About the existence of the RKVP "Bora" did not spread for a long time, he was surrounded by a veil of complete secrecy. As, however, many military facilities in Russia. "Bora" - a ship that has no analogues in the whole world. Lightness, maneuverability, its speed are so high that torpedoes and even homing missiles are not able to catch it. In the Black Sea Fleet, exercises were repeatedly held, where the crew of the RKVP did an excellent job with the tasks, leading successful battles with the ships of conditional opponents.
The idea of creating a ship
The first thoughts on the creation of such a ship arose during the Second World War, when in 1942 the Germans broke into the Caucasus. In Moscow, the Council discussed the project of the rocket designer Chelomei. His proposal is to install torpedo launchers on missile boats to engage large enemy targets. Everyone agreed that the project was really promising, but temporarily postponed.
Only after the war, on the instructions of Stalin, in 1949 the Almaz BMKB was created. Employees were tasked with developing hovercraft designs; this was a secret, completely new topic. The goal was to create ultra-fast missile boats. The brainchild of this project in the future was the Bora - a hovercraft.
The role of Almaz Design Bureau
So, in the Leningrad Design Bureau "Almaz" ideas began to arise - to mount missile launchers on small high-speed boats. Throughout the world, Russian innovation was reserved-skeptical. But the six-day war of 1967 turned their eyes, after an Egyptian boat (manufactured by the USSR) with a single missile salvo sent an Israeli destroyer to the bottom. A new era began in the navy. In the 70s, engineers of the Almaz Design Bureau, under the leadership of V. I. Korolev, began to put forward ideas for creating light catamaran hovercraft. This increased the speed of movement, maneuverability, invulnerability. The task is an unexpected appearance, a blow and the same rapid disappearance. So the small Bora hovercraft was born.
First test
For the first time, the Bora RKVP was launched in 1988, but the difficult political and economic situation did not allow for immediate testing. The ship "Bora" showed its first successes in 1991. In the area of the Snake Island, on the Black Sea, the first firing took place, they caused a serious stir in foreign intelligence. This has never been seen in the Navy. The new Russian military ship, traveling at a speed of 40 knots, simultaneously launched rockets. A missile salvo prepared in only 30 seconds. During the first tests with four Mosquito missiles, the decommissioned patrol boat was completely destroyed. Naturally, such volleys can destroy even large ships, including aircraft carriers.
The small ship "Bora" began to be called the "Sea Destroyer", because its task was to decapitate the flotilla, that is, to deliver a devastating blow to the main ship of the enemy squadron. After that, at a speed exceeding the speed of any marine vessel, hide from view.
In 1991, the first hovercraft appeared on the Black Sea Fleet - it was the Bora.
Ship characteristics
The ship has a displacement of 1050 tons. The dimensions of the “Bor” are as follows: full width - 17.2 m, length - 65.6 m. Draft - 3.3 m, with superchargers working 1 m is added. The maximum speed is 55 knots. Range at a speed of 12 knots - 2500 miles, at 45 knots - 800 miles. The power plant includes: 2 GTU M10-1 with a capacity of 36 thousand horsepower, two diesel engines M-511A with a capacity of 20 thousand horsepower and two diesel engines M-504 with a capacity of 6.6 thousand horsepower. The armament includes the Moskit anti-ship missile launcher - 8 3M80 missiles, 20 Osa-M anti-aircraft missile launchers, AK-176 - 76-mm gun mount, AK-630 - 30-mm gun mount. The small Bora rocket ship serves a crew of 68 people.
Mal yes yes
Two narrow buildings (length - 64 m, width - 18 m) are covered by a platform. In front of the machine is an elastic screen. Even if the wave height reaches two meters, a powerful engine of 60 horsepower, allows you to reach speeds of up to 55 knots. At a wave height of 3.5 meters, speed is reached at 40 knots. An economical move is provided by two diesel engines. High speed allows the ship to avoid the capture of homing missiles, as well as to dodge torpedoes.
When creating the RKVP, the experience gained by the Design Bureau and the shipbuilding industry in the construction of landing ships of the Zubr and Dzheiran types was borrowed.
What makes RKVP unique? "Bora" - a ship having a hydrodynamic platform, which is easily transformed. The propulsion system has 36 use cases. “Bora” is also a catamaran that regulates speed up to 20 knots, and at the same time a ship capable of developing a speed of over 50 knots. RKVP has a wide range of motion in both emergency and normal condition. Over the years of operation, there was no case that the ship entered the port in tow. In addition, it is able to go even with the propellers turned off due to the supercharger engines when air flows out of the air bag.
RCC "Mosquito"
On board the Bora (ship) has the most deadly installation of anti-ship missile systems "Mosquito". More about them. The shock force of these missiles in the aggregate is capable of destroying the middle class of ships and even cruisers. Explosive in 3M80 "Mosquito" has a mass equal to 150 kilograms. Starting range - from 10 to 90 kilometers. Starting, the rocket soars upward, making a slide, then descends to a 20-meter height, when approaching the target reaches 7 m above the waves and crashes into the ship's hull. The semi-armor-piercing part and the huge kinetic energy make it possible to break through any obstacle. A powerful explosion takes place inside. Even if the enemy uses a radio countermeasure system, the combined control system allows to achieve high accuracy of hit up to 99%.
