In the published report of JSC Zelenodolsk Plant named after A.M. Gorky "for 2016 says that four corvettes were laid last year: two patrol ships of project 22160 and two small missile ships of project 22800" Karakurt ".

On August 3, 2016, the management of the enterprise announced an order received from the Ministry of Defense of Russia for five RTOs of project 22800. As noted in the blog of the Center for Analysis, Strategies and Technologies (CAST), after this news, there was no official information on the progress of the execution of the state order.

It follows from the report that the enterprise located in Tatarstan is already building at least two out of five Project 22800 corvettes. Probably, we are talking about the ships "Monsoon" and "Passat". Considering that the contract with the Ministry of Defense was signed almost a year ago, three more Karakurt (Breeze, Tornado, Smerch) should be laid during 2017.

Five RTOs of project 22800 will be built at the Zelenodolsk plant for the first time. The project was launched at the Pella shipyard in St. Petersburg and the Sea shipyard in Feodosia. Leningrad and Crimean shipbuilders are building six "Karakurt". The contract for one RTO was concluded with the Kerch Shipyard "Zaliv".

JSC Zelenodolsk Plant named after A.M. Gorky "specializes in the production of military and civil ships. The company's products are intended for use in the Black, Caspian, Baltic and White Seas, as well as on large rivers.

• Project 22160 lead patrol ship Vasily Bykov (serial number 161) under construction for the Russian Navy
• JSC Zelenodolsk Plant named after A.M. Gorky "

The plant was founded in 1895 as a ship repair shop. Since 1934 Zelenodolsk shipbuilders began to produce warships small displacement.

As of 2016, within the framework of the state defense order, the Zelenodolsk enterprise was building 12 warships (three MRKs, two border patrol and three patrol ships, two cable ships and two anti-sabotage boats).

Of the kind of black widows

The Russian Ministry of Defense has high hopes for project 22800.

The newest ships should become a formidable weapon that will carry a combat watch, above all, in the Black and Mediterranean Seas. It is no coincidence that the project was named "Karakut" - a species of spiders from the genus of black widows, whose bite can be fatal to animals and people.

RTOs have rather modest dimensions. The displacement is 800 tons, the length is 60 m, the width is 10 m, the draft is 4 m. The ship will be able to sail at 30 knots (about 55 km / h) and move away from the bases by 2.5-3 thousand nautical miles (4 , 6-5.6 thousand km). The navigation endurance is estimated at 15 days.

The main difference between the "Karakurt" and other ships of this class is its increased seaworthiness - the ability to safely navigate in any sea state, regardless of weather conditions.

"Karakurt" should turn into a full-fledged combat unit in the sea. Thanks to the Kalibr-NK complex, its predecessors also have a crushing impact power, but they only feel comfortable near naval bases.

It is assumed that the "Karakurt" will replace the missile and artillery ships of the near sea zone of the project 21631 "Buyan-M" in the Mediterranean Sea, which is also being built by the Zelenodolsk plant. On this moment the enterprise has already delivered five ships to the navy, the same number is under construction, a contract has been signed for two.

Experts assessed the combat use of Buyans in the Syrian operation as successful. On October 7, 2015, RTOs of the Caspian Flotilla Uglich, Grad Sviyazhsk and Veliky Ustyug launched Kalibr cruise missiles at targets of the Islamic State * terrorist group. The targets, which were located at a distance of 1.5 thousand km, were hit.

• Small missile ship of project 21631 (code "Buyan-M")
• Wikimedia Commons

However, two cruises of the Buyans in the Mediterranean Sea, which took place in 2016, demonstrated the insufficient seaworthiness of the project 21631. In this regard, in October 2016, the Serpukhov and Green Dol RTOs were transferred from the Black Sea Fleet to the Baltic Fleet.

Under the "Shell" and with "Caliber"

The general public first learned about the 22800 project in the summer of 2015. The model of the ship was presented at the international forum "Army-2015" in Kubinka near Moscow. The developer of the "Karakut" is JSC "Central Marine Design Bureau" Almaz "(St. Petersburg).

