The administration of the Zelenodolsk plant named after Gorky announced that for the period from 2019 to 2021, the enterprise planned the construction of five small missile ships of the project 22800 Karakurt corvette type. Three more ships are supposed to be released at the Leningradsky shipyard"Pella", and at the facilities of the Feodosia shipbuilding plant "More" they will build another one. Three more small missile ships will be built by the Pella and More enterprises.
The construction sites for another six ships have not yet been decided. Thus, the Black Sea, Baltic and Pacific fleets will receive a worthy replenishment of eighteen small missile ships of the Karakurt type. The first one, patrol ship with the name "Hurricane", it is possible that it will appear in service with the Black Sea Fleet within the next year. Subsequent ships have also already been called no less formidable names - "Typhoon", "Squall" and "Storm"
Project 22800 small rocket ship "Karakurt"
Small missile ships of the Karakurt type were developed by the St. Petersburg Almaz Design Bureau - the Central Marine Design Bureau as an alternative version of the ships in the Buyan-M project 21631. This project was created only five years earlier by the Zelenodolsk design bureau. Accordingly, the construction of these Buyans is also carried out by the Zelenodolsk enterprise. The Caspian Flotilla and the Black Sea Fleet already have five such ships. In addition, four more are under construction. It was planned that the Buyans would be built in quantities of up to ten units. Due to the fact that Karakurt was preferred, the last ninth small missile ship of project 21631 began to be assembled in April 2019. Eight months later, Karakurt was also put into production.
Unique RTOs of the new generation of project 22800
As for the strike weapons of these two boats, they are approximately the same. The patrol ship of the same class "Hurricane" has almost the same characteristics. The displacement of both boats is not too large, however, "Buyan-M" is considered a ship of the "river-sea" class. He feels confident both in the Volga mouths and in the waters of the Caspian Sea. However, with its low seaworthiness, even the expanses of the relatively small Black Sea will turn out to be too big. "Karakurt" was designed as a ship for operations in open maritime theaters.
How a disadvantage became an advantage of Russian industry
Not so long ago, another flaw was added to this project. Due to the introduction by Western countries of sanctions against the Russian state, German company- the manufacturer of engines for Buyans decided to stop further cooperation and refused to provide us with engines. But they quickly found a replacement. Zelenodolsk shipbuilders began to purchase similar 16-cylinder engines from the Kolomna enterprise and the St. Petersburg plant Zvezda.
The glory of Russian weapons swept around the world
In the fall of 2017, Buranam-M managed to make a splash all over the world. Four ships from the Caspian flotilla - small missile ships "Uglich", "Grad Sviyazhsky" and " Veliky Ustyug", and missile cruiser"Dagestan" fired at targets with the help of cruise missiles "Caliber". A massive missile attack was carried out on the positions of the ISIS terrorist organization (banned in the Russian Federation), which were located at a distance of approximately one and a half thousand kilometers from the starting point.
The range and accuracy of live firing fired by Russian ships was discussed in the world media for almost a week. However, this is not all that missiles of this class are capable of, because the maximum range of their flight can reach more than two and a half thousand kilometers.
The small missile ship, Karakurt, is armed with the same missiles, namely Caliber-NK. In addition, supersonic Onyx anti-ship missiles are also used, the firing range of which is equal to five hundred kilometers. The ship is also armed with an automatic artillery installation of 100 mm or 76 mm caliber. Facilities air defense equipped with anti-aircraft missile artillery complex 3M89 "Broadsword".
An all-aspect multifunctional radar station with four fixed phased array antennas, as well as a highly efficient optical radar station, provides the Broadsword with the possibility of all-weather and round-the-clock detection of any targets that could somehow threaten the ship. These can be, for example, airplanes, helicopters, cruise missiles, even drones. Opening fire to defeat these targets can be carried out at a distance of up to ten kilometers and at an altitude of up to five kilometers. The mode of operation of the entire complex is automatic.
Equipping ships with electronic warfare stations
RTOs "Karakurt", ships of project 22800, are ships for operations in the near sea zone with a cruising range of up to 2500 miles and an autonomy of up to fifteen days. A boat with a displacement of eight hundred tons has a length of sixty meters, a width of ten meters, a draft of four meters. The speed reaches thirty knots.
"Karakurts", as well as "Buyans-M", were created in order to replace the small missile ships "Gadfly" of project 1234. Their most diverse modifications were released in 1967-92. A total of forty-seven ships were built, but now only twelve remain.
"Gadflies", developed by "Almaz", looked much more solid than "Karakurt" in terms of their driving performance. So, the speed of the "Gadfly" reached up to 35 knots, and the range - up to 4000 miles. However, morally and physically obsolete weapons reduce all these advantages to zero. The Gadfly is armed with Malachite, six P-120 anti-ship missiles with a maximum range of up to one hundred and twenty kilometers, and this is significantly inferior to eight Caliber-NK or Onyxes.
