T43-class minesweeper

The T43 class were a group of minesweepers built for the Soviet Navy and Soviet allies in the 1950s and 1960s. The Soviet designation was Project 254.

Design
The design specification was issued in 1946 and the design was approved in 1948. The ships were built with steel hulls which were degaussed but no specific attempt was made to reduce electrical or acoustic signature. Several versions were produced:


 * Project 254 K (1952)- new MT-2 minesweeping gear, fitted with radar


 * Project 254 M (1955)- deep mechanical sweep, acoustic and magnetic sweeps, more modern ASW mortars, 25mm guns replace 12.7mm machine guns, variable pitch propellers


 * Project 245 A (1957) - provided with NBC protection, with pressurised central space to keep out fall out


 * Project 513 - patrol boat for the Border Guard


 * Project 254 PGR - radar picket version fitted with a Knife Rest or Big Net radar installation - 20 conversions from 1956

Ships
A total of 178 ships were built
 * Kamysh Borun yard Kerch built 61 ships
 * Polish yards built 12 ships
 * Izhora Leningrad built over 100
 * About 20 were built under licence in China

Exports

 * Albania - 2 ships (1960)
 * Algeria - 2 ships (1968)
 * Bulgaria - 3 ships (1953)
 * China - 4 ships 1955 (plus 20 built in China as the Type 010 class minesweeper)
 * Cuba - 3 ships
 * Egypt - 7 ships (1962)
 * Indonesia - 6 ships (1962)
 * Iraq - 2 ships 1969
 * Poland - built 12 ships under licence
 * Syria - 2 ships

One Syrian T-43 was sunk by the Israeli Navy during the Battle of Latakia. One or two Albanian and six Egyptian T-43s are active. All other T-43s are believed to have been retired.