 Šibenik (RTOP-21) of the Croatian Navy. Note that unlike otherKončar-class ships,Šibenik is armed with two RBS-15. | |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Builders | Tito's Shipyard Kraljevica,Kraljevica,SR Croatia |
| Operators | |
| Succeeded by | Kralj class |
| In commission | 1977–present |
| Completed | 6 |
| Active | 3 |
| Laid up | 3 |
| General characteristics (as completed) | |
| Type | Missile boat |
| Displacement | Full: 271 t (267 long tons) |
| Length | 44.9 m (147 ft 4 in) |
| Beam | 8.4 m (27 ft 7 in) |
| Draft | 2.6 m (8 ft 6 in) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed |
|
| Endurance | 5 to 7 days |
| Complement | 30 |
| Armament | |
TheKončar class is a class of sixmissile boats built for theYugoslav Navy during the late 1970s atTito's Shipyard Kraljevica,SR Croatia. The boats featured a mixture of Western and Eastern European equipment, including Soviet anti-ship missiles andSwedish guns.
During theCroatian War of Independence one ship,Vlado Ćetković, was captured by Croatian forces while being overhauled. It was eventually commissioned with theCroatian Navy asŠibenik and is still in use. The remaining five ships were relocated to Montenegro, entering service with the new FR Yugoslav Navy, with three of them being decommissioned in the early 2000s. The last two ships of the class are planned to be modified as patrol boats for service with theMontenegrin Navy.
TheKončar class was developed by the Brodarski institut (BI) from Zagreb. The six-strong class was built at the Tito's Kraljevica Shipyard from 1977 to 1979 with all six ships being named afterPeople's Heroes of Yugoslavia. The ships measure 44.9 m (147 ft 4 in) in length, with a 8.4 m (27 ft 7 in) beam and 2.6 m (8 ft 6 in) draught. The hull, similar to the SwedishSpica class, is made of steel with an aluminiumsuperstructure. Fully loaded they displace 271 t (267 long tons) and are manned by a crew of 30.[1][2]
The class utilizes aCODAG engine configuration for propulsion. Mounted on four shafts, two MTU 16V 538 TB91diesel engines are used for economical cruising while twoRR Marine Proteus 52 Mgas turbines are used for achieving high speeds. Cruising speed is 22knots (41 km/h; 25 mph) while the maximum achievable speed is 38–40 knots (70–74 km/h; 44–46 mph). Travelling at a near maximum speed of 38 knots, the ships have a maximum range of 380–490nautical miles (700–910 km; 440–560 mi). Powered by diesel engines only and travelling at a speed of 22–23 knots (41–43 km/h; 25–26 mph) they have a range of 780–870 nautical miles (1,440–1,610 km; 900–1,000 mi), with exact numbers varying from source to source.[1][3][4] Endurance is between five and seven days.[3][5]
Gun armament of the class consists of twoBofors 57 mm (2.2 in)/70 Mk1 gun mounted on the bow and towards the stern. During the development phase, the designers planned on using FrenchExocet anti-ship missiles as the class's main weapon system. However, due to the high price the French asked for the missile, possibly because of political reasons, the project was changed and two SovietP-20 (SS-N-2B) were used instead. Self-defense measures include two Wallop Barricadechaff launchers.[6][1]
| Name | Pennant number[7] | Namesake | Builder[2] | Launched[8][1] | Commissioned[8][1] | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rade Končar | RTOP-401 | Rade Končar | Tito's Shipyard Kraljevica, Kraljevica, SR Croatia, SFR Yugoslavia | 16 October 1976 | April 1977 | Withdrawn from service. Docked at Bar with weapons removed. |
| Vlado Ćetković | RTOP-402 | Vlado Ćetković | 20 August 1977 | March 1978 | In service with the Croatian Navy as RTOP-21 Šibenik[4] | |
| Ramiz Sadiku | RTOP-403 | Ramiz Sadiku | 24 April 1978 | September 1978 | scrapped[9] | |
| Hasan Zahirović-Laca | RTOP-404 | Hasan Zahirović-Laca | 9 November 1978 | December 1978 | decommissioned; on dead berth in Bar[10][11] | |
| Jordan Nikolov Orce | RTOP-405 | Jordan Nikolov Orce | 26 April 1979 | August 1979 | In service with the Montenegrin Navy as P-105 Durmitor[12][13] | |
| Ante Banina | RTOP-406 | Ante Banina | 23 November 1979 | November 1980 | In service with the Montenegrin Navy. Awaiting conversion to patrol boat[12][13] |
During the late 1980s and early 1990sRade Končar andVlado Ćetković underwent a modernization program which included removing the stern 57 mm Bofors and installing a SovietAK-630CIWS. At the start of theCroatian War of Independence,Vlado Ćetković was captured by Croatian forces inŠibenik while being overhauled. It was commissioned with the Croatian Navy on 28 September 1991 asŠibenik (RTOP-21). Sometime between 1991 and 1994Šibenik underwent a refit that included removing the P-20 launchers and installing two mounts for up to four Swedish builtRBS-15 anti-ship missiles. As of 2022Šibenik is in active service with the Croatian Navy.[1][10][5]
