Kashin class

   The world's first major warship class with gas turbine propulsion, the 20-ship Kashin class was produced from 1963 at the Zhdanov Shipyard, Leningrad (five units 1964-66 and at the 61 Kommuna (North) Shipyard, Nikolayev (15 units 1963-73). The last unit of what was known to the Soviets as Project 61 was the Sderzhanny completed to a revised Project 61M design designated as the Kashin (Mod) class by NATO. This involved lengthening the hull, updating the electronics, and installing four P-15M Termit surface-to-surface missiles, later replaced by eight Uran missiles, AK-630 CIWS mountings and a variable-depth sonar. Five other ships (Ognevoy, Obraztsovy, Odarenny, Slavny and Steregushchiy) were thus modified between 1973-80.

   In 1974 the Orel (ex-Otvazhny) of the standard type foundered in the Black Sea following a catastrophic explosion. In 1981 the Provorny re-entered service with the Black Sea Fleet following conversion to the trials ship for the Uragan surface-to-air missile system. The other units of this 'bolshoy protivolodochny korabl' (large ASW ship) type were the Komsomolets Ukrainy, Krasny Kavkaz, Krasny Krim, Reshitelny, Skory, Smetlivy, Smely (transferred to Poland in 1988 as the Warszawa), Smyshlenny, Soobrazitelny, Sposobny, Stroigiy and Stroyny. All but two of the ships had been stricken by the end of the 20th century.

   Five Kashin II class ships were built at Nikolayev and delivered to India in batches of three and two ships (1980-83 and 1986-87) as the Rajput class. These are considerably different from the Soviet ships, having only a single 76-mm gun, four Termit-R (SS-N-2d Styx) SSM launchers in pairs on each side of the bridge, and a helicopter flight deck and hangar aft for one Ka-28 Helix ASW helicopter.