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frigates and, although fast, were badly worn by more than two decades of service. Turkey built two frigates of its own in 1971-75, but there is no indication of further domestic construction.
Turkey’s second domestically built submarine, the Doganay, commenced trials in August 1984. In May and October 1984, two groups of three ex-FRG Zobel-class torpedo boats were acquired, bringing the total inventory of essentially similar craft to 19. The 2,500-ton landing ship Saruqabay was commissioned in August on the same day that a sister, Karamiirsel, was laid down; construction of the smaller £-107 class landing craft continues for both the Turkish Navy and for Libya, with £-139 being launched in August. The 15,000-deadweight ton oiler Akar continued to fit out. On the debit side, the Gearing FRAM II destroyer Tinaztepe (ex-Keppler [DD-765]) was
severely damaged in a collision on 2 N ■ (but is to be repaired) and the old sub1^ rine tender Erkin was stricken at the e of 1983.
Dr. Friedman is a theoretical physicist and stra ^
at the Hudson Institute, Croton-on-Hudson.
York. The author of many books on naval uCptrib- and ship designs. Dr. Friedman is a frequent c° a| utor to the Proceedings and other professiona magazines.
The Baltic Sea j,e
East Germany: By mid-198T East German Navy (Volksmarine) ^ active service approximately 140
ships and 65 auxiliaries and service
The Volksmarine's largest comba*a still remain the two 1,900-ton S<A ^ built “Koni”-class frigates classify “coastal defense ships.” The c°nStr.(|. tion program for the 1,200-ton P&c ’ r. class “submarine defense ships’ aPP,„
do-
bec<[
“Haze-A” helicopters.
The backbone of the Volksirur offensive strength still rests in 15 l’’-class missile boats and 18 t shen”-class torpedo boats. These cj were built in the 1960s, however, y probably will be functionally replace j the new classes of Soviet missile-3!' small combatants, most likely 0
/t
As reported in the last year’s survey, all the Eastern European communist- ruled countries continue to have economic difficulties which adversely affect the allocation of scarce resources to their armed forces, including the navies. Economic difficulties are acute in all six East European countries in the survey, but especially in Poland, Romania, and Yugoslavia. Only Bulgaria and Albania, each for different reasons, have relatively good economic prospects.
The highlights of the naval developments in East European countries over the past year include:
- The beginning of the long overdue modernization of the Polish Navy
^ The East German Navy’s continuation of its modest naval construction program intended to replace the obsolescent ASW ships and expand its force of logistic support ships
- Romania’s construction of destroyers, frigates, large torpedo-armed boats and
logistic support ships . [eS
► Yugoslavia’s construction of 'n? for its navy in domestic shipyards in dition to the building of small cofl> ants, landing craft, river minesweep1- and most recently new classes of supr • transport ships most quite small. The Coastal B°r Brigade, subordinate to the Minted Interior but manned with naval Per | nel, then consisted of about 40 P11 .. ships and craft. The Sea Hydrog^P^ Service, administratively a part o> ; Volksmarine, had in service 14 sU‘
tanIS
ently continues. About 14 of these mestically built ASW corvettes have ^ delivered. An additional four (s°[ej sources say two) Parchims are expeC.|l2 to be built. The Parchims, are replaC older 300-ton Hai-Ill-class submaI^ defense ships. The latter are being rra jy ally withdrawn from active service- ^ five Hai-lIIs remain, used by the C°a.oll Border Brigade for fisheries proteC0. duties. The Volksmarine's ASW )4
nent also includes eight land-based M1
rine s ■0& Slief;
l9*5
“T
in arantul” class. In addition, there are ^service about 30 30-ton Libelle-class ■- ao boats built between 1975 and
‘578.
size.
°nly close to the shore and in rela-
tivei
y good weather conditions. . he V
?rce is
Volksmarine’s amphibious warfare
ln the Soviet Union. The 300-ton
1i,
A-16
'esei
These craft, because of their small Seat lna^e9uate endurance, and poor UsejeePjng qualities, could effectively be
(fuil |shll composed of 12 1,900 ton shin °a<^ ^rosch-l class medium landing ity •' The navy’s mine warfare capabil- ^"‘l//CUlTently concentrateci in 27 Kon- °f'c'ass coastal minesweepers. Two •he WSe S^'PS serve as training ships for 2| j, a'ter Steffens Naval School. About her g7‘^or-/s serve with the Coastal Bor- (y.rngade, which also operates a num- nv0 smaller patrol craft, mostly on the ^system.