The rest of the class remained in hands of the Yugoslav Navy. On 6 October,Hasan Zahirović-Laca along with theKoni-class frigateKoper (VPBR-32) took part in theBattle of Zadar. Croatian coastal batteries in the area operated two capturedBofors 40 mm (1.6 in) guns with only one of them being in position to open fire on the ships. The initial five to six rounds fired atHasan Zahirović-Laca missed their target, after which the gun malfunctioned. After a quick repair, the missile boat was targeted again, with three rounds hitting the stern section and causing no damage because the gun crew didn't havearmor-piercing ammunition at their disposal.[14] TwoKončar-class missile boats also took part in theBattle of the Dalmatian Channels.Jordan Nikolov-Orce, operating under the codename "Parak", andAnte Banina, under the codename "Pakra", were members of the tactical group "Vis" which was tasked with enforcing a naval blockade of the city ofSplit and the surrounding islands.[15] With the Yugoslav People's Army endings itscampaign in Croatia, all ships of the class, excludingVlado Ćetković, were relocated to Montenegro where they were commissioned with the new FR Yugoslav Navy ofSerbia and Montenegro.[10]
Three boats of the class took part in theLido II incident.
During theKosovo War the boats, along with the rest of the navy, did not sail out to attack the NATO ships engaged in the campaign because of the huge disparity of forces and the threat from NATO aviation. They were under orders to launch a missile attack if favorable conditions presented themselves, but they never did, since the NATO ships never approached the Yugoslav shores much closer than the maximum range of the boats' missiles. The boats took self-preservation measures such as camouflage, changing berths often and hiding in thesubmarine pens in the Bay of Kotor, to make it more difficult for the NATO aviation to target them (which, ultimately, it never did). They also contributed to air defense with their weaponry on several occasions with RTOP-405 shooting down aUAV nearRisan on 1 June 1999 with her Bofors gun.[16][17]
During the mid 1990s,Ramiz Sadiku was docked for a major overhaul and reconstruction. However, due to the lack of funds the work was never completed and the boat was decommissioned and eventually sold for scrap.[10][18] The boat's superstructure, propulsion, sensors and weapon systems were dismantled, after which the new owner moved the boat to an underground naval dock on theLuštica peninsula. The boat remained there for several years, before its deteriorating condition caused it to sink inside the dock. The wreck was raised in 2014 and towed to Zelenika where it was broken up to smaller segments which were then transported to the Nikšić steel factory.[19]
In June 2006,Hasan Zahirović-Laca sailed from Boka Kotorska toItaly to participate in the international naval exercise "Adrion Livex 06". The boat left port under the flag of the Navy of Serbia and Montenegro, but because Montenegro declared its independence on 6 June while the boat was still out on exercise,Hasan Zahirović-Laca became the first ship outside of Montenegrin waters to display the flag of the new country.[18] The boat was decommissioned later that year, along with the first boat of the class,Rade Končar.[10] The latter was sold toKenya in 2014 for an undisclosed price. TheKenyan Navy plans on stripping the boat of its guns and fire-control systems which would then be overhauled and installed on the offshore patrol vessel KNSJasiri.Rade Končar itself is then expected to be rebuilt and used by the Navy as a patrol boat. The fate ofHasan Zahirović-Laca remains unknown.[18]
In 2013, theMinistry of Defense of Montenegro issued theStrategic Overview of the Defense of Montenegro (Strategijski pregled odbrane Crne Gore) in which it was stated that until sufficient funds to acquire new patrol boats were made available, theMontenegrin Navy would modify twoKončar-class missile boats, RTOP-405 and RTOP-406, for use as patrol boats.[13] In February 2014 it was revealed that the Montenegrin Ministry of Defense chose the Brodarski institut from Zagreb to create the project documentation for the modification of the missile boats. As planned, the boats would be stripped of their missile launchers and the aft Bofors gun to allow arigid-hulled inflatable boat[20] to be carried. RTOP-405 has been converted to patrol boat and renamed P-105 Durmitor.[12] Conversion of RTOP-406 to patrol boat standard is yet to commence.[12]
