Vishnya-class intelligence ship

Basic information

Type:

Auxiliary ship

Operators:

Soviet Navy

Russian Navy

Country of build:

Poland

Builder:

Remontowa Shipbuilding SA (formerly Stocznia Północna)

Planned:

Completed:

In service:

1985 – present (39 years)

Ship measurements

Displacement:

3,400 t

Length:

91.5 m

Beam:

14.6 m

Draft:

4.5 m

Machine

Propulsion:

4 * Zgoda-Sulzer diesels 12AV 25/30
2 * electric motors
4 * diesel generators
2 * shafts

Speed:

16.5 knots

Range:

7900 nmi

Personnel

Complement:

146

Embarked units:

Combat assets

Electronics:

Radar: MR-212/201 (Palm Frond)
Sonar: MG-349, MGP-303
Various intercept arrays and radio direction finding equipment

Armament:

2 * AK-630 six-barreled Gatling 30 mm/L60 guns
2 * SA-N-8 surface-to-air missiles

The Vishnya class (also known as the Meridian class) are a group of intelligence collection ships built for the Soviet Navy in the 1980s. The ships continue in service with the Russian Navy. The Soviet designation is Project 864. The Russian Navy operates seven of these ships.

These ships are large, purpose built ships designed for signals intelligence gathering via an extensive array of sensors. The data could be transmitted to shore via satellite link antennas housed in two large radomes. The ships are armed with two AK-630 close-in weapon systems and SA-N-8 SAM launchers, for last resort self-defense.