ConseVolksmarine's supply ship force ** °f seven high seas combat supply htif *"1Ve support ships, and five harbor The first include two Mod. ship0 - c*ass an(h f°urDarss-class
Vey
'-■ass a i ---- ---------- ---- —
|jc ■ Also, the Volksmarine acquired in
b^t^ber 1983 a new class of harbor tug
’ is fitted with two six-cylinder of I engines and has a maximum speed g knots.
C»-. it was revealed for the first c0a toat the East German Navy has i^!31 defense units armed with antiship
w y mid-1984, the Volksmarine’s per- nel strength consisted of 1,800 officers and 12,800 men (including 3,000 men in the Coastal Border Brigade). These numbers included about 4,300 officers and men afloat, 400 in the naval air arm, and 4,100 in coastal defense units. The new military service law (WdG) of March 1982 for the first time provided the rank of Marshal of the German Democratic Republic and Fleet Admiral. Since September 1983 women have become eligible for service in all services and branches of the National People’s Army and the Border Troops, but apparently not in the Volksmarine and East German Air Force.
The Volksmarine’s ships made several visits to ports of friendly countries in 1984. The training ship Wilhelm Pieck, with the graduates of the Karl Liebknecht High Naval School on board and accompanied by the ocean supply vessel Kuehl- ing, conducted an eight-week annual cruise in the North Sea/Atlantic, Mediterranean, and the Black Sea commencing in early May. These ships conducted a four-day friendly visit to Tripoli, Libya, in late May, and then six days later, visited Sevastopol. During this visit the Volksmarine’s midshipmen met with their Soviet counterparts of Admiral Nakhimov Higher Naval School. The Wilhelm Pieck and Kuehling also called on Athens on 9 June marking the first Volksmarine’s ship visit to a Greek port. Both ships returned to their homeport of Rostock on 1 July after the completion of a 10,000 nautical mile cruise.
Poland: By mid-1984, the Polish Navy had in active service about 130 warships and some 60 auxiliaries and service craft. The long overdue modernization of the Polish Navy apparently started in December 1983 with the transfer of the first “Tarantul-I”-class missile-armed corvette from the Soviet Union. The first ship, named the Gornik was commissioned on 28 December 1984; the second ship, the Hutnik, was commissioned on the 31 March 1984; and a possible third ship, the Gardno, was in commission by April. The 580-ton “Tarantul-Is” are armed with four launchers for SS-N-2C antiship missiles, one quad launcher for SA-N-5 surface-to-air missiles, and carry one 76-mm. dual purpose gun and two 30-mm. antiaircraft guns. Capable of attaining speeds of 36 knots, more ships of this class are expected to be transferred from the Soviet Union to the Polish Navy over the next few years.
The submarine force currently consists of only three aging ex-Soviet “Whiskey’’-class boats, with the disposal of the fourth submarine, the Orzel, on 30 December 1983. The largest surface combatant in the Polish Navy remains the 3,600 ton “Kotlin”-class destroyer Warszawa.
The navy’s patrol/ASW force currently comprises eight “Modified Obluze”- class patrol boats. The Polish Border Guard operates five “Obluze” and nine Gdansk-class patrol boats and about 57
LtL VAN OINDEREN
Traditionally, the East German training ship Wilhelm Pieck seems to receive more than her fair share of attention because she is the one ship that leaves her home waters regularly, in this case to visit Piraeus in Greece.
; renia"1
at the same level as reported in the
year’s survey. The force of auxi
logi5'
second 3,500-ton “Croitor”-class
tic support ship is reportedly in serV1*j. Also, an additional 1,500-ton Grig,
Forces of the Warsaw Pact, Soviet shal V.G. Kulikov, was held from 20 March 1984 in Bulgaria, Hung ^ Romania, the southwestern part o Soviet Union, and the Black Sea- ^ principal theme of the Soyuz-84 man vers was a simulated attack of the ^ saw Pact forces, both on land and the from southern Bulgaria’s border m direction of the Turkish Straits. It stl°.a-s be pointed out that only on Roma1n territory were there no other Warsaw ^ troops or other forces deployed during Soyuz-84 maneuvers.
