- Yes
- No
TL;DR
Coastal vessel, large Cuban fishing boat with a bunch of weapons slapped on, almost as slow as the Maus. Actual terrible vehicle, but hilarious.
Overview:
In the 1970s, 26 Rio Damuji-class fishing trawlers were built in Spain for the Cuban state Flota Cubana de Pesca company. They were large ships the size of a big OPV or small frigate, and were able to both catch fish, freeze and store them, and also process byproducts into useful materials. However, in 1991 Cuba’s largest trading partner, the USSR, collapsed, and so it suddenly had a drastic drop in exports, and a large portion of the trawler fleet was decommissioned and laid up/scrapped. In the 2000s, under the “Vanguardia” program, 3 of these ageing trawlers were marked for conversion to combat ships. The first vessel, the ex-Rio Jatibonico, started its conversion in 2006, where anti ship missiles and an assortment of other guns from discarded warships and vehicles were installed, along with a large helipad. Its conversion was completed in 2011, and the ship was commissioned as La Habana in 2012. The ship is the largest ship in the Cuban Fleet, but as its single engine remains unchanged it only goes a measly 14 knots, slower than most combat ships. The combat value of the vessel is very… doubtful, as the weapons it has are rather obsolete, especially against Cuba’s most likely adversary, the United States, and currently seems to be just used as a patrol ship. The second vessel, the former Rio Damuji itself, was commissioned in 2013, though it’s new name (if any) is unknown so it’s currently referred to by its hull number, 391. Compared to La Habana it has a different set of weapons, having CIWS guns instead of the hand-aimed autocannons. The third vessel, the ex-Rio Los Palacios, was seen under construction but no further news has been reported so it’s conversion may have been abandoned.
Specifications:
Armament:
1x2 57mm S-68
2x2 25mm 110-PM in 2M-3M
2x1 25mm 110-PM in custom mount (sources say they are 14.5mm MGs, but are definitely the 25mm)
2x1 P-20 Termit Anti-ship missiles
2x16(?) 82mm PK-16 Countermeasure launchersDisplacement:
3257t fullLength: 106.9m
Beam: 14.6m
Draft: 5.5m
Propulsion: 1 Deutz RBV12 M350 diesel engine, 4000 hp, driving 1 shaft
Speed: 14 knots (25.9 km/h)
Range: unknown
Crew: 40
Systems:
Navigation radarsAuxiliary Vehicles:
1 Mi-8, Mi-14, or other “large helicopter”
Images:
Sources:
Saunders, S., & Philpott, T. (2015). Cuba. In Jane’s Fighting Ships 2015-2016 (p. 192). IHS.
https://www.navypedia.org/ships/cuba/cub_es_la_habana.htm
https://nevskii-bastion.ru/la-habana/
https://alternathistory.com/kubinskie-patrulnie-korabli-tipa-la-habana-ya-ego-slepila-iz-togo-chto-bylo/
Search Results for Ship Name: MGR RIO JATIBONICO OPV390
Category:Patrol vessels of Cuba - Wikimedia Commons
http://www.histarmar.com.ar/MarinaMercanteExtr/MarinaMercanteCuba/Pesca/Rio_Jatibonico.htm