May 16th, 2013

The newest “stealth” corvette of Project 20380 “Boikiy” was transferred to the Baltic Fleet; on Thursday on the ship at the pier shipyard The Northern Shipyard in St. Petersburg solemnly raised the Russian naval flag, a representative of the information department of the press service of the Western Military District for the Baltic Fleet told RIA Novosti.

“After the signing of the act of acceptance of the corvette from industry and the solemn flag-raising ceremony, the ship, by order of the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy, was enlisted in the Navy and included in the combat strength of the Baltic Fleet,” the agency’s interlocutor explained.

Corvette "Boikiy" is the second serial corvette of Project 20380, built for the Baltic Fleet. The lead ship of the series is the corvette Steregushchy, transferred to the Baltic Fleet in February 2008. The first corvette of the project series, Soobrazitelny, was handed over to the fleet in October 2011.

The ships of this project are armed with 100-mm universal artillery systems, anti-aircraft missile and artillery systems, supersonic missiles and automatic artillery installations. The ship's air group includes one Ka-27PL helicopter.

In terms of their tactical, technical characteristics and combat properties, Project 20380 corvettes are an order of magnitude superior to similar ships of their class. Their main features are multifunctionality, flexibility, compactness, stealth, high level of automation and system integration.

And now a little more about the ships of this project:

The tradition of calling patrol ships by adjectives is sometimes extremely apt. Steregushchiy, the first-born of Project 20380, is simply a class symbol, a patrol ship. “Boikiy”, which kindly accepted us on board, is already a serious bid for success, because it is the third in the series. After a dozen or two, the turn of the name “Reasonable” will come - after all, if the ship manages to become truly massive, this is absolutely impossible better will demonstrate that the bet on a new class of corvettes for Russia was made correctly.

The class of coastal patrol ships in the USSR is the same “holy place” that has been empty for decades. Why this happened is well explained by the history of the Project 12441 Novik-class ship.

In 1991, Project 12440 was approved, designed using the latest technology: a gas turbine power plant with two propulsion engines and two afterburners engines; hull and superstructures made using composite materials and taking into account the requirements of low radar signature (Stealth technology); the most modern and promising anti-aircraft missile system at that time “Polyment / Redut”, a hangar for the permanent deployment of an anti-submarine helicopter.

In 1994, adjustments to the project caused by the collapse of the USSR were completed: many prospective suppliers suddenly found themselves in foreign countries. The project was modernized many times during construction. Its driving characteristics and combat characteristics were improved quality, but along with them, the ship’s displacement also grew, which significantly exceeded what was originally indicated in the assignment. “Novik” has come close to the ships of the sea zone, capable of long-term patrols and escorting ships during sea crossings, but with excessive characteristics for combat operations off the coast.

As a result, the most technically advanced ship in Russia was reclassified as a training ship and was not completed.
A similar story happened with the Neustrashimy, project 11540, which was developed in the 1970s. Conceived as a small anti-submarine ship with a displacement of 800 tons, in a matter of years it “grew up” to 1500, then to 2000, and in the version with a helicopter it reached 2500 tons and moved to the sea zone. The result is similar: only one Neustrashimy entered service in 1987.

Of course fast, a well-protected and armed Novik could easily cope with any tasks in the coastal zone. Its critical drawback is the price. But to protect maritime borders and timely respond to local territorial conflicts, there must be a lot of patrol ships.

Therefore, towards the end of the 1990s, a competition was announced to develop a lighter and cheaper patrol ship, which was won by the Almaz Central Marine Design Bureau, the same one that designed Novik.

Project 20380 ships of the Steregushchy type promise to become the main force navy Russia in the coastal zone. And despite its lower cost compared to Novik, it is, without a doubt, one of the most innovative and technically advanced vehicles in the domestic fleet.

Notable innovations include redesigned hull lines with hydrodynamic drag reduced by almost a quarter, and a helicopter hangar, the first to be placed on such a small ship. The most important breakthrough can be called the use of a single information system management weapons and all electronic equipment of the vehicle.
Finally, the ship received a new class designation in full accordance with the times and international terminology. Now it is no longer a patrol ship, but a corvette.

