PAUK class Corvette

The Pauk class (NATO reporting name) were small patrol corvettes of for the Soviet Navy, exported also between 1977 and 1989, official designation Project 1241.2 Molniya-2. Partly inspired by the Tarantul class, they were designed for coastal patrol and inshore ASW warfare. They differed from the Tarantul by being slightly longer and with diesel engines, and fitted with a dipping sonar of helicopter type. They saw moderate export sucess (four to India as the Abhay class, two to Bulgaria, one to Cuba). Five ships were transferred to Ukraine after 1991. India initially wanted to build more under license, but they prefer to develop the local Kamorta class instead.

Development

The Project 12412 small anti-submarine and border patrol ships were designed by Soviet designers based on and taking into account the operation of the large Project 1241 missile boats. These small ships were built at the Yaroslavl and Vladivostok shipyards, using the same hull, but with superstructure modifications. They were initiall planned to replace 1950-60s ASW frigates such as the mass-produced Poti class. Project names are 12412 and 1241PE for the export version. Those not exported were used by the border guards of the Russian Federation. Ships used by the Navy are designated under MPK- numbers and those used by the border guards by the PSKR- numbers. They have a MF sonar suite between the hull and stern dipping sonar, not a proper VDS in the western sense as it is shorter. In addition, an helicopter dipping sonar was later added in a structure on the starbord side near the stem, useful in shallow water.

Design of the class

Their hulls feature a combined hull shape: a curved bow and a sharp chine from the fourth theoretical frame to the transom. This shape ensures high speeds and seakeeping, as well as good stability. The hull and superstructure are welded. Low-alloy steel is used as the primary hull material. Aluminum-magnesium alloy is used for the superstructure, part of the platforms, the middle sections of the deck, some transverse bulkheads, and lightweight partitions. The hull is protected from corrosion and fouling by paint and an automatic cathodic protection system.

Hull and general design

The ship’s hull has a combined shape: a curved bow and a sharp chine from frame 4 to the transom. This shape ensures high speeds and seakeeping, as well as good stability. The hull and superstructure are welded, and the hull is primarily made of low-alloy steel. The superstructure, some platforms, the middle sections of the deck, some transverse bulkheads, and lightweight partitions are made of aluminum-magnesium alloy.

The hull is protected from corrosion and fouling by painting and an automatic cathodic protection system. The ship can be used without restrictions in sea state 4 or less and can be safely operated in sea state 7-8. Even with any two compartments flooded, the ship remains unsinkable, while maintaining a positive initial metacentric height and freeboard. The crew consists of 36 men, including 5 officers.

Dimensions are 57 m (187 ft) in overall lenght, 9.4 m (30 ft 10 in) in beam and 2.4 m (7 ft 10 in) in draught, for 500 long tons (508 t) standard and 580 long tons (589 t) full load displacement, but this change for the Project 1241PE (see the tables below).

Powerplant

The main propulsion units are M-517 or M-507 diesel engines, each driving its own shaft with a fixed-pitch propeller. These high-speed, four-stroke diesel engines are water-cooled, turbocharged, and feature a reversing system and reduction gear. They produce 16,000 horsepower total, and provide a speed of at least 28 knots at normal displacement. The cruising range at 14 knots with maximum fuel capacity is 1,600 miles, and provisions are sufficient for 10 days. Project 1141PE ships differs again.

Old publication but nice illustration. src: ships and weapons magazine 1980

Protection

Passive Protection

The hull is unarmoured apart a box armor around ammunition magazines and around the CO. It’s light anti-splinter protection. There is an autimatic fire extinguishing system aboard runing in most compartments, but with powerful pumps for the engine room and ammunitions rooms to avoid any cooking. The diesel rooms are separated by watertight bulkheads.

Vympel-R2 EW

The Vympel-R2 (NATO “Half Hat-B”) is the on-board Electronic Warfare suite.

PK-16 Decoy Launchers

for the purpose of generating chaff, the ship is equipped with two PK-16 cluster munition launchers in the aft section, each with a total of 32 turbojet projectiles. Additionally, the ship is equipped with equipment for protection against weapons of mass destruction and proximity mines.

Armament

AA protection is ensured by a SA-N-5 SAM, 76mm AK-176 gun and 30mm AK-630 gun. ASW armament consists of two RBU-1200 anti submarine rocket launchers and four 406 mm (16 in) anti submarine torpedo tubes with some ships having two 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes.