The uniqueness of the new small rocket ship
Deputy Minister of Defense Yuri Borisov, when laying the fourth small missile ship under project 22800 on the slipway of the Pella shipyard at the end of July last year, said: “ships with a similar classification simply do not exist in the world.” The designers of the Almaz design bureau managed to place a lot of formidable weapons in the small space of the Karakurt. By the way, this weapon can be called strategic, because any Kalibr missile can be equipped with a nuclear warhead.
Radius of action missile weapons"Karakurt" as part of the Black Sea and Baltic fleets, as well as representing the Caspian flotilla, covers the Middle East region and almost the entire European continent. If a decision is made to place these ships at the disposal of the Pacific Fleet, then almost the entire eastern hemisphere will be blocked in its northern half.
Who in the class can be compared with "Karakurt": Western models of ships
According to many military experts, the Karakurts are ahead of all modern counterparts with their strike power.
Only one corvette on the planet can be compared with the Karakurts - moreover, it has been released so far in a single copy. This is the last ship in a series of multi-purpose Swedish corvettes of the Visby type. It was adopted by the Swedish Navy in the spring of 2013.
Its displacement is six hundred and forty tons, its length is seventy-one meters, and its width is almost ten and a half meters. At thirty-five knots, her range is two thousand three hundred miles. The ship was built taking into account the requirements of stealth technologies. The first four serial corvettes were designed primarily as anti-submarine ships. The fifth has eight subsonic anti-ship missiles with a range of up to two hundred kilometers.
Israeli counterpart - "Eilat"
There is also an Israeli analogy, but also released in a single copy. It's about Eilat, missile corvette. Naval Forces Israel took it into operation in the nineties. It has a displacement of one thousand two hundred and seventy-five tons, a length of eighty-five meters, and a width of almost twelve meters. With a range in economy mode, it can travel three and a half thousand miles, and its maximum speed is thirty-three knots.
The armament of "Eilat" also does not reach the level of "Karakurt". Israeli designers managed to place on board the corvette American Harpoon anti-ship missiles with a range of up to one hundred and thirty kilometers and a warhead mass of two hundred and twenty-seven kilograms, while the ship also has additional anti-ship weapons.
The air defense is equipped with the Barak anti-aircraft missile system with 32 missiles in the ammunition load, their range reaches ten kilometers. "Eilat" has at its disposal a 20-mm rapid-fire cannon for firing at distances up to one and a half kilometers.
Project 22800 - economic component
Rocket ships with a displacement of less than 1000 tons - almost unique Russian feature. As a result, it is possible to compare "Karakurt" only with more solid equipment. In terms of functionality and range, it surpasses our corvettes, but in terms of strike weapons and power it falls short of Russian ships. At the same time, anti-submarine weapons, as well as helicopters or drones, increase the survivability of ships with a more substantial displacement.
However, there is also the other side of the coin - the cost of their construction and operation, which is extremely relevant to the current Russian reality. Be that as it may, but according to the classical parameters of “price and quality”, the Karakurt turned out to be excellent missile ships, perhaps even world leaders.
German corvette "Braunschweig"
More solid in terms of mass is the German corvette of the K130 project. The launch of the Braunschweig in 2013, the fifth ship of this series of corvettes, marked the completion of its production. The ships of the series have a displacement of one thousand eight hundred and forty tons, a length of up to ninety meters, and are equipped with a helicopter on board. The corvette has anti-submarine torpedoes, an anti-aircraft missile system, a twin 27 mm anti-aircraft gun, and a 76 mm artillery mount.
The main strike weapon, like the Swedes, is the RBS 15M Mk3 anti-ship missiles. However, there are half as many missile units - only four. The Brunswick has the same range as the Karakurt, up to two and a half thousand miles, but it has a lower speed, twenty-five knots.
American destroyers
The American fleet does not waste time either. The smallest missile ships, built in the amount of sixty-two units, are destroyers armed with guided missile weapons of the Arleigh Burke project. These ships have a range of six thousand miles and a displacement of up to nine thousand tons. With a length of one hundred and fifty meters, a height of forty-five meters, they have a speed of up to thirty-two knots.
Anti-ship armament is equipped with 8 Harpoon missiles. The destroyers have and anti-aircraft missile systems with artillery (anti-aircraft and conventional), and anti-submarine weapons (missiles, torpedoes and mines), as well as a helicopter.
If necessary, they can be equipped with the well-known "Tomahawks", cruise missiles numbering from eight to sixty units. Of course, the weapon is solid - but subsonic, having a flight range of up to one thousand six hundred kilometers. However, it is only slightly inferior to the Caliber in terms of speed, accuracy and range, the control of these weapons is entrusted to the widely publicized Aegis system.
