Russia Launches New Corvette 'Gremyashchiy' Equipped With Kalibr-NK Missiles

Russia's Severnaya Verf Shipyard has launched the corvette 'Gremyashchiy' armed with the Kalibr-NK missile.

The corvette, from the shipyard in St. Petersburg in northwest Russia, will start undergoing trials in August and is expected to be transferred to the Navy before the end of 2018.

The command to float out the warship was given by United Shipbuilding Corporation Vice-President and Severnaya Verf CEO Igor Ponomaryov, Tass reported

The Gremyashchiy is the first corvette built after the upgrade of the corvette basic. The Severnaya Verf Shipyard is also building the second warship of this class, the Provorny.

The project has been developed by the Almaz Central Marine Design Bureau. Multipurpose corvettes of this type are designed for detecting and destroying enemy submarines and surface ships, providing for amphibious landings and solving various tasks in the near sea zone. The project stipulates a hangar for a Kamov Ka-27 helicopter.

The corvettes displace 2,200 tonnes and have an operational range of 3,500 miles and a cruising capacity of 15 days. They are armed with Kalibr-NK cruise missiles, the Redut air defense missile system and the Paket anti-submarine warfare complex.

The Gremyashchiy class or Project 20385 is an advanced development of the Steregushchiy-class corvette of the Russian Navy.

This follow-on project was designed by the Almaz Central Marine Design bureau in Saint Petersburg. The first ship was laid down on 26 March 2011 and the official ceremony took place on 2 February 2012.