Project 11661K (Gepard I)

The Project 11661K (Gepard-class) is a class of frigates/corvettes designed by Russia primarily for export. These multi-purpose warships are capable of anti-surface, anti-submarine, and anti-air warfare operations.

Conceived in the late 1980s by the Zelenodolsk Design Bureau, the Project 11661 class was developed to succeed the aging Koni-class frigates and Grisha-class corvettes. Following severe post-Soviet funding delays, the lead ship Tatarstan was finally commissioned into Russia's Caspian Flotilla in 2003, followed by the modernized Dagestan in 2012. In October 2015, Dagestan achieved historical significance by launching Kalibr-NK cruise missiles from the Caspian Sea against targets in Syria. Today, both Russian vessels remain active as key regional flagships, while the design's legacy is bolstered by the export of several modified Gepard 3.9 variants to Vietnam.