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Project "Karakurt"- This New episode small ships. The displacement is 800 tons, the length is about 60 meters, and the maximum speed is more than 30 knots, that is, about 55 kilometers per hour. But the modest size compensates for the impressive armament.
It is planned to put Kalibr missile systems on the ships. They were used during the military conflict in Syria, and managed to establish themselves as a powerful and accurate weapon. In addition, the Karakurts will receive modern AK-176MA artillery mounts and air defense systems.
76mm automatic naval gun mounts- This is a universal weapon capable of fighting a wide range of targets.They are capable of hitting not only enemy ships, but also air targets, including drones. Also with high efficiency guns can be used to shell the coast, including targets located at a considerable distance from the coastline.Compared to previous modifications, the AK-176MA has more than doubled the accuracy of drive guidance, doubled the accuracy of fire, significantly increased the guidance speed, and reduced the weight of the artillery mount to less than 9 tons.
Thanks to the adoption of the AK-176MA guns, the Russian fleet will receive advantage over NATO ships equipped with Italian Oto Melara guns.
The Russian Navy has decided to equip all small missile ships and boats with the AK-176MA ultra-rapid-firing 76mm automatic cannon, whose unique accuracy, thanks to digital control and an all-weather optical-electronic system, is not inferior to a sniper rifle. It is noteworthy that, depending on the type of ship, the latest product developed at the Arsenal Design Bureau * can be placed both in a conventional spherical and in a stealth turret, which, due to its angular shape, is invisible to enemy radars.
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Fundamental decision to define the latest AK-176MA as the main artillery armament of all ships coastal zone, small missile ships (RTOs) and missile boats (RK) was adopted this summer. The AK-176MA tests are expected to be completed by the end of the year, after which the decision will be documented and signed by all interested parties. At present, the artillery mount has already become part of the armament of the project 22800 "Karakurt" RTOs, as well as the project 1241 RTOs.
The AK-176MA is a development of the AK-176 family of shipborne rapid-fire guns, the first of which was put into service in 1979. With a weight of 10 tons, the latest artillery mount is capable of firing at least 150 artillery shells at a target located at a distance of 15 km in one minute. The main difference between the AK-176MA from its predecessors is a digital control system, as well as the latest Sfera-2 optoelectronic station, which allows detecting targets at a distance of tens of kilometers day and night, in heavy rain and even a storm.
AK-176MA horizontal and vertical guidance drives, which rotate the turret to the right and left, and also raise the gun itself up and down, equipped digital system transmission of information, thanks to which the artillery installation, having received the command of the operator or onboard information system ship, moves with very high accuracy.
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The combination of high ballistic characteristics of the latest naval gun and electronic system management provides the AK-176MA with complete superiority over its closest competitor- 76-mm artillery mount of the Italian company Oto Melara.
Created in the late 60s, the 76/62 universal artillery mount was adopted by almost all major foreign fleets, including the US Navy, where it was assigned the designation Mk 75. The only exceptions are the French, British and Swedish navies, where artillery mounts of their own design are used .
The installation is designed to destroy high-speed surface ships of small displacement and boats, deliver fire strikes on coastal structures and combat anti-ship missiles maneuvering in the final section of the trajectory. When maneuvering the rocket, the computer of the fire control system calculates a new pre-empted meeting point, the command to adjust the projectile trajectory is transmitted over the radio channel and is worked out using six powder engines located near the center of gravity of the projectile. The projectile's rotation speed is reduced to 200 rpm thanks to the drop-down tail stabilizer, and its flight path can be changed by 15°. A projectile weighing 6.66 kg is stuffed with 500 g of explosive and 1100 g of tungsten cubes, which when an explosive charge is detonated by a contact fuse, a cruise missile is reliably hit.
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AK-176MA is produced in a modular design and includes, in addition to the module of the actual gun mounts, also made in the form of modules, the main switchboard and remote control.The artillery mount module consists of above-deck and below-deck parts. The machine and the cradle are made of lightweight anti-corrosion aluminum alloy. In the mechanisms of vertical and horizontal aiming, electric motors with high power density and very low inertia are used.
AK-176MA is currently being tested on board the 1st rank border guard ship Polar Star, the lead ship of project 22100 Okean, which is to be handed over to the border control before the end of this year.
The conducted firing showed full compliance with the characteristics of the latest artillery mount indicated in the tactical and technical assignment. On the "Polyarnaya Zvezda" and its "sisterships" (serial ships of the same project) there will be AK-176MA in classic dome-shaped tower installations, since radar invisibility is not so important for such ships. In the same time on small missile ships of project 22800 AK-176MA will be executed in a special stealth tower with a large number of angles required to reflect electromagnetic waves.
