Tarantul - class corvette The Project 1241 are a class of Soviet missile corvette s . They have the NATO reporting name Tarantul ( not to be confused with the Stenka class patrol boat , whose official Soviet name is also " Tarantul " ) . These ships were designed to replace the Project 205 " Tsunami " ( NATO : " Osa " ) missile boats . Development . In the late 1970s , the Soviets realised the need for a larger , more seaworthy craft with better gun armament and higher positioned air search radars . The need for these improvements was underscored by the First Gulf War , when 12 Iraqi ' Osa - I ' s ' were destroyed or damaged by short ranged Sea Skua anti - ship missiles . They were attacked by British Lynx helicopters , but the Osa crews didn ' t notice them because they flew below their radar horizon . In the Tarantul , both the single 76 mm main gun and the two 30 mm Gatling - type guns are used for air defence , together with a comprehensive electronic warfare suite . The boats are built by the Petrovsky yard ( Leningrad ) , Rybinsk and Ulis yard ( Vladivostok ) . A version of these ships for coastal anti submarine warfare and patrol was developed as the Pauk class corvette or " Project 1241 . 2 " . The Indian navy paid approximately $ 30 million each to license - produce Tarantul - I in the early nineties . With over 30 sales on the export market the Tarantul has been a relative success for the Russian shipbuilding industry . Versions . Project 1241 . 1 ( NATO : Tarantul - II ) . The naming convention for NATO reporting name " Tarantul " was a special case here . NATO called the first version of the class as Tarantul - II , given that they had a better sensor suite / equipment than the ships of the following class Tarantul - I , which was produced exclusively for export . First version , based on the Pauk - class hull , though with a significant added amount of weight . Equipped with four SS - N - 2 ' Styx ' ship - to - ship missiles ( either the 40 km range P - 15 ' Termit ' missile or the later P - 20 variant with 80 km range ) and the associated ' Plank Shave ' radar targeting system ( 45 km range in active mode of surveillance , 75 – 100 km range in passive mode , with an added air surveillance capability ) . 1 x AK – 176 76 . 2 mm main gun and 2 x AK - 630 30 mm six - barreled Gatling gun s , the latter CIWS system supported by the ' Bass Tilt ' targeting radar . Furthermore , there is a Fasta - N SA - N - 5 quadruple MANPAD lancher and two PK - 16 decoy launchers . Propulsion is a COGOG system ( COmbined Gas Or Gas ) consisting of two M70 at 12 , 000 hp ( 8826 kW ) high power gas turbines with a combined 24200 horsepower output for full power and two cruise gas turbines type M75 with a combined output of 5 , 000 hp ( 2942 kW ) . Top speed is 38 knots . Between 1979 and 1984 , 13 ships of the type were built . Another ship R - 55 was rebuilt after its completion as a test vessel for the " Kortik " short - range defense system for Project " 1241 . 7 " . Project 1241 . RE ( NATO : Tarantul - I ) . To clarify , by NATO ' s definition , Project 1241 . RE ( NATO : Tarantul - I ) was an export version of Project 1241 . 1 ( Nato : Tarantul - II ) . This class of ships could be distinguished by the lack of fire control radar on the roof of the bridge . Instead , the fire control radar , X - band " Garpun - Bal " ( NATO : " Plank Shave " ) , built for the anti - ship missiles , was installed on the top of the mast . Other equipment included a small navigation radar type " Kivach - 2 " on the bridge roof ( or MR - 312 " Pechera - 1 " on the ships of Poland ) , and the gun - fire control radar MR - 123 Vympel ( NATO : " Bass Tilt " ) at the foot of the mast . Two PK - 16 decoy launchers were also installed . The model of the missiles in the KT - 138 launch containers were P - 20 ( NATO : SS - N - 2B ) , basically they were P - 15 updated with the new guidance system but with the original 40 km range . Between 1977 and 1979 , 22 ships of this class were produced exclusively for export . Only one of these ships , R - 26 , retained by the Soviet Navy for training purposes . India bought five of these ships as " Veer " class corvettes , and started building further eight ships in the same class by themselves later on . Vietnam also bought six Project 1241 . RE ships from various sources over the years . Project 12411 ( 1241 . 