Compared to its predecessors, Project 20380 can already be called successful. We were lucky enough to board the Boykoy, the third ship of the project, moored at the Severnaya Verf shipyard in St. Petersburg. It is in the final stages of factory testing. The other two, Steregushchiy and Soobrazitelny, have already been adopted by the Russian Navy. Four more corvettes are laid down on the stocks of the Severnaya Verf and the Amur Shipyard, a total of 20 ships have been ordered, and perhaps this is not the limit.

The main components of the success of Project 20380 are a carefully designed hull design and a single electronic system automation. These components determine the combat qualities, the composition of weapons, and the working conditions of the crew, as well as the reliability, maintainability and possibility of modernizing the vehicle.

The contours of the ship's steel hull were designed from scratch and so successfully that hydrodynamic drag at full speed (27 knots or 50 km/h) was reduced by 25%. This made it possible to use a less powerful and lighter main propulsion unit (GPU), thereby freeing up more than 15% of the displacement to increase the combat load. Hence the array of various weapons, impressive for a 1,500-ton ship, and even a helipad, a hangar and a 20-ton fuel supply for the Ka-27 anti-submarine helicopter.

The corvette's improved seaworthiness allows its weapons to be used in seas up to force five (two points more than its previous counterparts). In addition, a less powerful power plant operates more quietly, helping to reduce the ship's visibility in the hydroacoustic range. To reduce the noise of mechanisms engines technologies previously tested on submarines were used.

The power plant consists of two diesel-diesel units DDA12000, specially developed by OJSC Kolomensky Plant based on the proven D49 diesel engine with microprocessor control. Each unit consists of two 16-cylinder V-shaped diesel engines and a summing gearbox and drives propeller screw fixed step. The total power of the two-shaft power plant reaches 24,000 hp. Four diesel generators of 630 kW each provide power to the on-board network.

It is not for nothing that the Steregushchy is called invisible, although adherence to the principles of Stealth technology is an indispensable attribute of modern ships of this class. The ship's superstructure, width from side to side, is made of low-flammability radio-absorbing glass and carbon fiber plastics. Antenna posts and missile weapons are stored in the hull whenever possible. Four-pipe 330-mm torpedo tubes of the Package-NK anti-torpedo protection complex are hidden in the ports. In general, the ship's average circular effective scattering surface has been reduced by three times compared to previous analogues, due to which the probability of targeting anti-ship cruise missiles at it has been reduced from 0.5 to 0.1.

A unified combat information and control system is, perhaps, the most important thing innovation project 20380, which in one way or another affects the tactical characteristics of the ship, the life of the crew, and the reliability of all technical means, and even on the speed of weapons modernization.

“If previously systems were scattered throughout the ship and all the work of coordinating them fell on the crew members, now the ball is ruled by an integrated bridge system, which contains a description of the current state of all ship systems, from mechanics to the use of weapons,” says the deputy chief builder of the Severnaya Verf plant Yuri Alexandrov.

In addition to the ship's controls, the integrated bridge system includes two components: a missile and anti-submarine weapons control section and a radar warfare and air, surface and underwater situation lighting section. The first section consists of three posts located side by side directly on the captain's bridge. Combat unit commanders (CU) work here. The first is responsible for anti-submarine warfare, the second is responsible for the anti-ship complex. Externally, their posts look the same: they are large screens on which information about targets and the state of combat systems is displayed. The same screens are available to the corvette commander, who can at any time request any information about the ship, and to the watch officer, who also has access to a variety of data - from diesel operating parameters to provisions.

The tasks of the third warhead commander include coordinating all weapons systems and issuing recommendations to the ship commander on the use of weapons. It is important that the ship’s commander, the helmsman, the watch officer, and warhead commanders work in the same room and can quickly make coordinated decisions and carry them out.

The corvette has a system capable of coordinating the weapons and detection systems of multiple ships operating in a division. ABOUT technical plant employees prefer not to talk about aspects of its work, noting, however, that with each new ship the system becomes more powerful.