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Radar waves are reflected primarily from the superstructure of the ship and artillery installations, which, due to their shape and the greater concentration of metal in the structure, often serve as the main unmasking feature when irradiated by an enemy radar. Therefore, the AK-176MA stealth turret is guaranteed to protect ships from enemy radar detection.
P.S. March 17, 2017 at the shipyard "More" in Feodosia the laying ceremony of a new small rocket ship "Okhotsk" took place. This is the second RTO of Project 22800 Karakurt. The production of the first, under the name "Storm", started on the peninsula in May 2016, and the third is going to be laid at the end of 2017.
The technological cycle of construction is about 32 months. Therefore, ships will be handed over from 2018 to 2020. In total, eighteen "Karakurts" will be handed over to the Russian Navy. Three of them will be built in the Crimea, five in Tatarstan, at the Zelenodolsk shipbuilding plant, and the rest in Leningrad region, at the Pella enterprise.
* Arsenal Design Bureau (St. Petersburg) has been specializing in the development of artillery mounts (AU) of various calibers and ship-based missile launchers for over 60 years. During 1949-1980. Design Bureau "Arsenal" has developed more than 12 types of semi-automatic and automatic anti-aircraft and universal guns of 45, 57, 76, 100 and 130 mm caliber for newly built, as well as undergoing modernization of surface combat ships. Almost all ships of the Russian Navy with a displacement of more than 600 tons are armed with guns developed by the Arsenal design bureau.
The Russian shipbuilding industry continues to fulfill many orders for the construction of certain ships. IN current plans In the military department, a special place is occupied by the construction of ships of the second and third ranks, which make it possible to carry out the maximum possible rearmament of the fleet relatively quickly and at a lower cost. At the same time, in order to achieve the set goals, it is planned to build a large number similar ships. Thus, the Navy plans to receive 18 small missile ships of Project 22800 Karakurt. The first of them should enter the combat strength at the end of this year.
The MRK 22800 project with the code "Karakurt" is one of the most interesting domestic developments of recent years. This project proposes the construction of ships of the near sea zone with a displacement of about 800 tons and a developed weapon system, including several types of guided missiles. Depending on the assigned combat missions, the Karakurts will be able to work independently or as part of ship groups. In the latter case, they will be able to supplement existing ships of one type or another.
The development of the Karakurt project was carried out by the Almaz Central Marine Design Bureau (St. Petersburg). The new project was based on developments on some previous ships of a similar purpose. Thus, the projects of the 12300 missile and artillery boat and the Buyan-M MRK 21631 had a great influence on the new small rocket ships. At the same time, the 22800 project used new ideas and solutions aimed at obtaining certain results. In particular, it was planned to improve the seaworthiness of the new ship in comparison with existing models of similar classes.
Project 22800 was completed a few years ago, and has been presented to the general public for quite some time. However, for obvious reasons, the Karakurt ship has so far been shown only in the form of advertising images and mock-ups. However, in the very near future, the military department will have to show the lead ship of the project, the construction of which is already coming to an end.
About two years ago, in August 2015, it became known that the command navy intends to order the shipbuilding industry 18 small missile ships of a new type. In the future, this information was confirmed several times by officials. It also soon became known that the existing fleet plans would be carried out with the help of several separate orders. The construction of new "Karakurt" was supposed to be entrusted to several shipbuilding enterprises. It is curious that at some point there was a misunderstanding, as a result of which there were reports in the press about the construction of 18 ships by the forces of only one plant.
The first order for the construction of Project 22800 small missile ships appeared at the end of 2015. The executor under the new contract was the Leningrad shipbuilding plant "Pella" (St. Petersburg). In accordance with the signed document, by the end of the decade, this enterprise will have to build 7 of the 18 required Karakurt RTOs. To speed up the work under this contract, it was decided to lease Pelle production capacity other enterprises located in other regions.
The first two ships of project 22800 were laid down in St. Petersburg on December 24, 2015. Representatives of the leadership of the Ministry of Defense and the command of the Navy took part in the solemn ceremony of laying the foundation stone. The first ships were named "Hurricane" and "Typhoon". The laying of the five remaining ships of the contract was to take place in the foreseeable future.
During the laying ceremony of the first "Karakurt" several interesting statements were made. Thus, it was argued that these RTOs would be built taking into account the import substitution policy - the engines for them were ordered from the Zvezda machine-building plant (St. Petersburg). In this context, the new ships were considered as a less expensive alternative to the project 11356 patrol ships, the construction of which is being delayed due to a disruption in the supply of imported power plants.
