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Russian Navy to Split the Far East Order for Karakurt-Class Corvettes

Rubric: Russia, Industry, Future

Since 2019, Russian Navy will place the shipbuilding order for Project 22800 Karakurt-class corvettes at the Far Eastern shipyards. Four ships will be assigned for the Amursky Shipyard, other two – for the Vostochnaya Verf, announced deputy defense minister Yury Borisov visiting the Pella Shipyard in the Leningrad Region.

He assessed current construction rate of Karakurt corvettes as 30 months per ship. "Indeed, there were some problems with cooperation", added the officer.

Project 22800 Shkval corvette

Beginning from the Shkval corvette, all subsequent Karakurt-class ships will be equipped with Pantsir-M missile/artillery air defense systems instead of AK-630M gun mounts. According to Dmitry Tsymlyakov, head designer at the Almaz Central Marine Design Bureau, works on the new system needed much effort. "Were it not for Viktor Chirkov [ex-Russian Navy Commander, currently chief advisor to the United Shipbuilding Corporation’s president for military shipbuilding – editor’s remark] and Dmitry Konoplev [managing director at the KBP named after Academician A.Shipunov – editor’s remark], Pantsir would never exist. We used to work 12-14 hours a day on this project", shared Dmitry Tsymlyakov.

As was reported earlier, the defense order for the Project 20380 corvettes was scaled down for the Amursky Shipyard. The company will build only four out of six ships originally planned. Initially, the yard was expected to win the order for all six Karakurt-class corvettes of the Far Eastern series.

The Karakurt-class corvette project was developed by the Almaz Central Marine Design Bureau. The ship’s length is 60 meters, beam is 10 meters, draft is 4 meters, diesel electric Russian-made main propulsion plant, max speed is 30 knots, operational range is 2,500 nautical miles, endurance is 15 days.