Its essence is that information on the air, surface and underwater situation, on detected targets and communications is concentrated in a single center and processed. Here the degree of danger of the targets is determined, a decision is made on the type of weapon used, after which the information is instantly sent to the ships, helicopters and aircraft included in the group for coordinated actions.

The use of such a system is especially logical in combination with a helicopter, which, being invulnerable to submarines and using active sonar detection means, has undeniable advantages over ships in terms of illuminating the underwater situation.

For now, the division control system is a very weighty stationary equipment placed on a ship, but in the near future it will become portable: figuratively speaking, all tactical information will be concentrated in the admiral’s suitcase.

The section for radar warfare and illumination of air, surface and underwater conditions is located in the chart room, adjacent to the bridge.

The target acquisition facilities are controlled by several officers. There is also a map server on which the navigator uploads maps of sea areas in accordance with the voyage plan. Thanks to unified system management these maps become available at all positions where it is needed, from the bridge to the helicopter hangar.

Maximum automation of all ship systems made it possible to significantly reduce the time required for decision-making, as well as to facilitate the work of the crew and reduce its number to 100 people.

The ship's commander occupies the left side of the bridge. For the most part, it consists of screens on which the commander can display almost any information about the state of the ship’s systems and weapons, targets, situation, and navigation. 2. The helmsman's station consists of a navigation screen, a steering wheel and a power plant control panel (full speed, low speed, etc.). The ship can independently maintain a given course, but even on autopilot, a sailor is always on duty at the helm. On the right hand of the helmsman you can see the handle of an autonomous communication device, which will make it possible to transmit a message to any post in the event of a power outage. 3. The post of the watch officer allows you to simultaneously monitor the operation of all ship systems, from the state of the power plant to the supply of provisions. The watch officer has an advanced communications system at his disposal and can quickly contact any post on the ship.

The presence of integrated information networks on a ship entails a number of additional advantages related to reliability, maintainability and speed of equipment modernization. According to Yuri Alexandrov, more than a thousand industrial and research enterprises scattered literally throughout Russia are involved in the construction of the corvette. When the next component arrives at the factory, the moment of truth comes: it must demonstrate perfect compatibility with all ship systems.

Compatibility problems are not uncommon in shipbuilding. Fortunately, thanks to modern electronic technology, many components are smaller and lighter than before. It became possible to return them to the manufacturer for modification or invite specialists to the plant with the necessary spare parts.

A unified ship network, on the one hand, means a certain unification of communication protocols of various devices. Components are initially created specifically for them, so the likelihood of “rejection” becomes less. On the other hand, supplier companies can test their components in advance using computer simulators.

For example, if testing radar station, the computer can play the role of both the rest of the ship and its weapons, and the target that needs to be detected.

Finally, modular the ship's concept provides for the possibility of installing the latest weapons as they enter service. For example, if on the title ship of Project 20380 “Steregushchy” the anti-aircraft missile system “Kortik-M” was responsible for air defense, then on “Boikoy”, which was born third, its place was taken by the more modern and incomparably more powerful air defense system “Redut” .

Three blocks of four cells (12 cells in total) can carry from 12 9M96E2 missiles with a launch range of 135 km and a strike height of up to 35 km to 48 9M100 self-defense missiles with a range of up to 12 km in various combinations. The Redoubt will be defended against an air attack by the Igla man-portable anti-aircraft missile systems (launched from the shoulder) and two aft six-barreled 30-mm AK-630M artillery mounts.

As befits a new project, the ship met a lot of criticism along the way. Perhaps the attacks on the insufficiently long cruising range are caused by the absence of the previous class of corvettes in service with the Russian Navy. Skeptics should admit that the tasks facing the fleet have changed, and today having several dozen corvettes is more relevant than several ocean-going destroyers.

Discussions arose regarding the composition of the ship's armament, its security and survivability, but these quality It is also difficult to consider in isolation from the tactical schemes characteristic of the corvette class.
Over several years of service on the Steregushchy, problems occurred twice in the main power plant, which served as a reason to compare the diesel-diesel unit with gas turbine engines, which are more reliable and lighter, but incomparably more expensive.

