Russian landing ship Korolyov
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 Russia | |
| Name |
|
| Namesake | Korolyov, Moscow Oblast |
| Builder | Stocznia Północna, Gdańsk, Poland |
| Laid down | 12 February 1990 |
| Launched | 16 November 1990 |
| Commissioned | 5 January 1992 |
| Homeport | Baltiysk |
| Identification | Hull number: 130 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Ropucha-class landing ship |
| Displacement | |
| Length | 112.5 m (369 ft 1 in) |
| Beam | 15.01 m (49 ft 3 in) |
| Draught | 4.26 m (14 ft 0 in) |
| Ramps | Over bows and at stern |
| Installed power | 3 × 750 kW (1,006 hp) diesel generators |
| Propulsion | 2 × 9,600 hp (7,159 kW) Zgoda-Sulzer 16ZVB40/48 diesel engines |
| Speed | 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph) |
| Range |
|
| Endurance | 30 days |
| Capacity | 10 × main battle tanks and 340 troops or 12 × BTR APC and 340 troops or 3 × main battle tanks, 3 × 2S9 Nona-S SPG, 5 × MT-LB APC, 4 trucks and 313 troops or 500 tons of cargo |
| Complement | 98 |
| Armament |
|
Korolyov (Russian: Королёв) is a Ropucha-class landing ship of the Russian Navy and part of the Baltic Fleet.
Named after the city of Korolyov, Moscow Oblast, the ship was built in Poland and launched in 1990. She was named BDK-61 (Russian: БДК-61) for Russian: Большой десантный корабль, romanized: Bolshoy desantnyi korabl', lit. 'large landing ship', from her construction until being renamed Korolyov in 1999. She is one of three ships of the subtype of the Ropucha-class landing ships, designated Project 775M or 775/III by the Russian Navy.
Construction and commissioning
[edit]Korolyov was built as BDK-61 by Stocznia Północna, part of Gdańsk Shipyard, in Gdańsk, in what was then the Polish People's Republic. She was laid down on 12 February 1990, and launched on 16 November 1990. At this point she was intended for the Soviet Navy, but with the dissolution of the Soviet Union in late December 1991, she was commissioned on 5 January 1992, going on to serve in the Russian Navy as part of its Baltic Fleet, homeported in Baltiysk.[1]
Career
[edit]On commissioning, BDK-61 was almost immediately assigned to the task of assisting in the withdrawal of Russian military forces from Poland and the newly independent Baltic countries. She carried out these tasks from 23 March 1992 to 19 September 1994. She was present at the Saint Petersburg naval parades for Russia's Navy Day in 1994 and 1995, and in 1995, represented Russia at the international naval parade in the Netherlands, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the end of the Second World War.[1] She and her 71st Landing Ship Brigade was awarded the Naval Commander-in-Chief's prize for landing training in 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, and 1999, and the award of best ship in her brigade for combat training and military discipline every year between 1992 and 1999. On 28 December 1999, she was renamed Korolyov after the city of Korolyov, Moscow Oblast, itself named for the rocket pioneer Sergei Korolev.[1]
In July 2004, inspections at the Baltiysk customs post uncovered 10 tons of contraband sugar in 200 sacks aboard the ship.[1] In 2014, she was present at the Navy Day in Baltiysk, and in March 2015, carried out gunnery exercises with the minesweeper BT-212, before taking part in the Saint Petersburg naval parade in May.[2][3] She then deployed to the Mediterranean in May that year, replacing her sister ship Aleksandr Shabalin for service with the navy's taskforce there.[4][5] She returned to the Baltic in January 2016.[6] In January 2017 she conveyed troops and equipment to Sevastopol from Syria as part of a drawdown of Russian forces deployed there.[7][8] She took part in air defence and gunnery exercises with other Baltic Fleet ships in July, and again on 6 September 2017, and in 2018 was again part of the Saint Petersburg Navy Day parade.[1][9]
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In September 2018, Korolyov and her sister ships Minsk and Aleksandr Shabalin, in company with several Dyugon-class landing craft, carried out landing exercises at the Khmelevka training ground in Kaliningrad Oblast.[10] She was involved in similar exercises in April 2019, and ones in partnership with minesweeping forces in September that year.[11][12] In February 2020, Korolyov deployed into the Atlantic to conduct exercises with the corvette Stoikiy.[13] She carried out further exercises on her return to the Baltic in March, and in July was part of the naval parade in Saint Petersburg.[14][15] In March 2021, Korolyov and her sister ships Minsk and Kaliningrad, and the corvette Boikiy entered the Atlantic.[16] Kaliningrad and Korolyov entered the Mediterranean Sea on 25 March, while Boikiy and Minsk returned to the Baltic Sea on 27 March.[17]
In mid-January 2022 Korolyov and two other Baltic Fleet landing ships, Minsk, and Kaliningrad, set sail for the Mediterranean. Enroute they combined with three landing ships sailing from the Northern Fleet, the Pyotr Morgunov, Olenegorsky Gornyak and Georgy Pobedonosets.[18] The six ships were shadowed on their voyage by NATO vessels, including as they passed through the English Channel by HMS Dragon and HMS Tyne.[18] After calling at the Tartus naval base for replenishment, the ships entered the Black Sea, nominally for exercises with the Black Sea Fleet.[19][20] The Barents Observer reported that the ships were heavily loaded and low in the water, and carrying equipment and troops.[21] Korolyov has since been deployed in the Black Sea during the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[22]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e ""Королев"" (in Russian). flot.com. Retrieved 5 April 2025.
