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Russia to Lay Down Project 22350M Frigates At Least in 2019-2020

Rubric: Russia, Industry, Future

The Krylov State Research Center started analyzing project documentation for frigates displacing 8,000 tons based on Admiral Gorshkov class, a source at the company told Mil.Today. According to the interviewee, upon reviewing of documents and holding some tests, the center will draft and hand over an opinion to the designers and the Navy command. These works may take several months, and then technical and operational projects will be made.

Thus, building of the ship dubbed ‘Super Gorshkov’ may begin not earlier than 2019-2020.

Variant of Project 22350M appearance

A spokesman of the United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC) said that "initial development of the frigate’s layout is underway now. Defense ministry has not approved it yet, therefore, particular characteristics such as displacement and powerplant’s configuration have not been defined either". Earlier on, an insider at the Kolomna plant told Mil.Today that the company would equip the ships with its diesels.

The USC’s press service declined to answer what kind of engines the frigate would have: "If the state customers decide to build the said project, all parameters would be determined during design works".

The Russian Navy plans to build a series of updated Project 22350M frigates displacing about 8,000 tons, navy’s deputy commander for armament Vice Admiral Viktor Bursuk told Mil.Today on June 29 at the International Maritime Defense Show in Saint Petersburg.

Speaking about the builders for the newest frigates, Viktor Bursuk assumed that the production most likely would be divided between the Far East and the North West. He also allowed for Yantar Shipyard (Kaliningrad, Russia) to join the program.

Project 22350M was announced in December 2014 by Admiral Viktor Chirkov, the then navy commander. According to him, the Russian Navy planned to purchase at least 15 frigates in basic and upgraded versions.

The basic Project 22350 frigates have been built at Severnaya Verf shipyard in Saint Petersburg for over a decade now. The lead ship, Admiral Gorshkov, was laid down back in 2006. Her commissioning was postponed many times, by latest reports the ship would join the navy by this year end. The project’s second and third frigates, Admiral Kasatonov and Admiral Golovko, will be commissioned in 2018 and 2019, respectively. Another series of Project 22350 ships is not scheduled.

As compared to the basic version (full displacement is 5,400 tons), the retrofitted Project 22350M frigates will be heavier by somewhat 2,500 tons. There have been no other details reported about the project so far.