At the time of publication of this material, Boykiy could have already been in service, if not for problems with the 100-mm Universal artillery mount, which refused to work normally not only on Project 20380, but also on Indian frigates Russian production Talwar, Trishul and Tabar.

However, the main advantage of Steregushchiy-class ships is flexibility. Diesels can be modified, the gun mount can be replaced, but the ships will not remain on the slipway and will not become unfinished. “Not a single ship repeats the previous one,” confirms Yuri Alexandrov. ““Smart” differed in many ways from “Guardian,” and “Boikiy” also looks a little different.” It is flexibility, accessibility, serialization and, in the future, mass production that indicate that Project 20380 is big success Russian fleet.

FRIGATES, CORVETTES AND SLOOPS

By the beginning of the 18th century, in all coastal European countries, shipbuilding became “the business of the sovereign.” In England, France, and Spain, royal foresters marked oak trees, which in fifty years were destined to turn into keels, stems and frames of ships. Anyone who dares to bring an ax to the “sovereign trees” will face the death penalty. An all-powerful tradition demands that every ship launched from the stocks, be it an ordinary “merchant” or a multi-gun ship, is a work of art, a masterpiece, decorated with the coinage and coat of arms of His Majesty. Even ordinary cargo ships try to dress up like a commoner who has become rich. for the sea increasingly rewards the risk of those who dare to measure their strength with it.

By this time, innovations had also appeared in shipbuilding technology. More advanced hull contours made it possible to more advantageously distribute cargo in the holds and on the decks. In search of protection from the navalis-teredo woodborer, the underwater parts of ship hulls began to be sheathed with copper sheets.

The basis of the military fleets of European countries is still made up of battleships - three- and two-deck.

The first serious work on naval combat tactics appeared in 1696. Its author is Pavel Gost, a Jesuit, chaplain on the squadron of the French admiral de Tourville, and then a professor of mathematics at the Royal Seminary in Toulon. The work of Pavel Gost was translated into Russian for the first time by order of Peter I, but it seemed to him “very gloomy and inaccurate” in content and terms. Therefore, the book was ordered to be translated again. However, a new complete translation appeared only in 1764. Admiral Ivan Golenishchev-Kutuzov provided this work with a very long title: “The Art of War Fleets, or Essays on Marine Evolutions, Containing Useful Rules for Flagships, Captains and Officers, with Examples Taken from the Most Notable Incidents at Sea for Fifty Years.”

All naval commanders of that time followed the dead canon of the Jesuit Gost and considered above all else the preservation of the formation of ships, regardless of the situation. The initiative of many talented admirals was completely suppressed by the strictest instructions. The British suffered the greatest damage from this. In 1744, they lost the Battle of Toulon, after which they blamed Admiral Matthews for trying to take advantage of a favorable moment and breaking the formation. In 1756, the English admiral Byng fought the French at the island. Minorca, trying to avoid the fate of Matthews, acted in accordance with the spirit and letter of the charter, did not break the formation and... also lost the battle. In 1790, the work of John Clerk was published, which made a complete revolution in the tactical methods of naval combat. There were indicated methods of attack in which the attacked cannot evade the battle, it was prescribed, if there is a need, to break the formation, since the latter in itself has no meaning. John Clerk's book "Movement of Fleets" was translated into Russian in 1803 by Captain Yu. Lisyansky

The first was lucky enough to take advantage of the Clerk's advice to the English admiral Lord Rodney. In 1772, he defeated the French at the Battle of Dominica. Since then, the maneuver of cutting through the enemy line and attacking part of his fleet with two fires has become the favorite maneuver of all famous admirals. Nelson used it twice at Aboukir in 1798 and at Trafalgar in 1805. The Russian naval commander Ushakov, even earlier than Nelson, used this maneuver in the battle of Kaliakria in 1791, completely defeating a strong Turkish squadron.

In the middle of the 18th century, a new scientific and applied discipline appeared - the theory of the ship. In 1746, a work on the theory of shipbuilding by the French scientist Bouguer was published, three years later - an extensive study by a member of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences, Leonhard Euler, “Marine Science”, where the doctrine of buoyancy and stability was developed, the concept of a metacenter and its position relative to the center of gravity was introduced, conditions of water resistance, issues of propulsion and maneuverability of a ship under sail.