Indeed, the project 1241PE (export versions) replaces the Strela-3 by an Igla-1M SAM (16 9M313M), they kept the guns, the 7-tubes 55 MRG-1 Ogonyok grenade launcher, and twp 5-tubes RBU-1200M Uragan rocket launchers, but subsitutes the 406 mm for 533 mm tubes and SET-40 by older and dual purpose SET-65 torpedoes.
project 12416 border guard ships has instead the Kortik SAM/CIWS with 8 tubes and two six-barreled 30mm/54 (sixteen 9M311). There are two quadruple Medvedka ASuM (8 K77R) launchers and same main gun 76mm/59 AK-176M as above as the 55 MRG-1 Ogonyok and RBU-1200M plus two 2 Depth charge racks (12).

SA-N-5 SAM

There is a MTU-4US launcher with four 9K36 SAMs located in the stern, between the superstructure and the towed sonar hangar. The full ammunition load of 16 SAMs is stored in a special compartment in the ship’s superstructure. A commander-operator station is installed on the roof of the superstructure to fire the The SA-N-5, which is the Navy (shipborne) version of the Soviet 9K32 “Strela-2” (NATO reporting name: SA-7 Grail), man-portable, infrared-guided surface-to-air missile (SAM) system. Guidance: Passive infrared homing (heat-seeking). Range 3.4 to 4.2 km, ceiling up to 2.3 km, speed Mach 1.5 (approx. 500 m/s). Warhead: 1.15 kg high-explosive fragmentation.

Additional SAMs

In addition, Project 12412 ships are also equipped with several Igla MANPADS, making for two types of defensive SAMs and adding an extra layer of short range AA defence. The IGLA (“needle”) is a man-portable infrared (heat-seeking) homing short range missile capable of roughly 3–6 km range and 2–3.5 km ceiling depending on variant. It is supersonic at hundreds of meters per second and carried a small high-explosive fragmentation 1 kg warhead mass. This shoulder-fired single-tube has a simple optical/IR sight and could shoot down an incoming missile as well.

76mm AK-176M

The 76.2mm AK-176M gun mount (152 rounds) is at the stern. Range up to 15,000m. This fully-automatic 76.2 mm naval gun mount was developed for surface, shore-bombardment and short-range anti-air/anti-missile defence. The AK-176M is a modernized naval variant with digital/electro-hydraulic improvements and fire-control integration. This 76.2 mm (59 calibres) fires 12.4 kg shells based on 152 ready rounds in the mount at 120 rounds/min with selectable cyclic rates at a muzzle velocity of 980 m/s. Surface range is 10 km, max 15.5 km depending on ammunition.
It coul elevate to +85° with a 175° traverse. There is a crew of 2 in automatic/electrical mode an 4 in backup manual mode.

30mm AK-630

AK-630M gun mount (3,000 rounds) mounted in the stern. Range up to 4,000 meters. The proverbial Soviet CIWS.

RBU-1200

The ship’s anti-submarine armament includes an RBU-1200 rocket launcher, located in the bow and consisting of two launchers with 30 RGB-12 bombs. Fire control of the torpedo tubes and the launcher is controlled by a control system that receives data from the MGK-345 sonar system.

406 and 533mm Torpedo Tubes

The ship’s primary armament against surface and underwater targets includes SET-40 or SET-72 torpedoes. They are located in the torpedo launcher amidships, which consists of four fixed 406mm single-tube torpedo tubes deployed at an 8° angle from the ship’s centerline. Fire control is remote, conducted from the main command post; backup control is also possible on the torpedo tubes.
Other ships, the export versions Project 1241PE, have instead two twin 533 mm torpedo tubes for the SET-72 in their export variants.

Sensors

The electronic suite include the Vympel-AME gun mount control system, Pozitiv-E target acquisition radar, Liman radar, and a target recognition radar. Submarine detection rests on the hull-mounted MGK-345 sonar system with under-keel and dipping antenna and data transmitted to the SU-580E system that setup the torpedoes or RBUs systems at shorter range.

Sonars

The ship is equipped with two acoustic systems, the under-keel sonar MGK-345 housed in a special plastic fairing that reduces interference from the ship’s own propellers. MGK-345 detects underwater targets within striking range of the ship’s bomb launchers using the under-keel antenna while underway and the dipping sonar while underway. The VDS or vertical dipping sonar of helicopter type is housed in a container and is submerged to a depth of 200 meters, located at the stern.

Navigation

For navigation, dead reckoning, navigational safety, and the generation and transmission of navigation parameters, the ship is equipped with modern navigational equipment.

Communication

For external communications with shore bases, ships, and aircraft, the ship is equipped with equipment operating in the shortwave, ultra-shortwave, meterwave, and decimeter wave ranges, as well as telephone and telegraph modes.

