Kashin class destroyer

The Kashin class was the first class of modern, anti-aircraft destroyers to be built by the USSR. They were designed primarily to provide anti-air and anti-sub protection to high-value anti-surface units - initially mostly Kynda and Sverdlov class cruisers.

Importantly, they were the first major warships in the world to be powered entirely by gas turbine engines, and the first smaller vessels to have any built-in aviation capabilities. Although the design was too small to permit the installation of a hangar, they did have a flight deck, and the ability to refuel and rearm helicopters, plus the ability to receive contact information from aircraft.

Though referred to by the USSR as bolshoy protivolodochny korabl, that is, large antisubmarine ship, their primary mission was anti-aircraft, as is evident from their armament. The Kashin's main battery consists of two twin launchers for SA-N-1 Goa air defense missiles backed up by two twin 76mm autocannon. Anti-sub armament was secondary, consisting of five 533mm torpedo tubes and two each RBU-6000 and RBU-1000 ASW rocket launchers. Later variants would also add four SS-N-2C Styx anti-ship missile launchers and four AK-630 CIWS. One test ship, Provorny had her SA-N-1 systems removed and replaced with a single-arm launcher for SA-N-7 Gadfly and four VLS for SA-N-9 Gauntlet, as a trial prior to their final installation on the Sovremenny and Udaloy classes. The Kashin class also saw some export success, being sold to both Poland and India. The five Indian units have been significantly modified, including BrahMos anti-ship and land attack missiles. Also, their after 76mm gun has been deleted to make room for a helicopter hangar.

During the Cold War, Kashin class ships were often assigned to shadow large NATO units, most notably aircraft carriers and battleships. The thought was that a Kashin was both sufficiently expendable that the Soviet Navy could afford to lose one in exchange for advance notice of Western hostility, and sufficiently powerful to damage or destroy a high-value unit in the event of sudden outbreak of war. There was a tendency among US battleship sailors to discount the threat posed by a Kashin, but its torpedoes were quite capable of both hitting a battleship below the belt and packing enough power to destroy it in a few strikes. That NATO navies allowed shadowing units to get that close is somewhat surprising in view of typical battle group doctrine, and certainly no Soviet major unit commander ever let a NATO destroyer get that close!

• Hull designator: DDG - missile destroyer (US/NATO). BPK - Large Antisubmarine Ship (болшой противолодочны корабль. - Russia/USSR)
• Number: 14 decommissioned.
• Displacement: 4300 tons
• Length: 144 m (471 ft)
• Beam: 15.8 m (51.83 ft)
• Draft: 4.6 m (15 ft)
• Propulsion: 4 gas turbine engines, COGAG, 2 shafts. 75000 shp
• Speed: 32 knots
• Range: 3500 nmi at 18 knots
• Anti-air missiles: 2x (44 missiles) SA-N-1 Goa. 1x SA-N-7 Gadfly and 4x SA-N-9 Gauntlet in Provorny in lieu of Goa mountings.
• Torpedoes: 5x (1 quin) 533mm torpedo tubes. Type 53 nuclear or conventional torpedoes, ASW or ASuW.
• ASW rocket launchers: 2x RBU-6000, 2x RBU-1000.
• Guns: 2x twin 76mm AK-276 air defense guns. 4x AK-630 30mm Gatling installed during refit on Provorny, some other units.
• Aircraft: none carried. Flight deck for one Ka-25 Hormone or Ka-27 Helix ASW or missile targeting helo.
• Crew: 250-360

• Hull designator: DDG - missile destroyer (US/NATO). BRK - Large Rocket Ship (болшой ракетны корабль. - Russia/USSR)
• Number (Russian hulls): 1 in service, 5 decommissioned.
• Number (Polish hulls): 1 in reserve.
• Displacement: 4450 tons
• Length: 144 m (471 ft)
• Beam: 15.8 m (51.83 ft)
• Draft: 4.6 m (15 ft)
• Propulsion: 4 gas turbine engines, COGAG, 2 shafts. 75000 shp
• Speed: 32 knots
• Range: 3500 nmi at 18 knots
• Anti-ship missiles: 4x SS-N-2C Styx medium-range, aft-pointing (as originally modified). 8x (2 quad) SS-N-25 Switchblade in surviving unit.
• Anti-air missiles: 2x (44 missiles) SA-N-1 Goa.
• Torpedoes: 5x (1 quin) 533mm torpedo tubes. Type 53 nuclear or conventional torpedoes, ASW or ASuW.
• ASW rocket launchers: 2x RBU-6000.
• Guns: 2x twin 76mm AK-276 air defense guns. 4x AK-630 30mm Gatling.
• Aircraft: none carried. Flight deck for one Ka-25 Hormone or Ka-27 Helix ASW or missile targeting helo.
• Crew: 250-360

• Hull designator: DDG - missile destroyer (US/NATO).
• Number (Indian hulls): 5 in service.
• Displacement: 4450 tons
• Length: 144 m (471 ft)
• Beam: 15.8 m (51.83 ft)
• Draft: 4.6 m (15 ft)
• Propulsion: 4 gas turbine engines, COGAG, 2 shafts. 75000 shp
• Speed: 32 knots
• Range: 3500 nmi at 18 knots
• Anti-ship missiles: 4x BrahMos (SS-NX-26 Yakhont variant) supersonic.
• Anti-air missiles: 2x (44 missiles) SA-N-1 Goa.
• Torpedoes: 5x (1 quin) 533mm torpedo tubes. Type 53 nuclear or conventional torpedoes, ASW or ASuW.
• ASW rocket launchers: 2x RBU-6000.
• Guns: 1x twin 76mm AK-276 air defense guns. 4x AK-630 30mm Gatling.
• Aircraft: 1 Super Dvora carried.
• Crew: 250-360