The third ship, ordered by Pella, has been under construction in the Crimea since May last year. For the speedy fulfillment of the entire contract, it was decided to lease to this plant part of the production capacity of the More enterprise (Feodosia). On May 10, 2016, the laying of the ship "Storm" took place there. On March 17 of this year, Feodosia shipbuilders laid down the Okhotsk RTO, which continues the series. Both ships are being built with the active participation of specialists from St. Petersburg.
On July 29 and December 24 last year, two more Project 22800 ships, Shkval and Burya, were laid down at the Pella shipyard. In the near future, the construction of the seventh ship, which, according to some reports, was named Cyclone, should begin. The laying will take place at the end of 2017 at the Crimean shipbuilding enterprise. As is the case with the rest of the ships in the series, construction will have to be completed at the end of the current decade.
At the beginning of August 2016, it became known which plant would build the next new type RTOs. The contract for five new "Karakurts" was received by the Zelenodolsk plant named after A.M. Gorky. In the future, however, for a long time, no new information about this order was received. In some sources, however, even the alleged names of the ships managed to appear, but there were no exact data on the progress of the work.
Later, from unofficial sources, it became known that the first ship of this order had already been laid down and was being built at the Zaliv plant (Kerch). As in the case of the Sea enterprise, we are talking on the transfer of production facilities under the control of another plant. This time, the Zelenodolsk plant is the tenant of capacities and the executor of the order.
Not so long ago, the annual report of the Zelendolsky plant was published, which provided information about ongoing work for the construction of various ships, including RTOs of project 22800. According to this document, last year the laying of the first two Karakurts with serial numbers 801 and 802 took place. The names of the ships, as well as the platform for their construction and the successes achieved so far, not specified yet. The timing of the start of construction of three other small missile ships also remains unknown. However, previously published information suggests that they will be laid in the very near future.
The result of the fulfillment of two orders by the Pella enterprise, the Zelenodolsk plant and the production facilities transferred to them will be the appearance of 12 new small missile ships of the Karakurt type. In the future, the shipbuilding industry will have to build and transfer to the Navy six more similar ships. Which enterprises and when will receive such orders - has not yet been specified. Apparently, the next order for RTOs of project 22800 will appear only in the early twenties. Any enterprise that has already participated in the program for the construction of such ships can receive it.
On this moment 12 Project 22800 ships have been contracted, and two-thirds of this number are at various stages of construction. The rest will be laid during 2017-18. Plans have already been announced to complete the construction and commission new RTOs. According to current data and the latest statements by responsible persons, the transfer of Karakurt to the fleet will begin this year. In the near future, the Navy will receive several of these ships a year.
The construction of the lead ship "Hurricane" is already coming to an end. In August, it is planned to launch it, and a little later it will be tested. According to the current schedule, the flag-raising ceremony will take place in December this year. The delivery of Typhoon is scheduled for next year. Also in 2018, the first ship being built by the Zelenodolsk plant may start service. In 2019, the fleet will have to receive "Storm", "Shkval" and, probably, one of the Zelenodolsk "Karakurt". The last of the 12 ordered ships will join the navy in 2020-21.
Probably, as the stocks and assembly shops are liberated, the Ministry of Defense will order new Project 22800 ships. For obvious reasons, their construction will not be completed until the beginning of the twenties, and the full implementation of existing plans will continue until the middle of the next decade. As a result, the Russian Navy will receive all the desired 18 small missile ships of project 22800 Karakurt.
The Karakurt project proposes the construction of a small displacement ship designed to operate in the near sea zone. Such ships must operate both independently and as part of formations. In accordance with these requirements, the general appearance of the project was formed.
RTO "Karakurt" has a total length of 65 m with a maximum width of 10 m and a normal draft of 4 m. The displacement is 800 tons. The hull contours are formed in accordance with the requirements for seaworthiness and the intended role of the ship in the fleet. A superstructure of complex shape, formed by large-sized panels and reducing the ship's visibility for enemy detection tools, was also used. It is proposed to use an integrated mast with space for mounting four phased antenna arrays and other electronic equipment.
The ship of the "Karakurt" type receives a combined main power plant, built on the basis of diesel and electric engines. With its help, it is claimed, it will be possible to obtain top speed travel at 30 knots. Cruising range at economic speed - up to 2500 nautical miles. Autonomy will be 15 days.
According to known data, RTOs of project 22800 should be equipped with the Sigma-E BIUS and the Trassa-E AMKOI. It is proposed to monitor the situation and find air or surface targets using several types of radar stations, including Mineral-M.