The first two ships, named Hurricane and Typhoon, were laid down in December 2015 at the Pella shipyard in St. Petersburg. In July and December 2016, the Shipyard laid down two more RTOs (Shkval and Tempest). Since May 2016 and March 2017, Shipyard "More" has been building "Storm" and "Okhotsk".

According to current plans, the first ship of Project 22800 (Uragan) will be handed over to the Navy in December 2017, the rest of the ships will join the Russian fleet in 2018-2020. Approximately by 2022, 18 RTOs are to be commissioned. Today, at least eight Karakurt are under construction, four have been awarded a contract.

Like the Buyans, the Karakurt will be armed with the Kalibr missile system, which is capable of hitting targets at a distance of up to 2,500 km. Anti-ship defense is provided by the P-800 Onyx complex equipped with supersonic missiles.

The main innovation of the Karakurt weaponry will be the Pantsir-M anti-aircraft system, which was demonstrated at the International Maritime Defense Show in St. Petersburg. The developer of this near-zone air defense system is the Tula Instrument Design Bureau.

The Pantsir-M, which is currently undergoing state tests, is designed to engage air targets at a distance of several tens of meters to 20 km. The combat module contains high-speed radio-guided missiles and two six-barreled 30 mm submachine guns.

In addition, the geometric shapes and the use of radio-absorbing materials in the design should make the "Karakurt" almost invisible to enemy radars. At the same time, the ship will be equipped with modern radar and navigation equipment.

Versatile weapon

The founder of the Military Russia portal Dmitry Kornev, in a commentary to RT, said that the Karakurt and projects of other RTOs of the river-sea class are aimed at implementing several tasks that are most important for Russia's defense capability.

“The development of relatively small but powerful strike platforms allows Russia to effectively counter NATO. This is not just about the western fleet. Small missile ships of the Navy are capable of striking almost all sea and land targets in Europe, ”said Kornev.

• Mooring crew aboard a small missile ship (MRK)
• RIA News

The expert recalled that the Treaty on the Elimination of Intermediate-Range and Short-Range Missiles (INF Treaty) provides for a ban on the production and use of ground-based ballistic and cruise missiles. Restrictions do not apply to naval weapons. Thus, the RTOs armed with "Caliber" are able to contain the superior western navies.

“The advantage of small corvettes is greater mobility. They can move and strike both from rivers and from the waters of the seas. In addition, RTOs can build not very large shipyards, this does not require significant budget expenditures", - said Kornev.

"The US Navy has cold war there remained a lot of "Tomahawks". At the same time, anti-ship missiles prevail in the armament of Soviet-built naval ships. The "Caliber" complex installed on the RTO is universal. This is the kind of weapon the Russian Navy needs now, ”the expert summed up.

* "Islamic State" (IS) is a terrorist group banned on the territory of Russia.

The current shipbuilding program for the Russian Navy does not yet provide for the creation and transfer of large warships capable of carrying an outstanding amount of weapons and operating in the ocean zone. While the priority task is the construction of other combat units, such as small missile ships. However, despite their modest size and displacement, the new domestic ships are quite capable of solving very complex tasks. One of the foundations of such a ship group in the future will be the new Project 22800 Karakurt small missile ships.

According to official data, the ships of the "Karakurt" type belong to the third rank and are intended for conducting combat operations in the near sea zone. With the help of the available missile and artillery weapons, such RTOs must attack surface, air or coastal targets. Earlier it was repeatedly noted that project 22800 bears significant similarity with the older project 21631 Buyan-M, but differs in improved seaworthiness. Unlike Buyans, the new Karakurt will be able to operate not only on rivers and shallow seas.

Project 22800 was created by the Almaz Central Marine Design Bureau (St. Petersburg) by order of the Russian Ministry of Defense. Design work were conducted in the first half of this decade. The first official demonstration of the appearance of the future "Karakurt" took place at the international military-technical forum "Army-2015". It is curious that only a few months passed from the first demonstration of the project materials to the beginning of the construction of the ships.

