The T43 were a class of open-ocean
minesweeper
A minesweeper is a small warship designed to remove or detonate naval mines. Using various mechanisms intended to counter the threat posed by naval mines, minesweepers keep waterways clear for safe shipping.
History
The earliest known usage of ...
s built for the
Soviet Navy from 1948 to 1957. It was exported to
client state
A client state, in international relations, is a state that is economically, politically, and/or militarily subordinate to another more powerful state (called the "controlling state"). A client state may variously be described as satellite state, ...
s; the
People's Republic of China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
and
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...
produced additional ships. Some hulls were converted to other uses by various users. Examples remained in service in 2015.
Design
The hull is made of
steel
Steel is an alloy made up of iron with added carbon to improve its strength and fracture resistance compared to other forms of iron. Many other elements may be present or added. Stainless steels that are corrosion- and oxidation-resistant ty ...
.
Early ships were long with a straight-up bridge structure.
Later ships were long with a double-level bridge structure and added 25 mm guns.
Operators
;
Albania received two from the Soviet Union in 1960. One retired in 2011, and the second had retired by 2015.
;
Algeria received two from the Soviet Union in 1968. One was
cannibalized for parts by 1989. The last was retired by 2009.
;
Bangladesh ordered a new ship from China in 1993, based on the Chinese T43 variant, which entered service in 1996. The Tamir-II sonar was replaced by a
C-Tech sonar in 1998. It was used mainly as a patrol ship. An order for three more ships was not fulfilled.
;
Bulgaria received three short-hulled ships from the Soviet Union in 1953. By 1989, one was cannibalized for parts and another was used as a
spy ship
A spy ship or reconnaissance vessel is a dedicated ship intended to gather intelligence, usually by means of sophisticated electronic eavesdropping. In a wider sense, any ship intended to gather information could be considered a spy ship.
Spy ...
. All were retired by 2009.
;
The People's Republic of China received about four short-hulled ships from the Soviet Union in the 1950s. China constructed over 60 of a variant called Type 6610 or Type 010, most of which were of the long-hull type. Production began in 1956 and continued to at least the early 1990s. Some were converted for other roles, including patrol, surveying, submarine rescue, and civilian research.
;
Egypt received seven ships from the Soviet Union in the 1970s. By 2015, three were in service with the remainder disposed of.
;
Indonesia received six ships from the Soviet Union, four in 1962 and two in 1964. None were in service by 1989.
;
Iraq received two ships from the Soviet Union in 1969. None were in service by 2009.
;
Poland built 12 ships from 1957 to 1962, including four short hulls. Of the short hulls, one was converted into a spy ship, one was retired in 1987, and another was retired in 1988. None were in service by 2009.
;
The Soviet Union built over 200 hulls, including those converted to other uses included diving ships, tenders, and
KGB
The KGB (russian: links=no, lit=Committee for State Security, Комитет государственной безопасности (КГБ), a=ru-KGB.ogg, p=kəmʲɪˈtʲet ɡəsʊˈdarstvʲɪn(ː)əj bʲɪzɐˈpasnəsʲtʲɪ, Komitet gosud ...
patrol ships. They were being phased out in 1989 when only 35 remained in service.
References
Sources
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{{Ship classes of the Chinese Navy
Mine warfare vessel classes
Minesweepers of the Soviet Navy
Minesweepers of the Albanian Naval Force
Minesweepers of the Algerian National Navy
Minesweepers of the Bulgarian Navy
Minesweepers of the People's Liberation Army Navy
Minesweepers of the Cuban Navy
Minesweepers of the Egyptian Navy
Minesweepers of the Indonesian Navy
Minesweepers of the Iraqi Navy
Minesweepers of the Polish Navy