The ''Neštin''-class minesweeper is a class of minesweeper built specifically for naval mine clearing duties on rivers. The class was built for the needs of the

Yugoslav Navy The Yugoslav Navy ( sh-Cyrl-Latn, Југословенска ратна морнарица, Jugoslavenska ratna mornarica, Yugoslav War Navy), was the navy of Yugoslavia from 1945 to 1992. It was essentially a coastal defense force with the miss ...

on the Danube river, and was also sold to Hungary and Iraq during the 1970s and '80s.

Design

A new river minesweeper design was requested in the 1970s to replace the ''301''-class minesweeper in the Yugoslav Navy. The ''Neštin''-class was designed by the Naval Institute of the Yugoslav Navy. All minesweepers were built by "Brodotehnika shipyard" in

Belgrade Belgrade ( , ;, ; Names of European cities in different languages: B, names in other languages) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers a ...

. They can load and lay 18 non-contact mines type AIM-M82 or 24 anchor R-1 mines, as well as 80 fully equipped troops. Equipment for countermeasures consist of mechanical mine-hunter MDL-2R, makeshift electromagnetic/acoustic mine hunter PEAM-1 and explosive mine hunter AEL. The ''Neštin''-class is powered by two Torpedo B-539RM/2 engines 121 kW each.

Operators

Fifteen ships were built for the Yugoslav Navy and export customers from 1976 to 1980. One ship was built for the Navy of Serbia and Montenegro in 1999.

Serbia and Yugoslavia

Six ships were built for the Yugoslav Navy in the 1970s while an additional ship (RML-341 "Novi Sad") with heavier artillery was built in 1999. Four ''Neštin''-class minesweepers continued their service with the

Serbian River Flotilla The Serbian River Flotilla ( sr, Речна флотила, Rečna flotila) is a tactical brigade-level brown water naval branch of the Serbian Armed Forces. Patroling on the Danube, Sava, and Tisa rivers, it is tasked with environmental polici ...

, following the dissolution of Yugoslavia, in the role of universal vessels for the control of river ways. Serbian and former Yugoslav ''Neštin''-class minesweepers: *RML-331 "Neštin" (retired) *RML-332 "Titel" *RML-333 "Belegiš" (retired) *RML-334 "Bosut" (retired) *RML-335 "Apatin" *RML-336 "Smederevo" *RML-341 "Novi Sad"

Hungary

The Hungarian Danube Flotilla received six ''Neštin''-class minesweepers in 1981 from Yugoslavia. In Hungarian service, they were designated as MS-25. Today three, "Óbuda", "Dunaújváros", and "Dunaföldvár", are still operated by HDF 1st EOD & River Flotilla Battalion. Hungarian MS-25 minesweepers: *AM-11 "Újpest" (retired) *AM-12 "Baja" (retired) *AM-21 "Százhalombatta" (retired) *AM-22 "Óbuda" *AM-31 "Dunaújváros" *AM-32 "Dunaföldvár"

Iraq

Yugoslavia delivered three ''Neštin''-class minesweepers to Iraq in 1980. All survived both the Iran-Iraq War and Operation Desert Storm, although they were largely inactive after 1991. Two were sunk during the

2003 invasion of Iraq The 2003 invasion of Iraq was a United States-led invasion of the Republic of Iraq and the first stage of the Iraq War. The invasion phase began on 19 March 2003 (air) and 20 March 2003 (ground) and lasted just over one month, including 26 ...

and the third was captured in a damaged state by British soldiers and scrapped. As of 2004, the class is no longer in service with the Iraqi Navy.http://www.paluba.info/smf/brodovi-jrm/recni-minolovac-klase-nestin Neštin - Paluba.info (Serbian)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nestin-class river minesweepers Mine warfare vessel classes Ships of the Yugoslav Navy Military equipment of Serbia