Soviet Guided-Missile Cruiser-Kresta II class

LADEN with a fearsome array of missiles and electronic gear, the two operational Kresta II-class guided-missile cruisers reflect the skill of Soviet naval architects in putting the maximum punch in the smallest package. Equipped to operate without long range air cover, the 6,000-ton Kresta II has a crew of 500 and a cruising speed of 33 knots. It carries one pair of surface-to-air missile launchers forward and another aft, each pair with its individual radar-guidance and fire-control unit. Towering atop the Kresta II is its big Top Sail surveillance radar, designed to spot enemy ships and planes. One back-to-back search radar unit tracks targets for Kresta II's principal weapons: eight surface-to-surface missiles housed in tubes on either side of the ship's bridge. The missiles reportedly have a range of 150 miles and can carry either conventional or nuclear warheads. On a landing platform aft, the Kresta II can accommodate two helicopters, which are used for submarine detection and act as target spotters for missiles.

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