The laying of the first two "Karakurt" took place at the end of December 2015. The order for their construction was received by the Leningrad shipyard "Pella". In total, it is planned to build 7 ships of a new type at this enterprise, and 3 units will come off the slipway of the More plant in Feodosia, which was transferred under the control of Pella. Another five ships should be handed over to the Zelenodolsk Shipyard. Gorky; he started work on his orders in 2016. The possibility of ordering six ships from the Amur shipyard was also mentioned.

In the summer and autumn of last year, the Pella shipyard launched the first two ships of Project 22800 - Uragan and Typhoon. In early May, the third was launched. According to known data, the first two ships are already undergoing the necessary tests. The transfer of two units to the Navy is scheduled for this year. The next two "Karakurt" will begin service next year. In 2020, the flag will be raised on several ships at once. The last of the planned RTOs will be laid in 2019-2020, and their construction will be completed within the next 3-4 years.

The ships of the "Karakurt" project do not differ in their large dimensions and displacement. Their length is only 67 m with a width of 11 m and a draft of 4 m. The displacement is 800 tons. With the help of a diesel-electric power plant, they will be able to reach speeds of up to 30 knots and show a cruising range of 2500 miles.

Despite their small size, the project 22800 RTOs must carry a serious set of equipment and weapons. So, the main means of tracking the situation and detecting targets is radar complex"Mineral-M", which includes active and passive means of observation. With the help of such a complex, "Karakurt" will be able to find large surface targets at distances of about 250 km. The maximum range of passive location, depending on various factors, is up to 400-450 km. The stations can track dozens of targets and exchange data with other ships.

The project provides for the availability of weapons for air defense. The first two ships of the series for such purposes carry a pair of AK-630M installations and portable anti-aircraft missile systems... All subsequent ships are proposed to be equipped with Pantsir-M modules with 30-mm cannons and missiles. The "Karakurt" under construction receive a universal artillery mount AK-176MA with a 76 mm gun.

The main strike weapon of the Project 22800 ships are missiles of several types. In the aft part of the superstructure, across the centerline, there is a 3C14 universal vertical launcher with eight cells for transport and launch containers with missiles. The possibility of using the Kalibr-NK cruise missiles and the Onyx anti-ship missiles has been declared. The composition of the ammunition and the type of missiles used are determined in accordance with the assigned combat missions.

Exactly rocket armament gives new domestic ships high combat characteristics and remarkable potential. With its help, MRK project 22800 will be able to fight surface, land or underwater targets, for which missiles can be used different types with different characteristics and combat equipment. At the same time, as follows from the known data, the possibility of hitting targets at distances of hundreds of kilometers is ensured.

When an enemy surface ship is detected, the Karakurt can use the Onyx missile or products of the 3M-54 family. The Onyx-type anti-ship missile system is equipped with a combined guidance system based on inertial navigation and an active-passive radar homing head. It enters the specified area according to navigation data, after which it must independently search for the target. There is a choice of flight path. With a high-altitude trajectory, the maximum launch range reaches 450-500 km. In other modes, the radius of action is noticeably reduced. A warhead weighing 300 kg is delivered to the target, sufficient to inflict the most serious damage even on large ships.

The Caliber missile family also has an anti-ship missile. A cruise missile of this line is capable of flying more than 300 km, independently finding a surface target and hitting it with a warhead weighing at least 200 kg. According to various sources, anti-ship "Caliber" can have a range of up to 450-500 km. The main difference between "Calibers" and "Onyx" is other flight speeds. These anti-ship missiles maintain subsonic speed for most of the trajectory, while Onyx immediately goes to supersonic speed.

The most important advantage of the Kalibr-NK complex is the presence of 3M-14 cruise missiles, designed to attack ground targets with previously known coordinates. This weapon has already been used in real operations and has clearly demonstrated the ability to destroy objects at ranges of more than 1,500 km. Moreover, some sources mention a firing range of the order of 2-2.5 thousand km. Thus, given the necessary target designation, a Karakurt-type ship or another Caliber carrier is capable of keeping a very large land area under control.

