Disinformation: Frigate Admiral Gorshkov Won't Start Trials in November

10.10.2012 Project 22350 frigate Admiral Gorshkov will not take the Barents Sea for trials late in November. The source in Russian Navy Main HQ that Izvestiya newspaper recently referred to had provided untrustworthy information. Moreover, exterior deck erection does not consist of composite materials, it is only covered with radar absorbent coating, an official of United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC) told Central Navy Portal.

"Reporters of Izvestiya and their insider in the Navy are running before the hounds", the USC executive told Central Navy Portal.

"Indeed, the frigate is being actively fitted-out, but she won't be ready for sea trials by the end of November, especially in the Barents Sea. At first, the ship must be tested in the Gulf of Finland, at construction site. Sure, dockside trials may start in November, but the ship will take sea for the first time not earlier than in 2013", added the interviewee.

Vladimir I. Spiridopulo, Director General of Severnoye Design Bureau which is developer of Project 22350 frigates, did say that the lead ship would begin trials this autumn meaning the dockside ones.

The interviewee added that the newspaper most likely had confused the frigate with Stereguschiy-class corvettes being built at Severnaya Verf shipyard. Deck erection of those frigates is really made of laminated composite materials but not just carbon plastic. The frigate's steel tophamper is specially designed to reduce radar signature and coated with radar absorbent materials. There are some other 'howlers' in that article published by Izvestiya; for one, the author mentioned Polimer-Redut system instead of Poliment.

"In all, informativity and credibility of that newspaper article leave much to be desired", concluded the interviewee of Central Navy Portal.