The main strike "Karakurt" will be guided missiles P-800 "Onyx" or "Caliber". To launch them, the ship is equipped with a 3S-14 universal vertical launcher with eight missile cells. As is the case with other domestic small rocket ships of new types, the installation is located in the superstructure, behind the bridge. In this case, the installation with two rows of cells, four in each, is placed across the hull, and not along, as on other ships. The ammunition load of the 3S-14 installation may include anti-ship or cruise missiles for striking ground targets. The exact composition of the ammunition and the number of missiles of one type or another depends on the task.
In the bow of the ship, in front of the superstructure, there is a place for mounting a turret artillery mount. Project 22800 provides for the possibility of using guns with a caliber of 76 or 100 mm. The installation has remotely controlled drives and automatic reloading facilities.
The first two ships "Karakurt" are equipped with anti-aircraft missile and artillery systems "Broadsword". Last autumn, it became known that some changes were made to the project, which will be introduced during the construction of serial ships. The third in a series of RTOs "Storm" will be the first carrier of the Pantsir-M missile and gun system. All subsequent ships of the series will receive just such weapons, while the lead ship and the first serial ship will remain with the Broadswords. To date, the Pantsir-M air defense missile system has passed the necessary tests and has shown itself well, which made it possible to introduce it into an existing project.
The appearance of a significant number of small missile ships of a new type should have a noticeable impact on the state and prospects of the Russian Navy. Due to their small size, the new Karakurts do not present special requirements to shipbuilding enterprises and therefore can be built at several existing plants. In particular, this is one of the reasons why in just 5-7 years the Navy will be able to get 12 ships, and the construction of the remaining 6 "hulls" will be completed by the middle of the next decade.
Despite their small size, Project 22800 ships can show high combat capability. They can operate both in the near sea zone and on some rivers, which expands the areas of their possible application. The presence of Onyx and Caliber missiles, in turn, provides a high strike potential. With the help of such weapons, new RTOs will be able to attack ground and surface targets at long distances. The potential of small missile ships equipped with modern weapons, has already been demonstrated in practice several times.
An important advantage of "Karakurt" is their large number. It will make it possible to transfer such ships to all major fleets, ensuring the possibility of their use in all strategic directions. In addition, each of the operational-strategic formations will receive several ships. The large number, presence in all fleets and high strike potential make the new project 22800 RTOs a promising and interesting military and political tool.
Until the mid-twenties, the Russian Navy plans to receive 18 new small missile ships. To date, two-thirds of these plans have been formalized in the form of contracts, and just under half of the desired ships are already at various stages of construction. In the coming months, the lead ship "Hurricane" will be tested. At the end of the year, it is planned to be accepted into the combat structure of the navy. This event will be the first in a long and important program.
According to the websites:
https://russian.rt.com/
http://flotprom.ru/
http://tass.ru/
https://tvzvezda.ru/
http://bmpd.livejournal.com/
At JSC "Leningrad Shipbuilding Plant" Pella "launched the lead rocket ship(MRK) "Hurricane" project 22800 "Karakurt". The ship, whose construction began in December 2015, is to be handed over Baltic Fleet in December 2017.
RTO project 22800 was developed at the St. Petersburg Central Design Bureau "Almaz" as an addition to those already produced at the Zelenodolsk Shipbuilding Plant named after. Gorky MRK project 21631 "Buyan-M". But, in fact, the addition of Buyanov-M with Karakurtami is not only a forced increase in the number of RTOs in the Russian Navy, but also an increase in the quality of their grouping. With the same composition of strike weapons (Caliber cruise missiles and Oniks anti-ship cruise missiles), with approximately equal displacement (900 tons for Karakurt and 950 tons for Buyan-M ") new ship has two significant differences.
Firstly, the 22800 project has better seaworthiness, it is able to operate in the near sea zone in conditions of heavy seas. "Buyan-M" is rather a ship of the "river-sea" class. Well, the speed of the "Karakurt" is higher - 30 knots against 25 knots.
Secondly, the new MRK is better protected from air attacks. Moreover, it is much better protected. On "Buyan-M" there is only a 12-barreled anti-aircraft gun of 30 mm caliber and MANPADS "Igla". On "Karakurt" - a ship modification of the anti-aircraft missile and artillery complex "Pantsir-M". True, this complex will begin to be installed only starting with the third ship of project 22800, Storm. Since the ship version of the "Shell" is not yet ready. For this reason, the first two "Karakurt" - "Hurricane" and "Typhoon" - will be forced to be content with the Broadsword anti-aircraft artillery system and the six-barreled 30-mm AK-306 artillery mount. However, these weapons are served by a powerful radar with four phased antenna arrays that provide all-round visibility.
There is another important circumstance. Serial construction of RTOs "Buyan-M" was started in 2010. Planned to build 12 ships. Then there was no mention of any sanctions from the West. But in 2014, when the fourth and fifth ships (Zeleny Dol and Serpukhov) were being completed, the German company MTU Friedrichshafen stopped supplying engines. And the project hung in the air.
