Mihail Kogălniceanu-class River Monitor: Double the Weapons, Double the Fun!

JamesPond1200-psn · April 1, 2025, 5:54am

Would you like Mihail Kogălniceanu (F-45) to be added to the game?

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What BR should it have?

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Mihail Kogălniceanu-class River Monitor: Double the Weapons, Double the Fun!

History:

Following the success of the Smârdan-class of river monitors, Romania was determined to further expand its Danube Flotilla after the fall of Nicolae Ceausescu’s communist regime in 1989. The Mihail Kogălniceanu-class was one of the first ship classes to be laid down under the new government, with the first ship being launched in 1993. Constructed at the Severnav shipyard, three ships of the class exist, each being named after one of the older Ion C. Brătianu-class monitors:

Mihail Kogălniceanu (F-45): Launched in 1993
Ion C. Brătianu (F-46): Launched in 1995
Lascăr Catargiu (F-47): Launched in 1998

All three remain in service with 67th Artillery Carrying Ships Divizion “Commander Virgil Alexandru Dragalina”, patrolling the Danube alongside the Smârdan-class and several other gunboats.

Description:

The Mihail Kogălniceanu-class is very similar to the previous Smârdan-class, sharing the same general configuration and weapons. It is larger, however, and there is now two of every weapon on board. Despite only being about one meter longer and one wider, it has a significantly higher displacement. The dimensions are a length of 52.1 m (170 ft 11 in), width of 9 m (29 ft 6 in), and a draft of 1.6 m (5 ft 3 in), while the displacement has increased all the way to 522 tons – 200 tons more than the Smârdan. It has a crew of 58, slightly more than the Smârdan-class.

Propulsion comes from a pair of 2,200 hp Cummins QSK50 V16 turbocharged diesel marine engines each driving its own propeller shaft. This provides a total of 4,400 hp and a top speed of 21 kts (24 mph).

Armor protection is significant, though exact values are unknown. It would be similar to the Smârdan-class.

Regarding the armament, the Mihail Kogălniceanu-class features two of every weapon it uses. Its main armament consists of a pair of 100mm A430 naval guns in welded turrets, one at the bow and one at the stern. These are the same turrets as used on the Smârdan. Secondary weapons consist of a pair of twin-barrel 30mm M1980/88 anti-aircraft guns mounted side by side on top of the superstructure and a pair of quad-barrel 14.5mm MR4N KPVT heavy machine gun mounts on either side of the bow turret. The two retractable 40-tube 122mm APRN (BM-21 Grad) MLRS from the Smârdan are also present, seated just behind the M1980/88 AA guns. Finally, some sources make mention of two quadruple CA-95 (Strela-2M) MANPADS launchers, but I have yet to find a photo which shows these.

Specifications:

Spoiler

General Specifications:
Displacement: 522 tons

Length: 51.9m

Beam: 9m

Draft: 1.7m

Armor: Unknown, but bulletproof. Likely similar to the Smârdan and probably fairly strong.

Engines: 2x 2,200 hp Cummins QSK50 V16 turbocharged diesel marine engines (4,400 hp total), 2 shafts

Speed: 21 kts (24 mph)

Complement: 58

Armament:
Primary armament: 2x 100mm A430 Naval guns

Secondary/Anti-aircraft: 2x2 30mm M1980/88 twin-barrel anti-aircraft guns, 2x4 14.5mm MR4N quadruple heavy machine gun mounts

Additional weapons: 2x40 122mm Retractable APRN (BM-21 Grad) MLRS, 2x4 CA-94 (Strela-2M) quadruple launchers (sources conflict on this, may not be present all the time or at all)