Fifth Buyan-Class Corvette Gets Name of Serpukhov

18.12.2012 The fifth Buyan-M-class corvette obtained the name of Serpukhov, a source in Zelenodolsk Shipyard told Central Navy Portal. Municipal administration of Serpukhov, Moscow region has confirmed that information.

Russian Navy Commander-in-Chief ADM Viktor Chirkov on Nov 27 issued a decree No. 725 "On giving the name of Serpukhov to Project 21631 corvette, serial number 635". The Navy commander's decree was signed on application of Alexander Shestun, the head of Serpukhov administration.

The ship will be manned with draftees from Serpukhov district.

Also, the town of Serpukhov is a location of JSC RATEP, the leading manufacturer of control systems for Russian Navy's sea- and coast-based air defense systems.

Serpukhov governor Alexander Shestun and director general of JSC RATEP Vladimir Baibakov are about to attend the ship's keel-laying ceremony at Zelenodolsk Shipyard in Tatarstan. RATEP is planned to supply the new ship with its production, in particular, shipborne radar gunfire control system 5P-10-03 Laska.

The date of laying down the keel for the corvette has not been appointed so far. According to sources in the shipyard, although the yard is technically capable to hold the solemn ceremony even in the current year, most likely the ship would be keel-laid early in 2013. The ceremony would be possibly held on the same day with launching of the lead corvette Grad Sviyazhsk.

Currently, Zelenodolsk Shipyard constructs four Buyan-M-class corvettes.

Lead ship Grad Sviyazhsk (serial number 631) was laid down in Aug 2010 and is expected to be launched in Feb-March 2013. Two next corvettes, Uglich and Veliky Ustyug (serial numbers 632 and 633) were laid down in July and Aug 2011 respectively. Keel for the fourth ship, Zeliony Dol (serial number 634) was laid down late in Aug 2012. The whole series is designed for Caspian Flotilla.

According to Caspian Flotilla (CF) Commander RADM Sergei Alyokminsky "new Project 21631 ships will come to the flotilla in May 2013. They are based on Project 21360 but armed with Caliber missile system. The flotilla will receive two ships every year and in 2016 will have substantial surface ship force".

It was also said that RADM Sergei Alyokminsky was about to address to Southern Military District Commander and Navy Commander-in-Chief with request to give the fifth corvette the name of Hero City Volgograd in honor of 70-th anniversary of the legendary Stalingrad Battle.

Project 21631 corvettes are "river-sea" class ships built under stealth technology. Their length is 74.1 meters, beam is 11 meters, draft is 2.6 meters, displacement is about 950 tons, max speed is up to 25 knots, crew is about 60 men.

Armament of each corvette includes Caliber-NK standard missile system (combat load is 8 cruise missiles effective both against surface ships and coast-based targets); 100-mm gun mount A190-01, 30-mm gun mount AK-630M-2 Duet; two SAM systems Gibka; 14.5-mm and 7.62-mm machineguns.