Russia Lays Down New Corvette for Pacific Fleet

ASW ship Steregushchy

KHABAROVSK, February 18 (RIA Novosti)

The Amur Shipyard in Russia’s Far East has started the construction of a new Steregushchy class corvette for the Russian Pacific Fleet, the Khabarovsk Territory government said.

“A Steregushchy class corvette will be built for the Pacific Fleet,” the Khabarovsk Territory government said in a statement on Friday. “It will be delivered in 2015.”

The Gromky corvette is the sixth Steregushchy class vessel designed by the Almaz Central Marine Design Bureau and second being built at the Amur Shipyard.

Two corvettes of this class, the Steregushchy and the Soobrazitelny have been already put into service with the Russian Navy, while three others are under various stages of construction and trials.

The Steregushchy class corvette can be deployed to destroy enemy surface ships, submarines and aircraft, and to provide artillery support for beach landings. Advanced stealth technology is used to reduce the ship's secondary radar field, as well as its acoustic, infrared, magnetic and visual signatures.

Russia plans to have up to 30 vessels of this class to ensure the protection of its coastal waters, as well as its oil and gas transportation routes, especially in the Black and the Baltic seas.

Each corvette has a displacement of 2,000 metric tons, maximum speed of 27 knots, and a crew of 100.

The ship's armament includes SS-N-25 Switchblade anti-ship cruise missiles, a 100-mm gun, a variety of air defense and anti-submarine systems, and a Ka-27 Helix ASW helicopter.