Russian frigate Oryol (1985)

Oryol was one of nine Project 11351 ships launched between 1982 and 1992. Project 11351, the '' () class, was the patrol version of the Project 1135 Burevestnik for the Soviet Maritime Border Troops. The ships were designated Border Patrol Ship (, PSKR) to reflect their role as patrol ships of the Border Troops. In comparison to other members of the class, Project 11351 ships has a helipad and hangar for a Kamov Ka-27PS search-and-rescue helicopter astern, in exchange to losing one 100 mm gun, one twin-arm surface-to-air missile launcher and the URPK-5 Rastrub (SS-N-14 Silex'') anti-ship missile launchers. NATO classified the vessels as Krivak III-class frigates. Oryol is long overall, with a beam of and a draught of . Displacing standard and full load, the ship's power is provided by two DT59 and two DS71 gas turbines arranged in a COGAG installation, driving two fixed-pitch propellers. Design speed was and range at . The ship's complement is 192, including 31 officers. == Armament and sensors ==

Oryol is armed with one AK-100 gun mounted forward of the bridge and two AK-630M close-in weapon system autocannons mounted on each side of the helicopter hangar. Defence against aircraft was provided by twenty 4K33 OSA-M (SA-N-4 Gecko) surface-to-air missiles which were launched from one set of twin-arm ZIF-122 launchers, mounted aft of the fore 100 mm gun. For anti-submarine warfare, the ship are equipped with a pair of 12-barrel RBU-6000 Smerch-2 anti-submarine rocket launchers and a pair of PTA-53-1135 quadruple launchers for torpedoes, consisted of either 53-65K wake homing torpedo or SET-65 anti-submarine homing torpedo. The ship can also carry 16 naval mines. The ship sensor suites includes Sapfir-U7 combat management system, a single MR-760 Fregat-MA air/surface search radar, one Vaigach-Nayada navigation radar, and the MP-401 Start Electronic Support Measures (ESM) system. Fire control for the guns consisted of MR-184 Lev radar for the 100 mm gun and Vympel-A radar for the 30 mm autocannons. An extensive sonar complex was fitted, including the bow-mounted MGK-335S Platina-S and the towed-array MG-345 Bronza. The vessel was also equipped with two PK-16 and two PK-10 decoy-dispenser system which used chaff as a form of missile defense. == Construction and career ==

The frigate was the third ship of the class. The keel was laid on 26 September 1983 with yard number 203 at the Zaliv Shipyard in Kerch. The ship, initially named ''''' (), was launched on 2 November 1985. The ship was renamed to ''''' () on 7 March 1986. The vessel was commissioned on 30 September 1986. The ship was assigned to the 16th Sakhalinskaya Red Banner Separate Brigade of Border Patrol Ships in Nakhodka, part of the Pacific Border District. From 10 February to 25 March 1987, Imeni XXVII siezda KPSS sailed from Sevastopol to its assigned homeport in Nakhodka via Suez Canal. The ship begun its first patrol duty on 30 April. In 1990, the ship and its crew starred in the 1991 Soviet action film Charged with Death ('') as "PSKR Yuri Andropov''". Upon the dissolution of the Soviet Union in December 1991, the ship was retained by Russia and the Maritime Border Forces of the Russian Federation inherited it. The ship underwent long-term maintenance in Vladivostok from 1992 to 1999. Oryol last seen active service in December 2018, then the ship was put into reserve fleet. The vessel sailed again in spring 2019 and attended the Russian Navy Day in July. Finally Oryol was decommissioned and put into reserve again in November 2019. In March 2021, a commission from the Ministry of Defence visited the ship, moored in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, to inspect its technical condition. According to a source from Russian navy, Oryol was planned to be transferred to the Russian Navy, as the ship is already 34-years old when it was decommissioned. The coast guard would replace the frigate with new Okean-class patrol ship. Oryol has not been drydocked since 2014, so the ship would have to be drydocked to assess its seaworthiness. The navy would either assign Oryol to the Black Sea Fleet or cannibalized the ship for spare parts supply for the Pacific Fleet. == References ==