3 Missile Corvettes to Join Russian Navy by 2016

 

The Russian Navy will receive three new missile corvettes by the end of 2015, navy commander Adm. Viktor Chirkov said Wednesday.
 

“The navy is expecting the Veliky Ustyug corvette this year and two more warships of the same class in 2015,” Chirkov said.
 

The Defense Ministry has ordered a total of nine Project 21631 (Buyan-M) corvettes for the navy, with at least six vessels to be assigned to the Caspian Flotilla.
 

The first two Buyan-M corvettes, the Grad Sviyazhsk and the Uglich, entered service with the flotilla earlier this year, Chirkov said.

 

 

The Zelenodolsk shipyard, based in Russia’s Tatarstan Republic, began construction of the sixth corvette in the series, the Vyshny Volochek, in August last year.
 

A Buyan-M corvette has a displacement of 949 tons and a maximum speed of 25 knots. It is armed with Kalibr (SS-N-27) anti-ship missiles, 100-mm and 30-mm guns, as well as Igla-1M air defense missiles.
 

Russia Launches Construction of New Patrol Ship Class

The lead vessel in a new class of patrol ships was laid down in a ceremony at Russia’s Zelenodolsky shipyard Wednesday, the builder said in a statement.

 

The Vasily Bykov will be the first diesel-powered Project 22160 patrol ship and is planned to feature a helicopter landing pad on its aft deck, according to the Severnoye Design Bureau, the vessel's designer.

 

 

The 1,300-ton ship will have a range of 6,000 nautical miles and be armed with a single 57mm cannon, heavy machine guns, air defense systems and optional missile launchers.
 

“This ship is a vessel of a new generation, built according to modular principles,” Cpt. of the First Rank Igor Dygalo said.

 

Dygalo explained that owing to its modular design the ship could be re-tasked in short order to perform a range of duties.

 

The new class is intended for economic zone patrol, search-and-rescue operations, anti-piracy and anti-smuggling activities, environmental monitoring, as well as coastal defense and escort service, according to the shipyard’s statement.

 

A navy spokesperson said that six ships of the class are expected to be built by 2019.