Projekt 206FM-class

The Project 206, designated Shtorm and known by the NATO reporting name Shershen, was a class of torpedo boats developed for the Soviet Navy as a successor to the Project 183 class. Development began in 1956 with a design emphasis on ease of manufacture and maintenance. These vessels were intended for coastal operations in favorable weather conditions and under friendly air cover. Construction took place between 1960 and 1970 at the Yaroslavl, Sredne-Nevsky, and Sosnovskiy shipyards. Yugoslavia license-built the class at the Kraljevica Shipyard.

The class utilizes a three-shaft propulsion system powered by M-503A diesel engines. Sensors include the MR-102 Baklan surface search radar and the MR-104 Rys' fire control radar. Primary armament consists of four torpedo tubes, while defensive systems include two AK-230 naval guns and, on some variants, quad SA-N-5 surface-to-air missile launchers. The vessels could also be configured to carry depth charges or naval mines. A simplified export version was designated Project 206E.

The Soviet Navy commissioned 87 boats of this class. The type was widely exported to allied nations, including East Germany, which operated 18 vessels within the 6th Flotilla. Egypt received seven units, several of which were modified to carry BM-21 rocket launchers before being converted to patrol craft in the late 1990s. Yugoslavia operated 14 boats; during the 1991 conflict, two were captured by Croatia. Vietnam received 16 units, and a single ex-Vietnamese vessel was later transferred to Cambodia. Other operators included Angola, Bulgaria, Cape Verde, Congo, Guinea, and Guinea-Bissau. The Project 206E variant was operated by Ethiopia, Iraq, Somalia, and Sri Lanka. Most units were decommissioned or scrapped during the 1980s and 1990s, though limited numbers remained in service in the 2000s.