The Ship Model Forum

Hi all

A while ago (several pages back) I had some great feed back about the lack of forward SA-N-9 rotary launchers and no Cross Sword fire control being evident on the forward part of Velikiy, the systems "possibly" were to be fitted but it dident happen.
I plan to do what another member also asked about a while ago and wanted to run the following by you guys if ok?

Currently I have the 1/350 Velikiy kit + GMM etch set that has the later Velikiy etch parts. Also 3 X 2 sets of Orange Hobby Kashtan CIWS sets.

Additionally I have some Udaloy parts coming to me: 2 X Cross Sword units and several SA-N-9 rotary launchers.
If I can only fit or use 4 or 6 launchers forward depending on their condition then so be it.

Here's the real question, apparently I am also getting the 2 X 4 SS-N-14 Launchers from the Udaloy, what do you think? I know this is heading into a real "what-if" & I have no idea if it would be a backward/useless step in the real world, but coming from building 1/35 Armour I have many, many what-ifs on my shelf. Anyway, I just wanted to get some thoughts or comments.

Best regards

Peter H
Sydney, AU

Hello Peter,

in reality it would be a step backward. The very first Kirov had a twin launcher for the Silex/Rastrub, with reloads in the foc'sle, they removed them after that. Practically it's a useless weapon since Kirovs have fixed tubes and would use the Vodopad in the anti-submarine missile role. It can only be fired from fixed tubes, then dives into the water, ignites it's engine and comes back out of the water to fly to its target. In the anti-ship role, another role Silex could perform, the Kirovs have the much greater Granit/Shipwreck, so no need for the very short ranged and rather weak Silex in there either.

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The merchant shipyard

Hi Neptune

Thanks for the reply & background for the SS-N-14's, they can sit in the spares box. Will make the Velikiy OOB and the only upgrade will be with the Cross Sword & SA-N-9 launchers forward. (and of course the very nice looking Kashtan's as mentioned above).

Much appreciated.

Peter H

I saw a Russian model, evidently intended to depict pyotr veliky in her fully equipped configuration which was never attained in reality. It shows 8 Sa-n-9 launchers forward as expectd, but ALSO 2 sa-n-4 launchers in the same position as the other 3 Kiorv class vessels. On the real ship the spot occupied by sa-n-4 is left empty. Sa-n-4 is not fitted but neither is the space used for anything else. Is these any documentary evidence to suggest these ships were intended to ship both sa-n-9 and sa-n-4 at the same time?

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Assessing the impact of new area rug under modeling table.

Soviet Era electronics stunk. The Soviet Era there was a stigma against electronics as being bourgeois, a personal belief of Stalin. Andropov and Gorby both worked hard to root that belief out of the Soviet system. Soviet warships had high redundancy of weapons systems because of low availability. Since the Revolution overthrew the Soviet system things have improved greatly. I would expect the Russian Navy to have a reduced number of systems now because of better availability and to improve logistical supply paths. I'd expect for the Kirov class an area defense system and an ship-self defense or point defense system along with it. On a modernized Kirov class I'd expect SA-N-4 to be removed as no longer necessary, with SA-N-9 taking the ship self defense mission without need of a backup.

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Would be strange Chuck. You have a link to that model?
The reason it would be strange is that the Peter the Great has a different forward deck housing. There is no real place for the Osa guidance radar, since the spot between the Kashtan guidance radars would be occupied by Podkat (guidance for Kinzhal).
The only ship of the class that could/should have had both systems together would have been Nakhimov. She has the two Osa guidance radars behind her Kashtan guidance radars and there is one spot slightly higher in the middle left open for a Podkat.
Whether that would have worked without interference is still a question though, lots of radars on a very small space.

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The merchant shipyard