Natya class minesweeper

Russian ocean minesweeper project 266M "Akvamarin" Ivan Golubets in Sevastopol, 2005
Class overview
Name:	Natya class (Project 266M)
Operators:	Soviet Navy  Russian Navy  Ukrainian Navy  Indian Navy  Libyan Navy Libyan Republic  Syrian Navy  Yemen Navy
Preceded by:	Yurka class minesweeper
Succeeded by:	Gorya class minesweeper
Subclasses:	Pondicherry class minesweeper
In commission:	1970-present day
Completed:	45?
General characteristics
Displacement:	873 tons
Length:	61 meters
Beam:	10.2 meters
Draught:	3.6 meters
Propulsion:	2 M-503 Diesel engines 5000 hp
Speed:	17 knots (31 km/h)
Range:	1,500 nautical miles (2,778.0 km) at 12 knots (22 km/h)
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 and decoys:	Minesweeping: • AT-2 acoustic sweep • GKT-2 contact sweep • TEM-3 magnetic sweep
Armament:	2х2-30 mm AK-230 2х2-25-m 2М-3М 2 х5 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 were a group of minesweepers built for the Soviet Navy and export customers during the 1970s and '80s. The Soviet designation was Project 266M Avkvamarin. 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 propellors 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

Ships

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

Russian Navy

13 ships believed to remain in Service ref

• 1 Baltic Fleet
• 5 Black Sea Fleet
• 5 Northern Fleet
• 2 Pacific Fleet

Ukrainian Navy

2 ships in service

• U310 Chernihiv
• U311 Cherkasy

Indian Navy

12 ships transferred between 1978 and 1988 known as the Pondicherry class minesweeper 8 Ships will be decommissioned by 2008 and four will be given life extension refits

Libyan Navy

8 ships transferred 1981-86

Libyan Republic

2 ships captured in february 2011

Syrian Navy

One ship in 1986

Yemen Navy

One ship

References

Gardiner, Robert (ed.). Conway's all the World's Fighting Ships 1947-1995. London: Conway Maritime. ISBN 0851776051. OCLC 34284130.  Also published as Gardiner, Robert; Chumbley, Stephen; Budzbon, Przemysław. Conway's all the World's Fighting Ships 1947-1995. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1557501327. OCLC 34267261. 

• page in English from flot
• (English) All Natya Class Minesweepers - Complete Ship List