"Bora" and "Samum" - small hovercraft missile boats

There are no analogues in the world to these unique small hovercraft missile boats “Bora” and “Samum” of Project 1239 “Sivuch”. The sailors themselves call them “Sea Destroyer.” When attacking the enemy, suddenly approaching at enormous speed, which is twice the speed of any surface ship, he destroys the flagship of the enemy squadron with missiles brought into combat position in just thirty seconds, leaving it without command. And he leaves there at the same speed, allowing him, after delivering a blow, to instantly leave the zone of destruction of the enemy’s fire forces.

Missile boats "Bora" and "Samum" - video

The ship consists of two narrow hulls covered by a platform (64 x x 18 m). There is an elastic screen in front. Two gas turbines accelerate it to 50 knots at a wave height of 2 m, and at a wave of 3.5 m (wind force 5) - up to 40 knots. On the one hand, it is a catamaran with a speed of up to 25 knots, on the other, a STOL with a maximum speed of up to 50 knots. High speed allows the ship to avoid being captured by torpedo seekers. Seaworthiness - up to 8 points. However, despite its impressive dimensions and displacement, its missile and artillery armament is the same as that of the boat pr. 1234.8 (whose displacement is 400 tons less and whose hull width is 6 m less). True, the large deck area made it possible to create more comfortable conditions for using weapons and accommodating the crew. The complexity of construction and operation, the high cost of both, with insufficiently powerful weapons, predetermined the fate of the project. The series was limited to two units.

History of ship construction

In 1974, the Main Directorate of the Navy issued a technical assignment to the Almaz central design bureau for the creation of a new high-speed missile ship. These missile ships were created taking into account the best practices used in the construction of projects 1232 and 12322 - air-cushion landing ships that were able to prove their worth. The lead ship left the slipway in the city of Zelenodolsk (Republic of Tatarstan) in 1987 and received the name “Bora”, which means strong cold and gusty wind. The second ship, called "Samum" (hot strong wind inherent in the desert climate), was launched in February 1993. But due to technical improvements and difficulty in operation, it was accepted into the Black Sea Fleet only at the beginning of the 21st century. This ship was the last in the series. The third ship was sawed up right on the slipway in the early 90s.

Tactical and technical characteristics of the boats "Bora", "Samum"

Displacement…………………1050 t.

Overall dimensions of Bora, Samum

Length……………………65.6 m Width…………………17.2 m Draft……………………3.3 m (>1 m when blowers are running)

Engines Bora, Samum

2 GTU M10-1 36,000 l. With. (on tandem propellers, in lowered columns), two diesel engines M-511A 20,000 l. With. (for 2 screws) Power……………………2 × 36,000 l. With. and 2 × 20,000 l. With. Propulsion……………………2 Speed……………………55 knots (101.9 km/h) Cruising range………………………total: 800 miles (45 knots), economic : 2500 miles (12 knots) Crew…………………68

Armament of Bor, Samum

Artillery……………………1 × 76-mm gun mount AK-176, two 6-barreled 30-mm AU AK-630 Missile weapons………………………2 × 4 launchers for anti-ship missiles "Mosquito" ( 8 3M80 missiles); 1 × 2 Osa-M air defense missile launchers (20 missiles)

Project 1239 missile hovercraft "Samum", code "Sivuch"

The missile hovercraft "Samum" of project 1239, code "Sivuch" is the second in a series of two ships built at the Zelenodolsk Shipyard named after. A.M. Gorky. The lead ship of this series is Bora.

Project 1239 was developed at the Almaz Central Marine Design Bureau in St. Petersburg under the leadership of general designer V.I. Korolkova. In memory of the Baltic gunboat that died in an unequal battle with German ships in August 1915, this project received the code “Sivuch”.

Project 1239 ships are the largest high-speed combat ships in their subclass in Russian and world shipbuilding practice, using a hydrodynamic platform - a catamaran with aerostatic air unloading.

The project was created as a development of small missile ships of projects 1234 and 1234.1, taking into account the experience of using MRKs in combat service in the Mediterranean Sea. The Project 1239 catamaran is highly seaworthy, has a large deck and more comfortable conditions for using weapons and accommodating the crew. When creating the ship, the experience of the Almaz Central Marine Design Bureau and the shipbuilding industry, acquired during the construction of air-cushion landing ships such as Dzheiran, Zubr, etc., was widely used.

