Natya-class minesweeper

Russian ocean minesweeper project 266M "Akvamarin" Ivan Golubets in Sevastopol, 2005
Class overview
Name	Natya class (Project 266M)
Builders	KB Baltic Zavod
Operators	Soviet Navy  Russian Navy  Ukrainian Navy  Indian Navy  Libyan Navy  Syrian Arab Navy  Yemeni Navy
Preceded by	Yurka class
Succeeded by	Gorya class
Subclasses	Pondicherry class
Built	1970s–2001
In commission	1970–present
Completed	45
General characteristics
Type	Minesweeper
Displacement	873 tons
Length	61 metres (200 ft 2 in)
Beam	10.2 metres (33 ft 6 in)
Draught	3.6 metres (11 ft 10 in)
Propulsion	2 × M-503 Diesel engines 5,000 hp (3,700 kW)
Speed	17 knots (31 km/h; 20 mph)
Range	1,500 nmi (2,800 km; 1,700 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Endurance	7 days
Crew	68 (6 officers)
Sensors and processing systems	Sonar: MG-69/79 High frequency, hull mounted, active mine detection Radar: Don 2 I-band air/surface 2 × Square Head - High Pole B IFF MR-104 Drum Tilt H/I-band fire control
Electronic warfare & decoys	Minesweeping: AT-2 acoustic sweep GKT-2 contact sweep TEM-3 magnetic sweep
Armament	2 × 2-30 mm AK-230 2 × 2-25-m 2М-3М 2 × 5 RBU 1200 7 AMD-1000 naval mines or 32 depth charges underwater mine searcher MKT-210 Sweeps BKT, AT-3, TEM-4

The Natya class, Soviet designation Project 266M Akvamarin, were a group of minesweepers built for the Soviet Navy and export customers during the 1970s and 1980s. The ships were used for ocean minesweeping.

Design

The design evolved from the Yurka-class minesweeper with new demining equipment including more advanced sonar and closed circuit TV. A stern ramp made recovering sweeps easier. The hull was built of low magnetic steel. The engines were mounted on sound dampening beams and shrouded propellers were used to reduce noise. An electrical field compensator was also installed. A single ship designated Natya 2 by NATO was built with an aluminium hull for reduced magnetic signature.

Project 02668

• Displacement: 852 tons.
• Armament: 1 × 30mm AK-306 CIWS, 2 × 14.5 mm MTPU-1 machine guns, BKT high-speed pin sweep, TEM-4 electromagnetic sweep, AT-3 acoustic sweep, SZ-1 or SZ-2 depth charges, "Livadia" mine detector-finder.
• Crew: 60.

Project 02668 was designed by Design Bureau "Almaz" and is a prototype, which demonstrates the latest technology - the logical continuation of a series of Project 266ME. The minesweeper is equipped with the most modern means of anti-mine protection. It was the first Russian mine-sweeping ship to have an integrated navigation bridge and main command center, as well as the "Diez-E" automated control system of anti-mine action activities.

The St. Andrew's flag-raising ceremony was held on 17 January 2009, and the ship was accepted into the Russian Black Sea Fleet.^[1]

Operators

45 ships were built for the Soviet Navy from 1970 to 1982.

 Russian Navy

• 7 ships believed to remain in service.
  • Black Sea Fleet - 3 ships
  • Pacific Fleet - 2 ships
  • Northern Fleet - 2 ships

 Ukrainian Navy

• 2 captured by Russia.
  • U310 Chernihiv (ex-Zenitchik - captured)
  • U311 Cherkasy (captured)^[2]

 Indian Navy

• 12 ships built for the Indian Navy in two batches between 1978 and 1988. Ship design was modified to Indian specifications. Known as the Pondicherry-class minesweeper in Indian service. All have since been decommissioned. These ships were to be replaced by Future Indian minehunter class, but the project is currently on hold.

 Libyan Navy

• 8 ships transferred 1981-86. 2 still in active

Libyan People's Army

• 2 ships captured in February 2011.

 Syrian Arab Navy

• One ship in 1986.

 Yemeni Navy

• One ship.

See also

• List of ships of the Soviet Navy
• List of ships of Russia by project number

Citations

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. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-132-7. OCLC 34267261.
• "Seagoing Minesweeper Turbinist Project 266M / Natya Class". Black Sea Fleet Information Resource.
• "Seagoing minesweepers Project 266M". Russianships.info.