Like destructive tornadoes, the family of littoral warships created by the Zelenodolsk Design Bureau (ZPKB) has great power. The weapons of these relatively small ships allow them to compete with corvettes.
The ships of the coastal zone of project 21632 of the "Tornado" type are the export version of the small artillery ships (IAC) of the project 21630 “Buyan”, which are being built for the Russian Navy (the head one - IAC “Astrakhan” was delivered to the fleet in 2006). In fact, they are modern gunboats capable of delivering powerful fire strikes against enemy ships and along the coast. An important feature of Tornado-class ships is that they can operate equally well in shallow waters (their maximum draft does not exceed two meters) - on navigable rivers, in their estuaries, in archipelagic and other "narrow" waters, as well as in the open sea … This is due to the fact that Project 21630 MAK was designed to operate in the shallow Caspian Sea, known for its violent storms.
The unified platform of Tornado-type ships has a total displacement of 560 tons, length - 61.45 m, width - 9.6 m. high maneuverability and movement at shallow depths, reduce noise and running vibration. On ships, stealth technologies are widely used, giving them low visibility. So, inclined flat surfaces of the superstructure and gun turret, bulwarks contribute to the scattering of reflected waves of radar stations and reduce their intensity, that is, the secondary radar field of the ship. The layout of the premises and corridors facilitates the free movement of personnel around the ship without going to the upper deck. Upon alarm, each officer and sailor can quickly take their place according to the combat schedule. The cruising range of the "Tornado" in the version of a small artillery ship is 1,500 miles, the autonomy is 10 days. The navigation system and hydrometeorological support, the Sigma-E combat information and control system, and the integrated bridge system fully correspond to the modern level and make it possible to complete the assigned combat missions in full, as well as to carry out safe navigation. The main link of the ships' electronic weapons is the Sigma-E combat information and control system, which provides combat control of the ship based on the combination of electronic weapons into a single complex and automates the process of developing and making decisions on the combat use of the ship's weapons. Having the ability to generate information on the tactical situation both for the ship and for the tactical formation, any of the Tornado-class ships can act as a command ship. Due to the widespread introduction of automation tools, the number of the crew, depending on the modification, is 29-36 people. The Tornado implements the requirements of the International Convention for the Prevention of Marine Pollution MARPOL 73/78 and the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer of the Earth.
The Tornado family has several modifications. The first is missile and artillery (MAK). Some of the weapons systems located on it have no analogues. In front of the wheelhouse - the automatic 100-mm artillery mount A-190 "Universal", designed to destroy sea, coastal and air targets. Fire control is carried out by the unique 5P-10-03E "Laska-M" system with radar and optical-electronic channels. In terms of its power, the A-190 surpasses the well-known 76-mm naval gun of the Italian company OTO Melara, and in most characteristics, the 100-mm French gun Creasot-Loire Compact. The rate of fire of the A-190 is 80 rounds per minute. The gun sends a projectile weighing 15.6 kg at a distance of up to 20 km. The weight of the installation itself is less than 15 tons.
In the stern there is an MS-73 launcher of the A-215 Grad-M complex, designed to defeat areal coastal targets. This weapon does not need a special introduction, since it is a "hot" version of the well-known multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) "Grad". A salvo of two packets with 122 mm projectiles is capable of turning into dust any target at a distance of 5 to 20 km and clearing a bridgehead for a successful landing.
The main anti-aircraft weapon is the 3M-47 "Gibka" turret or the "Komar" anti-aircraft missile system. The installation contains 4 missiles. The fire is conducted on the “fire and forget” principle with single rockets or a salvo of two. Targets are struck at ranges of 500-6000 m and at altitudes from 5 to 3500 m. The complex is designed not only for air strikes, but also for small-sized surface targets.
FAMILY OF LITORAL BATTLE SHIPS "TORNADO"
The Tornado air defense system is supplemented by two six-barreled automatic 30-mm artillery mounts AK-306 and a pair of large-caliber 14, 5-mm MTPU machine guns installed on board the superstructure behind the wheelhouse. They are also used to fire at surface and coastal targets. In the stern and in the bow there are pedestals for three 7.62 mm machine guns. In addition, the configuration provides for the placement of a lowered hydroacoustic station "Anapa-ME" to detect underwater saboteurs and a DP-64 grenade launcher for their destruction.
On an inclined, ramp-closed slip in the stern, there is a rigid-inflatable speedboat with an aluminum alloy bottom. It is intended for rescue in distress on the water, inspection operations, landing reconnaissance and sabotage groups.
To increase the effectiveness of air defense in the aft part of the "Tornado", behind the superstructure, two PK-10 jamming systems are located on the side. In the event of a threat, they shoot false targets that affect the optoelectronic homing heads of enemy air attack means and divert them from the ship.
The second modification of the Tornado - a small missile ship (MRK) - differs from the first in the presence of the Uran-E anti-ship missile system (2x4 PU) and the absence of the A-215 MLRS. Anti-ship missile launchers are located in the middle of the ship, and the 3M-47 "Gibka" turret is shifted to the stern. The firing range of the Kh-35E missile of the Uran-E complex is 130 km.
It should be noted that the cruising range of this modification of the "Tornado" economic speed has increased to 2300 miles.
The third modification of the ship (also MRK) has the main strike weapon - supersonic anti-ship missiles (2x2 PU) of the Yakhont complex with a firing range of up to 300 km (instead of the Uran-E missile complex). Two launchers of these anti-ship missiles are "hidden" behind housings in the stern of the ship. In all other respects, the ship is identical to the Tornado version 2.
The fourth modification is somewhat different from the first three. We are talking about the high seas patrol ship (OPV) based on the "Tornado". Its dimensions are slightly increased. Length - 64, 8 m, draft - 2, 2 m, full displacement reaches 600 tons, cruising range at economic 12-knot speed increased to 2500 miles. The speed is about 25 knots. The composition of the armament has been changed in accordance with the purpose. It includes one 30-mm automatic six-barreled mount AK-630 or AK-306, 2 large-caliber (14.7 mm) and 3 machine guns of 7.62 mm. The air defense contour has been reinforced with 8 Igla MANPADS. But the main difference between this ship and other "family members" is the presence of a helicopter landing pad. It extends from the deckhouse to the stern cut. Helicopters Ka-226 or other models weighing up to 4 tons can land and take off on it. This ship is capable of carrying out the entire range of tasks in peacetime to protect the exclusive economic zone and the territorial sea.
The creation of littoral warships of the Buyan-Tornado family is a great success of the Zelenodolsk Design Bureau. A single platform, overlapping weapons and electronic equipment make it possible, at optimal cost, to create a sufficiently powerful fleet that solves a wide range of tasks in the coastal zone, from patrolling it to striking enemy ships trying to attack the coastal state. At the same time "Tornado" - fire support ships of the Marine Corps and Ground Forces. They can also handle special operations in enemy waters. As the chief designer of the project 21632 Yakov Kushnir emphasized in an interview with us, "ships of the Tornado type have a flexible open architecture." At the request of the customer, it is possible not only to change the armament of the ship, but also to adjust its dimensions, the composition of the power plant, etc. This project has a large modernization potential, which allows for a long time to improve the project.
Zelenodolsk Design Bureau, established in 1949, is one of the leading design organizations in the shipbuilding industry in Russia. According to the bureau's developments, about 800 ships and vessels were built, of which almost 200 units (including those transferred from the fleet) were exported.