On currently only one more Buyan-M (the sixth in the series, Vyshny Volochok) has been launched and is already being towed to Sevastopol. And four got stuck on the docks. For them, a replacement for the German engine was found in China. But the plant is not yet able to return to the previous rhythm of work.
There are no such problems with Karakurt. In their design, a domestic-made engine was immediately incorporated.
To date, it is planned to transfer to the Baltic and Black Sea fleets, as well as to the Caspian flotilla 12 MKR "Karakurt". However, the issue of building at least six more such ships is being considered. And they should go to the Pacific Fleet. It seems that the issue will be resolved positively, as a little lower.
Four plants are involved in the construction of Karakurt: the aforementioned Pella, the More shipbuilding plant in Feodosia (a branch of Pella), the Zelenodolsk plant, and the Zaliv plant in Kerch (a branch of the Zelenodolsk plant). Due to the fact that the Karakurt RTO is more efficient than the Buyan-M, it is likely that after the completion of the already laid down Buyans, Zelenodolsk shipbuilders will completely switch to the Project 22800 RTO.
And recently it became known that next year the Ministry of Defense intends to place an order for the construction of six "Karakurt" in the Far East - at the Amur Shipyard. There are two reasons for that. Firstly, these ships are intended for the Pacific Fleet, and it is too expensive to ship them to the Far East from the shipyards of the European part of Russia.
Secondly, the United shipbuilding corporation(OSK). The fact is that the Amur plant is part of the USC, while Pella and the Zelenodolsk plant are not included. Therefore, the decision was made under the slogan "a uniform distribution of orders is necessary."
The decision seemed to be logical. But upon closer examination, doubts arise as to whether the plant on the Amur will be able to fulfill a large-scale order not only within the allotted time, but in general? That is, at least sometime?
It can be said without exaggeration that the Amur Shipbuilding Plant, founded in 1936 in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, is a famous enterprise. In total, it built 49 diesel-electric submarines, 59 nuclear submarines, including strategic missile carriers, destroyers of various projects. In total, until 1991, more than three hundred different ships and vessels were launched here. That is - annually the plant handed over to the fleet an average of four ships of a decent displacement.
In the post-Soviet period, the plant was practically stopped. Over the past quarter of a century, only two diesel and two nuclear submarines have been completed on the Amur. Only one corvette "Perfect" of project 20380 does not belong to the Soviet heritage. Here it was laid down in 2006 and handed over to the Pacific Fleet this summer. And has long been the cause of many scandals. Moreover, the scandals are predictable in advance.
Building a relatively small warship for 11 years is, apparently, a world record. At the same time, there were no external problems associated with untimely delivery of equipment. All disruptions in the work schedule were due to the fault of the enterprise.
In addition, the NEA was catastrophically and regularly short of money for Perfect. In this regard, the Ministry of Defense took an unprecedented step, increasing the cost of the project from 7 billion rubles to 13 billion. And this despite the fact that a fourth-generation strategic nuclear submarine costs 25 billion.
Nevertheless, Moscow decided to support shipbuilding in the Far East at any cost. Apparently, therefore, at the NEA in 2012, the second corvette of the same project, the Loud, was also laid down. Here things went faster, although also very slowly. In July of this year, the Loud was launched. It will enter service at best in the fall of next year. Thus, this construction at the NEA will be very delayed - at least for six years. In neighboring China, aircraft carriers are being built in such a time.
At the same time, the plant continues to suffer huge losses, which are growing rapidly. In 2015, they amounted to 60 million rubles. Last year - 8 billion rubles. The construction of one RTO "Karakurt" costs 2 billion rubles. Thus, if the ASZ receives a contract for six such ships, it will earn a maximum of 12 billion in five years (if the construction time is not disrupted). Unfortunately, the plant's debts over the same period will probably increase much more.
In this decade, crisis managers come to the plant one after another, at about a year and a half intervals. Since 2010, the plant has been managed by the fifth CEO Vladimir Kulakov who took up this post in May 2016. Despite receiving an engineering education at the Leningrad Shipbuilding Institute, it is extremely difficult to call him a shipbuilder. Because the labor activity He started in 1978 at Izhora Plants, reaching the position of Sales Director in 2009. Then he was a commercial director in a number of enterprises petrochemical industry. He entered shipbuilding only in 2014, temporarily acting as general director of the Lotos shipbuilding plant in the Astrakhan region, specializing in the construction of bulk carriers, tankers and barges.