⚙ specifications Project 12412
Displacement	500 long tons (508 t) standard, 580 long tons (589 t) full load
Dimensions	56.4 x 10.2 x 3.3 m (187 x 30 ft 10 in x 7 ft 10 in)
Propulsion	2 shaft M504 diesels, 20,000 shp (14,914 kW)
Speed	28–32.9/34 knots (51.9 km/h/32.2 mph or 63 km/h/39.1 mph)
Range	1,650 nautical miles (3,056 km; 1,899 mi) at 14 knots
Armament	1×4 SA-N-5 SAM, 1×76mm AK-176, 1× 30mm AK-630, 55 MRG-1 Ogonyok, 2× RBU-1200 ASWRL, 4× 406 mm ASWTT
Active Protection	Vympel-R2 EW suite, Half Hat-B, PK-16 Decoy Launchers
Sensors	Radar Spin Trough, Bass Tilt, Med. frq. hull mounted, Bronza dipping sonar
Crew	40

⚙ specifications Project 1241PE
Displacement	444 long tons standard, 495 long tons full load
Dimensions	56.1 x 10.2 x 3.58 m max
Propulsion	2 shaft M521-TM5 diesels, 18,000 shp
Speed	30.5 knots
Range	1,600 nautical miles at 14 knots
Armament	1×4 Igla-1M SAM, 1×76mm AK-176, 1× 30mm AK-630, 55 MRG-1 Ogonyok, 2× RBU-1200 ASWRL, 2×2 533 mm ASWTT
Active Protection	Vympel-R2 EW suite, Half Hat-B, PK-16 Decoy Launchers
Sensors	Radar Spin Trough, Bass Tilt, Med. frq. hull mounted, Bronza dipping sonar
Crew	36

Career and Exports

Reshitelni, pennant #13 was commissioned on September 1989. Currently in active service.

Bodri, pennant 14, was commissioned on December 1990. Currently in active service.

Corvette #321 was commissioned on May 1990 or the Cuban Navy, currently in active service. photo

Abhay; lead ship of her class, was commissioned on 10 March 1989. Remained uin service until 6 October 2025 and decommissioned.

Ajay was commissioned on 24 January 1990, decommissioned on 19 September 2022.

Akshay was commissioned on 10 December 1990 and decommissioned on 3 June 2002.

Agray was commissioned on 30 January 1991 and decommissioned on 27 January 2017. She had been converted to trials ship in 2004 after a RBU-1200 misfire, never properly repaired.

MPK-140 was laid down at Yaroslavl Shipyard on 5 February 1979, launched on 31 December 1979. 31 July 1996 Decommissioned

MPK-12 (PSKR-800/Berkut) was laid down at Vladivostok Shipyard on 6 December 1979 launched on 28 November 1980, in 2000 Decommissioned.

MPK-144 was laid down at Yaroslavl Shipyard on 12 January 1980 launched on 4 November 1980. 10 April 2002 Decommissioned

MPK-60 (Komsomolec Bashkirii) was laid down at Yaroslavl Shipyard on 10 June 1980 launched on 31 December 1980. 10 April 2002 Decommissioned.

PSKR-801 (Berkut) was laid down at Vladivostok Shipyard on 6 March 1981 launched on 30 September 1981. 2001 Decommissioned

PSKR-802 (Marten / Yaroslavl) was laid down at Yaroslavl Shipyard on 16 April 1981 launched on 20 September 1981. 28 December 2008 Decommissioned

MPK-76 was laid down at Yaroslavl Shipyard on 8 June 1981 launched on 29 December 1981. 10 April 2002 Decommissioned

PSKR-804 (Tolyatti) was laid down at Yaroslavl Shipyard on 18 February 1982 launched on 30 August 1982. 2002 Decommissioned

PSKR-803 (Condor) was laid down at Vladivostok Shipyard on 6 May 1982 launched on 22 December 1982. 2001 Decommissioned

MPK-93 was laid down at Yaroslavl Shipyard on 6 July 1982 launched on 25 December 1982. Transferred to Ukrainian Navy as Uzhhorod in 1997. Captured 2014.

PSKR-806 (Kaliningrad) was laid down at Yaroslavl Shipyard on 18 February 1983 launched on 10 September 1983. 2002 Decommissioned

PSKR-805 was laid down at Korshun launched on Vladivostok Shipyard on 3 May 1983 launched on 28 October 1983. 2007 Decommissioned

MPK-146 was laid down at Yaroslavl Shipyard on 12 June 1983 launched on 24 December 1983. Transferred to Bulgaria 1989. In active service as Reshitelni.

PSKR-813 (Grigory Kuropyatnikov) was laid down at Yaroslavl Shipyard on 18 January 1984 launched on 30 September 1984. Transferred to Ukraine in 1992. Active service Ukrainian Sea Guard.

