The resurgent naval power of Russia pleases all true patriots. After many years, during which the fleet fell into decay, its rearmament has finally begun, accompanied by the commissioning of new combat units that meet the requirements of the new century. Among them is the Project 11356 frigate Admiral Grigorovich, launched on March 14, 2014.
What is a Russian frigate
In the Soviet classification of the Navy there was no such class of ships as a frigate. Large anti-submarine ships (BPK) and patrol boats (SK) were built, which carried the main burden in ensuring the inviolability of the USSR's long water frontiers. Since 1968, military vessels of project 1135, being built at the Yantar plant, began to enter the arsenal of the fleet. A series of eighteen ships, as usual, was named after its first unit, the Petrel. Guard service was also carried by Noreys (project 11351), built in larger numbers (39 units). Some of them are still in service, but time and seawaves are merciless, equipment tends to wear out and grow old morally. The experience gained by shipbuilders in the development of these types is taken into account. They will be replaced by ships of a new project - 11356. The class "Admiral Grigorovich" corresponds to the concept of "frigate" adopted in many fleets of the world, both in terms of displacement and combat capabilities. Perhaps this class will take root in the Russian Navy.
In honor of whom the ship and the series are named
The Admiral Grigorovich project in the coming years will be continued by four more frigates already laid down, bearing the names of the famous Russian admirals Essen, Makarov, Butakov and Istomin. These naval commanders are known mainly to people interested in the history of Russia and its armed forces. All of them became famous during the heroic defense of Port Arthur during the Russo-Japanese War of 1905-1907. At the same time, our fellow citizens know least of all about the one in whose honor the titular ship of the series, the frigate Admiral Grigorovich, is named. Perhaps this happened because the biography of the honored military statesman did not quite correspond to the ideas of Soviet propagandists about patriotism.
From midshipman to admiral
I. K. Grigorovich was born in 1853. He came to the fleet as a midshipman, a graduate of the naval school. He received excellent knowledge, for this reason, as a twenty-five-year-old officer, he was sent to the North American States as part of a group of specialists to receive four cruiser-class ships ordered from Philadelphia shipyards. Five years later, in 1883,Grigorovich for the first time became the commander of a very modest "Sorcerer", not leaving the port harbor. It seemed that the career was not progressing very successfully, but the authorities noticed a talented, diligent and not grumbling officer. Several transfers followed, the service became harder, but more interesting.
The fate of the admiral
At the end of the 19th century, he served as a naval attache in London, and in 1904 he received a new appointment as commander of the naval base in Port Arthur, where he arrived on the bridge of the Tsesarevich, an armadillo. During the Japanese siege, I. K. Grigorovich showed himself from the best side, having managed to provide defense with everything necessary. Since 1911, the Vice Admiral has served as Minister of the Imperial Russian Navy. His plans found their development after 1917. All the battleships of Soviet Russia, a third of the destroyers and almost half of the cruisers were launched in the prewar years according to the modernization programs developed by Grigorovich. The admiral himself, however, did not accept Bolshevik power, lived after the revolution on the French Cote d'Azur, where - after six years of emigration - he died in 1930.
The ashes of the honored Russian statesman and naval figure found their last resting place in 2005. According to the will of the deceased, he is buried in the family vault at the Nikolsky cemetery in St. Petersburg.
The appearance of the ship
The Admiral Grigorovich was launched on March 14, with some delay caused by bad weather. Great-great-grandson took part in the ceremonynaval commander Artem Moskovchenko, as well as his granddaughter Olga Petrova, who broke the traditional bottle of champagne on the stem. So for the first time the ship "Admiral Grigorovich" met with the sea waves. The photo captured this solemn moment. There is no doubt that the recognition of the merits of the naval commander before his native country touched his descendants.
According to a relative, grandfather was a strict boss, he would certainly check everything, from stern to bow, before accepting a frigate. Grigorovich, apparently, would have been satisfied with the result of the inspection. The ship came out great. Having inherited all the best qualities of previous projects, this multi-purpose ship has acquired new properties that are characteristic of the most modern models of naval weapons. Its underwater contours provide excellent navigability, and the hull and superstructures are made using low visibility technologies. The equipment corresponds to the latest technology and electronics. The frigate Admiral Grigorovich looks impressive, modern and dynamic.
Destination of the ship
Each warship is built for a specific purpose, to perform very specific tasks. This type of weapon differs from many others by the very high cost of both the unit itself and its subsequent operation.
The project 11356 frigate "Admiral Grigorovich" is intended for combat service in the Mediterranean basin, and the city of Russian glory, Sevastopol, was planned from the very beginning. The Black Sea Fleet needs modern ships, the increased activity of NATO countries in the regionnecessitates a response. However, the autonomous range (about five thousand nautical miles) also allows going beyond the outlined patrol zone, for example, to fight pirates, as well as in other extraordinary cases. The tasks that the Admiral Grigorovich frigate can solve are very diverse. He is able to successfully resist torpedo, air and missile attacks, is able to repulse hostile actions. The weapons on board are quite sufficient to hit any underwater or surface target, including aircraft-carrying large-capacity ships.
Weapons complex
The main weapon of the ship is the Kalibr-NK launchers for Onyx cruise missiles (3M-54TE). There are eight of them, these are very serious systems that are able to hit any object at sea and on land. They have no analogues in the world.
