shipyard Kraljevica, SR Croatia. Comprising six vessels, these boats were equipped with a combination of Western and Eastern European technologies, such as Soviet anti-ship missiles and Swedish guns. Their design and development were a product of the Brodarski institut from Zagreb, and they were named after People's Heroes of Yugoslavia. The vessels' structure incorporated a steel hull with an aluminum superstructure, inspired by the Swedish Spica class. The class featured a CODAG engine configuration that combined diesel engines and gas turbines, allowing a maximum speed of 38-40 knots and ranges between 380 to 870 nautical miles, depending on the speed.

Armament-wise, the Končar class was originally intended to carry French Exocet anti-ship missiles, but due to cost and possible political reasons, they were instead equipped with Soviet P-20 missiles. The class also boasted two Bofors 57 mm guns and had Wallop Barricade chaff launchers for self-defense. During an upgrade in the late 1980s and early 1990s, some ships had their stern Bofors replaced with a Soviet AK-630 CIWS.

In terms of operational history, the boats saw action during the Croatian War of Independence. The ship Vlado Ćetković was captured by Croatian forces, becoming the Croatian Navy’s Šibenik and is still in use as of 2022. The Šibenik was later refitted with Swedish RBS-15 anti-ship missiles after its capture. The other vessels, following the war, were relocated to Montenegro and entered service with the FR Yugoslav Navy. During the Kosovo War, these boats refrained from engagement due to the significant power disparity with NATO forces, though they remained on the alert for defensive action and employed measures such as camouflage to avoid detection.

Following the conflicts, the remaining vessels in Montenegro experienced varied fates. Some were decommissioned and sold, with Rade Končar eventually sold to Kenya. The Montenegrin Navy planned to modify two boats in the class, RTOP-405 and RTOP-406, into patrol boats due to funding constraints for new vessels. RTOP-405 was successfully converted to the patrol boat P-105 Durmitor, but the conversion of RTOP-406 had not begun as of the last report.The Končar class served multiple countries after the dissolution of Yugoslavia, with ships operating in Serbia, Montenegro, and Croatia.

Technical specifications