The Algerian Navy's 18-year-old, Russian-built Koni-class (Project 1159) frigate Rais Korfo was sent to St. Petersburg, Russia, in the spring of 1997 for a modernization overhaul originally to have been completed in August 1998. Russian financial problems stalled the effort, however, and the 1,670-ton, 313-foot ship did not depart the Baltic until mid-November 2000. The most significant visible alterations are the replacement of the obsolete MR-302 (NATO Strut Curve) surfaceand air-search radar with a lightweight, mechanically stabilized Pozitiv-ME1.2 three-dimensional search radar, and a second MR-104 Rys (Drum Tilt) gun firecontrol radar in place of the MR-105 Turel' (Hawk Screech) atop the pilothouse. Two twin 533-mm torpedo tube sets were added on the main deck abreast the stack, and a new electronic warfare suite was fitted. A second Algerian Koni is to begin a similar refit this spring, and the third ship will follow later.
Accompanying the Rais Korfo to and from Russia for modernization was the 1981-vintage Nanuchka-II-class guided-missile patrol combatant Salah Rais. Seen here off Le Havre, France, on 15 November 2000, the 675-ton, 194-foot craft displays her more extensive update. The Salah Rais now has four quadruple launch tube sets for Kh-35 Uran (NATO SS-N-25 Switchblade) antiship missiles in place of the original two pair of P-20 Termit (SS-N-2C Styx) launchers; a 30mm gatling antiaircraft gun was added aft; the antenna for a Pozitiv-ME1.2 search radar was added atop the mainmast; the large Band Stand radome (which had concealed a Rangout missile targeting radar) was replaced by a Garpun-E (Plank Shave) surface target detection and designation radar for the Kh-35 missiles; and the same new electronic warfare suite given the RaYs Korfo was fitted. Both ships retained their Osa-M (SA-N-4) surface-to-air missile systems. Algeria's other two Nanuchkas are planned to receive a similar modification.
The Royal Malaysian Navy's long-held plan to acquire a submarine force-spurred by the recent creation of Singapore's submarine armcame closer to fruition with the delivery from the Netherlands of two 28year-old, 2,640-ton (submerged displacement) Zwaardvis-class dieselelectric submarines. Seen here in October being loaded aboard the heavy lift ship Smit Explorer at Rotterdam, the pair arrived at Lumut Naval Base in mid-December. The ex-Zwaardvis and exTijgerhaai had been purchased from the Royal Netherlands Navy by their builder, RDM, on their retirements in 1994 and 1995, respectively. With assistance from RDM, the Malaysian firm PSC Naval Dockyard Sdn Bhd is supposed to reactivate the pair without updating their equipment and then to lease them to the Malaysian Navy as training craft without any combat capability. RDM also hopes to build two new Moray-series diesel submarines for Malaysia, but at the end of December 2000, the lease-and-new-construction deal had yet to be consummated.
The second Chinese Peoples' Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) Sovremennyy-class (Project 956A) guided-missile destroyer, the Fu Zhou, was handed over at St. Petersburg on 24 November 2000 and is seen here at Portsmouth, England, at the start of a 12-14 December visit while en route to China. Laid down as the Vdumchivyy for the Soviet Navy on 22 February 1989, the 8,480-ton (full-load displacement), 513-foot ship was not launched until 16 April 1999, after purchase by China. The Fu Zhou is a typical late-construction Sovremennyy, with no surprises among her weapon and sensor suites, whose principal offensive component is two sets of four tubes for supersonic, low-altitude 3M-80 Moskit (NATO SS-N-22 Sunburn) antiship missiles. The basic ship design dates from the mid-1960s, but the Fu Zhou, like her Chinese sister Hang Zhou, is reported to be equipped with the updated 9M-38M1 Smerch (NATO SA-N-7 Gadfly) missile for the two ZR-90 Shtil surface-to-air missile installations. The pair are far and away the most powerful surface combatants in the PLAN, which is reported to have agreed to order two more Sovremennyys; these are likely to be the 1989-vintage Russian Northern Fleet unit Rastoropnyy, which arrived at Severnaya Shipyard, St. Petersburg, in December, and the 1986-completion Bezuprechnyy, which has been lying at the same facility since 1994, after funds
for her planned refit and upgrading evaporated. The pair could be delivered in 2002-2003.
As part of a $324 million, September 1999 contract to assist in the construction of three of its Super Vita guided-missile patrol combatants for the Greek Navy at Elefsis Shipyard, Britain's Vosper Thornycroft also arranged for the transfer of two recently surplused, 725-ton Royal Navy Hunt-class mine hunters. The first of the mine hunters, the former HMS Bicester, was retired from the Royal Navy on 1 July 2000 and is seen here the following month under the Greek flag as the Europi. The second transfer, HMS Berkeley, was scheduled to be retired at the end of January 2001 and renamed the Kallisto in Greek service. The three Super Vitas, planned to be completed from September 2003 to September 2004, will be 203-foot, 34.2-knot, diesel-driven craft mounting eight MM 40 Exocet Block 2 antiship missiles, a Mk 31 Mod. 1 RAM point-defense missile system, an OTOBreda 76-mm gun, a twin 30-mm antiaircraft gun mounting, and two 533-mm tubes for wire-guided torpedoes. Litton's Decca division will supply BridgeMaster-E navigational radars for the trio, which also will have low-probability-of-intercept Scout Mk 2 surface-search, MW-08 air-search, and Sting gun fire-control radars supplied by Hollandse Signaal, which will supply its TACTICOS combat data system as well.
The second Indian-designed Delhi-class guided-missile destroyer, the 6,900ton Mysore, was commissioned in June 1999 and made an extensive cruise to Europe and the United States last summer. The third ship in the class (which may be extended to a sextet), the Mumbai (ex-Bombay), was scheduled to be commissioned on 22 January 2001, in time for the Indian Navy's international fleet review this month. The powerfully armed Delhi class is just one element of India's ongoing fleetwide rejuvenation, which includes construction of a 32,000ton aircraft carrier scheduled for completion in 2010; the long drawn-out (and still not finalized at the end of 2000) acquisition and reconfiguration in Russia of the 44,570-ton cruiser/carrier Admiral Gorshkov; a possible lease of a Russian nuclear-powered attack submarine for familiarization while work continues on the development of India's indigenous, missile-armed nuclear-powered submarine program; a long-range plan to build 24 diesel attack submarines by 2030, half of Russian and half of European design; modernization of the two newest Kashinclass missile destroyers with the addition of Kh-25 Uran antiship missiles; construction of three 4,500-ton Project 17 "stealth" frigates at Mumbai, where work on the first began on 18 December for completion in 2005; completion of the three-ship Brahmaputra-class of frigates, the first of which was commissioned in January 2000; acquisition of three Project 11356, Talwar-class frigates from Russia, where two already have been launched, and with plans for three more under discussion; ongoing indigenous construction of Khukri-class corvettes and Tarantul-Iclass guided-missile craft; and planned programs for new ocean patrol ships, mine countermeasures vessels, amphibious warfare units, and a variety of naval auxiliaries.