Russian Project 22160 Corvettes To Get Latest Electronic Defense Suite

The new corvettes of Russia's Project 22160 will be armed with the latest reconnaissance and defense complexes.

The lead ship of the project, Vasily Bykov warship, is currently being tested in the Black sea to observe the effectiveness, according to a report by Izvestia daily.

The new complexes comprising of high-tech sensors on warship hull can jam radars or create dummy disturbances. The information on operating electronic systems that can detect a warship is transmitted to intercept bearing posts. The system identifies radar type and its carrier. The Corvette thus gets a possibility to impact ground, sea and airborne radars, as well as satellite detection systems.

Depending on the situation, the commander is recommended various options on how to hide from radars. If it is impossible to bypass a radar, the system camouflages the warship by jamming. The complex can also jam adversary radar by a powerful electronic signal. Another option is misleading jamming. It creates several dummy targets on the adversary display which resemble a warship. Heat traps can also be used to create infrared disturbances.

"The system allows corvettes to covertly penetrate areas under adversary control and counter both solo warships and aircraft carrying groups with a broad range of reconnaissance means," former Navy Chief-of-Staff Admiral Valentin Selivanov.

"The new device identifies radar frequency and automatically selects disturbances. It helps the captain to rapidly make a decision how to manoeuvre and counter the adversary," Selivanov added.

The corvettes are distinguished by a modular scheme which allows changing arms and equipment. They can carry Kalibr missiles and the deck has a helipad for Ka-27 and Ka-29 helicopters. Project 22160 corvettes can operate surface and underwater unmanned vehicles for monitoring in a radius of several hundred kilometres. Four new corvettes are to be built by 2020, according to the report by Izvestia.