Patrol boats capable of operating in the coastal maritime zone, represent one of the most popular classes of ships today. Due to the high speed, modern means of communication and light weapons such small vessels perfectly cope with the tasks of protecting coastal waters and keeping watch in territorial waters. The best representative of this class in modern conditions are patrol boats of the "Mongoose" type, project 12150, which today serve in naval theaters at sea.
The main purpose of the small ships of the project 12150 "Mongoose"
Protection of onshore facilities and the coastal marine zone is the responsibility of the patrol ships. Storozheviki has always been and remains the fastest and maneuverable vessels that can instantly go to sea and act outside the box, taking into account the prevailing sea situation. In modern conditions, patrol boats in service with the Federal Border Service of the Federal Security Service of Russia play the role of coastal marine patrol vessels. The “Mangust” boats, created by the designers of the St. Petersburg Almatov Central Design Bureau, belong to this class of light-tonnage vessels.
The project 12150, born within the walls of the design bureau, was implemented by metal at the shipyard of the Rybinsk shipbuilding plant Vympel. Despite the small size and displacement, the mongooses have fast-fire armament on their equipment, are equipped with powerful engines and modern navigation equipment. The main task for combat ships is to protect the border in coastal waters and territorial waters and fight smuggling. These fast-moving ships are able to control the movement of ships and the observance of navigation in established areas. To conduct search and rescue operations on internal and external roads of ports, at a short distance from the duty station.
According to their operational characteristics and the breadth of their scope, Russian boats have no analogues in the history of the construction of vessels of this class. Patrol boat "Mongoose" is one of the best developments of domestic shipbuilders in this class of ships. The tactical and technical characteristics of the boats of the project 12150 in many ways surpass similar vessels in service with fleets and coast guards of foreign countries.
The main features of the design of the project 12150
The draft design of the patrol boat of the gliding type and all the technical documentation was created by Petersburg shipbuilders. The design firm Almaz is one of the leading domestic design organizations, on account of which the development and creation of ships of various classes, starting with large patrol ships, corvettes and frigates, and ending with small sea vessels. Project 12150 received its index at the end of the 1990s. Since 2000, the construction of boats launched at the Rybinsk GCC "Vympel". The plant capacity of the plant has all the necessary technical capabilities and equipment for the construction of ships of this class.
As practice has shown, the Rybinsk shipyard successfully copes with the task, fulfilling the conditions of the contract. Every year, 5-6 light-tonnage vessels leave the plant stocks, the main part of which falls to the Mongoose patrol boats.
The project was based on the most advanced technologies for the construction of small-tonnage high-speed vessels on the coastal marine zone. For example, hulls of the project 12150 are made using a special aluminum alloy, which is lighter than ordinary aluminum structures, but at the same time it is distinguished by high strength. The main structural feature of the hull is its "V" shaped shape, which is characteristic of gliding craft. Due to this form of the hull, while the boat is moving, an ideal hydrodynamic resistance is created, which contributes to a sharp increase in speed characteristics. Inside the aluminum hull is divided into 6 compartments, the location and design of which provide the vessel with the necessary survivability. When flooding 1-2 compartments of the vessel remains afloat. It should be noted that in many thanks to this very design, the 12150 patrol boat is considered unsinkable.
On the bottom of the hull there is a layer of electrochemical protection, which, together with a corrosion-resistant coating, ensures minimal wear of the ship's bottom during operation.
The hull of the boat is equipped with additional spoilers, mechanisms designed to reduce the lifting force of the V-shaped hull on a large wave. This design allows the ship to operate in the stormy sea with waves up to 4 points.
Separately, it should be noted the power plant patrol boat. All boats manufactured at the Rybinsk industrial shipyard "Vympel" today are equipped with domestic M470 diesel engines of the Zvezda brand. The total power of the two engines is 2600 hp The project involved the installation of German diesel engines company MTU. Starting from 2018 under the import substitution program, all subsequent vessels are equipped with domestic engines.
On-board power supply is provided by the operation of a diesel generator and batteries.
The main tactical and technical characteristics of the ship "Mongoose" and its weapons
Patrol boat of the project 12150 type "Mongoose" has a completely unique operational characteristics for ships of its class. The task of the St. Petersburg design bureau "Almaz" was to create a powerful, high-speed ship of small size. The new boat was supposed to have a greater cruising range, efficiency and high operational resource. In addition to high technological parameters, the ship is equipped with powerful weapons and carries the perfect radio engineering and navigation equipment.
During the launch of the lead ship of the project 12150 it was possible to obtain the following data:
- standard displacement - 23.6 tons;
- body length more than 18 m;
- vessel draft is 1.1 m.
The boat can reach a maximum speed of up to 35 knots and be at sea for up to 2 days. Rybinsk shipbuilders, along with the designers of the Almaz Central Design Bureau, managed to create three modifications of the Mongoose type patrol boats.
The standard armament of boats of the main project is a machine-gun unit of thumb type 14.5 mm caliber. To help the main automatic weapons on the boats installed 1-2 machine gun caliber 7.62 mm. The artillery armament of the ship is represented by an automatic grenade launcher AGS-17 and a grenade launcher DP-64. Anti-aircraft defense is carried out with the help of the Igla MANPADS.
The most basic order for the construction of patrol boats in the combat version for the needs of the Border Guard Service. Then came the modification of the ship with reinforced armament. On the boats of project 12150B, the Whirlwind missile-artillery complex was installed, the complete set of which includes a rocket launcher and an automatic 30-mm cannon. The complex can carry out laser target designation. Missile firing range is 10 km.
Following the military modifications from the stocks of the Rybinsk GCC, the boats of the project 12150M descended. These vessels were created for the needs of rescuers of the Emercom service of Russia It is these boats that are called upon to conduct rescue and search operations in the area of natural disasters, in shipwrecks and accidents at sea.
In addition, the boat is equipped with a rubber-inflatable boat and a mechanical boom crane with a lifting capacity of 140 kg.
Since 2000, a total of 69 ships of this project have been built and commissioned. The main series of patrol boats are contracted ships for the Federal Security Service of Russia. Most of the ships of the first series were sent to serve on the Black Sea. The base for today is the Navy Balaclava. Ships that have been commissioned since 2018 are sent to the Far East to serve the Border Guard Service on Sakhalin Island.
A part of the ships was transferred to the Border Guard Service of the Federal Security Service of Russia in the Caspian Sea for the FSB directorates in the Astrakhan Region and in the Republic of Dagestan.
