Vostochnaya Verf Shipyard Builds Grachonok Patrol Boat for Pacific Fleet

17.05.2012 Construction of the first Project 21980 Grachonok special purpose boat for Pacific Fleet started at Vostochnaya Verf shipyard in Vladivostok, an insider told Central Navy Portal.

Keel for the boat (serial number 8002) was laid down in Apr 2012. Totally, defense ministry ordered three such boats to be constructed by JSC Vostochnaya Verf with possible option to expand the series.

Vostochnaya Verf became the second shipyard building Grachonok-class special purpose boats. First boat of the project – P-104 (serial number 981) – was built by Zelenodolsk Shipyard for Baltic Fleet in 2009. P-104 serves in harbor defense brigade of Leningrad Naval Base and is stationed in Kronshtadt. The boat has already proved herself as an effective counter-terror vessel. In 2011, P-104 took part in the International Maritime Defense Show and aroused great interest of experts and foreign guests.

The second boat (serial number 982) was laid down at Zelenodolsk Shipyard in May 2010, and launched in July 2011. Later on in the fall 2011 the boat arrived in Novorossiysk for trials, and when they were over, acceptance certificate was signed. The solemn ensign-hoisting ceremony will take place in Novorossiysk Naval Base within the next few days. Then the boat will join Black Sea Fleet.

The third Grachonok-class boat was laid down in the spring of 2011 and will be launched in June 2012. The boat will serve in Black Sea Fleet as well.

Keel-laying of the fourth boat (serial number 984) took place in Zelenodolsk on May 5.

Project Grachonok was developed by JSC Vympel Design Bureau for Russian Navy's order. Thanks to perfect performance characteristics, good seaworthiness, up-to-date radioelectronics, powerplant and new diving system, boats of this project are capable to cope with wide range of tasks. Main purpose of Grachonok-class boats is countering terroristic and sabotage forces in basing sites of Russian Navy.

Construction of these boats by JSC Zelenodolsk Shipyard and JSC Vostochnaya Verf will be continued.

Basic characteristics of Project 21980 special-purpose boat:

Displacement: 139 tons
Dimensions: length – 31.05 meters; beam – 7.4 meters; draft – 1.85 meters
Full speed: 23 knots
Full speed fuel range: 200 miles
Endurance: 5 days
Armament: Igla SAM system (4 surface-to-air missiles), 14.5-mm pedestal machine gun mount, DP-65A counter-terror grenade launcher, DP-64 grenade launcher
Radioelectronics: MR-231 Pal navigation radar, MT-201 optoelectronic observation system, Calmar sonar, Anapa counter-terror dipping sonar
Crew: 6 men