Ex-Flamingo-Class (Projects P1415 & RV1415)
These minuscule diving support boats were built in huge numbers in the USSR between the 1970s and the end of the Cold War. Intended as only support craft for customs, border, training, survey or other minor naval roles, some have served as basic patrol craft in some of the other recipient nations around the world. Weighing around 42-43 tonnes fully loaded, with a length of 21 metres, a beam of 4 metres and a draught of between 1.2-1.6 metres, these tiny, cheap-to-produce vessels could easily be mistaken for fishing vessels based on their appearance. Powered by a single diesel engine driving one shaft, they produce around 300 shaft horsepower and can travel at a modest maximum speed of 12 knots. Their maximum operational range is up to 800 nautical miles at 9 knots or only 200 nautical miles at a higher speed of 11 knots. This is a small range, but plenty large enough for the work they usually conduct and also plenty for coastal patrol duties that they sometimes conduct for the more minor navies that they serve in.
Equipped with only a basic Lotsiya radar and with a crew of between 8-13, these vessels are capable of being equipped with a variety of armaments. Some have twin 23mm/82 ZU-23-2 autocannons, quad 122mm rocket launchers or 12.7mm/79 DShK M38 heavy machine guns, or twin 25mm/79 2M-3M autocannons. Almost any kind of small weapon system can be equipped and many boats are outfitted with some of these systems, but usually, only in the smaller navies, Russia itself tends to use the craft for its original purpose as a diving tender.
They serve with numerous navies around the world, all former Soviet countries such as Abkhazia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkmenistan, & Ukraine. These basic craft may be slow and underpowered, but their cheapness, reliability and most importantly, versatility, allowed them to be deployed in a wide variety of roles for various navies around the globe and many still serve today, despite most being over thirty years old, and some closer to fifty.
CLASS OVERVIEW
| Ships In Class | Builder | Laid Down | Launched | Commissioned | Acquired From | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ex-PSKA-12 | Sosnovka Shipyard, Sosnovka, Kirov, Russia | 1982 | 1982 | 1982//2004 | Russia, 2004 | In Service, 2020 |
| Ex-PSKA-13 | Sosnovka Shipyard, Sosnovka, Kirov, Russia | 1982 | 1982 | 1982//2004 | Russia, 2004 | In Service, 2020 |
| Ex-PSKA-19 | Sosnovka Shipyard, Sosnovka, Kirov, Russia | 1984 | 1984 | 1984//2004 | Russia, 2004 | In Service, 2020 |
| Ex-RV1415 Boat #1 | Sosnovka Shipyard, Sosnovka, Kirov, Russia | 1975-1992 | 1975-1992 | 1975-1992//2006 | Russia, 2006 | In Service, 2020 |
| Ex-RV1415 Boat #2 | Sosnovka Shipyard, Sosnovka, Kirov, Russia | 1975-1992 | 1975-1992 | 1975-1992//2006 | Russia, 2006 | In Service, 2020 |
STATISTICS
| Ex-Flamingo-Class (Abkhazia) | As Built | |
|---|---|
| Type | Patrol Vessel |
| Operators | Abkhazia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Russia, Turkmenistan, Ukraine |
| Preceded By | None |
| Succeeded By | None |
| Standard Displacement | Unknown (Project P1415) 33 Tonnes (Project RV1415) |
| Full Displacement | 42 Tonnes 43 Tonnes (Project RV1415) |
| Length | 21.20 Metres |
| Beam | 3.93 Metres |
| Draught | 1.20 Metres 1.60 Metres (Project RV1415) |
| Machinery | 1 x 3D12 Diesel Engine, 1 x Shaft 1 x 3D12AL Diesel Engine, 1 x Shaft (Project RV1415) |
| Power | 300 SHP |
| Speed | 12.0 Knots |
| Range | 800 Nautical Miles @ 9.0 Knots 200 Nautical Miles @ 11.0 Knots |
| Complement | 8-13 |
| Sensors, Electronic Warfare, & Other Systems | Lotsiya Navigational Radar |
| Armament | 1 Unit: 2 x 23mm/82 ZU-23-2 Autocannons [1 x 2], 8 x 122mm BM-21 (A-215) "Grad-M" Rocket Launchers [2 x 4] 1 Unit: 1 x 12.7mm/79 DShK M38 Heavy Machine Gun [1 x 1], 8 x 122mm BM-21 (A-215) "Grad-M" Rocket Launchers [2 x 4] 1 Unit: 2 x 25mm/79 2M-3M Autocannons [1 x 2], 1 x 14.5mm/93 2M-7 Heavy Machine Gun [1 x 1], 8 x 122mm BM-21 (A-215) "Grad-M" Rocket Launchers [2 x 4] 2 Units: Unknown |
GALLERY
In order of appearance, left-to-right, top-to-bottom. Only where attribution is required has it been provided:
Hero Image & Gallery Image #1: By FAndrey – Пожарные карабли ПЖК-53 и РВК-344, CC BY 2.0
Gallery Image #2: By Natalia Semenova, CC BY 3.0
Gallery Image #3: By Alex omen – Own work, CC BY 3.0
Gallery Image #4: By Den 1543 – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0
Gallery Image #5: By Den 1543 – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0