Kotor-class

The Kotor class, designated Project 1159 or Veliki Patrolni Brod (VPBR), consists of two light frigates built for the Yugoslav Navy. Development began in the late 1970s at the Zagreb Naval Institute to provide vessels capable of operations beyond coastal waters and to replace aging destroyers. The design, finalized in 1982, utilized the Soviet Project 1159 hull with a modified superstructure and repositioned anti-ship missiles. Both vessels were constructed at the Kraljevica Shipyard in SR Croatia.

The hull is constructed of sheet steel, while the superstructure is composed of an aluminum alloy designed to reduce radar reflection. Propulsion is provided by a Combined Diesel and Gas (CODAG) system consisting of diesel engines for cruising and a gas turbine for high-speed operations. This configuration drives three shafts. The ships are equipped with sensors for detecting and tracking air and surface targets, including search and navigation radars. Fire control systems manage the onboard missiles and artillery. Additional systems include active sonar, radiological and laser detectors, and radar decoys for missile defense. The vessels also carry equipment for degaussing, desalinization, and fire suppression.

The class comprises two ships: P-33 Kotor, commissioned in 1986, and P-34 Pula, commissioned in 1988. Following the dissolution of Yugoslavia in 1992, both vessels were relocated from Split to Montenegro. They were operated by the Federal Yugoslav Navy and subsequently the Montenegrin Navy following the independence of Montenegro in 2006. In later service, the ships functioned as offshore patrol vessels. P-34 participated in various multinational naval exercises between 2005 and 2010, involving personnel and vessels from Italy, the United States, France, Germany, and Turkey. The Montenegrin government withdrew both units from active service in 2019 and designated them for sale.