Poti-class corvette

Poti-class corvette
Bulgarian Navy Poti class corvette Bditelni in 1987
Class overview
Operators:	Soviet Navy Bulgarian Navy Romanian Naval Forces
Preceded by:	Kronshtadt class submarine chaser
Succeeded by:	Pauk class corvette
General characteristics
Type:	Anti-submarine corvette
Displacement:	500 long tons (508 t) standard, 580 long tons (589 t) full load
Length:	59.4 m (195 ft)
Beam:	7.9 m (25 ft 11 in)
Draught:	2.0 m (6 ft 7 in)
Propulsion:	2 shaft CODAG, 2 gas turbines 30,000 shp (22,371 kW) & 2 M503A diesels 8,000 shp (5,966 kW)
Speed:	38 knots
Range:	4,500 nautical miles (8,334 km; 5,179 mi) at 10 kn (18.5 km/h; 11.5 mph), 520 nautical miles (963 km; 598 mi) at 37 kn (68.5 km/h; 42.6 mph),
Complement:	80
Sensors and processing systems:	Radar: Strut curve, Muff comb, Spin trough Sonar: High frequency Herkules hull mounted and Bronza dipping sonar
Armament:	2 x 57 mm (2.2 in) guns (1 twin turret) 2 x RBU-6000 anti submarine rocket launchers (RBU-2500 in Romanian and early Soviet ships) 4 x 406 mm (16 in) anti submarine torpedo tubes; some ships have 2 x 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes)

The Poti class was the NATO reporting name for a group of anti submarine corvettes built for the Soviet Navy. The Soviet designation was Project 204 small anti-submarine ships. These ships were the first soviet warships powered by gas turbine engines; two propellers were mounted in tunnels to give a very shallow draught. A twin 57mm gun mounting provided self-defence.

Ships

A total of 66 ships were built between 1960 and 1968. In the Soviet Union the Poti class corvettes were decommissioned by the late 1980s; some Bulgarian ships served into the 21st century. Builders were:

• Kerch yard 24 ships
• Zelenodolsk yard : 31 ships
• Khabarovsk yard: 11 ships

Exports

• Bulgarian Navy: 6 ships transferred 1968-1983

Hull number	Name	Soviet name	Launched	Transferred	Fate
44 (ex-14, ex-33)	Khrabri - Храбрый (Valliant)	MPK-?	1960s	1968	Decommissioned in 2005, sold for scrapping
45 (ex-44, ex-34)	Strogi - Строгий (Stern)	MPK-?	1960s	1975	Decommissioned in 1994, sold for scrapping in Turkey 1997.
46 (ex-15, ex-35)	Bezstrashni - Бесстрашный (Fearless)	MPK-?	1960s	1975	Gas turbines removed in 1994. Decommissioned in 2005, sold for scrapping
41	Letjashhi - Летящий (Flighty)	MPK-?	1960s	1982	Decommissioned in 2005, sold for scrapping
42	Bditelni - Бдительный (Watchful)	MPK-?	1960s	1982	Decommissioned in 2005, sold for scrapping
43	Naporisti - Напористый (Energetic)	MPK-148	1962	1983	Decommissioned in 1994, sank during towing to Turkey in 1997

Note: The former Soviet numbers of most of the individual ships are not known, but it is known that MPK-59, MPK-77 and MPK-109 were among the ships given to Bulgaria.

• Romanian Navy: 3 ships 1970

Hull number	Name	Soviet name	Launched	Transferred	Fate
31	none	MPK-?	1967	1970	Decommissioned after 1992
32	none	MPK-?	1967	1970	Decommissioned after 1992
33	none	MPK-?	1967	1970	Decommissioned after 1992

Note: The former Soviet numbers of the individual ships are not known, but it is known that MPK-106 and MPK-125 were among the ships given to Romania. The Romanian ships carried the older RBU-2500 ASW rocket launchers and two 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes versus the newer RBU-6000 and four 406 mm (16 in) torpedoes on the Bulgarian ships.

References

• Gardiner, Robert (ed.) (1995). Conway's all the World's Fighting Ships 1947-1995. London: Conway Maritime. ISBN 0-85177-605-1. OCLC 34284130.  Also published as Gardiner, Robert; Chumbley, Stephen; Budzbon, Przemysław (1995). Conway's all the World's Fighting Ships 1947-1995. 
• (English) Russian Project 204 - Complete Ship List