Storozhevoy (Project 1135)

History

Storozhevoy is a Burevestnik-class 1135 anti-submarine warfare (ASW) frigate built for the Soviet Navy in 1973. This series of large frigates is specially designed to counter the new US Arctic Star missile submarines.

By 1975, Prime Minister Leonid Brezhnev had spent huge sums on upgrading the armed forces, and the new Burevestnik ASW frigates were the pride of the Soviet Navy. Brezhnev believed that the Soviet Union needed to keep pace with the U.S. Navy, which led to the ongoing arms race during the Cold War.

With the triumph of communism in Southeast Asia and Latin America, and the booming Russian economy, many believed that the Soviet Union seemed to be winning the Cold War. In the early 1970s, the Soviet Union was at the peak of its power.

The Communist Party remained the only party in the Soviet Union, and forced economic reforms gave the empire a strong economy and improved living standards for its citizens.

The call sign of the new NATO frigate is "Kriwak", and the frigate Storozzevoy belongs to the Soviet Baltic Fleet stationed in Riga in the Gulf of Riga. Design began in 1957 and evolved into a large anti-submarine ship in the 1960s.

In total, more than 40 ships were built for the Soviet Navy, the KGB Maritime Border Guard, Ukraine and India.

The sleek design measures 405 feet long and weighs 3,300 tons. The vessel's gas turbine can travel at 32 knots with an output of 40,000 horsepower.

She defends against the threat of American submarines with upgraded radars - Don Kay and Don 2. The Storozhevoy is equipped with a downward facing "Eye Bowl" radar and a sky facing "Pop Group" radar. Her bow sonar is called the "bull nose" and she tows a sonar array called the "horsetail" for anti-submarine warfare.

The RBU6000 anti-submarine missile box on the bow makes her a tiger on the high seas. She deploys 4 x 533mm torpedo tubes on deck, which swing out midway to port and starboard to counter enemy U-boats from every angle. Other anti-submarine missiles on board include SA-N-4 "Silex" ASW (Anti-Surface Warfare) and anti-ship missiles as well as the ship's close-range 2 x 76mm Dual Purpose (DP) anti-aircraft guns.

Storozhevoy has traditionally consisted of 200 personnel, consisting of officers and conscripts. The funnel and sloping mast earned her a nickname among U.S. Navy sailors, derived from her silhouette - "hot dog bun, chimney, gun in the back - Krivak."

Storozhevoy was involved in a rebellion that inspired the story used by Tom Clancy in his 1984 novel The Hunt for Red October. Clancy's story revolves around a first-class Soviet submarine captain who defected and stole a new submarine and sailed into American waters. The story tells the story of Soviet submarine captain Marko Ramius.

In 1975, a scholarship was held aboard the Storozhevoy, headed by 3rd class captain Valery Sablin. Sabrin was a 37-year-old "political official" who had served as Storojeva's deputy commander. His job was to maintain the "revolutionary spirit" of the crew.

Sabrin was a staunch communist but was dismayed by the corruption of Brezhnev and other party leaders as they seized oil and diamond mines and left the Soviet people behind.

In November 1975, Sablin locked the captain in the lower storage room. After the captain stepped aside, Sabrin summoned the officers on board and discussed with them the failure of the Soviet leadership to adhere to revolutionary principles. He outlined plans to sail with the fleet from Riga the next morning, and once they reached the Baltic, the fleet would turn south to their base in Vargas, Storozhevoy would instead head north into international waters and then east to Leninga Le - 500 mile journey. Then they would be there to broadcast a message to the Soviet people to overthrow their masters.

When Sabrin voted on his plan, however, many officers supported him, half in favor and half against. Since Sabrin's plan had gone too far, he decided to put the dissenting officers in jail.

On deck, Sabrin talks to the crew and convinces them to join his new revolution. When one of the officers escaped, Sabrin knew the Soviet secret police were behind him, so he left Reggie at full speed at night without lights and radar. Within three hours, she had reached the Gulf of Riga and set a course for the Baltic Sea. News of the mutiny reached the top of the Soviet Navy five hours after she set sail.

The Vice Admiral of the Baltic Fleet then called Storozhevoi and spoke to Sablin. Then it was ordered to stop and everything would be forgiven, but Sabrin remained committed to his plan. They called Brezhnev and concluded that Sabrin had defected and went west.

On her current course, the Storozhevoy could reach Swedish waters within five hours, a feat an unimaginable thought given that the warship was the Soviet Navy's new treasure, which could eventually be into the hands of Westerners.

The Baltic Fleet was mobilized and orders were given to stop or sink the Storozheva. Due to the thick fog, Storoschevoi had to switch on her radar system. When this happened, the Soviet fleet realized their location and the Kremlin itself dispatched a Tupolev Tu-16 fighter-bomber with the order to attack and sink them. Gunboats were also pursued, and later Tu-16s followed suit.

After a warning shot was fired, the boat's controls were damaged and she fell into the water and died. She was quickly boarded by Soviet naval commandos, who immediately arrested the crew. Sablin and his deputy Alexander Shein were tried and convicted. At a trial in July 1976, Sabrin was convicted of treason and shot in August 1976.

Xie was sentenced to eight years in prison. The rest of the insurgents were disgracefully fired by the Soviet Navy and released.

Storozhevoy served in the Soviet Navy until 1997. She was transferred to the Russian Pacific Fleet and later sold to India for scrap because Russian authorities did not consider her a floating museum ship.

The Indian government ordered six of these frigates as upgrades to the Burevestnik class and named them - Indian Navy - Talwar class. Three ships were delivered between 2003 and 2004, and three more are currently under construction with full delivery expected sometime in 2012.

It is unclear how many of these ships are still in service with the Russian Navy.

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