The Udaloys are of great interest because they are optimized for the ASW role and are clearly intended to be the antisubmarine component of a mixed battle-group centred on an aircraft carrier and operating at some distance from its base, probably in the northern and central Atlantic or Pacific Oceans.

 The ASW armament is exceptionally powerful: the standard quadruple SS-N-14launchers abreast the bridge, two RBU-6000 rocket launchers and two quadruple torpedo tubes amidships. The Udaloys also have two separate hangars for their pairs of ASW helicopters and are the first Soviet cruisers to be equipped to operate more than one aircraft, the first four of the class operate Ka-25 Hormone-As, while the fifth and subsequent ships operate the newer Ka-27 Helix. The landing platform is large, but the hangar floor is one deck lower with a ramp for moving the aircraft from one level to another.

  The rake of the bow, which is usually sharp, even by Soviet Navy standards, and the positioning of the bow anchor indicate a particularly large low- or medium frequency sonar dome fitted below, and this is confirmed by the characteristics of the bow wave. There is a VDS at the stem, streamed over the transom in line with current Soviet Navy practice.
Other weapons are somewhat limited. The single 100mm dualpurpose guns in A and B positions are proven guns, but it is a little surprising that the new twin 130mm mounting is not fitted, as on the Sovremennyy class. There are four 30mm Gatling CIWS, while air defence is provided by eight SAM launchers for the new SA-N-9 PDMS set into the ship's structure, with 6ft (1.83m) diameter cover plates: four on the forecastle, two between the torpedo tubes and two at the forward end of the after deckhouse.

  Air and surface surveillance radar antennas seem rather few by Soviet standards. This could well be, however, because the Soviet electronic designers have developed more sophisticated multipurpose systems, as found in Western ships.

  In view of the similarity in dimensions between this and the Sovremennyy class, which appeared at the same time but optimized for the surface warfare role, it is surprising that the two classes do not share a common hull. This certainly would have been the case for most Western navies, as, for example, in the French Georges Leygues class, but the political and economic restraints upon the Soviet Navy are much less severe and they have been permitted to optimize the hull-form. The propulsion form is also different, Sovremenny having steam turbines and Udaloy gas turbines, the latter being particularly suitable for ASW.

  These ships are classified by the Soviets as Bolshoy protivolodochny korabl (large ASW ships) and by NATO as DDGs, although their size suggests that the description cruiser could be rather more appropriate.
 
 These striking warships are being produced at Kaliningrad (Yantar Works) and Leningrad (Zhdanov Works). Nine are definitely being produced and it would appear possible that a total of as many as twelve might be constructed. Such a building programmed, when added to all the Soviet Navy's other construction  activities, is indicative of the enormous resources being devoted to expansion of the navy.