Theoretical research has borne fruit. A universal type of warship appears - the frigate (Fig. 44) - a three-masted ship with square sails.

Rice. 44 Typical French frigate "La Flore": length - 51 m, width - 11 m, draft - 5.5 m

The term "frigate" comes from the word "fragta" - which means "open". In the Middle Ages, the Italians understood this word as small, undecked, rowing and sailing vessels that were very easy to sail. As a type of battery-deck warship, the frigate first appeared in England when shipbuilder Peter Pett launched the 32-gun Constant Warwick at Chatham in 1646. Its main dimensions were as follows: length - 28 m; width – 9 m; Hold depth is 4 m.

Like battleships, frigates were divided into ranks: 24-gun, 36-gun and 44-gun. By the beginning of the 19th century, the number of guns on frigates reached 60.

The next class of warship after the frigate was called a corvette (Fig. 45). As you can see, the corvette had neither a raised aft superstructure - a quarterdeck, nor a bow deck - a forecastle. On the open upper deck the ship carried 18–22 cannons or coronades. Often, in addition to sails, corvettes were equipped with two dozen large oars.

Rice. 45 "Hall" - English corvette: length - 30, width - 9, draft - 5 m

Sloops of war are siblings of corvettes. Before late XIX centuries, sloops were the name given to all warships smaller in size than corvettes. It is to them - frigates, corvettes and sloops - that humanity owes great geographical discoveries. During his circumnavigation of the world on the frigate Beagle, Darwin wrote his brilliant work, On the Origin of Species. Cook commanded the frigates Endeavor and Resolution. La Perouse's "Boussol" and "Astrolabe" were also frigates. The sixth continent of our planet was discovered by the Russian sloops of war “Vostok” and “Mirny”. The unforgettable Admiral S. O. Makarov conducted his oceanographic research on the sail-screw corvette Vityaz.

CORVETTE (French corvette, from Latin corbita - ship),

1) a ship of the sailing fleet of the 17th-19th centuries, intended for reconnaissance, messenger service, and sometimes for cruising operations. Corvettes became famous mainly due to geographical discoveries (expeditions of J. Cook, J. F. La Perouse, J. Dumont-D'Urville, I. F. Krusenstern, etc.). Initially, a corvette was a single-masted boat with a displacement of 150-200 tons; in the 1st half of the 18th century - a two-masted, and then a three-masted ship with square sails, a displacement of 400-600 tons. It had a lightweight design with one deck for guns (up to 30 pieces); in size and armament it occupied an intermediate position between a frigate and a brig. In Russia, sailing corvettes appeared in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. In total, 31 ships of this class were built at domestic shipyards.

2) A medium-displacement warship during the transition from sailing to steam fleet. In the mid-19th century, wheeled and then screw-driven corvettes appeared with steam engine, with a displacement of 800-3500 tons, with a speed of up to 14 knots (26 km/h), with open (20-32 guns) or closed (14-24 guns) batteries. The construction of Russian screw corvettes with wooden hulls began in 1855. As an auxiliary propulsion, they carried a lightweight mast with a straight sail. Since the 1860s, the construction of corvettes with iron hulls began. Ships with armor protection belonged to the class of armored corvettes. A total of 32 screw and armored corvettes were built (1 of them in France), 1 wheeled steamship corvette was purchased in the United States. With the introduction of a new classification in 1892, the class of corvettes was abolished, and all ships remaining in service were assigned to the subclass of 1st rank cruisers. IN Russian fleet steam corvettes were also used as research vessels (expeditions of E.V. Putyatin, N.N. Miklukho-Maklay, S.O. Makarov, etc.).

3) A specially built escort ship that appeared in the US and British Navy during the 2nd World War. Displacement 500-1600 tons, speed 16-20 knots (30-37 km/h). Armament: artillery mounts of 76-102 mm caliber and anti-aircraft guns of 20-40 mm caliber, bomb throwers and depth charges, equipped with radar and hydroacoustic means of air and underwater surveillance.