1M / 1241 . 1MR ) ( NATO : Tarantul - III / Tarantul - III Mod ) . Retaining the main armament and basic hull form of the 1241 . RE ( NATO : Tarantul - I ) class , 1241 . 1M ( Nato : Tarantul - III ) received important upgrades . Apart from a modest but useful internal redesign , the Tarantul - III had a new type of propulsion — a CODAG ( COmbined Diesel And Gas ) system . Two M - 70 gas turbines ( rated at 12000 hp each ) and two M510 ( rated at 4000 hp each ) diesel engines were used , being a big improvement over the earlier COGOG system both in terms of serviceability ( the two cruise diesels being almost something of a Soviet ' classic ' ) , fuel efficiency and , most importantly , service life expectancy compared to the older NK - 12M ' s . The maximum speed reached . The superstructures were redesigned and the angled mast of the previous projects has been replaced by a narrow , straight lattice . The sensor position remained almost the same as the Project 1241 . 1 . The " Pechera " navigation radar was off the roof of the bridge , with the MR - 123 " Vympel " fire control radar installed . Two jamming system ( NATO : " Wine Glass " ) were installed on both sides at the foot of the mast . The reason for this was the installation of four SS - N - 22 ' Sunburn ' supersonic ship - to - ship missiles with a range of at least 100 km . The associated radar system is the L - band ' Band Stand ' radar , with a 120 km active and 500 km passive range and the capability to track 15 different targets . The missiles can also receive third party guidance through the ' Light Bulb ' uplink ( from other ships , helicopters or long range patrol aircraft ) . Cannon armament is retained , as were the PK - 16 launchers , although Soviet Navy ships benefited from the improved SA - N - 8 quadruple MANPAD launcher . At least one ship had an SA - N - 11 Kashtan gun + missile CIWS installed instead of the AK - 630 ' s . The Tarantul - III , built from 1987 on , received an improved ECM ( Electronic countermeasures ) suite , consisting of 2 ' Half Hat ' and 2 ' Foot Ball ' jamming systems , coupled to 4 improved PK - 10 decoy launchers . At least 24 of these ships were built for the Soviet Navy before production ended in 1992 . Between 1985 and 2001 , 34 ships of this class were built . After the construction of first batch of 11 ships , the anti - ship missiles were changed from the P - 80 " Moskit " to the more modern model P - 270 " Moskit - M " , therefore the following 23 boats had a new ID : Project 1241 . 1MR . Guided Missile Corvette ' R - 60 ' is further modernized in 2005 , the 2 AK - 630M CIWS was removed , and replaced with " Palash " CIWS . Project 1242 . 1 / 1241 . 8 ' Molniya ' . Project 1242 . 1 and project 1241 . 8 " Molniya " ( " Lightning " ) are further developments of the Tarantul family boats . The two projects has been modified and rearmed with modern missile systems like the Uran - E . The projects are maufactured by the Russian " Vympel " Shipyard . Russia received at least one boat for trials in the 1990s and in 1999 Vietnam orderd two vessels . Vietnam has also started its own production line of 1241 . 8 boats with the assistance of Almaz Central Design Bureau in St . Petersburg and has of 2011 four boats in construction . In 2009 Libya orderd 3 ships . Ships . Soviet Navy . 98 ships built . Russian Navy . Currently ( 2005 ) - 23 in service Bulgarian Navy . One ship in service : 101 " Мълния " ( " Lightning " ) East German Navy . Five ships built - all retired , including Hiddensee , which is currently a museum ship in Fall River , USA Indian Navy . The Indian variants are known as the Veer class corvette s . At least 12 are currently in active service . Polish Navy . Four built , two in service Romanian Navy . Three ships , all in service , homeport Mangalia United States Navy . The Hiddensee was briefly in service with US Navy , after it was transferred from the German Navy . The ship has been retired and has since become a museum ship in Battleship Cove in Fall River , Massachusetts . Ukrainian Navy . Two ships , both in service Vietnam Navy . 9 ships in service ; 10 on order . Yemen Navy . One ship in service . Another 1 ship unknown status .