The fifteenth ship, built according to the project 956 "Sarych" - destroyer "Restless". In NATO, he is codenamed Sovremenny Class Destroyer. The destroyer was laid in April 1987, and launched in June 1990. It has been in the fleet since February 1992.
Service start
From the beginning of construction, it was assumed that the future destroyer Bespokoyny would serve as part of the 192nd brigade of ships in the Pacific Ocean, but later the directive of the commander-in-chief of the Navy received the transfer of this ship to the Baltic Fleet, and in 1992 this was exactly what happened. However, the beginning of the service did not become cloudless for the destroyer.
In August, a fire occurred in the ship’s sauna, a man died. In addition, the high-frequency blocks of the Frigate radar station burned out, several residential and office premises were completely destroyed by fire. And even then the incident did not end. The next day, one of the sailors committed suicide.
Full speed ahead!
The destroyer "Restless", thus justifying its name, got into repair, after which in August 1992 it was transferred to the Baltic Fleet in the 128th brigade (12th division of missile ships). Then the service straightened out, and in 1994 the destroyer won the prize of the Navy Commander-in-Chief. For ten consecutive days, the destroyer "Restless" accompanied the visit of the Queen of Great Britain to St. Petersburg, for which he was awarded an honorary diploma from the President of the Russian Federation.
Despite the relapse of bad luck, when a cartridge in the machine gun barrel exploded on a destroyer during a shot, the service continued successfully. In 1995, the Baltops-1995 exercises were held, where the destroyer Restless, the Baltic Fleet, showed hope and support. Then from Denmark, he went on a joint voyage with the American “Taylor” and the Danish “Hvidbjörner” along the Kattegat Strait. Next was work with a German submarine, successful artillery fire. According to the results of 1995, the destroyer BF "Restless" was recognized in the formation of the best ship.
Teachings 1996-1997
Last year’s success made the destroyer the flagship of the Baltops-96 exercises. As part of the ship’s strike group, the destroyer “Restless”, the photo of which is presented here, made a field camp, exercises were held to support the landing group, then the air defense, where seven missile targets were hit. As a result, he won the prize of the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy for artillery preparation.
The next year, the exercises began in June, where the destroyer "Restless" (photos from these exercises are also interesting) worked with a Polish submarine, participated in thirty main episodes in the exercises. According to the results of the year, the Navy took first place in anti-aircraft and artillery training. That same summer, the destroyer visited Kiel, Plymouth, Zeebrugge, Den Helder, passed three thousand nautical miles. And after the campaign he began a two-month repair (Yantar plant).
Exercises 1999-2001
In May 1999, the destroyer visited Stockholm, where he first worked out the rescue exercises, along with the Swedes, then opened an excursion season, during which almost three thousand people headed by the Minister of Defense Björn von Syudov visited the ship. The aggression of NATO in Yugoslavia prevented the fulfillment of further plans, therefore the “Restless” did not visit Germany, Denmark and Poland this time.
In October, the President of Belarus visited him aboard when the ship participated in missile firing. In 2001, the Baltops exercises were held again, where "Restless", a destroyer born in 1990, once again won first place, hitting air targets better than anyone else. It should be noted that in the Russian Navy this is the third ship, only the aircraft carrier Admiral Ushakov and the destroyer Nastoyashchiy are older.
Old age
The spring of 2004 presented the crew loving their ship the first bell: when the destroyer went to sea, he suddenly lost track and had to be returned in tow. This time, the team itself restored the technical readiness of the ship, after which there were exits to the sea until 2009 (here the information varies, there is information that the last time was in 2007).
The destroyer carried out artillery fire every time and always with good results. Nevertheless, a decision was made, and the destroyer "Restless" was decommissioned by order of the divisional commander. The main engines from it were transferred to the "Persistent", since he, as the flagship, was to conduct exercises and a campaign in the countries of Europe.
Gossip
In the press of 2012 and 2013 quite a lot of various kinds of unverified information were published, even the work on the restoration of the ship, from electromechanics and navigational equipment to missile and artillery weapons and communications equipment, was hoped that the destroyer "Restless" will be operational by 2015 "whose upgrade will be completed.
However, at present, the destroyer serves as a stationary training vessel, where personnel are trained for the more successful and more modern ships of the Baltic Fleet. And even the commander of a radio electronics group from Besokochny upgrades qualifications on other - navigable - ships, to which he is seconded, and at his home, he supervises the training of personnel of the ship services of the entire Baltic Fleet.
Conversion
This is how the destroyer "Restless" looks like today: 620 is its airborne number. He stands at the dock of the Baltic shipyard "Yantar" and is subject to conversion. What it is? This is a transformation. Its hull will be sealed so that it is possible to do afloat without a large permanent crew.
