Matka-class missile boat. The Matka class is the NATO reporting name for a group of hydrofoil missile boats built for the Soviet Navy (Baltic Fleet and Black Sea Fleet). The Soviet designation was Project 206MR Vikhr. Following the 1997 Black Sea Fleet partition treaty all Black Sea Fleet Matka class boats were passed to the Ukrainian Navy.

Design
These boats are the descendants of the  and are a heavily modified version of the . There is only a single foil, the aft part of the hull hydroplanes at high speeds. They are air-conditioned and NBC-sealed. The SS-N-2 launchers are the same type as carried on the Project 61MR ("Mod-Kashin")-class destroyers. Despite initial reports that they were good seaboats, later information revealed that the Soviets regarded them as cramped inside and top-heavy. Of thirteen planned ships, one was cancelled and another started but never completed. All were built in Leningrad.

After the breakup of the USSR, Russia discarded many and five went to Ukraine, one of which was later transferred to Georgia after a complete refurbishment.

Project 206.6
R-44 serves as a developmental ship for the Black Sea Fleet, and was the first vessel anywhere to carry the SS-N-25 "Switchblade" missile, in two quad-canisters. These were removed in 2000 but re-installed in 2003. In 1998, the SP-521 combat data system was installed. R-44 also has the AK-630М1-2 Roy CIWS which is two 30 mm gatling guns superimposed on each other, in place of the AK-630. More recently, the ship has been seen with no "Drum Tilt" radar and a large deckhouse between the bridge and mast.

Combat usage

On August 10, a special forces team from the 45th Guards Spetsnaz Brigade of the Russian Airborne Forces (VDV) launched a raid on the port of Poti. Most of the fleet was anchored in port, but unmanned due their crews expecting further air attacks (a day earlier the Russians launched two Tochka-U missiles, killing five sailors), allowing the VDV commandos to board, mine and sink several Georgian Navy and Coast Guard vessels, including the Tbilisi.

Trivia

In Russian language, the word "matka" (NATO given name) means literally mother. The word has also meaning "queen" (of insect hive), which is the most likely connotation, since previous missile boat classes were named Osa and Komar, meaning "wasp" and "mosquito".

Ships
A total of 12 boats were built for the Soviet Navy. A gun boat version without hydrofoils was offered for export.

  - 1 boat The Pryluky in service (2017)
  - 1 boat The Tbilisi (თბილისი) transferred from Ukraine, sunk by the Russian Airborne troops in Poti port during the 2008 South Ossetia war

 Green  — Preserved as a museum
 Yellow  — active in Ukrainian Navy
 Red  — decommissioned
 Black  — sunk

See also
List of ships of the Soviet Navy
List of ships of Russia by project number
, a Canadian hydrofoil intended for anti-submarine duties
, a Royal Navy jetfoil mine countermeasure vessel.
, a class of USN PHM
, a class of Soviet PHM
, a class of Italian PHM

References

Notes

Bibliography

 Also published as

External links
Project 206MR Vikhr missile boats
Complete Ship List of all Matka class missile boats

Missile boat classes
Hydrofoils
Missile boats of the Soviet Navy
 
Missile boats of the Russian Navy
 
Missile boats of the Ukrainian Navy
 
Missile boats of the Georgian Navy