The Vishnya class (also known as the Meridian class) are a group of Intelligence collection ships

Spy ship

A spy ship or reconnaissance vessel is a dedicated ship intended to gather intelligence, usually by means of sophisticated electronic eavesdropping. In a wider sense, any ship intended to gather information could be considered a spy ship....

 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...

 in the 1980s. The ships continue in service with the Russian Navy. The Soviet designation is Project 864.

Design

These ships are large, purpose built ships designed for SIGINT and COMINT electronic intelligence 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 2 30mm guns and anti aircraft missiles.

Ships

• SSV-520 Fedor Golovin (ex Meridian 1985- Baltic Fleet)
• SSV-169 Tavriya (1986-Northern Fleet)
• SSV-208 Kuril'y (1986-Pacific Fleet)
• SSV-535 Kareliya (1986-Pacific Fleet)
• SSV-201 Priazov'ye (1987 Black Sea Fleet)
• SSV-175 Viktor Leonov (ex Odograf 1988 Northern Fleet)
• SSV-231 Vasiliy Nikititch tatischev (ex Pelengator Northern Fleet)