According to previously announced data, serial project 22800 RTOs will be transferred to all major fleet amalgamations. They will serve in the Northern, Pacific, Baltic and Black Sea fleets. It is not at all difficult to imagine what impact new ships with outstanding-range missiles can have on the military-political situation in the regions. They will be able to cover significant parts of the coast from a possible attack, and in addition, they will “take aim” at large land territories with many military and administrative facilities.

Without leaving their bases on the Kola Peninsula, small missile ships of the Northern Fleet, in theory, are able to protect the entire nearest coast from surface objects, as well as a significant part of Barents Sea and the whole White Sea. In this case, Scandinavia, Eastern and Central Europe, as well as part of the British Isles are in the zone of responsibility of the 3M-14 missiles.

With the help of "Calibers" and "Onyxes", the Baltic sailors will be able to protect the Gulf of Finland and block a significant part of the Baltic Sea. It is also possible to control territories up to Western Europe, the Balkans and Asia Minor. The area of ​​responsibility of the Baltic Fleet overlaps with the area of ​​possible operation of the Northern Fleet.

Being in Sevastopol, the "Karakurt" of the Black Sea Fleet can use anti-ship missiles against targets in all nearby waters. Moreover, their "Calibers" are able to reach objects in Western Europe, North Africa, in the Middle East and Central Asia. It should be noted that a similar region is covered by the missiles of the Caspian Flotilla, where the Buyan-M type ships serve.

RTOs Pacific Fleet, based in Vladivostok, can use anti-ship weapons against targets in the Sea of ​​Japan and the East Korean Gulf. At the same time, the range of water-to-surface missiles makes it possible to control the region from central Mongolia to Kamchatka, including all the Japanese islands and a significant part of China.

It should be noted that the resulting areas of responsibility apply only to ships located at or near the main bases of the fleets. The new ships of Project 22800 are capable of operating in the near sea zone, and therefore the actual point of missile launch can be anywhere and at a considerable distance from the base. Thus, the actual areas of responsibility of the new ships are capable of being anywhere and covering almost any part of the oceans or land, even with certain restrictions.

It must be admitted that the new Russian "Karakurt" are not perfect. First of all, the small size of the missile system's ammunition can be considered a disadvantage. One MRK of this type carries only eight Caliber or Onyx missiles. Thus, it may be necessary to carry out a massive missile strike. joint work several ships, which can complicate the preparation for the operation and its implementation. However, the small ammunition load is directly related to the size of the ships and the lesser complexity of their construction.

According to current plans, no later than the mid-twenties, the Russian Navy will have 18 ships of the 22800 Karakurt project, which will be distributed among four main structures. Thus, the fleet will receive a fairly large grouping of attack ships with very powerful weapons. The country, in turn, receives a convenient and flexible tool for projecting power in different regions. It is important that such a tool can be created in a minimum time and at reasonable costs - the entire program for the construction of 18 ships should take no more than 8-9 years.

A gradual modernization of the fleet and military shipbuilding is currently underway. The production capacities of various enterprises are being updated, which makes it possible to build new ships of different classes and types. So far, the military department is only making plans for future projects of first-rank surface ships, but smaller and more powerful combat units are already being built, transferred to the customer and included in the Navy. All this naturally leads to an increase in the combat potential of the surface forces and the overall defense capability of the country.

It is obvious that the new ships of the second and third rank, such as the project 22800 MRK, both in theory and in practice, are inferior in their capabilities to larger combat units, for example, the promising destroyer Leader. However, they are distinguished by their comparative cheapness, simplicity and speed of construction. The first "Karakurt" was laid down at the end of 2015 and will soon enter service. By the time the lead "Leader" can begin its service, almost all ordered Project 22800 ships will be present in the Navy.

