Extracted from the book "Ships That Fly" by John Meyer updated by Konstantin I. Matveev
The Aleksandr Kuhanovich, classified by NATO as BABOCHKA (Butterfly) at 465 tons, with three Soviet NK-12MV marinized aircraft gas turbine engines rated at 18,000 hp each, and an impressive array of armaments is indeed the world's largest and most powerful operational hydrofoil "warship". Like SARANCHA it has surface piercing foils forward, fully-submerged foils aft. It is not certain how the propeller drive train is configured with three foilborne engines, but it may be safe to say that the aft foil/strut/propulsion arrangement is similar to and derived from SARANCHA except that there are three aft struts rather than only two. Although relatively little is known about the internal design details of Aleksandr Kuhanovich, some armament is evident and impressive for a 465 ton ship. This consists of two six-barrelled 30 mm Gatling-action guns for anti-aircraft defense, and eight 40 cm torpedoes in two quadruple mounts immediately ahead of the superstructure between the deckhouse and the forward 30 mm mount. In addition there are undoubtedly missiles, the nature of which is not widely known in the West.It has deeply submerged foils (aft) and auto-stabilization system with respect to roll and trim. Its maximum speed is 60 knots. In a Sea State of 4 to 5, speed is 52 to 53 knots. It was built by Zelenodolsk shipyard in 1977.
Go To Hydrofoils around the world