The destroyer "Restless 620" (photos are presented in the article), deprived of shafts and screws, preserved and painted, will remain in the dock for some time. What will happen next? There is speculation that it will become a museum exhibit.
Fate
Views of the future are very foggy. For a very long time, the destroyer "Restless 620" does not go into the sea. The photo above shows a snow-covered pier and a rope that the destroyer would seem to have forever moored to the ground.
Nevertheless, the crew, albeit shortened, still works on it, in the morning the flag and guis rises. It’s always tidied up here, and the paint is updated. So, the destroyer is a technical reserve ship, and if you suddenly need it, he will be able to return to duty.
Baltiysk
The destroyer "Restless" is not completely at rest, it would be contrary to his name. He is visited by journalists and even bloggers. Visiting a warship is a huge fortune that civilians do not have so often. The next round, organized by the Ministry of Defense, was sent just to the destroyer "Restless", and the trip report was read with great interest by many thousands of people.
The base, where the destroyer is funny, is located in Kaliningrad, or rather, in Baltiysk, it is the most western city in our country. Until 1946, it was called Pillau, and there was a German naval base, where almost the entire German submarine fleet was concentrated. Now it is the base of the Russian Navy, which is the main one in the Baltic.
What bloggers saw
The destroyer of the third generation - "Restless" - greeted the guests cordially. They were offered an excursion, where they learned that the first ship of this series - "Modern" - was launched in 1981, and the last in 1992. Twenty-two ships were laid down, now only nine remain, four of them under repair or in reserve, as "Restless".
The last exit to the sea was made about three years ago, now it is the reserve and the expectation of either a scheduled repair or modernization. Despite the fact that the ship is now in reserve, it has not ceased to be a full-fledged combat unit, which has a small, but command. On board the Restless, as if fighting victories, three huge stars shine. This means not the sunken ships of the enemy, but received from the commander-in-chief of the award.
Technical details
The length of the ship is 156.5 meters, which is half the length of a football field, and the width of the Restless is 17 meters. For thirty days, the destroyer can navigate the seas autonomously - without calling at ports for food, water and fuel. It develops a maximum speed of about sixty-two kilometers per hour (33.4 knots).
There is an opinion that the only, but big mistake of our shipbuilders at the stage of designing the vessel was the choice of installing a boiler and a turbine. A gas turbine, they say, would be better. However, in this position, "Restless" is many times better and more powerful than all the world analogues. In the absence of air cover, the destroyer of this project, after using up all anti-ship missiles, will be the master of the situation against any surface ship, any country and any generation.
Armament
The destroyer’s armament is particularly impressive: two “Hurricanes” (anti - aircraft missile launchers) that can hit targets in the air at an altitude of up to fifteen kilometers; two pairs of rapid-firing guns (130 mm caliber) that “spit out” six tons of metal in one minute; four six-barrel automatic thirty-millimeter artillery mounts (AK-630M) ... Eyewitnesses claim that the latter cut metal like oil with their shots.
But there is also anti-ship weapons. These are two four Moskit missile launchers (one hundred and seventy kilometers - range). The smartest cruise missiles accurately 99% hit all surface targets, even if radio interference is actively included. From the threat from under the water there is its own protection on the destroyer. These are two pairs of torpedo tubes, two rocket launchers with rockets, a rail mine installation for a fence. Experts are sure that the destroyer "Restless" will win any direct duel with the enemy’s warship, including even the warships of the Americans - the latest, fourth generation.
Who is there
In peacetime, the crew of the destroyer is limited - only 296 people, and in war this figure increases to 358, among them 25 officers and 48 midshipmen. The rest of the team - sailors, daily headache. Not because they are anything bad. It’s just that sailors for the most part serve in military service, that is, a year, just like the soldiers in the ground forces. In Soviet times, the Navy did not even serve two, but all three years. And that was right.
The year flies by very quickly, and specialists are trained very quickly. Modern ships, especially military ones, are technically sophisticated. Even very gifted young men barely have time to master what is supposed to be, how demobilization comes. Military specialty barely acquired. We need sailors on a contract basis. As, for example, on the watchtower “Yaroslav the Wise” moored nearby, which regularly goes to sea.
Dreams
If, nevertheless, despite the pessimistic forecasts, “Restless” will go for modernization, then this problem will disappear, since the crew will be staffed with professional personnel. Still, what a wonderful ship, how many ministers, presidents were on board, even the Queen of England and Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh left their autographs in the book of honored guests.
A cozy officer cabin company stores a lot of souvenirs and all kinds of regalia, inherited by the valiant team of the destroyer "Restless". This ship can be called legendary: so many events happened in his life, there is something to remember, and there is something to tell. And in a series of commemorative signs, like the soul of a calmed “Restless”, a calm ship cat, whose name is Temoy, is dozing.