Kanin-class destroyer

The Kanin class destroyers were warships of the Soviet Navy during the Cold War. The Soviet designation was Project 57A Gnevny (not to be confused with the World War 2 era Project 7). These ships were the first Soviet guided missile destroyers and were initially designated Project 57bis (or 57b) and known to NATO as the Krupny class. Their primary mission was anti-surface warfare using the SS-N-1 anti-ship missile

Design
The hull was scaled up from the Kotlin class (project 56) destroyers, and the machinery was the same as those ships, except that remote control stations were installed and electrical generating capacity was increased. The superstructure was made of steel rather than the aluminium/ magnesum alloy of the Kotlin class ships and accommodation was significantly improved

There were two missile launchers at each end, 12 reload missiles were carried. They had limited self-defence weaponry and their main weapon, the SSN-1 was soon obsolescent.

ASW conversion
The limitations of the SS-N-1 Missile were clear by 1965 and the Soviet navy decided to convert the ships to a more general purpose / ASW role. The ships were called the Kanin Class by NATO. According to Conway's the modernisation proved very expensive and appeared to have deterred the Soviets from any further comprehensive rebuilding of older ships.

Ships

 * SourceConway