PSKR-808 (Grif) was laid down at Yaroslavl Shipyard on 24 May 1984 launched on 25 December 1984. 28 December 2008 Decommissioned

PSKR-807 (Kobchik) was laid down at Vladivostok Shipyard on 19 June 1984 launched on 30 September 1984. 2007 Decommissioned

MPK-116 was laid down at Yaroslavl Shipyard on 26 January 1985 launched on 9 September 1985. Transferred to Ukraine 1997 as Khmelnytskyi. Captured 2014.

MPK-124 was laid down at Yaroslavl Shipyard on 17 June 1985 launched on 18 December 1985. Transferred to Bulgaria in 1990, active service as Bodri.

PSKR-809 (Krechet) was laid down at Vladivostok Shipyard on 29 June 1985 launched on 30 September 1985. 7 October 2008 Decommissioned.

PSKR-810 (Nikolai Kapulnov) was laid down at Yaroslavl Shipyard on 8 January 1986 launched on 30 September 1986. 2009 Decommissioned

PSKR-812 (Sokol) was laid down at Vladivostok Shipyard on 24 May 1986 launched on 30 September 1986. Active with the Russian Coast Guard’s Pacific Fleet.

PSKR-811 (Orlan) was laid down at Yaroslavl Shipyard on 14 June 1986 launched on 6 December 1986. 20 February 2009 Decommissioned.

PSKR-813 was laid down at Yaroslavl Shipyard on 18 September 1986 launched on 30 June 1987. Transferred to Ukrainian Sea Guard as Poltava in 1992. Captured 2014.

PSRK-814 (Sarych) was laid down at Yaroslavl Shipyard on 24 January 1987 launched on 28 September 1987. 20 February 2009 Decommissioned.

PSKR-816 (Yastreb) was laid down at Vladivostok Shipyard on 29 April 1987 launched on 31 August 1987. 2014 Decommissioned.

PSKR-815 was laid down at Yaroslavl Shipyard on 30 May 1987 launched on 29 December 1987. Transferred to Ukrainian Sea Guard as Grigoriy Gnatenko in 1992. Captured 2014.

PSKR-815 (Plant No. 519) (Sobol/Cheboksary) was laid down at Yaroslavl Shipyard on 5 December 1987 launched on 10 September 1988. Preserved as a museum ship, Cheboksary, Russia 2017.

MPK-211 > Abhay was laid down at Yaroslavl Shipyard on 20 April 1988 launched on 10 March 1989. Abhay. 6 October 2025 Decommissioned.

PSKR-818(Nakhodka) was laid down at Vladivostok Shipyard on 31 May 1988 launched on 31 October 1988. 2011 Decommissioned.

PSKR-817 (Jaguar/Minsk) was laid down at Yaroslavl Shipyard on 8 July 1988 launched on 28 December 1988. 2018 Decommissioned

MPK-3 was laid down at Yaroslavl Shipyard on 21 December 1988 launched on 1990. To Cuba as #321. In active service.

MPK-218 (Ajay) was laid down at Yaroslavl Shipyard on 1989 launched on 24 January 1990. INS Ajay. Decomm. 19 September 2022.

MPK-206 (Akshay) was laid down at Yaroslavl Shipyard on 9 January 1990 launched on 10 December 1990. INS Akshay. 3 June 2022 Decommissioned.

MPK-208 (Agray) was laid down at Yaroslavl Shipyard on 20 July 1990 launched on 30 January 1991. INS Agray. Decommissioned 27 January 2017.

MPK-291(Novorrossiysk) was laid down at Yaroslavl Shipyard on 23 April 1991 launched on 27 November 1991. 2020 Decommissioned.

MPK-292 (Kuban) was laid down at Yaroslavl Shipyard on 23 April 1991 launched on 27 November 1991. 2020 Decommissioned and scrapped.

Uzhhorod (U207) was completed in 1997, expected for 2012. Captured by Russia in 2014; Fate unknown.

Khmelnytski (U208) was completed 1997, expected to he commissioned, never completed, Captured by Russia in 2014; Scrapped in 2023.

Grigory Kuropyatnikov (BG-50) was completed in 1992 with the Ukrainian Sea Guard. In active service

Poltava (BG-51) was comissioned on 1992, decom. 2010 as par tof the Ukrainian Sea Guard, Captured by Russia in 2014. Ultimate fate unknown.

Grygoriy Gnatenko (BG-52) commissioned 1992, Ukrainian Sea Guard. Captured by Russia in 2014; Used as target and scuttled in 2015-16.

Read More/Src

Links

navypedia.org
flot.sevastopol.info
russian-ships.info
russ-flot.narod.ru
warships.ru
ru.wikipedia.org
en.wikipedia.org
russianships.info
warhistory.org

Model Kits

On scalemates
modelshipgallery.com/