Russia Lays Down Stealth Corvette

30.08.2012 Construction of the fourth Project 21631 Buyan-M stealth corvette Zeliony Dol was started at Zelenodolsk Shipyard in Tatarstan, Russia. According to ITAR-TASS referring to press service of Southern Military District, the ship will be commissioned into Caspian Flotilla (CF).

Lead ship of the project, corvette Grad Sviyazhsk was laid down on Aug 27, 2010. Keel for the second ship, corvette Uglich was laid down on July 22, 2011. The third corvette named Veliky Ustiug was keel-laid on Aug 27, 2011. All of them will join Caspian Flotilla as well.

Buyan-class corvettes are 'river-sea' class ships being built under stealth technology. Length of such ships is 74.1 meters, beam is 11 meters, and draft is 2.6 meters. Displacing 949 tons, corvettes of this class have max speed of 25 knots.

Armament of Buyan-class corvettes includes 100-mm gun mount, Gibka SAM systems, 14.5-mm and 7.62-mm machineguns, Duet 30-mm gun system, and Caliber-NK missile system with operating radius of 300 km.

Apart from Caspian Flotilla, Project 21631 corvettes will be commissioned into Russia's Black Sea Fleet.