No fewer than 140 vessels of the Projeckt 205 Tsunami-class fast missile craft (‘Osa I’) were constructed and, together with the following Projeckt 205ER Tsunami, they became some of most-widely exported Soviet-designed warships ever. Starting in 1974, Iraq acquired a total of six (Soviet/Russian and German sources usually list only four) and they received hull designations R-12, R-13, R-14, R-15, R-16, and R-17: these numbers were regularly overpainted or expanded through the addition of fake prefixes and a third digit, such as ‘P613’, for example. These 38.5m long vessels displaced 209 tons at full load, had a crew of 26, and could accelerate to a maximum speed of 42 knots. Each was equipped with four KT-97 hangars/launchers for P-15 missiles and two twin, water-cooled AK-230 30mm automatic cannons. The missiles were guided by the Rangout radar system, and the guns were directed by the MR-104 Rys fire-control system. As far as is known, the Iraqi Navy lost two of its Osa Is during the war with Iran: reportedly, both during the first months of the conflict. (Artwork by Ivan Zajac)