Matka class missile boat
Encyclopedia
The Matka class is the NATO reporting name
for a group of hydrofoil
missile boat
s built for the Soviet Navy
. The Soviet designation is Project 206MR Vikhr.
and are a heavily modified version of the Turya class torpedo boat
. There is only a single foil, the aft part of the hull hydroplanes at high speeds. They are air-conditioned and NBC-sealed. The SS-N-2 launchers are the same type as carried on the Project 61MR (“Mod-Kashin“) class destroyers. Despite initial reports that they were good seaboats, later information revealed that the Soviets regarded them as cramped inside and topheavy. Of thirteen planned ships, one was cancelled and another started but never completed. All were built in Leningrad.
After the breakup of the USSR, Russia discarded many and five went to Ukraine, one of which was later transferred to Georgia after a complete refurbishment.
. More recently, the ship has been seen with no “Drum Tilt” radar and a large deckhouse between the bridge and mast.
But really Tbilisi 13.08.2008 was blown up in port Poti by Russian Airborne troops.
- 3 boats are in service (3 boats Caspian Flotilla
) - 2 boats in service - 1 boat The Tbilisi (თბილისი) transferred from Ukraine, sunk by the Russian Airborne troops in Poti port during the 2008 South Ossetia war
, the word матка (NATO given name) means "uterus
".
NATO reporting name
NATO reporting names are classified code names for military equipment of the Eastern Bloc...
for a group of hydrofoil
Hydrofoil
A hydrofoil is a foil which operates in water. They are similar in appearance and purpose to airfoils.Hydrofoils can be artificial, such as the rudder or keel on a boat, the diving planes on a submarine, a surfboard fin, or occur naturally, as with fish fins, the flippers of aquatic mammals, the...
missile boat
Missile boat
A Missile Boat is a small craft armed with anti-ship missiles. Being a small craft, missile boats are popular with nations interested in forming an inexpensive navy...
s built for the Soviet Navy
Soviet Navy
The Soviet Navy was the naval arm of the Soviet Armed Forces. Often referred to as the Red Fleet, the Soviet Navy would have played an instrumental role in a Warsaw Pact war with NATO, where it would have attempted to prevent naval convoys from bringing reinforcements across the Atlantic Ocean...
. The Soviet designation is Project 206MR Vikhr.
Design
These boats are the ultimate descendants of the Osa class missile boatOsa class missile boat
The Project 205 Tsunami, more commonly known by their NATO reporting name Osa, are a class of missile boats developed for the Soviet Navy in the early 1960s. The Osas are probably the most numerous class of missile boats ever built, with over 400 vessels constructed for both the Soviet Navy and for...
and are a heavily modified version of the Turya class torpedo boat
Turya class torpedo boat
The Turya class is the NATO reporting name for a class of hydrofoil torpedo boats built for the Soviet Navy and Soviet allies. The Soviet designation was Project 206M.-Design:...
. There is only a single foil, the aft part of the hull hydroplanes at high speeds. They are air-conditioned and NBC-sealed. The SS-N-2 launchers are the same type as carried on the Project 61MR (“Mod-Kashin“) class destroyers. Despite initial reports that they were good seaboats, later information revealed that the Soviets regarded them as cramped inside and topheavy. Of thirteen planned ships, one was cancelled and another started but never completed. All were built in Leningrad.
After the breakup of the USSR, Russia discarded many and five went to Ukraine, one of which was later transferred to Georgia after a complete refurbishment.
Project 206.6
R-44 serves as a developmental ship for the Black Sea fleet, and was the first vessel anywhere to carry the SS-N-25 “Switchblade” missile, in two quad-canisters. These were removed in 2000 but re-installed in 2003. In 1998, the SP-521 combat data system was installed. R-44 also has the AK-630М1-2 Roy CIWS which is two 30 mm gatling guns superimposed on each other, in place of the AK-630AK-630
The AK-630 is a Soviet fully automatic naval close-in weapon system based on a six-barreled 30 mm Gatling gun. It is mounted in an enclosed automatic turret and directed by radar and television detection and tracking. The system's primary purpose is defense against anti-ship missiles and other...
. More recently, the ship has been seen with no “Drum Tilt” radar and a large deckhouse between the bridge and mast.
Combat usage
On 9 August 2008 during the 2008 South Ossetia war, several media outlets reported that Tbilisi had been sunk in combat, either by a SS-N-9 “Siren” (likely from a “Nanuchka” class ship) or a SS-N-12 “Sandbox” (from the Slava-class cruiser Moskva) fired by the Russian navy, which was moving a flotilla into position to enforce a 50NM Total Exclusion Zone (TEZ) around the Georgian navy’s main homeport of Poti.But really Tbilisi 13.08.2008 was blown up in port Poti by Russian Airborne troops.
Ships
A total of 12 boats were built for the Soviet Navy. A gun boat version without hydrofoils was offered for export.- 3 boats are in service (3 boats Caspian Flotilla
Caspian Flotilla
The Caspian Flotilla is the oldest Russian military flotilla, stationed in the Caspian Sea. It was awarded the Order of the Red Banner in 1945.-Establishment:...
) - 2 boats in service - 1 boat The Tbilisi (თბილისი) transferred from Ukraine, sunk by the Russian Airborne troops in Poti port during the 2008 South Ossetia war
2008 South Ossetia war
The 2008 South Ossetia War or Russo-Georgian War was an armed conflict in August 2008 between Georgia on one side, and Russia and separatist governments of South Ossetia and Abkhazia on the other....
Interesting facts
In the Russian languageRussian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
, the word матка (NATO given name) means "uterus
Uterus
The uterus or womb is a major female hormone-responsive reproductive sex organ of most mammals including humans. One end, the cervix, opens into the vagina, while the other is connected to one or both fallopian tubes, depending on the species...
".