4) A modern multi-purpose close-sea combat ship of medium displacement (up to 2 thousand tons), equipped with automatic artillery installations, strike missile systems, close-in and short-range anti-aircraft and anti-boat defense systems. It is in service with the navies of most states. In the Russian Federation, serial construction of a new generation of corvettes of Project 20 380 is underway, designed to combat surface ships, submarines, patrol, artillery support for amphibious landings and other tasks. The lead ship Steregushchy was handed over to the Russian Navy in February 2008.

Lit.: History of domestic shipbuilding. M., 1994-1996. T. 1-2; Chernyshev A. A. Russian sailing fleet: Directory. M., 2002.T. 2; Berezhnoy S.S. Cruisers and destroyers: Directory. M., 2002.

The ship under the loud name “Rattling” is a Project 20385 corvette, which was preparing to be laid down in February 2012. In parallel, the development of an analogue of the “Agile” was carried out. The process began at the location in St. Petersburg. The ceremony was attended by high ranks of the Russian armed forces. This project is directly focused on the construction of military vessels, the arsenal of which includes the most modern offensive and defensive weapons.

Development and construction

The project 20385 corvette is an improved version of a similar design under the designation 20380, with the introduction of fundamentally new technological and design solutions. in St. Petersburg signed a contract to create four ships of this category, two of which are already ready. In parallel, work is being carried out in Komsomolsk-on-Amur. The new ships must become as reliable as possible in terms of attack, including the use of the latest air defense systems.

The corvette of Project 20385 (“Thundering”) was developed by the Almaz design bureau. The predicted home port of the ships after completion is the Northern Fleet. The project under consideration is significantly more advanced than its predecessor. This is especially true for tactical and technical parameters, weapons, combat and maneuvering capabilities. In theory, manufacturers plan to build ten similar corvettes for the Russian Navy. This will make it possible to significantly increase defense capability in terms of protecting the maritime border. It is worth noting that in the production of ships they use composite materials, and the cost of their production and delivery was at least half a million rubles.

Features and usage

20385 is a project of a new generation corvette intended for multi-purpose use. Its main task is to detect and destroy enemy surface ships or submarines. The combat vessel also serves for landing troops, protecting the coastal zone, and escorting other ships.

In addition to artillery and missile weapons, there are radar and sonar systems on board. The installation of a hangar for the Ka-27 helicopter expands the capabilities of the warship. This significantly increases the combat effectiveness of the vessel, allowing timely detection of enemy targets. Additional protection against detection of the Project 20385 corvette is the use of special technologies in the design that minimize their radar detection. Reliability and maneuverability in any conditions are guaranteed by composite components from FSUE Prometey, which have proven their importance in previous similar developments.

Technical indicators

Below are the characteristics of the Project 20385 corvette:

• Length/width of the ship - 104/13 m.
• The displacement is 2200 tons.
• Speed ​​threshold - 27 knots.
• The vessel's autonomy indicator is 15 days.
• The distance covered is 5600 km.
• Power units - diesel engines 1DDA-12000.
• The number of crew members is 99 people.

The artillery weapons on board are represented by the A-190-01 installation (100 mm caliber). There is a universal missile system "Caliber", machine guns, anti-aircraft guns of the "Redut" type, acoustic and radar bases, anti-submarine weapons "Package" and reinforcement in the form of a Ka-27 helicopter.

Hull and superstructure

Corvette "Thundering" - the lead one in newest project 20385. Its hull is predominantly made of steel and has a smooth deck. Innovative design solutions have improved resistance to oncoming water by 25 percent and reduced loads on the main electrical installation.

The new design of the underwater part of the hull allows the use of a power plant with less weight, and this frees up the displacement parameter by about 20 percent. In this regard, the ship’s combat equipment can be significantly strengthened. An additional advantage is the increase in speed by two knots.

The superstructure of the swimming combat vehicle is made of non-flammable composite components. They include fiberglass and carbon fiber-based polymers. This system makes it possible to achieve a small detection radius by location stations and systems. The stern is equipped with a special hangar and platform for the placement and take-off of the Ka-27 helicopter. Its fuel reserve is about 20 tons. Project 20380 and Project 20385 corvettes are strikingly different in equipment and armament in favor of the latter option.

