Nanuchka-class (Project 1234)

Summary

Description

The Nanuchka class corvettes, known in the Soviet Navy as Project 1234 Ovod, were a series of missile-equipped small naval vessels built primarily for the Soviet Navy from 1969 to 1991. These ships were also made available to export customers, serving in various global navies.

Mission-wise, these corvettes were crafted around the P-120 Malakhit anti-ship missile for standard models, while export variants wielded the P-15 Termit missile. In terms of upgrades, the Smerch corvette received sixteen Uran/SS-N-25 'Switchblade' missiles in 2019, moving away from their original armaments. Their armament further included SA-N-4 'Gecko' surface-to-air missiles for defense purposes. The armament evolution saw the switch from a twin 57mm AK-257 gun on the Nanuchka I to a 76mm AK-176 on Nanuchka III, and later an updated AK-176MA on Smerch. Additionally, the Nanuchka III class featured a defensive 30mm AK-630 rotary cannon. The Project 12341 variants are being modernized with the BAGIRA Fire Control System, making them more versatile in combat roles.

Notably, during its operational history, a Nanuchka III class corvette, the Mirazh, reportedly sank a Georgian vessel in 2008 during hostilities off Abkhazia, though specifics remain citation-needed.

These corvettes served under multiple flags. The Russian Navy operated 17 Nanuchka I boats, all retired in the 1990s except for Musson, accidentally destroyed in 1987 with loss of life during a tragic military exercise. The Russian fleet currently maintains 6-8 active Nanuchka III vessels, distributed among the Baltic, Pacific, and Northern fleets, as of 2022. Nanuchka IV had a singular boat, Nakat, retired in 2012 as a testing vessel for the P-800 Oniks ASHM.

Moving beyond Russian service, the Algerian National Navy acquired three Nanuchka II ships, still operational as of the information available. The Indian Navy employed three as the Durg class, decommissioning the last in 2004. The Libyan Navy faced heavy losses with its four Nanuchka II class vessels delivered between 1982-1985, undergoing attacks by US forces in 1986, NATO airstrikes in 2011, and domestic conflict in 2014. During the upheaval, the Libyan People's Army acquired and later returned one of these vessels to the Libyan Navy, only for it to be destroyed in subsequent fighting.

Technical specifications

Photo of Nanuchka class