Severnaya Verf shipyard based in Saint-Petersburg held, July 25th, a keel-laying ceremony for corvette Provorniy of Project 20385. The corvette will be constructed for the Russian Naval Fleet and are further development of the Steregushchiy-class corvettes.
Project 20385 was developed by Almaz Central Design Bureau on the basis of already in-service Stereguschiy-class (Project 20380) ships. New corvette differs from predecessors by larger displacement (2,200 tons) and dimensions. Her length is 105 meters, beam is 13 meters, and draft is about 8 meters. Multipurpose ships of the project 20385 are designed to combat surface ships, submarines, providing air defense and artillery support for the landing and amphibious operations.
Borisov Y.I., Deputy Minister of Defence, Zakharov I.G., Vice-President of the United Shipbuilding Corporation, Golubev K.G., Chief Engineer of the Almaz CMDB and other highly-ranked officials attended the event. At the ceremony, Mr. Borisov said that according to the state programme of weapon acquisition up to 2020 the Russian Naval Fleet would have 16 such corvettes. They would be built at the Severnaya Verf and the Amurskiy Shipyards.
[mappress] Press Release, July 31, 2013; Image: Nordsy