01.04.2010 Launching ceremony of the first series-built corvette Soobrazitelny of Project 20380 was held at Severnaya Verf shipyard (St. Petersburg), informs Interfax. Among attendants was Vice Admiral Viktor Chirkov, Baltic Fleet Commander.
It should be pointed out that Project 20380 vessels are first Russian-built corvettes. Previously, neither Soviet nor Russian navies classed corvette as a separate type of warships.
Built by stealth technology, the corvette was designed by Almaz Central Design Bureau for Marine Engineering. The ship was laid down at Severnaya Verf in 2003. At present, other ships of Project 20380 are being constructed at different levels of completeness in the shipyard – Sovershenny, Boiky and Stoiky.
Lead ship of this project – Stereguschiy – was laid down in Dec 2001, launched in Feb 2008 and commissioned into Russian Navy in Oct 2008. Soobrazitelny is the first Project 20380 corvette built under serial order of Russian Navy.
Project 20380 corvettes are designed for operations in littoral zone, antisurface and antisubmarine warfare, and also for gunfire support of landing troops. Ship's displacement is 2,200 tons; length is 100 meters; beam is 13 meters.
Max speed of Soobrazitelny is 27 knots; operating range is 4,000 nm. The corvette is armed with 100-mm multipurpose artillery systems, antiaircraft missile/gun systems, supersonic missiles, automatic gun mounts. Shipborne air group includes one ASW helicopter Ka-27PL.
It was previously stated by the Navy command that Russia needs 30 corvette-class warships. Order for Project 20380 implies construction of 20 corvettes.