With all the achievements and successes, Russian ministry The defense, navy and shipbuilding industries continue to face challenges of all kinds. In the current conditions, it is not always possible to do everything we want, and therefore we have to look for alternative ways. One of the ways out of the current situation, allowing to update the fleet and increase its potential under certain restrictions, is the construction of a large number of small missile ships with advanced weapons. These ideas, first of all, are realized with the help of projects 21631 "Buyan-M" and 22800 "Karakurt".

To date, the Russian shipbuilding industry has managed to launch three Karakurt-class ships out of 18 planned for construction. The first two this year will pass all the tests and go to serve in the Baltic Sea. Another 15 ships will be handed over to the customer starting next year. By the mid-twenties, four fleets of the Russian Navy will be able to form full-fledged groupings of small missile ships with modern weapons.

The construction of large and powerful ships with missile and artillery weapons is still in the distant future, but the navy cannot wait. For this reason, other combat units are being built, which also have very remarkable capabilities. Despite their modest size and small displacement, they can be a serious strike weapon and an effective instrument of international politics. A a large number of such ships will definitely go into quality.

Based on materials from sites:
http://ria.ru/
http://tass.ru/
http://nvo.ng.ru/
http://pellaship.ru/
http://npomash.ru/

Project "Karakurt" Is a new series of small ships. The displacement is 800 tons, the length is about 60 meters, and the maximum speed is over 30 knots, that is, about 55 kilometers per hour. But the modest size is compensated by the impressive armament.

It is planned to install 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 Karakurt will receive modern AK-176MA artillery mounts and air defense systems.

76mm automatic shipborne artillery mountsis a versatile weapon capable of dealing with a wide range of targets.They are capable of striking not only enemy ships, but also aerial targets, including drones. Also, with high efficiency, the guns can be used to shell the coast, including targets located at a considerable distance from the coastline.Compared to the previous modifications, the AK-176MA has more than doubled the accuracy of targeting the actuators, the accuracy of fire is doubled, the targeting speed is significantly increased, and the mass of the artillery mount is reduced to less than 9 tons.

Thanks to the adoption of the AK-176MA gun, the Russian fleet will receive advantage over NATO ships equipped with Italian Oto Melara cannons.

The Russian Navy has decided to equip all small missile ships and boats with an ultra-high-speed 76mm AK-176MA automatic cannon, the unique accuracy of which, thanks to digital control and an all-weather optoelectronic system, is not inferior to a sniper rifle. It is noteworthy that, depending on the type of ship, the newest product developed by the Arsenal Design Bureau * can be placed both in an ordinary spherical tower or in a stealth tower, which, due to its angular shape, is invisible to enemy radars.

Construction of a military harbor in Novorossiysk >>

A fundamental decision on the definition of the newest AK-176MA as the main artillery weapon of all ships of the coastal zone, small missile ships (MRK) and missile boats(RK) was adopted this summer. The tests of the AK-176MA are expected by the end of the year, after which the decision will be documented and signed by all interested parties. Currently, the artillery mount has already become part of the armament of the MRK project 22800 "Karakurt", as well as the RK project 1241.

The AK-176MA is a development of the AK-176 family of rapid-fire naval guns, the first of which was put into service back in 1979. With a weight of 10 tons, the newest artillery installation 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 - this is a digital control system, as well as the latest optical-electronic station "Sphere-2", 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 with a digital information transmission system, thanks to which the artillery installation, having received the command of the operator or onboard information system the ship moves with very high precision.

Aircraft Carrier Assassin >>

The combination of the 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 at the end of the 60s, the 76/62 universal artillery unit was adopted by almost all large foreign fleets, including the US Navy, where it was designated Mk 75. The only exceptions are the French, British and Swedish navies, where self-developed artillery mounts are used ...

The installation is designed to destroy high-speed surface ships of small displacement and boats, inflicting fire strikes on coastal structures and combating anti-ship missiles, maneuvering at the end of the trajectory. When maneuvering the missile, the computer of the fire control system calculates a new anticipated meeting point, the command to adjust the trajectory of the projectile is transmitted over the radio channel and processed using six powder engines located near the center of gravity of the projectile. The rotation speed of the projectile due to the drop-down tail stabilizer is reduced to 200 rpm, and the trajectory of its flight can be changed by 15 °. A shell weighing 6.66 kg is stuffed with 500 g of explosive and 1100 g of tungsten cubes, which when detonating an explosive charge with a contact detonator, they reliably hit a cruise missile.

