Third Stealth Corvette For Russian NavyA brand new stealth corvette was delivered to the Russian Navy in mid-May 2013.
The third Steregushchy-class corvette, the Boikiy was laid down in July 2005 and first launched in April 2011. It now joins the Steregushchiy and the Soobrazitelnyy in Russian naval service and it, in turn, will be joined by three more Steregushchy-class corvettes in months ahead.
The Boikiy is one of four Steregushchy-class stealth corvettes destined to serve with the Russian Navy's Baltic Fleet, while the other two vessels will become part of the Pacific Fleet.
To date, the only firm Steregushchy-class stealth corvette orders have come from the Russian Navy, although several foreign nations have expressed interest.
Steregushchy-Class Stealth CorvettesIn general terms, the Steregushchy-class stealth corvettes are 342 feet long and displace up to 2,200 tons of water. Each has a 15-day endurance and a range of 3,800 nautical miles, with a maximum speed of 27 knots.
There is space on deck for a single Kamov Ka-27 anti-submarine helicopter and, on the armament side, various weapons are carried including the Kashtan close-in weapon system (CIWS), Kh-35 missiles and two 14.5mm machine guns.
A key feature is the inclusion of stealth materials in the construction, which help to significantly lower the corvettes' infrared signatures and presence on radar screens.
Russian Navy Stealth CorvettesThese Russian Navy stealth corvettes - which specialise in anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare - were the brainchild of the Almaz Central Marine Design Bureau and they're being pieced together at St. Petersburg's Severnaya Verf shipyard.
In Russian naval surface, the new stealth corvettes have the role of taking over from the Grisha-class corvettes, which were produced between 1970 and 1994 in five different versions.
Named the Steregushchiy, the lead Steregushchy-class stealth corvette was launched in 2006 and commissioned in November 2007. It was followed, four years later, by the Soobrazitelnyy. In the Boikiy's wake, the Stoikiy, Sovershennyy and Gromkiy are set to be delivered in (late) 2013, 2014 and 2015, respectively.