Surveillance and Intercept – SIGINT

The Ivan Khurs is designed to provide communications, fleet control and engage in special missions. The lead vessel of the series, the Yuri Ivanov, was handed over to the customer in 2014.

The communication vessel (medium reconnaissance 2nd rank ship) of project 18280 is the biggest Russian ship of the class. Its full displacement is 4000 tons, the length is 95 meters and the width – 16 meters. Full speed is 16 knots and the range is 8 thousand miles. The crew comprises 131 men. The vessel can carry a light antiaircraft set of four pedestal-mounted KPVT 14.5mm machineguns and six portable Igla 9K38 launchers (SA-18 Grouse by NATO classification) with a set of 32 antiaircraft guided 9M39 missiles.

The signals intelligence (SIGINT) spy ship eavesdrop on NATO, Ukraine, and U.S. military communications. The Russians officially refer to this type of ship as “communications ships” to conceal their espionage functions.

The ship is designed for command, control, communications and electronic intelligence. Each has a displacement of about 4,000 tons; a speed of 20 knots and a cruising range of 8,000 miles. Each ship is manned by 120 crew, including intelligence specialists and analysts.