To protect against possible attacks from the air, the ship "Admiral Grigorovich" is equipped with two air defense systems, bearing the names "Shtil-1" (36 guided missiles in the arsenal) and "Broadsword". The first of them is a multi-channel missile, which means the ability to lead and hit several targets at the same time. The second is a highly effective missile and artillery system, like the two Kortik systems, which are also responsible for airspace security. Two A-190 installations structurally contain the fastest-firing guns in the world with a caliber of 100 mm. Two TAs can each hold three 533mm torpedoes. The powerful protection is completed by the time-tested RBU-6000 jet bomb launcher. And, of course, the frigate 11356The Admiral Grigorovich, like any modern patrol ship, could not do without its own air wing in the form of a Ka-31 helicopter (it is possible to use the Ka-27 PL).
Low visibility
Today, camouflage is understood not only to be painted in camouflage colors, which provide maximum ste alth against the background of sea water and sky. This is also necessary, visual detection remains one of the most important reconnaissance methods, but it is more important to remain invisible to the radars of a potential enemy. The principle of radar remains the same as at the dawn of its invention. The reflected high frequency electron beam displays on the screen the location of all objects rising above sea level. To reduce visibility, you can act in two ways: redirect the flow of particles in the other direction or absorb radiation. Together, these measures are called "Ste alth technologies". The Project 11356 frigate "Admiral Grigorovich" and, of course, all subsequent ships of this series, have little visibility for the radars of a potential enemy. This is achieved by a special form of the hull, with outlines consisting of inclined planes, special absorbing coatings and electronic equipment, which makes it difficult to detect the ship using radar. Most of the weapons and equipment are hidden behind shielding surfaces. Of course, it is impossible to make a ship completely invisible to radars, but it will be rather difficult to find the Grigorovich frigate in the sea.
Modules
Tradition altechnology, the ship's hull is laid on a slipway, then it is built from the bottom up as a whole. This is how ships have been built since ancient times. But in recent decades, the technology has become somewhat different. it takes into account the need for rapid modernization and installation of new equipment, sometimes large. The hull is built in parts, so that if there is a need for undocking, this would not cause technological problems. The construction of the frigate "Admiral Grigorovich" was carried out in a modular way, the most progressive to date. The ship has a reserve of modernization potential, allowing you to replace any components, from power units to electrical equipment.
Indian frigate
The Yantar state-owned enterprise has existed since the victorious 1945. In German Koenigsberg there was a shipyard "Schihau", which became the basis of ship production after the war, when this B altic city became Soviet. During the existence of the plant, more than one and a half hundred ships, mostly combat ones, were launched here.
Since 2007, by order of the Indian government, a special order has been carried out at the B altic Shipyard: ships are being built for the Navy of a friendly country. The project is the same, 11356, according to which the frigate "Admiral Grigorovich" was created. The difference, however, is significant. The common element of the two "brothers" is the hull, and the equipment and weapons are different. Indian frigates are armed with Brahmos missile systems with vertical launchers.
Seaworthiness of RussiansThe buyers liked the ships so much that they expressed a desire to build them on their own, according to the purchased technical documentation. They are provided with comprehensive assistance within the framework of the program of military cooperation. The names of the first four frigates of the Indian series are Talwar, Tarkash, Trikand and Teg.
EW complex
Electronic warfare against the means of communication and control of the enemy has now become the main task, the successful solution of which practically guarantees victory over any enemy. Frigate 11356 "Admiral Grigorovich" is armed with four CREB PK-10 "Brave". These ten-barrel launchers resemble rocket-propelled bombers, but they have a different task. Instead of directly hitting enemy ships, they fire projectiles that can disable the enemy's combat electronics. The created interference will deprive the enemy fleet of the possibility of information exchange, blind the radars, disable the air defense systems.
Fire control systems
Gone are the days of eyeball shooting. Even perfect optical sights no longer meet the requirements of military sailors due to the transience of the situation in the maritime arena of hostilities. Making decisions about opening fire is the prerogative of the commander, and the crew trusts automation to calculate the parameters of the shot. The ship "Admiral Grigorovich" has on board the most powerful computer systems that serve to quickly aim weapons at the target. The information comes from the Puma radar, the Vympel 123-02 control system is engaged in missile launches, and the PUTS is responsible for the torpedoesBlizzard-11356.
Sizes and quantities
The size of ships is judged by displacement. "Admiral Grigorovich" is a patrol ship, and therefore it should not be huge, like an aircraft carrier. Its draft is small, up to 7.5 meters, which is quite consistent with the characteristics of the Black Sea, which is shallow in many places. The displacement is approximately four thousand tons, which also does not speak of colossal dimensions. For example, on the cruiser "Peter the Great" it reaches 25 thousand tons.
Admiral Grigorovich frigate: photo and proportions
Frigates are large ships, but not the largest. This is the key to their maneuverability, speed and ste alth. However, the Admiral Grigorovich frigate cannot be called small either. The photos provided by the press service of the Navy eloquently indicate a rather large length (125 meters). The hull is stretched, the ship is, as it were, “compressed” along the sides, which indicates its propulsion. The power plant, consisting of two gas turbines, accelerates the vessel to 30 knots, and even faster in afterburner mode.
The crew consists of 18 officers, 142 sailors and twenty marines, a total of 180 people. The management of such a complex ship as the frigate "Admiral Grigorovich" requires a high level of training, coherence and cohesion. Only true professionals who love the sea and, of course, the Motherland can serve in his team.
