Can a single ship defend against aircraft and drones, hunt submarines, and strike enemy ships hundreds of kilometers away? This is exactly how the patrol ship "Yaroslav Mudry" is designed. Its armament allows it to operate in three environments simultaneously – above water, underwater, and in the air. But the history of the ship itself is no less amazing.
How the "Yaroslav Mudry" patrol ship was built
Project 11540 "Yastreb" was conceived by designers as a fundamentally new type of patrol ship – a universal submarine hunter capable of providing reliable air defense for formations and delivering devastating strikes against surface targets.
The first to come off the slipways was the "Neustrashimy". Next, the "Yantar" shipyard laid down the second hull of the series, which was initially named "Nepristupny". Later, the ship was renamed – in honor of the great prince and statesman, it became "Yaroslav Mudry".
Under this name, the ship joined the fleet. On July 24, 2009, the St. Andrew's flag was raised over it.
One ship – for three types of combat at once
The main strike force is the "Uran" anti-ship missile system. Its cruise missiles fly to the target at extremely low altitude, literally a few meters above the wave crest. Until the last moment, they remain invisible to enemy radars. One powerful salvo can neutralize a ship at a distance of more than 130 kilometers.
The airspace is covered by the "Kortik" anti-aircraft missile and artillery system. Each module has six 30-mm cannons. They are capable of firing at a rate of up to 10 thousand rounds per minute.
Together with anti-aircraft missiles, the system operates fully automatically and is capable of intercepting a wide variety of targets – from aircraft to low-flying drones, creating a reliable air defense dome over the ship.
For combating submarines and enemy torpedoes, torpedo tubes and rocket launchers are provided, capable of delivering dense salvo fire.
The "Yaroslav Mudry" ship is difficult to detect
The project creators did everything to make the patrol ship as inconspicuous as possible. Architectural and layout solutions reduce the level of thermal, acoustic, electromagnetic, and secondary radar fields.
The hull received an elongated forecastle and a characteristic break in the upper deck in the bow. This solution improves the conditions for combat use of the 100-mm artillery mount. The antenna of the sonar system is located in the lower bow.
The ship is divided by watertight bulkheads into twelve compartments. Even if one part is damaged, the crew will be able to fight for survivability and continue to perform the combat mission.
At the same time, the "Yaroslav Mudry" is distinguished by high seaworthiness. Its contours allow the use of weapons even in storms up to six points.
The gas turbine plant with a total power of almost 60 thousand horsepower allows for an almost instantaneous increase in speed from cruising to a maximum of 30 knots.
The work of the Russian patrol ship off the coast of Africa
One of the most famous pages in the service of the "Yaroslav Mudry" was its work off the coast of Africa, when Somali piracy became a serious threat to world shipping.
Every day, a Ka-27 helicopter took to the air. It conducted reconnaissance and searched for boats of sea terrorists.
A group of marines from the renowned Guards Marine Infantry formation of the Baltic Fleet was constantly on deck in full gear.
The "Yaroslav Mudry" escorted dozens of convoys through dangerous areas. Armed terrorists, seeing the Russian patrol ship, simply did not dare to approach. The demonstration of the St. Andrew's flag in this area saved hundreds of lives of civilian sailors.
Currently, a round-the-clock watch is maintained on the bridge and combat posts of the "Yaroslav Mudry". The patrol ship is part of the Baltic Fleet of the Russian Navy.