Gepard-class frigate

The Russian Gepard ("Cheetah") class frigates (Project 1166.1) were intended as successors to the earlier Koni, Grisha, and Parchim-class corvettes. The first unit of the class, Yastreb (Hawk), was laid down at the Zelenodol'sk Zavod shipyard at Tatarstan in 1991. She was launched in July 1993, after which she began fitting out; fitting was nearly completed by late 1995, when it was suspended due to lack of funds. Renamed Tatarstan, the ship was finally completed in July 2002, and became the flagship of the Caspian Flotilla. She has two sister ships, the Albatros (renamed Dagestan), and the Burevestnik (Storm Petrel), which was still under construction. These vessels are capable of employing their weapons systems in conditions up to Sea State 5. The hull and superstructure are constructed primarily of steel, with some aluminum-magnesium being used in the upper superstructure. They are equipped with fin stabilizers and twin rudders, and can use either gas turbines or diesel for propulsion in a CODOG configuration.

Export models
The Gepard-class was designed from the outset as a lightweight, inexpensive export vessel. The Russians have offered five variants for foreign sale.
 * Gepard 1: Helicopter platform (no hangar), VDS deleted.
 * Gepard 2: Helicopter platform and hangar, VDS and SA-N-4 deleted.
 * Gepard 3: Increased beam of 13.8 m., displacement increased to 2,100 tons full load, single forward-placed Kortik CIWS in place of AK-630s, helicopter hangar above VDS housing.
 * Gepard 4: Unarmed version for search-and-rescue, though weapon mountings still in place.
 * Gepard 5: helicopter platform (no hangar), increased range to 6000 nmi at 10 kn knots, reduced speed of 23 kn, gas turbines replaced with 2  8000 bhp diesels.

The Vietnam People's Navy received in March and August 2011 two Gepard 3.9 class frigates ordered in 2006, built in Russia at Tatarstan's Gorky Shipbuilding Plant. Vietnam was examining a purchase of two more, possibly built in Vietnam under license. In late 2011 Vietnam signed a contract for an additional batch of two ships in an ASW version.