Gepard-class frigate
class of frigates
The Gepard-class frigates, Russian designation Project 11661, is a Russian class of frigates that were intended as successors to the earlier Koni-class frigates and Grisha, and Parchim-class corvettes. The first unit of the class, Yastreb (Hawk), was laid down at the Zelenodol'sk Zavod shipyard at Tatarstan in 1991. She was launched in July 1993, after which she began fitting out; fitting was nearly completed by late 1995, when it was suspended due to lack of funds. Renamed Tatarstan, the ship was finally completed in July 2002, and became the flagship of the Caspian Flotilla. She has two sister ships, Albatross (renamed Dagestan), and Burevestnik (Storm Petrel), which was still under construction as of 2012.
Vietnam is the main operator of the class with its navy having commissioned 4 frigates - twice the size of Russia's Project 11661 inventory.
Design
The hull and superstructure are constructed primarily of steel, with some aluminium-magnesium being used in the upper superstructure. Gepard is Russian for cheetah.
Service history
In October 2015, Dagestan, in company with three Buyan-M-class corvettes serving with the Caspian Flotilla, launched cruise missiles at targets in Syria. The missiles flew nearly 1,500 kilometres (930 mi) over Iran and Iraq and struck targets in Raqqa and Aleppo provinces (controlled by the Islamic State) as well as Idlib province (controlled by the al-Qaeda-linked Nusra Front).
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