Bora in the Turkish port of Sinop
In 2013, in Turkey, at the activation of the Blacksifor ChMMG, the Russian Federation was represented by the Bora, a hovercraft. Warships of Romania, Turkey, Bulgaria, Ukraine took part in sixty exercises and trainings. What was the focus? Reflection of air attack units, escorting behind trawls, repulsing attacks of small targets, arranging communications, joint maneuvering, monitoring the movement of a merchant ship, rescue and search for victims at sea.
The crew of the ship "Bora" proved to be the best. All actions under the command of the captain of the 2nd rank Trankovsky were carried out smoothly, clearly, in an organized manner - this is confirmed by the admiring reviews of all those who observed the exercises.
At Artek
Black Sea sailors support traditions established since Soviet times. At the close of the shift, the Bora arrived at the Artek International Center, a ship that became the pride of our fleet. After completing combat missions, the RVP “Bora” embarked on a raid in the children's center.
Hundreds of children boarded the ship; special excursions were conducted for them. Acquaintance was very informative, especially for those who graduated from the children's marine flotilla at Artek. Here the ceremonial graduation of cadets took place.
All the guys were delighted with this event and left their positive feedback after visiting the ship.
The traditional bonfire completing the shift at the Artek International Camp was lit from a fire taken from a capsule lowered from the board of the Bora ship.
Bora and Samum
Talking about the Bora hovercraft, one cannot fail to mention his brother. This is the RKVP Samum. Their stories are similar. Samum is a little younger. “Bora” and “Samum” are the ships of the same type, belonging to the class of hovercraft missile ships.
The Bora ship was first laid down in Zelenodolsk near Kazan in 1984, at the Krasny Metallist shipyard. It was launched in 1987, and in 1991 it was included in the Black Sea Fleet.
“Samum” has a more eventful history of movement. The RKVP was founded in 1991, launched in 1992. Inland waterway was transferred to the Black Sea. In 1992 - to Kerch, in 1993 - to Sevastopol. For technical reasons, in the same year he was again sent to Zelenodolsk to the manufacturer. In September 1994, he left for the Baltic. Since 1996, it has been tested in Baltiysk. Officially, the Baltic Fleet was introduced in 2000. Only in 2002, the Samum RKVP was relocated to the Black Sea Fleet. He joined the 41st brigade of missile boats of the Black Sea Fleet.
The guys who served on these warships remember the years spent in the Navy for a long time, leave thankful comments. Someone claims that the service has nurtured the will and tempered character, others forever remember military exercises. Well, of course, everyone responds with warmth about cohesion in the team, friendship and comradely support. It is on such warships that the brotherhood is born.
Where did the names Bora and Samum come from?
For the Soviet fleet, such names as “Bora” and “Samum” at first glance look incomprehensible and exotic. Indeed, for the most part at that time, all significant objects were called by the names of any heroic personalities or significant events, in honor of the congresses of the CPSU, rallies, and Komsomol conferences.
But it was this line of ships that was awarded such unusual names. Back in the 30s of the last century, patrol ships (in fact, destroyers) began to appear on the fleet, which bore storm names, for example, “Hurricane”. The sailors then called them "Rainy Weather Division." The successors of this series were the RTOs “Tempest”, “Flurry”, “Storm” of project 1234. The tradition of missile hovercraft ships of project 1239 continued the tradition. Designer Korolev proposed to call them names of sudden destructive winds. "Bora" - a black sea squally wind coming from the north. Especially capricious is the “Novorossiysk boron”. “Samum” is the Arabic name for the hot African wind, which brings strong sandstorms, falling asleep everything in its path. Thus, two Russian ships are named after strong winds, cut the sea waters at the same speed, eliminating obstacles on the way.
Milestones
Despite its youth, the Bora rocket ship during its existence has performed more than one hundred artillery and rocket firing. Repeatedly declared the best RKVP in his formation, won various prizes in all types of training. It fully justifies its name, because “Bora” is a powerful impulse that brings with it renewal.
- In June 2002, numerous approvals were held at the state level between Ukraine and Russia, after which hovercraft, named after the winds Bora and Samum, were attached to one brigade of surface ships of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation
- November 2006 The Bora model was on display in Jakarta at Indodefence.
- 2008 year. I got on the current repair.
- March 2009 The elements of the course task K-2 are worked out.
- May 2013 First visit to the port in Istanbul. Participation in the exhibition IDEF-2013.
- August 2013 Successful participation in the activation and training of the Black Sea naval base “Blackseafor”.
- 2015 year. Participation in the hero city of Sevastopol in the naval parade on the Day of the Navy.
- Summer 2015 The current repair of the ship was very successful.
- Summer 2016 RKVP Samum took part in the Sevastopol parade on the Day of the Navy.