Power plant

Previously, the main power unit was supposed to be German MTU type engines. Subsequently, following countermeasures for import substitution, it was decided to use domestically produced engines. The order was sent to specialists from JSC Zvezda and the Kolomna plant. As a result, the Project 20385 corvette was equipped with a pair of DDA-1200 diesel units.

Each unit includes two motors and a reversible gearbox. They have an automatic control system and microprocessors. The characteristics of the power plants are given below:

• Working life - at least 15 thousand engine hours.
• The average cruising range, taking into account a speed of 14 knots, is 4,000 nautical miles.
• The material of the piston base is heat-resistant steel type EI-415.
• The basis of the power units is AK-6 aluminum alloy.
• The power rating of each generator is 630 kW.
• Current requirement - 50 Hz (380 watts).

These installations make it possible to provide a high percentage of power with a minimum of fuel and oil consumption, while reducing the hydroacoustic signature of the ship.

Ship radio equipment

The project 20385 corvette "Gremyashchiy" has the following radio equipment:

• System "Sigma" (BIUS).
• Automatic communication unit "Ruberoid".
• Targeting complex "Monument".
• General detection station "Furke-2".
• OGAS node "Anapa-M".

These devices make it possible to reduce the probability of detecting a vessel by three times and operate in a mode from 64 to 2000 MHz. They are able to identify over two hundred intended targets, and also resist enemy missile systems, providing protection for the ship. This is facilitated by four launchers for neutralizing interference of the “Bold” type. Coordination actions to control the helicopter are carried out using a special navigation tower OSP-20380.

Armament

The vessels in question are equipped with several types of weapons. Among them:

1. A pair of combat anti-ship installations with four launch systems and 8 missiles. The launch containers are located in the middle part of the body (longitudinally along the diameter of the platform). The maximum target engagement range is 260 km.
2. Anti-aircraft weapons, which consists of the Redut system with three modular installations, mobile complex“Igla”, thirty-millimeter cannons with six barrels (mounted on the stern).
3. Complex "Rubezh".
4. A pair of 330 mm caliber guns against torpedoes (Packet-N system).
5. 100-mm artillery mount A-190. Its rate of fire is about 80 launches per minute. The Puma control system allows you to control aiming and shooting itself.
6. Anti-submarine helicopter Ka-27.

The Project 20385 corvette, the photo of which is shown below, can launch projectiles aimed at hitting not only enemy submarines and surface vessels, but also oncoming torpedoes.

Seaworthiness parameters

The ship in question has increased seaworthiness compared to its analogues and predecessors. In this case, the load on vibrations during lateral motion does not matter. This opportunity gives the right to freely use all ammunition even in sea conditions of up to 5 points.

Constructors Special attention paid attention to the survivability of the ship. The developers used Newest technologies and composite materials. This made it possible to significantly reduce the radar signature of the ship. The Gremyashchiy corvette of Russian corvette project 20385 is the first of its kind to be equipped with polymer materials with high absorption of radio pulses and non-standard architectural design.

As a result, the detection and circular dispersion factor decreased by almost three times (compared to analogues). Additional protection is provided by complexes aimed at blocking enemy attack weapons.

What modifications were developed?

By to the initial plan it was planned to develop and build four main corvettes of Project 20385. “Gremyashchiy,” the photo of which is presented above, became the flagship and a single vessel, the construction of which continued in this direction. In addition, the following modifications were designed:

1. Border patrol corvette (20380P).
2. Export version equipped with minimal weapons. It was supposed to have the option of changing ammunition to foreign analogues.
3. "Prompt". It was purposefully prepared for the Black Sea Fleet and had improved equipment and weapons.
4. An upgraded version with the ability to mount the Horizon combat mount.

The names of the ships are no less sonorous: “Zealous” and “Strict”.

Project 20385 corvette “Agile”

This vessel is assigned serial number 1006. It is the second hull of the project under consideration. The laying of the series also took place at the Northern Shipyard of the shipbuilding plant in St. Petersburg.

