Kralj Petar Kresimir IV
Encyclopedia
Kralj Petar Krešimir IV is the first of a 2-strong class of Croatian Kralj ("King") class
Kralj class fast attack craft
The Kralj class is a class of two fast attack craft, one of which was on order for the SFR Yugoslav Navy and one of which, following the break-up of Yugoslavia, was built for the Croatian Navy. As of 2009 both vessels remain in service....
missile boats (fast attack craft
Fast Attack Craft
Fast Attack Craft are small, fast, agile and offensive warships, that are armed with anti-ship missiles, guns or torpedoes. These are usually operated in close proximity to land as they lack both the sea-keeping and all-round defensive capabilities to survive in blue water. The size of the vessel...
). It is named after the Croatian king Petar Krešimir IV
Petar Krešimir IV of Croatia
Peter Krešimir IV, called the Great , was a notably energetic King of Croatia from 1059 to his death in 1074/1075. He was the last great ruler of the Krešimirović branch of the House of Trpimirović....
. It was built in the Kraljevica
Kraljevica
Kraljevica is a town in the Kvarner region of the country of Croatia, located between Rijeka and Crikvenica, approximately thirty kilometers from Opatija and near the entrance to the bridge to the island of Krk...
shipyard in 1991 and commissioned in 1992. It is an upgraded version of the Rade Končar missile boat class and is 8.5 meters longer. Kralj Petar Krešimir IV and its sister ship Kralj Dmitar Zvonimir are the only ships in their class. A potential third ship was under consideration in 1999, but the ship was never commissioned due to budget constraints.
Kralj class missile boats were first introduced into service in 1992 and were originally meant to replace Osa 1 class
Osa class missile boat
The Project 205 Tsunami, more commonly known by their NATO reporting name Osa, are a class of missile boats developed for the Soviet Navy in the early 1960s. The Osas are probably the most numerous class of missile boats ever built, with over 400 vessels constructed for both the Soviet Navy and for...
boats in the Yugoslav Navy
Yugoslav Navy
The Yugoslav Navy was the navy of Yugoslavia. It was essentially a coastal defense force with the mission of preventing enemy landings along the Yugoslavia's rugged 4,000- kilometer shoreline or coastal islands, and contesting an enemy blockade or control of the strategic Strait of Otranto...
. The navy ordered ten warships in 1990 with the first ship to be delivered in late 1992. The first ship was eventually launched and handed to the Croatian Navy. Kralj Petar Krešimir IV didn't take part in the war of independence
Croatian War of Independence
The Croatian War of Independence was fought from 1991 to 1995 between forces loyal to the government of Croatia—which had declared independence from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia —and the Serb-controlled Yugoslav People's Army and local Serb forces, with the JNA ending its combat...
, but in October 1994 she sunk, assisted by the fast attack vessel OBM-41 Dubrovnik, the former Yugoslav missile boats RČ-310 Velimir Škorpik of the Osa I class and TČ-219 Streljko of the Shershen class
Shershen class torpedo boat
The Shershen class was the NATO reporting name for a class of torpedo boats built for the Soviet Navy and allies. The Soviet designation was Project 206 Shtorm.-Design:...
in a live firing drill known as operation Posejdon.
Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
also completed the second ship Kralj Dmitar Zvonimir in 2001. Kralj Dmitar Zvonimir is slightly larger (less than a meter) than Kralj Petar Krešimir IV, but supports identical weapon systems and sensors as its sister ship. Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
has no intention of building more ships of the Kralj class.
According to long-term defence plans from 2006, the ships were to undergo an extensive modernization by 2010 but this has now been canceled. The upgrade was to include new ASW
ASW
ASW, a three-letter abbreviation, may refer to:*Air Southwest, a British airline*Ambrosia Software, a predominantly Macintosh software company.*Anti-submarine warfare*Artificial seawater*Aswan International Airport...
equipment, radars and anti-aircraft systems, all worth €20 million. However, due to the recent purchase of Helsinki class boats, the ships will only undergo a basic overhaul and engine replacement worth €5 million.
The Kralj class ships are currently the largest warships within the Croatian navy. However, plans exist to purchase or domesticly build four large corvettes or frigates. These will supplement existing missile boats and are scheduled to start entering service by 2012.
The Croatian navy also operates a fifth missile boat Šibenik, which belongs to a previous Končar class
Končar class fast attack craft
The Končar class is a class of fast attack craft that was built for the SFR Yugoslav Navy in the late 1970s. Following the break-up of Yugoslavia one craft went to the Croatian Navy whilst the remaining five went to the Montenegro Navy...
and is considered to be a predecessor of the Kralj class. It was launched in 1978 and after a complete modernization (during which the Soviet-built anti-ship missiles and engines were replaced by Western-built ones) was brough up to its successors' standard. The ship was handed over to the Croatian navy in late 1991 and saw military service during the war. It was overhauled and lightly upgraded in 2008.
Specifications
- Loa/B/H: 54.7/8.54/4.45 m Kralj Dmitar Zvonimir
- Displacement: full displacement 387 t
- Complement: five officers, 12 NCO, 16 ratings
- Construction: high tensile steel, AIMg4.5 Mn
- Speed & Seakeeping: continuous 32.8 knots, max 36.0 knots/full o output up to sea state 4 WMO
- Range & Autonomy: 1700 nmi at 18 knots/10 days autonomy
- Damage stability: two compartment flooding
- Machinery: 3 × M504B - 2 or 3 MTU 20V 538 TB 93
- Electrical System: 3 × 110 kVA
- Combat System: 4 × 2 Saab RBS-15 SSM, 1 × Bofors 57 mm L70, 1 × 30/6 Ak 630 Gatling, 2x12.7 M2 Browning machine gun
Combat System could be changed as to the mission requirements.