The ship "Sharp-witted" is the only operating ship of the domestic fleet from all the developments of project 61. For the Soviet Union, the "sixty-first" were considered truly revolutionary products among the existing BODs. A distinctive feature of these ships was a multi-mode gas turbine plant. In the Navy, the Sixty-First were dubbed singing frigates for the melodious whistling of gas turbines and the elegance of the silhouette. For the Soviet Navy, Project 61 ships were a kind of calling card.
A Brief History
TFR was built in Nikolaev and replenished the flotilla on September 25, 1969. Since then, the ship "Sharp-witted" has taken part in numerous exercises, armed conflict, transported the relics of St. Andrew the First-Called and was involved in many other events. Despite its age, the TFR still has something to snap at. Eight launch containers of the Uran anti-ship missile system are installed on board the ship.
In 2015, September 18, the TFR "Sharp-witted", carrying the number "810" on board, after repairs on the thirteenthThe shipyard was part of the 30th division of the Black Sea Fleet. The group entered the Mediterranean Sea for military service from Sevastopol.
With the beginning of the operation of the Russian Aerospace Forces in Syria, as part of a flotilla led by the cruiser Moskva and the patrol boats Inquisitive and Ladny, the anti-submarine ship Sharp-witted took part in exercises off the Syrian coast, which grew into patrols between Syria and Cyprus. The group provided air defense of Latakia and Tartus from the seaside direction. There was also a convoy of Syrian Express ships.
The relics of St. Andrew the First-Called
The patrol ship "Sharp-witted" took part in the international event. And he went to the Greek ports of Lafkada and Corfu. During the call to the port of Patras on September 22, the Metropolitan of Patras handed over the reliquary with the relics of St. Andrew the First-Called as a gift to the Black Sea Fleet. By order of the Foundation, an ark was made to preserve the sacred relic, which is located in the Sevastopol Church of the Archangel Michael. This was facilitated by the commander of the Fleet, Admiral Alexander Vitko. After the events, the ship continued to perform tasks in the Mediterranean Sea as part of the formation of the Russian Navy.
Modern weaponry
Russian ships of project 1155 were equipped with modern weapons. Deep modernization was not expedient, but further improvement is still being gradually carried out. The main direction of modernization is equipping with modern weapons. Updated ships are able to serve for more than ten yearsafter renovation.
Today, the Navy includes eight large ships of project 1155 and one built according to the improved program 1155.1. Apart from the latter, ships of this type are equipped with anti-submarine systems and air defense systems without cruise missiles that hit coastal and surface targets.
Russian-Turkish relations
On the morning of December 13, another event took place that contributed to the formation of today's Russian-Turkish relations. The ship of the Black Sea Fleet "Sharp-witted", anchored off the coast of the island of Lemnos at a distance of twelve nautical miles, was forced to fire a warning shot in the direction of the Turkish seiner "Balik Gechitsiler Chilik" in order to avoid a collision. This event increased the tension in interstate relations that arose on November 24, 2015 after the Turkish Air Force attacked our Su-24 bomber in Syria.
Theoretically, the TFR had the opportunity to start the gas turbine plant within ten minutes and move forward. But, according to the Ministry of Defense, the anchor was at the bottom at that time. If at the same time the ship was on alert, then it could only be removed from the anchor within 15-20 minutes. Our TFR clearly did not have the opportunity to move or weigh anchor so that the collision did not occur. The seiner at its normal speed would have swum to the anti-submarine ship in just three minutes.
Warning shot
Having no way to leave the course of the Turkish ship on their own,the commanders of the ship "Sharp-witted" made an attempt to attract attention. Messages were given by radio, visual notification with a light semaphore, as well as signal rockets. The seiner did not respond despite the efforts of the TFR crew.
The collision could not be avoided. The seiner did not deviate from its course. In this situation, the commanders of the ship ordered a warning shot to be fired. In accordance with the order, in the direction of movement of the seiner, several shots of a Kalashnikov assault rifle and a machine gun were fired from six hundred meters away.
The Turkish vessel abruptly changed direction and then simply left the scene. "Sharp-witted" reported immediately on board the flagship "Moskva". The cruiser relayed the message to the Russian capital.
Possible causes
After reading all the information available, it would be appropriate to inquire about the reasons that prompted the seiner to take such risky actions. Since the motivation of the Turkish fishermen remains unknown, one can only speculate. It remains only to list some possible reasons. One of them may be the banal lack of professionalism of the crew members of the fishing vessel.
Perhaps, the reason lies in the desire of the Turkish side to push the patrol ship "Sharp" with the seiner. This incident can be used as an excuse to close the straits for the movement of our ships. Also, the possibility of a connection of this event with the conduct of their operations by the Turkish special services is not ruled out. The fact is that the fishing seiner was often seen near NATO military berths in the Mediterranean.
The testimonies of military sailors indicate that a lot of electronic equipment was on board the Turkish boat. This is not normal for a fishing boat. It is also possible that a third party had a hand in escalating tensions between Russia and Turkey. It will be possible to shed light on the real causes of this event only after an appropriate investigation has been carried out.
Not the first time
Russian ships have repeatedly become participants in conflict situations with Turkish ships. So, in 1985, on September 25, the R325 missile boat under the Turkish flag began to interfere with the maneuvering of the Soviet training vessel of the 1st rank "Khasan" during the passage through the Bosphorus. The training ship eventually rammed the boat and cut it in two. The nose of the P325 capsized and 5 crew members were killed. The local authorities detained the Hassan ship until the circumstances were clarified, the guilt of the command of the Turkish boat was proved very quickly.
Once our submarine was almost rammed by a tugboat on the way back, which managed to jump out into the fairway of military ships at the wrong time. The reason for this for the captain was the need to go to the latrine, and his assistant at that moment just needed to go for cigarettes. The trainee remained at the helm. The course was shown to him, but they did not say how long it would take to follow it. The trainee walked exactly as indicateddirection, until he almost rammed the side of the submarine.
Been worse
If we consider the history of the Black Sea Fleet, the Lemnos incident cannot be called something extraordinary. There were events more serious than those in which the patrol ship "Sharp-witted" participated. The condition of the crew members and the morale and psychological situation on board after the incident, of course, are in perfect order.
The incident is by no means unique. At the same time, it is not excluded that the ship "Sharp-witted" could be lost as a result of another attempt by Turkey to "respond" to Russia for obstructing the supply of oil from the territory of Syria, captured by ISIS terrorists. This incident will only exacerbate our relationship. It is difficult to understand the reasons for this behavior of the Turkish side. Perhaps further developments will shed light on many questions.
Conclusion
The Smetlivy anti-submarine ship is the last active development of the Soviet project 61. The designers have done everything possible to prepare the TFR for service in modern conditions. For this, new weapons are installed on board. Gradually, a further partial modernization of the patrol ship with tail number 810 is being carried out. The designers do not see the need for a complete replacement of parts. Many outdated components function normally. The ship is equipped with modern radio equipment and performs well, even in comparison with some new models of frigates.
