The Kashin class destroyers were a group of guided missile destroyers built for the Soviet Navy in the 1960s and early 1970s. Their Soviet designation was Project 61. As of 2007, one ship is in service with the Russian Navy, and five modified ships are in service with the Indian Navy as Rajput-class destroyers.
In the USSR they were officially classified as "guard ships" (storozhevoi korabl - SKR), then "large ASW ships" (BPK) or "large missile ships" (BRK), but in the rest of world they are commonly regarded as missile destroyers due to their size and armament. They were the first Soviet purpose-built anti-air warfare ships and the first to carry an ASW helicopter.
The design specification was approved in 1957; the first ship was laid down in 1959 and commissioned in 1962. Much new equipment was developed for these ships, including surface-to-air missiles, radars and gas turbine engines. The gas turbines were arranged in two separate spaces and could be removed via the funnels for servicing. These were also the first Soviet ships designed to be closed down for nuclear fallout and had an operations room deep inside the ship rather than a large bridge.
Six ships were modernised in the 1970s as the Project 61M or 61MP (Kashin-Mod), by being fitted with four SS-N-2C Styx anti-ship missiles, new towed-array sonar, a raised helipad and four close range AK-630 Gatling guns. The two RBU-1000 ASW rocket launchers were mounted aft, but later removed.
The Smetlivy was modernised (mk01090) in Mykolaiv in the early 1990s and fitted with new Kh-35 (SS-N-25 Switchblade, Harpoonski) anti-shipping missiles and MNK-300 sonar. She is the only Kashin currently active in the Russian Navy.
The Rajput class modification built for Indian Navy has the after gun turret replaced by a hangar for a helicopter, as well as SS-N-2C anti-ship missiles on the sides of the bridge.
| Kashin class destroyer | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Kashin |
| Builders: | 61 Kommunara Zavod Nikolayev Yard, Zhdanov yard, Leningrad |
| Operators: |  Soviet Navy Russian Navy Polish Navy Indian Navy |
| Preceded by: | Kanin |
| Succeeded by: | Sovremenny |
| In service: | 1964 |
| In commission: | 1964 |
| Completed: | 25 |
| Active: | 6 |
| Retired: | 19 |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 3,400 tons standard, 4,390 tons full load |
| Length: | 144 m (472 ft) |
| Beam: | 15.8 m (52 ft) |
| Draught: | 4.6 m (15 ft) |
| Propulsion: | 2 x COGAG; 2 shafts, 4 x M8E gas turbines; 72,000 hp (88 MW) --72,000 hp (54,000 kW)-- |
| Speed: | 33 knots (61 km/h) |
| Range: | 3,500 nautical miles (6,480 km) at 18 knots (33 km/h) |
| Complement: | 266 to 320 |
| Armament: | 2 x double barreled 76 mm AK-726 guns, SAM: 2 x twin launchers (NATO reporting name: SA-N-1 Volna), Navalised version of the Isayev S-125 (SA-3 Goa) system, 32 x missiles, 1×5 533 mm torpedo tubes, 2 x twelve barrel RBU-6000 ASW rocket launchers, 2 x six barrel RBU-1000 ASW rocket launchers |
| Aircraft carried: | 1 x helicopter (Indian ships only) |
| Aviation facilities: | Landing pad |