- ^ "Корабли Балтфлота провели стрельбы по морским и воздушным целям" (in Russian). RIA Novosti. 12 March 2015. Retrieved 5 April 2025.
- ^ "Корабли БФ, участвовавшие в военно-морском параде в Санкт-Петербурге, взяли курс в Балтийск" (in Russian). korabel.ru. 14 May 2015. Retrieved 5 April 2025.
- ^ "Большой десантный корабль Балтфлота "Королев" вошел в Ла-Манш" (in Russian). RIA Novosti. 25 May 2015. Retrieved 5 April 2025.
- ^ "БДК "Королев" пополнил состав средиземноморской эскадры ВМФ России" (in Russian). RIA Novosti. 3 June 2015. Retrieved 5 April 2025.
- ^ "БДК "Королёв" Балтийского флота прошел через пролив Ла-Манш в Северное море" (in Russian). korabel.ru. 19 January 2016. Retrieved 5 April 2025.
- ^ "Корабль "Королев" зашел в Севастополь в рамках сокращения контингента в САР" (in Russian). RIA Novosti. 22 January 2017. Retrieved 5 April 2025.
- ^ "Десантный корабль "Королев" зашел в Севастополь" (in Russian). korabel.ru. 24 January 2017. Retrieved 5 April 2025.
- ^ "Корабли Балтийского флота в ходе учения отразили налет авиации условного противника" (in Russian). korabel.ru. 7 July 2017. Retrieved 5 April 2025.
- ^ "Высадку морского десанта отработали на Балтийском флоте" (in Russian). korabel.ru. 10 September 2018. Retrieved 5 April 2025.
- ^ "Более 20 надводных задействовали в учениях по высадке морпехов на Балтике" (in Russian). korabel.ru. 5 April 2019. Retrieved 5 April 2025.
- ^ "Балтийские корабли провели траление мин в море" (in Russian). korabel.ru. 30 September 2019. Retrieved 5 April 2025.
- ^ "В дальний поход отправился отряд кораблей Балтийского флота" (in Russian). korabel.ru. 19 February 2020. Retrieved 5 April 2025.
- ^ "На Балтийском флоте прошло учение по переброске и высадке десанта" (in Russian). korabel.ru. 25 March 2020. Retrieved 5 April 2025.
- ^ "На рейде Кронштадта состоялась первая дневная тренировка кораблей-участников Главного Военно-Морского Парада" (in Russian). korabel.ru. 15 July 2020. Retrieved 5 April 2025.
- ^ "Отряд кораблей Балтфлота выполняет задачи дальнего похода в Атлантике" (in Russian). korabel.ru. 22 March 2021. Retrieved 5 April 2025.
- ^ "Ropucha LST deployment – Spring 2021". Russian Fleet Analysis. 25 March 2021. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
- ^ a b "Russian Navy adds to pressure on Ukraine and NATO". Navy Lookout. 31 January 2022. Retrieved 26 March 2025.
- ^ "Шесть российских больших десантных кораблей взяли курс на Крым" (in Russian). korabel.ru. 8 February 2022. Retrieved 26 March 2025.
- ^ LaGrone, Sam (9 February 2022). "3 More Russian Navy Amphibs Enter the Black Sea". US Naval Institute. Retrieved 26 March 2025.
- ^ Staalesen, Atle (2 March 2022). "Hundreds of Russian Arctic troops believed to be involved in war crimes in Ukraine". The Barents Observer. Retrieved 26 March 2025.
- ^ "Azov and Yamal Landing Ships of russian Black Sea Fleet Damaged During Ukrainian Massive Attack on Temporarily Occupied Crimea". defence-ua.com. 24 March 2024. Retrieved 5 April 2025.