Boris Chilikin-class fleet oiler

The Boris Chilikin class, Soviet designation Project 1559V Morskoy prostor (Sea space), is a series of fleet replenishment oilers built in 1970s for the Soviet Navy and currently in service with the Russian Navy.

Boris Chilikin-class replenishment oiler Dnestr underway
Class overview
NameBoris Chilikin class
BuildersBaltic Shipyard, Saint Petersburg, Russia
Operators
Planned6
Completed6
Active3
Retired3
General characteristics [1]
TypeReplenishment oiler
Displacement
  • 6,950 tons (standard load)
  • 22,460 tons (full load)
Length162.3 m (532 ft)
Beam21.4 m (70 ft)
Draught9.0 m (29.5 ft)
Propulsion1 Sulzer diesel 6DNRN-74/160, 1 shaft 9,600 bhp (7,159 kW)
Speed16 knots (30 km/h)
Range
  • 22,000 km (12,000 nmi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph)[1]
  • 19,000 km (10,000 nmi) at 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph)
Endurance90 days[1]
Capacity13,440 tons[1]
Complement75-93[1]
Armament

History edit

As the Soviet Navy began to more regularly operate in large areas of the world's oceans and because of the emergence of the Kiev-class aircraft carriers, demand for large surface supply ships increased. In 1967, the TsKB "Baltsudoproyekt" (now Baltic Shipyard) received technical and tactical assignment for the design of Project 1559V sea oilers based on the civilian Project 1559 or Velikiy Oktyabr class. The main designers were S.N. Shumilov and Captain 2nd rank Yu. D. Makshanchikov.[2]

Construction edit

The maximum length of the ship is 162.3 m (532.5 ft), the maximum width 21.4 m (70.2 ft) and draft 9.0 m (29.5 ft).[1] When in standard load, the ship has displacement about 6,950 tons and 22,460 tons while fully loaded. Endurance of the ships is 90 days during which they can travel the distance about 22,000 km (12,000 nmi).

The oilers of this class are equipped with a device for the transfer of goods in move by the traverse method. This allows carrying out cargo operations during significant sea waves. A wide range of transported goods (for example, bunker fuel - 8,250 tons, diesel - 2,050 tons, jet fuel - 1,000 tons, drinking water - 1,000 tons, boiler feedwater - 450 tons, lube oil - 250 tons, provisions 220 tons) allows to rank the oilers of this class to the ships for providing of complex supply.[2]

Armament edit

Originally, the ships were armed with two 57 mm AK-725 guns and two 30 mm AK-630 rotary cannons, but during later operations these defensive weapons were removed.[2]

Ships edit

An aerial port bow view of the Soviet aircraft carrier Minsk and the Boris Chilikin-class oiler during an underway replenishment.
NameBuilderLaid downLaunchedCommissionedFleetStatus
Boris ChilikinBaltic ShipyardOctober 1970Black Sea FleetDecommissioned in 2004
Vladimir KolechitskiyBaltic Shipyard1972Pacific FleetDecommissioned in 2012
Sergey Osipov
(ex-Dnestr)
Baltic Shipyard1973Northern FleetActive
Ivan BubnovBaltic Shipyard20 April 197419 July 1975Black Sea FleetActive
Genrikh GasanovBaltic Shipyard1976Northern FleetDecommissioned in 2015
Boris ButomaBaltic Shipyard30 October 1978Pacific FleetActive

Boris Chilikin was transferred to Ukrainian Navy in 1997 as Makeevka and used as commercial bulk carrier since 2001.

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e f "Project 1559V/1593 Boris Chilikin". globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
  2. ^ a b c Кузин В. П., Никольский В. И. (1996). Военно-Морской флот СССР 1945-1991. СПб.: Историческое Морское Общество. p. 273.

External links edit