:ntiy
19»3
coastal patrol craft (14 Pilicas, 12 Wis- lokas, 21 “K-15s”). These craft are not only becoming old, but lack sensors and armament to conduct effective ASW duties.
The light forces component presently consists of 13 ex-Soviet “Osa-I” guided missile patrol boats and seven domestically built Wisla-class torpedo boats. Three Wislas were reportedly deleted from the list in 1983.
The mine warfare force remains at the same level as reported in the last year’s survey: 11 Soviet-designed “T-43”-class and 12 domestically built Krogulec-class ocean minesweepers, two 160-ton Notec- class coastal minesweepers (plus one under construction), and 23 “K-8”-class minesweeping boats. With the exception of the Notecs, these ships and craft are old and of limited value.
The navy’s amphibious lift capability still rests in 23 “Polnocny’’-class medium landing ships. In addition, there are in service four mid-1970s-built Marabut- class landing craft and 15 Eichstaden- class personnel landing craft with more than 20 years’ service.
By mid-1984, the Polish naval aviation possessed approximately 40 MiG-17 fighter-bombers, 40 MiG-21 fighters, ten Ll-28 light bombers, and 25 helicopters (ten Mi-4s, ten Mi-2s, and five Mi-8s). These aircraft are very old, and probably many are not flyable.
The navy’s personnel strength is made up of about 22,000 officers and men, of which 5,600 serve afloat.
The principal missions of the Polish Navy, as recently officially explained, are:
- To defend the country’s “sea limit and support of ground army operating along the coast”
- “To destroy the enemy at sea”
- “To take a part in protecting the coast”
- “To prevent invasions from [across] the sea” [anti-amphibious defense]
- “To carry by sea both men and material”
Warsaw Pact Naval Cooperation:
The past year was characterized by the unusually high intensity of joint maneuvers conducted by the Warsaw Pact forces in the Baltic/North Sea area. During large Soviet naval maneuvers held worldwide between 27 March and 17 April, in parallel with the exercises in the Barents Sea/Norwegian Sea areas, the Soviets conducted large-scale exercises in the Western Baltic. The main amphibious assault landing in the Baltic took place in the Bay of Gdansk on 4 April. About 15-20 landing ships and a large number of landing craft (mostly from the 48
Soviet Baltic Fleet), together with about 2,000 Soviet Naval infantry men, Polish “Sea Landing Division,” and the amphibious troops of the East German Army took part in that landing.
The Soviet Baltic Fleet held exercises north of the Shetland Islands in mid-May 1984, and then exercised jointly with the units of the Soviet Northern Fleet (mostly naval aircraft) off the Lofoten Islands, Norway. Two of the Baltic Fleet’s “Krivak”-class frigates conducted exercise jointly with a Volksmarine “Koni”- class coastal defense ship and the Polish Navy “Kotlin”-class destroyer.
The Black Sea
Bulgaria: By mid-1984, the Bulgarian Navy consisted of about 70 warships and some 20 auxiliary ships and service craft. There were no significant changes in the fleet’s composition in 1984. These craft are however very old and will be deleted from the list soon. The Bulgarian Navy’s personnel strength currently consists of about 8,500 men, including men afloat, 200 in naval air arm, and 2,100 in coastal defense units. Also, there were no significant activities reported of the Bulgarian Navy’s ships beyond their country’s waters in 1984.
Romania: The Romanian Navy currently consists of about 100 warships, 40 river combatants, and perhaps 15 auxiliaries and service craft. The navy’s largest combatants are two 1,800-ton “Tetal”- class frigates. The lead ship was reportedly commissioned in 1983, and the second a year later. An additional “Tetal” frigate is presently being fitted out and is expected to enter into service sometime in 1985. The “Tetals” are armed with two twin 76-mm. dual purpose and four 30-mm. antiaircraft guns each, and almost certainly carry Soviet ASW sensors and weapons (torpedoes and multiple rocket launchers). The reports in the last year’s survey in regard to the construction of a new class of destroyers for the Romanian Navy proved to be correct. A 4,500-ton destroyer, under construction since 1981 at the shipyard in Mangalia, is being fitted out and will probably be commissioned sometime this year.
