The Nanuchka class, Soviet designation Project 1234 Ovod, are series of corvettes (small missile ships in Soviet classification) built for the Soviet Navy and export customers between 1969 and 1991.

Variants

These ships were designed around the P-120 Malakhit ("Siren") anti ship missile. Export versions used the P-15 Termit ("Styx") missile. In 2019 the missiles on Smerch were replaced with sixteen Uran/SS-N-25 'Switchblade'. Unlike smaller missile boats, both carry SA-N-4 ("Gecko") SAMs for self-defence. The original Nanuchka I carried a twin 57mm AK-257 main gun, replaced by a 76mm AK-176 in the Nanuchka III and an updated AK-176MA was added to Smerch during the refit. The Nanuchka III also has a rotary 30mm AK-630 point-defence gun to bolster its protection against missile attack. Currently Project 12341 ships are receiving BAGIRA Fire Control System turning them into multirole vessels.

Operational history

Reportedly the Mirazh, a Nanuchka III corvette, sank a Georgian vessel during an attempted attack on Russian ships off Abkhazia on 10 August 2008.

Operators

🇱🇾 Libyan People's Army

Ships

Project 1234 (Nanuchka I)

Project 1234E (Nanuchka II)

Project 12341 (Nanuchka III)

Project 12347 (Nanuchka IV)

Other sources

Gallery