That is, this is a typical modern "effective" manager, operating, first of all, with economic categories. What, for example, can be seen from his interview to the news agency "East of Russia", given a year after taking office. Of course, Kulakov spoke about the need to modernize the plant, and about the purchase modern equipment, and on the repair of production facilities. For this, according to the director, he needs almost 5 billion rubles. However, according to Kulakov, “while the modernization of the plant has not yet begun, in order to implement it, the plant needs to complete a number of certain activities related to settlement agreements, the plant’s debt obligations, in particular, to banks and investment companies.”
Therefore, it is completely incomprehensible how the plant will build the latest RTOs that require modern technological approaches? At the same time, the general director expects to receive an order for a couple more corvettes of project 20380. It is curious that in this interview there is not a word about the shortage professional personnel at ASZ.
The view of the general director on the future of the plant is also surprising: “For now, ASZ specializes in sea and river vessels and warships. But I hope that the plant will not be connected only with such production. I associate its future in many respects with the construction of a gas processing plant in the Amur Region. The factory could take a great part in this project in terms of providing it with the appropriate facilities necessary for production. By the way: it is precisely such facilities that are being built by the Izhora Plants, where the general director of ASZ began his career.
Thus, yes, the construction of the Karakurt MKR for the Pacific Fleet, of course, is rationally implemented in the Far East. But at state of the art Amur Shipbuilding Plant is very risky.
In 2017, the Baltic Fleet will not receive Uragan, the lead small missile ship of project 22800 (code "Karakurt"). The deadline for its delivery has been moved to next year, a Navy source familiar with the situation told FlotProm.
According to him, the exact date is still unknown, but most likely the Baltic Fleet will receive "Hurricane" in the first half of the year. The deadline for the delivery of the ship was moved "to the right" due to new weapons. Since the Hurricane is the lead ship with a whole range of new equipment, the equipment is installed and tested longer than usual. "No force majeure happened, the delay is related to the tests," the source added.
"Karakurt", in particular, will receive a modernized 76.2 mm gun mount AK-176MA. Petersburg machine-building plant "Arsenal" in early March about the successful testing of guns.
Starting with the third ship, project 22800 RTOs will be equipped with the Pantsir-M shipborne anti-aircraft missile and gun system. As in February, Deputy General Director of NPO "High Precision Complexes" - Managing Director of the "Instrument Design Bureau" Dmitry Konoplev, "Pantsir-M" will be put into service before the end of 2017.
In September 2016, Kommersant wrote that the St. Petersburg diesel plant Zvezda was late in manufacturing two power plants for the Karakurt. In mid-March, the company increased the number of machine operators from 350 to 450 people in order to accelerate the pace of production of power plants for RTOs. About this FlotProm plant manager Pavel Plavnik.
The ship's crew will finish their training in June at the St. Petersburg Surface Ship Crew Training Center of the joint training center The Navy, an informed source told TsVMP. After that, by August 1, the sailors will go to master the ship at the Pella plant. Now there are ongoing work on tightening the cable on the "Hurricane". "It is planned to stretch about 120 km of cable through the compartments through the bulkheads and decks," the press service of the Nemo company, which is carrying out this work, said. They are scheduled to be completed by early August.
According to another source, in April-May 2017, the deadlines for the delivery of the ship to the fleet were repeatedly adjusted. He added that a number of tests will be carried out before the end of 2017. The source also said that there are no problems with the training of the crew, the delay could be caused by "testing new weapons."
The ship was laid down in 2015 at the Pella shipyard in Leningrad. "Hurricane" was planned to be handed over to the fleet this year. Deputy General Director of the shipyard Vadim Podosochny, in an interview with FlotProm in December 2016, the date indicated in the construction plan for the transfer of the ship to the Navy is "unconditional". On May 19, the CVMP correspondent failed to contact Podosochny. The Pella shipyard does not comment on the situation.
In October 2016, Alexander Shlyakhtenko, General Director of Almaz Central Design Bureau, said that the lead ship of Project 22800 would be handed over to the Navy in 2017.
Rear Admiral Viktor Gokinaev, who in 1975-1982 commanded the Minsk aircraft carrier, told FlotProm that the transfer of the lead ship with new weapons to the fleet can sometimes be late. The reason is problems with testing and installation of equipment.According to him, this was the case with the lead aircraft-carrying cruiser of Project 1143 Kiev: “The ship has already begun sea trials, but they haven’t delivered all the necessary Bazalt missiles yet,” Gokinaev said. “With Minsk, the first serial cruiser of the project.” Krechet, "there were no such difficulties. We raised the flag on the ship in February 1978, and a week later we already entered the inter-naval transition."
The Karakurts will be armed with the Kalibr-NK strike missile system, a 76 mm artillery mount, and an anti-aircraft missile and gun system. Displacement of ships - 800 tons, speed - 30 knots, autonomy - 15 days.
Project 22800 small rocket ship developed by Almaz Central Design Bureau as