The construction program of the “Epitrop”-class torpedo-armed torpedo boats continues, with 14 craft delivered so far. Probably 20 “Epitrops” eventually will be built. The construction program for the “Huchuan”-class hydrofoil torpedo boats apparently ended in 1983 with delivery of the 21st craft. The rest of the small combatant force comprises six ex-Soviet “Osa-I” guided missile patrol boats, and 19 “Shanghai-II”-class patrol boats.
The navy’s coastal ASW force consists of only three ex-Soviet ‘ Potj„_ class corvettes and three “Kronshta ^ class subchasers. These ships are, o ever, old and will need to be replay soon. The Romanians reportedly eSta 1 lished a naval air arm in 1983, consis1 - of six ex-Soviet “Mi-14” land-baS^ ASW helicopters and several jj. built French designed Alouette-W copters.
The navy’s mine warfare forces -
— ----------------
ships continues to be modermzeu ,rig°re
Antipa-class oceanographic ship (simij to the Cow-class minelayer/mine c°^ termeasure support ship) is repode nearing completion. e\
By mid-1984 the navy’s Per^ers strength was estimated at 6,700 onu , and men, including 2,600 men afloat 900 in coastal defense units. . ,je The Romanian President ^lC^e. Ceausescu officially opened the Dan ^ Black Sea Canal, which is intende speed up the traffic along one of the est of the European inland water The 40-mile long canal runs from , navoda to Agigea (south of G°nst[i^0 and shorts the former route by some miles. The canal is 230-265 feet w1 has a draft of about 23 feet, and wn (0 commodate convoys of six ships up , 30,000-deadweight ton size. The allows two-way traffic at speeds of 5.5 miles per hours. _ . ^
Warsaw Pact Naval Cooperating..e large-scale joint command staff eX®r ^ dubbed Soyuz-84 directed by the Go.
mander in Chief of the Joint Ar
M"1
12<° ■at7’
The Adriatic Sea ^
Yugoslavia: By mid-1984, ^
Yuglosav Navy had in service about . warships (including 22 river combat® ^ and some 45 auxiliary ships and set craft.
The navy’s submarine arm currel
Proceedings
/ March
j ns>sts of seven boats: three 964-ton ^-dass, two 1,068-ton Heroj-class, suh tW° ^45-ton Sutjeska-class coastal tL Marines. Recently, it was reported jjj, '^e lead boat of the Heroj-class (P- pt. Heroj) was disposed of in 1982, fer ?■ ow'n8 t0 heavy damages suf- a ln an accident. The Sutjeska-class lr^Us^are old and used primarily for train-
^ shipyard for the Yugoslav navy. ,9^86.
N,
Pes and one 375-mm. twin-tube
rocket launcher. These craft are
iti lLbfirna”-class patrol boats continued *fi
caal four are under construction. These ip ' are intended to replace the remain® Type-131” patrol boats. Both the
new and improved class of patrol ‘arine capable of sustained employs'1" beyond the waters of the Adriatic "nil reportedly soon be built. arefle navy’s largest surface combatants q Ihe two “Koni”-class frigates ac- from the Soviet Union in 1981 and ^ ■ The second ship of this class (the
^°Per) has been reportedly fitted (like Sip P^ecessor, the Split) with four sin- sjj. Xed launchers for the SS-N-2C anti- (Sj'P missiles. One 1,850-ton frigate |11(Jni*ar to those built for the Iraqi and the °nesian navies) is on order in a do-
■ ............ j ■
_ship is expected to be completed in
Tl
„ene navy’s coastal ASW force compo- OC 1 now consists of two aging corvettes i ne Mornar class and about ten land- llj en Ka-25 helicopters. Reports persist Pat* *^e ^'rst 500-ton A"o/?ra-class ASW/ f^r°l craft will be completed in 1984. ^Kobra-class is reportedly fitted with pi V' sensors and is armed with two tri- - . 24-mm. tubes for antisubmarine tor-
al °rs
^ n armed with one single 76-mm. OTO ^ ara and 40-mm. guns. The Kobras |lfj Reportedly powered by Pielstick 12 T 280 diesel engines, tio] navy’s force of guided missile pa- ^ boats consists of six modem Rade ^"car-class and ten aging “Osa-I”- 5^® missile boats, while 14 “Sher- -class torpedoboats remain in use. ton construction program for the 120-
'be Tito Shipyard (Kraljevica). Six !rn°s are now in service, and an addi-
“Mimas” and “Type-131s” serve in the Maritime Border Brigade. Also available in unknown numbers are new-construc- tion units of the “Type-80” class, an 80-ton, 90-foot patrol boat capable of 32 knots.