The "invisible ship" of the Russian fleet: what the frigate "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Gorshkov" is capable of >>

The AK-176MA is produced in a modular design and includes, in addition to the module, gun mounts themselves, also made in the form of modules, a main switchboard and a 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. The vertical and horizontal guidance mechanisms use electric motors with high power density and very low inertia.

AK-176MA is currently being tested on board the 1st rank border patrol "Polar Star", the lead ship of the project 22100 "Ocean", which is to be transferred to the border control before the end of this year.

The firing showed full compliance characteristics of the latest artillery installation specified in the tactical and technical assignment. The "Polyarnaya Zvezda" and its "sister ships" (serial ships of the same project) will have AK-176MA in classic domed turret mountings, since radar stealth 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 big amount angles required to reflect electromagnetic waves.

The small missile ship of the Black Sea Fleet "Serpukhov" will replace the "Green Dol" >>

Radar waves are reflected primarily from the superstructure of the ship and artillery installations, which, due to their shape and the higher concentration of metal in the structure, often serve as the main unmasking feature when irradiated by an enemy radar. Therefore, the AK-176MA stealth tower is guaranteed to protect ships from enemy radar detection.

P .S. March 17, 2017 at the shipyard "More" in Feodosia the laying ceremony of the new Okhotsk small rocket ship was held. 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 construction cycle is about 32 months. Therefore, the ships will be handed over in the period from 2018 to 2020. Total Navy Eighteen Karakurt will be handed over to Russia. Three of them will be built in Crimea, five in Tatarstan, at the Zelenodolsk shipyard, and the rest in the Leningrad region, at the Pella enterprise.

* Arsenal Design Bureau (St. Petersburg) for over 60 years has specialized in the development of artillery installations (AU) of various calibers and ship-borne missile launchers. During 1949-1980. Design Bureau "Arsenal" has developed more than 12 types of semi-automatic and automatic anti-aircraft and universal AU caliber 45, 57, 76, 100 and 130 mm for newly built and also undergoing modernization of combat surface ships. Almost all ships of the Russian Navy with a displacement of more than 600 tons are armed with weapons developed by the Arsenal design bureau.

The lead small missile ship of project 22800 "Uragan" entered the factory sea trials May 18th, 2018

As reported from St. Petersburg, on May 17, 2018, the lead small rocket ship was sent to the factory sea trials (ZHI) "Hurricane"(serial number 251) project 22800 (code "Karakurt"), built at the JSC "Leningrad shipyard" Pella "(Otradnoe, Leningrad region). The ship was taken by tugs from the plant along the Neva to Lake Ladoga, in the water area of ​​which the ZHI will be held. State tests of a small rocket ship (MRK) "Hurricane" will be held in the Baltic Sea.

Project 22800 was developed by JSC Central Marine Design Bureau Almaz (St. Petersburg) and should actually replace in the construction for the Russian Navy the MRK project 21631 (code Buyan-M) developed by JSC Zelenodolsk Design Bureau (construction of the latter is limited 12 units). It is known that the Russian Navy is planning to have at least 18 IRAs of project 22800. The construction of the first seven IRAs of project 22800 is carried out by the Pella plant under the contract received in accordance with a government order Russian Federation about the status received by this company sole supplier for this project.

The laying ceremony for the Russian Navy of the first two small missile ships of Project 22800 "Hurricane"(serial number 251) and "Typhoon"(serial number 252) at the Pella plant on December 24, 2015. Launching MRK "Hurricane" was on July 29, 2017. The contractual deadline for the delivery of the Hurricane was 2017, but, as it is now obvious, the ship will enter the Russian Navy only by the end of 2018. RTOs "Typhoon" was launched on November 24, 2017, and, possibly, will be commissioned by the end of 2018. According to available information, the first two RTOs will become part of the Baltic Fleet.

