Osa-class

Summary

Origin country 🇨🇳 Ex-USSR
Category Patrol vessel
SubtypeMissile boat
ManufacturerVostochnaya Verf
Year commissioned1960
Units 354 354
355 355
356 356
357 357
358 358
359 359
360 360
361 361
PM-274 Viceamiral Constantin Bălescu

Operators

🇩🇿 Algeria • 🇦🇴 Angola • 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan • 🇧🇩 Bangladesh • 🇧🇬 Bulgaria • 🇨🇳 China • 🇭🇷 Croatia • 🇨🇺 Cuba • 🇪🇬 Egypt • 🇪🇷 Eritrea • 🇪🇹 Ethiopia • 🇳🇱 Ex-Yugoslavia • 🇫🇮 Finland • 🇩🇪 Germany • 🇮🇳 India • 🇮🇶 Iraq • 🇱🇻 Latvia • 🇱🇾 Libya • 🇲🇪 Montenegro • 🇰🇵 North Korea • 🇵🇱 Poland • 🇷🇴 Romania • 🇷🇺 Russia • 🇸🇴 Somalia • 🇸🇾 Syria • 🇻🇳 Vietnam • 🇾🇪 Yemen

Description

The Project 205 Moskit, designated Osa by NATO, was developed for the Soviet Navy in the late 1950s as a successor to the Project 183R class. Known in Soviet service as large missile cutters, these vessels were designed to improve upon the sea-keeping, endurance, and habitability of previous missile boat designs.

The design consists of a steel hull and a light alloy superstructure. The deck is continuous with rounded edges to facilitate the removal of radioactive contamination. Propulsion is provided by diesel engines. Primary armament is protected by enclosed launchers to prevent damage from environmental conditions, a design change from the open launchers used on earlier classes. Defensive equipment includes unmanned gun turrets and fire-control radars. The Project 205U variant introduced upgraded engines and surface-to-air missiles for air defense.

The class was exported to numerous navies in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. Indian Navy units were used during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 in Operations Trident and Python against port facilities and naval shipping. Egyptian and Syrian vessels were engaged during the Yom Kippur War at the Battle of Latakia and the Battle of Baltim. Iraqi units saw service during the Iran-Iraq War and the Gulf War. Syrian vessels were active during the Syrian Civil War, with several units destroyed by Israeli strikes in December 2024. Most Soviet units were retired by 1990, though variants remain in service with various international operators.

Technical specifications

Displacement209 tons
Range 1800 km at 500 knots
Endurance5
Crew28 members
Width7.64 m (25.1 ft)
Length38.6 m (126.6 ft)
Propulsion

3 × 4,000 hp (3.0 MW) M-503G diesel engines (205) or 3 × 5,000 hp (3.7 MW) M-504B diesel engines (205U onwards); 3 shafts

Armament
Maximum speed42 knots
Photo of Osa-class

Frequently Asked Questions

What type of ship is the Osa-class?
The Osa-class is a patrol vessel (Missile boat) built by Ex-USSR.
What is the displacement of the Osa-class?
The Osa-class has a displacement of 209 tons.
What is the maximum speed of the Osa-class?
The Osa-class has a maximum speed of 42 knots (77 km/h).
What is the range of the Osa-class?
The Osa-class has a range of 1,800 km (971 nautical miles) at 500 knots.
How many crew members serve on the Osa-class?
The Osa-class has a crew complement of 28 personnel.
How many Osa-class ships have been built?
Approximately 400 vessels of the Osa-class have been built.
Which countries operate the Osa-class?
The Osa-class is operated by 27 countries, including Algeria, Angola, and Azerbaijan.
Wikipedia and other open sources. Last updated on 18 January 2026. Suggest a change