The navy’s mine warfare force underwent no significant changes in the past year. The force of seagoing mine countermeasure ships and craft presently includes four modernized Vukov Klanac- class minehunters/coastal minesweepers (essentially identical to the French Sirius class) and ten aging inshore minesweepers. Construction of the Nestin-class river minesweepers for the Yugoslav Navy apparently ended in 1980, with eight craft delivered. All 14 “M-301 ’’-class river minesweepers were reported inoperable by 1982.
The navy’s amphibious warfare forces continued to decline. About two dozen of the 32-ton, glass-reinforced plastichulled “DJC-601” class attack landing craft were delivered in 1976-77. A new, smaller 4.8-ton “Type-II” personnel landing craft built of glass-reinforced plastic is now being constructed. Less than ten of the obsolescent “DTM-211”- class landing craft minelayers remain on the list. These craft are very old and will be gradually phased out over the next year or two. A new class of 600-ton sup- ply/transport ships with bow doors is currently being built for the Yugoslav Navy in a domestic shipyard; the “PO-91” class is some 191-feet long with a 36-foot beam, can achieve 16 knots and carry as many as 150 troops and six tanks.
By mid-1984, the estimated strength of the navy’s personnel was 12,400 men. These numbers included 4,000 men afloat and 400 in the naval air arm.
Yugoslav shipyards continued to build ships for foreign navies. The Indonesian Government reportedly placed an order for the construction of a second 1,800-ton training frigate at the Uljanik shipyard (Pola) in the spring of 1984. Reports persist that the Tito shipyard (Kraljevica) has under construction four Rade Koncar- class guided missile patrol boats for the Libyan Navy. The “Brodotehnika” ship
Yugoslavia continues to build ships for its own and other nations’ navies. The Mirna-c7a.s.s patrol boat program, one of the six now in service left, continues. TheYugoslaviaminisubs, “Malas,” below, have been built for the Soviet Union, Libya, and Sweden.
yard (Belgrade) has built five AYSri/j-class river minesweepers for Hungary, while three Nestins were built for the Iraqi Navy. Recently, it was reported that the Split shipyard built several of the “R-2 Mala”-class minisubmarines for the Soviet Union, while at least five “Malas” have been built by the Libyan Government.
Albania: The Albanian Navy remains essentially the same as reported in last year’s survey. The navy currently has about 60 warships and a few small auxiliaries and service craft. The navy’s submarine arm consists of three ex-Soviet Whiskey-c\ass boats, of which two are in operable condition, while one serves as a harbor training boat. The navy’s ASW component rests on only four aging exSoviet “Kronshtadt”-class submarine chasers and six ex-Chinese “Shanghai- ll”-class patrol boats. Some 32 Chinese- supplied “Huchuan”-class torpedoboats survive. The navy’s mine warfare component consists of two ex-Soviet “T- 43”-class ocean minesweepers and six “T-301’’-class inshore minesweepers. Most of these ships and craft are, however, nonoperational or in a very poor condition, owing to the acute shortage of spare parts and lack of trained personnel.
A graduate of the Yugoslav Naval Academy, Dr. Vego served 12 years in the Yugoslav Navy and attained the rank of lieutenant commander before coming to the United States. He has been published widely in the Western press on naval matters.