Gunnery Ship Volgodonsk Joined Russian Navy

28.12.2011 Project 21630 small-size gunnery ship Volgodonsk was commissioned into Russian Navy, told a source in defense industry to Central Navy Portal.

After successful termination of state trials, acceptance certificate of the ship was signed on Dec 20 in Baltic Fleet (BF) main naval base Baltiysk. Volgodonsk is the first serial ship of Project 21630 Buyan built by JSC Almaz Shipbuilding Firm. Lead ship – small-size gunnery ship Astrakhan – is in service at Caspian Flotilla (CF) since 2006.

Launched in May 2011, Volgodonsk was firstly displayed to public at International Maritime Defense Show in St. Petersburg. As her predecessor, Volgodonsk will join Caspian Flotilla. Initially, the ship's transfer to the Caspian Sea via inland waterways was planned in navigation season of 2011, but due to delivery delay of A190-01 gun mount and impossibility to complete state trials, the ship moved to Baltiysk early in the fall by decision of Navy Commander-in-Chief Admiral Vladimir Vysotsky. Volgodonsk will spend winter in Baltiysk naval base; after breakup of inland waterways in spring of 2012, she will head for permanent basing site in Astrakhan.

Upon the ship's arrival in Astrakhan, it is planned to hold a solemn ensign-hoisting ceremony with participation of officials of the ship's patron town Volgodonsk.

Reference

Project 21630 Buyan small-size gunnery ship Volgodonsk (serial number 702).

Designed by JSC Zelenodolsk Design Bureau; built by JSC Almaz Shipbuilding Firm

Laid down on Feb 25, 2005 at Almaz shipyard under the name of Kaspiysk; in Jan 2007 renamed into Volgodonsk

Basic characteristics:

Full displacement – about 600 tons
Dimensions: length - 62 meters, beam – 9.6 meters, draft – 2.04 meters
Full speed - 28 knots
Operating range – up to 1,500 nautical miles
Endurance - 10 days
Main propulsion plant – 2 x 8,000-shp diesels M507D, two water jets
Armament: one 100-mm gun mount A190-01 Universal with Laska fire control system, two 30-mm gun mounts AK-306, one 122-mm launcher MS-73M Grad-M, two 14.5-mm machine guns, one SAM launcher 3M-47 Gibka (4 antiaircraft missiles Igla-S)
Radioelectronics: radar Pozitiv-M1, navigation radar MR-231 Pal, dipping sonar Anapa-M, electronic warfare system Smely (four PK-10 launchers)
Crew - 34 men