Admiral Grigorovich-class frigate

Admiral Grigorovich-class frigate
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Name	Admiral Grigorovich-class frigate
Caption	The lead ship, Admiral Grigorovich, in the Mediterranean Sea in 2016.
Builders	Yantar Shipyard
Operators	Russian Navy
Preceded by	Krivak-class frigate
Succeeded by	Admiral Gorshkov-class frigate
In service range	2016–present
In commission range	2016–present
Type	Frigate
Displacement	3,620 tons (full load)
Length	124.8 m
Beam	15.2 m
Draught	4.2 m
Propulsion	COGAG: 2 × DS-71 cruise gas turbines, 2 × DT-59 boost gas turbines
Speed	30 knots
Range	4,850 nmi at 14 knots
Complement	200
Sensors	* MR-760 Fregat-M2EM 3D air search radar * MR-212/201-1 navigation radar * Puma fire-control radar * Vinyetka-EM hull-mounted sonar * Minotaur-M combat information system
Armament	* 1 × AK-190 100mm naval gun * 8 (2 × 4) UKSK VLS cells for Kalibr or Oniks cruise missiles * 24 (3 × 8) 3S90 Shtil-1 VLS cells for 9M317 surface-to-air missiles * 2 × AK-630 CIWS * 2 × twin 533mm torpedo tubes for UGST torpedoes * 1 × RPK-8 anti-submarine rocket launcher * Up to 2 × Ka-27 helicopters

Admiral Grigorovich-class frigate is a class of guided-missile frigates built for the Russian Navy by the Kaliningrad-based Yantar Shipyard. Developed from the export-oriented Talwar-class frigate design for the Indian Navy, the class was intended to modernize the Black Sea Fleet but its construction was severely disrupted by the 2014 Crimean crisis and subsequent Western sanctions. The class is named for Ivan Grigorovich, an Imperial Russian Navy admiral and Minister of the Navy.

Design and development

The design, known as Project 11356R, is a direct derivative of the Project 11356 developed in the late 1990s for India. Following the successful delivery of six frigates to the Indian Navy, the Russian Ministry of Defence authorized an adapted version for domestic service to address urgent needs within the Black Sea Fleet. The development was led by the Severnoye Design Bureau in Saint Petersburg. Key improvements over the export model included the integration of the domestic MR-760 Fregat-M2EM radar and the UKSK VLS for modern Kalibr-family cruise missiles. The program faced immediate challenges after the annexation of Crimea, as the gas turbines were manufactured by the Ukrainian enterprise Zorya-Mashproekt in Mykolaiv, leading to an embargo and a protracted search for a domestic replacement.

Description

The Admiral Grigorovich-class are multi-role frigates with an emphasis on anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare. The primary strike armament is housed in eight vertical launch system cells located forward of the bridge, capable of firing long-range Kalibr-NK cruise missiles for land attack or the supersonic Oniks anti-ship missile. Air defense is provided by a 3S90 Shtil-1 system with 24 missiles, controlled by a Puma radar. Anti-submarine capabilities include a hull-mounted Vinyetka-EM sonar, twin torpedo tubes, and an RPK-8 rocket launcher. The ships operate a single Kamov Ka-27 helicopter from a stern hangar and flight deck. Propulsion is a COGAG arrangement combining two cruise and two boost gas turbines, a system whose dependency on Ukrainian components became the class's critical vulnerability.

Ships of the class

A total of six ships were planned. The first three were completed and commissioned into the Black Sea Fleet. * Admiral Grigorovich (745): Commissioned on 11 March 2016. Flagship of the Black Sea Fleet's 30th Surface Ship Division. * Admiral Essen (751): Commissioned on 7 June 2016. Active in the Mediterranean Sea and Syria. * Admiral Makarov (799): Commissioned on 27 December 2017. Currently the most active unit of the class. The remaining three hulls—Admiral Butakov (777), Admiral Istomin (778), and Admiral Kornilov (779)—were laid down but construction was suspended due to the lack of Ukrainian turbines. After years of delay, these hulls were sold to the Indian Navy in 2023 for completion.

Service history

The class has been operationally focused on the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, often supporting Russian operations in Syria. Admiral Grigorovich and Admiral Essen have repeatedly launched Kalibr cruise missiles at targets in Syria from the Eastern Mediterranean. Following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, all three active frigates have been heavily involved in naval operations, conducting patrols, imposing a blockade, and providing air defense cover for the fleet. Admiral Makarov gained significant attention in October 2022 when it was reported damaged during the Ukrainian attack on Sevastopol. The ships have also been key platforms in the contested waters of the Black Sea, facing threats from Ukrainian unmanned surface vessels and aerial drones.

Export and variants

The design's primary export success remains the six-ship Talwar-class frigate built for India. The fate of the three unfinished Russian hulls underscores the class's export legacy; these ships were formally acquired by the Indian Navy in a deal estimated at $3 billion. They will be completed in Russia using Indian-purchased Zorya-Mashproekt turbines and are expected to be commissioned as a follow-on batch of the Talwar class. This transaction highlights the design's continued appeal to export customers despite its supply chain complications for Russia itself. No other direct export variants have emerged, as Russian naval export efforts have shifted focus to the newer Admiral Gorshkov-class frigate.

Category:Frigate classes Category:Ships of the Russian Navy