Under Vladimir Chernavin, the Neustrashimyy class provided what this assessment regards as a workable medium combatant. The frigate was capable and prestigious enough to be the high-end ship in a low-threat setting, yet suitable for the lower tier of a high-threat force. That combination addressed the mismatch between Krivaks that lacked diplomatic weight and larger ships that were too costly for routine work. Its appearance is placed around 1988, leaving only three years before the Soviet collapse and little time to change perceptions of the fleet. The class is also credited as a model for later Russian frigate construction. It answers the opening question of how one class can cover deployments with different levels of threat.
Chapter · 1:13:29-1:14:52
Neustrashimyy class and the missing medium tier
The Neustrashimyy class offered the balanced medium combatant missing from the earlier Soviet fleet, but arrived too late to alter its public image before the collapse.