Naval Television has just released a video of the Vietnamese Navy's 2016 exercises, which includes a rare torpedo launch by a Turya-class ship.
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| According to data published by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), the Vietnam People's Navy received a total of 5 Turya-class hydrofoil torpedo boats from the Soviet Union between 1984 and 1986, and all of them are still in service today. |
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| The Project 206M Turya is an upgraded version of the Project 206 Shershen torpedo boat. Similar to its predecessor, it is primarily used for escort and coastal combat missions. Basic specifications of the Turya-class torpedo boat: full load displacement 250 tons; length 39.6m; width 7.6m; draft 4m. The ship is equipped with three M-503B2 diesel engines with a power of 15,000 horsepower, giving it a maximum speed of 40 knots. |
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| Turya's armament includes four 53-56 533mm anti-ship torpedo tubes, a forward-mounted twin 25mm 110-PM gun, and a rear-mounted 57mm AK-257 automatic cannon. |
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| With the weapon configuration described above, although considered quite powerful, the Turya torpedo boats would struggle to play a significant role in modern warfare. Therefore, upgrading the capabilities of this class of warships is essential. |
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| According to Russian media, there are currently two Russian upgrade packages considered very suitable for Vietnam's Turya-class frigates. The Project 206MR Vikhr (NATO designation Matka) fast attack missile boat is considered the last descendant of the Project 205 Osa-class fast attack missile boat and is a modified version of the Project 206M Turya torpedo boat. |
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| The most significant changes in Project 206MR were the addition of the Garpun Bal radar atop the radar tower to guide the P-15 Termit anti-ship missiles (two launch tubes similar to those installed on the Project 61 MR Kashin destroyer) and the MR-123 Vympel radar for gun fire control. |
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| The remaining differences are that the 110-PM gun at the front has been replaced by a 76mm AK-176M automatic cannon, and the 30mm AK-630M high-speed anti-aircraft gun has taken the place of the AK-257 gun at the rear. |
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| It is evident that despite a significant increase in power, Project 206MR still does not fully meet the requirements of modern naval warfare and needs further upgrades. Project 206.6 is considered the final development of the Matka-class fast attack missile boat; currently, the Russian Navy has only one such vessel serving in the Black Sea Fleet. |
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| Compared to Project 206MR, Project 206.6 replaced the two outdated P-15 Termit anti-ship missiles with two KT-184 four-tube launchers, each carrying eight advanced 3M24 Uran missiles. Additionally, the ship was fitted with twin AK-630M1-2 anti-aircraft guns, replacing the older single-barreled AK-630M. |
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| With these changes, it can be said that the Project 206.6 fast attack missile boat has somewhat met the requirements of modern naval warfare. This is an option worth considering for the Vietnamese Navy, especially given the modest number of missile boats we currently possess. |
According to Baodatviet