Third RTO "Squall"(serial number 253) was at the Pella plant on July 29, 2016 and launched on May 5, 2018. December 24, 2016 at the Pella plant was the fourth MRK of this project "Storm"(serial number 257).

Since the Pella plant is the main investor of the FSUE More Shipbuilding Plant in Feodosia (Crimea), and in November 2016 received the latter's capacities for lease until December 31, 2020, respectively, out of seven RTOs of project 22800 ordered " Pelle ", three ships should be built at NW" More "in close cooperation with" Pella ", which led to the transfer of the construction of three units to Feodosia. of this project"Storm"(serial number 254) was in Feodosia on May 10, 2016, the second "Okhotsk"(serial number 255) - in Feodosia on March 17, 2017, and the third "Vortex"(serial number 256) - was on December 19, 2017. RTOs under construction in Feodosia received building numbers from 254 to 256 "in the row" of building numbers for this project on Pella.

On August 5, 2016, a contract of the Russian Ministry of Defense for the construction of five more small missile ships of project 22800 for the Russian Navy at JSC Zelenodolsk Plant named after A.M. Gorky (Zelenodolsk). At the same time, the Zelenodolsk plant from the end of 2014 actually received under the temporary management of the Zaliv Shipyard LLC in Kerch (Crimea). "Cyclone"(serial number 801), was quietly laid down at the Zaliv shipyard in Kerch in the summer of 2016. Currently, the Zaliv plant is already building the next two RTOs of project 22800 with serial numbers 802 (was also laid down in 2016) and 803.

May 5, 2018 at the launching ceremony of the MRK "Squall" Deputy Minister of Defense of Russia Yuri Borisov said that in 2019 the Ministry of Defense plans to conclude a contract for six small missile ships of Project 22800 for the Pacific Fleet. Four of them will be built at Amur Shipyard JSC (Komsomolsk-on-Amur) and two at Vostochnaya Verf JSC (Vladivostok).

The lead small rocket ship "Uragan" (serial number 251) of project 22800 (code "Karakurt"), built at the JSC "Leningrad Shipyard" Pella ", is being brought along the Neva for factory sea trials, which will take place on Lake Ladoga. (c) Curious / forums.airbase.ru

The firepower of the cruiser, the stealth of the submarine, the speed of the destroyer and the dimensions of the corvette - this is how the Western media describe the Russian corvettes of the Karakurt series.

Guard! The Russians are creating strike ships that will soon completely oust the NATO fleet from the Baltic and Black Seas, and in the future may challenge the power of the United States and NATO in all seas.

It is clear that now it is fashionable in the Western media to throw tantrums for any reason. The "Russian threat" is especially popular. However, in the case of the corvettes of the "Karakurt" series, NATO has reason to worry. We are not talking about the Russian threat - it is rather a competent asymmetric response to the actions and plans of NATO off the Russian coast.

Small missile ships of project 22800 (code "Karakurt")

Corvettes "Karakurt" are small multipurpose missile and artillery ships (or small corvettes) for conducting hostilities in the near sea zone and on large rivers (conventionally - class "river - sea").

"Karakurt" is a creative continuation of the series of well-proven small missile ships of the project 21631 "Buyan-M".

The Russian fleet has already received two such ships, and by 2020 the Russian fleets will receive eighteen more such small corvettes - each of the fleets will receive their own squadron of "Black Widows" (as these ships are classified in NATO).

What excited NATO experts so much? The whole world saw how "Buyan-M" series small missile ships "work" - designed to protect the near sea zone "Buyan", suddenly, they struck terrorists in Syria from the Caspian Sea. Than they cheered up not only the Syrian terrorists, but also their curators. NATO was forced to admit that the Russian "Buyans" pose a real threat not only to the bandits in Syria, but also to the well-protected large ships of the Western coalition.