The main power plant of the ship consists of two separate propulsion systems for propulsion and full speed, capable of working separately and together. The project's ships can move in three main modes (catamaran, KVP-1 and KVP-2), which provides an almost 100% guarantee of progress in any situation. The possibility of moving ships with the propulsion switched off has been tested, so the MRK, when operating only the supercharger engines, is capable of moving due to the outflow of air from the air cushion to the stern against the wind (7 m/sec) at a speed of 3 knots.

The purpose of Project 1239 small missile ships is to: destroy enemy warships and transports in coastal areas and the open sea; providing cover for high-speed landing formations and convoys in formation areas, during sea crossings, as well as in amphibious landing areas from attacks by enemy ships and boats; conducting reconnaissance of enemy forces and maintaining patrol in the operational zone of our forces; conducting combat against high-speed combat boats and enemy ships.

RKVP "Samum" was laid down at the Zelenodolsk Shipyard named after. A.M. Gorky originally as "MRK-17", construction number 502, in September 1991. On March 18, 1992, the name “Samum” was assigned. On October 12, 1992 it was launched. On February 26, 2000 it was introduced into the Baltic Fleet. Since July 25, 2002, it has been part of the 41st brigade of missile boats of the Black Sea Fleet. Since August 2002, assigned tail number 616.

Main characteristics: Full displacement 1050 tons, standard 850 tons. Length 65.6 meters, beam 17.2 meters, draft 3.3 meters. Maximum speed 55 knots. Cruising range 2500 miles at 12 knots, 800 miles at 45 knots. Autonomy 10 days. Crew 68 people, including 9 officers, 24 midshipmen.

Power plant: 2 gas turbine units M10-1 36000 hp (for tandem propellers, in lowered columns), two M-511A 20,000 hp diesel engines (for 2 propellers), two M-504 6,600 hp diesel engines. (for blower fans)

Armament: 2x4 Moskit anti-ship missile launchers (8 3M80 missiles), 1x2 Osa-M air defense missile launchers (20 missiles), 1 76-mm AK-176 gun mount, 2x6 30-mm AK-630 gun mounts.

On September 20, 2014, he left Sevastopol for military service in the Mediterranean Sea.

On October 17, 2014, under the command of Captain 2nd Rank Oleg Sardina, performing tasks as part of the permanent formation of the Russian Navy in the Mediterranean Sea, he made his first business call to the Greek port of Pylos. On October 31, it passed through the Turkish Bosphorus Strait and returned to the Black Sea.

On April 28, 2015, in accordance with the combat training plan at the training grounds of the Black Sea Fleet, he took part in a tactical exercise of missile, anti-submarine and mine-sweeping ships. On May 9 in Novorossiysk, together with the missile frigates of type 054A "Linyi" (547) and "Weifang" (550) and the patrol ship "Pytlivy", will take part in the celebrations on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War. A detachment of warships of the Russian Navy and the Chinese Navy, consisting of the patrol ships "Linyi" ("Lin Yi"), "Weifang" ("Wei Fang") and the hovercraft "Samum" of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, leaving the Novorossiysk naval base On May 12, they will make a joint passage along the approved route in the Black Sea, pass through the Bosporus and Dardanelles straits and arrive in the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea to meet with the rest of the ships participating in the exercise. He took part in the Russian-Chinese naval exercise “Maritime Cooperation – 2015”, which took place in the Mediterranean Sea from May 17 to 21. On June 06, as part of a detachment of ships of the Black Sea Fleet from the permanent group of the Navy in the Mediterranean Sea, he made a call at the port of Alexandria in the Arab Republic of Egypt, which will last until June 09. According to a message dated August 14, as part of the permanent formation of the Russian Navy in the Mediterranean Sea, he conducted an exercise in the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea. On August 29, he passed through the Bosphorus Strait and returned to the Black Sea. On August 31, he returned from a long trip to Sevastopol. According to a report dated October 5, as part of a naval strike group, he successfully carried out joint missile firing at a complex target simulating a detachment of warships of a mock enemy.

According to a message dated May 10, 2022, in accordance with the combat training plan at the training grounds of the Black Sea Fleet, he took part in a bilateral tactical exercise with a formation of Black Sea Fleet missile boats. According to a message dated May 17, he completed tasks to destroy sea and air targets.

According to a message dated February 15, 2022, he conducted missile and artillery firing at naval combat training ranges as part of the K-2 course task.

Photos of missile boats "Bora" and "Samum"