It must be said that the combat operation of the Buyan series ships also revealed some, one might say, shortcomings:

• the ships have a weak short-range air defense system, which implies safe work exclusively in the area of ​​operation of the coastal "anti-aircraft umbrella" system;
• in the open ocean "Buyans" feel "out of their own sea", as they are intended for sailing in the calmer Caspian Sea and large rivers;
• small sailing autonomy (up to 10 days), which is clearly not enough for long trips.

For this reason, the "Karakurt" appeared as the next stage in the development of a series of small attack ships. With a smaller displacement (up to 800 tons), these corvettes can sail for 15 days. And they can walk not only on relatively calm inland seas, since they have decent seaworthiness.

Small dimensions (65 meters long and 10 meters wide), the use of stealth technology makes Karakurt extremely difficult targets even for modern high-precision anti-ship missiles of NATO ships.

The ships of this series are protected from attacks from the air by the Pantsir-M complexes (this is a naval version of the complex with more powerful artillery weapons), which can strike both aircraft and anti-ship missiles at a distance of up to 20 km.

The "strike capabilities" of the Karakurt are impressive - these are eight universal launchers ZS14, which allow striking both the P-800 "Onyx" anti-ship missiles and the universal "Caliber-NK" missiles. With such equipment, the "Karakurt" is dangerous both for the largest ships (including aircraft carriers) and for ground targets at a distance of up to 2,500 km.

Any missile ship that fired a missile instantly becomes "visible" for enemy tracking and surveillance, and the most effective defense against retaliation is to leave the attack area. "Karakurt" can reach speeds of up to 30 knots (55.56 km / h), which allows you to quickly leave the missile launch area.

For "close" combat, the ship's arsenal has a 76.2 mm artillery system (it is planned to install 100 mm cannons).

In accordance with open (unclassified) information, the Sigma-E combat information and control systems (BIUS) and the Trassa-E automated multifunctional information exchange complexes (AMCOI) were installed on the Karakurt.

There will be several stations (including Mineral-M) to monitor the world around the ship, to find surface and air targets.

The performance characteristics of the ships of this series also predetermines the methods of conducting combat operations by the Karakurt. In the West, this tactic is called "Hit and run away." Ships (a single ship or a group of ships) can covertly get close (small size and stealth technology) to the target, launch missiles at the target and quickly hide from the point of attack.

And hitting small corvettes "Karakurt" can be very painful - the three "Karakurt" in their strike capabilities are not inferior to a number of large American ships. For example, an American cruiser of the Ticonderoga class with a displacement of 9,800 tons carries 26 Tomahawks on board, which can hit targets at ranges of up to 2,500 km (depending on the missile modification).

Three "Karakurt" can fire a high-precision salvo of 24 Kalibr-NK missiles (warhead weight 400 kg) at a quite comparable range.

One American cruiser is worth a billion dollars. For that kind of money, you can build about 30 RTOs of project 22800 "Karakurt". And such a "company" can smash to smithereens not only one American cruiser, but also a large aircraft carrier group.

No wonder new Russian ships dubbed the "Black Widow" in NATO. American experts are quite serious about current trend the Russian Navy on the miniaturization of the fleet (big effect with small means). In 2015, The National Interest wrote:

A corvette with eight Kalibr-NK missiles on board carries out a more massive strike than the now-decommissioned Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate, and certainly has more firepower than any American coastal warship.

And now Forbes:

Possibilities Russian fleet allow to seriously restrict the freedom of action of the United States and NATO and require the American defense industry an impressive increase in costs. Even small Russian patrol ships can deal a stronger blow than ships of others naval forces, through the use of new cruise missiles "Caliber" and precision-guided ammunition.

What can I add to the words of American experts?

Seven feet under the keel, you Karakurt corvettes! So that other people's warships could not even think about approaching our shores.

For obvious reasons, there is no photo of this ship in the public domain. But I found photographs of the layout, which was presented at one of the exhibitions of our military-industrial complex, which, in general, give an idea of ​​the corvettes of the "Karakurt" series.

Photo of the corvette series "Karakurt"