The event was attended by Admiral Vysotsky, fleet commanders of all levels, as well as other high-ranking officials and honored guests. Development of this project started in the spring of 2013. The Provorny differs from previous models in its large displacement (2200 tons) and dimensions. The length of the ship is 105 meters, and the beam and draft are 13 and 8 meters, respectively. The equipment in the weapons is also an order of magnitude different from its predecessors, thanks to the possibility of installing the Caliber-NK systems, Redut and Package complexes. It is planned to be based on the deck of a Ka-27PL helicopter.

Peculiarities

A very important difference between the ship in question is the presence of an optocoupler-type mast, which serves to control radar devices and increases the ability to detect enemy targets, and also helps to strengthen the combat caravan, guaranteeing the escort and identification of ships and aircraft. A significant role in this is played by the radar and control unit of the Puma type.

Judging by the commentary of the leading engineer of the Almaz central design bureau, K. Golubev, development in terms of new naval ship construction is also being carried out according to an improved program under the index 20386. The project is focused on the maximum provision of domestic weapons, although the details of the construction still remain secret.

As stated by Deputy Minister of Defense of Russia Yu. Borisov, by 2020 it is planned to produce at least 16 corvettes of the class in question. Basic production capacity concentrated at the shipyard in St. Petersburg and the Amur Shipbuilding Plant.

Experts think that the main problem in building such ships is compatibility. the latest weapons V large quantities and the cost of the final option. Designers continue to work to bring this figure to the optimal level.

Bottom line

The Project 20385 corvette, the characteristics of which are given above, has the most modern weapons and a multifunctional focus. As part of this event, the construction of only one of the representatives (“Thundering”) continues. The remaining vessels are being developed according to an updated design. This is due to the rise in cost of the ship, which is not always justified by the presence of heavy weapons different types. The developers, despite the delay in changing foreign power plants to domestic analogues, declare that all planned work is being carried out according to the planned schedule.

Traditionally, the names of patrol ships are selected in the form of adjective parts of speech, which sometimes leads to very apt names. For example, “Guardian” was the first creation in Project 20380, the initial symbol in the class of patrol ships. “Boikiy” is already a more thorough and successful work of shipbuilders, which became the serial third on the list. Decades later, the time for the famous “Reasonable” is coming - because if the ship becomes truly mass-produced, this will be the best demonstration that the choice of direction for new classes of corvettes for the country was made correctly.

Patrol ships as a class in coastal areas since the times Soviet Union, is exactly the same well-known, empty place for decades. Why this happened can be found out by reading the history of Novik, a Project 12441 ship.

So, in the early 1990s, project 12440 was approved, which was designed using the latest technologies of that time with:

• Gas turbine power plant, having two main and two afterburning engines;
• The hull and superstructure were made with the addition of composite materials, which gave low radar signature, meeting stealth technologies;
• The most modern and promising at that time anti-aircraft missile system“Polyment / Redoubt,” a hangar in which an anti-submarine helicopter was permanently based.

Later, three years later, adjustments to the project caused by the collapse of the Union were completed. Because of this, many prospective suppliers suddenly became foreign. The project had to be modernized several times during construction. We worked to improve the ship's running and combat parameters. At the same time, they worked on its displacement, and it significantly exceeded the initial characteristics of the task. “Novik” managed to come close to the classes of ships that are capable of long-term patrols and escorting ships, while still having excessive parameters for service in coastal waters.

As a result, the most technically advanced Russian ship was dealt with as often happens: it was reclassified as a training ship, but was never completed. Something similar happened with another project 11540. It was Neustrashimy, which was developed in the 1970s. It was conceived as a small anti-submarine ship with a displacement of eight hundred tons, but over several years it increased to one and a half thousand, then to two thousand, and with a helicopter it reached two and a half tons, finding itself in the sea zone. As a result, Neustrashimy was launched only twenty years later.

Of course, it is not difficult for the fast, well-protected and armed Novik to cope with all sorts of tasks in coastal waters. Its critical drawback was the cost. Although, when protecting maritime borders, as well as in order to respond in a timely manner to any local territorial conflict, it is necessary to take a closer look at patrol ships, there should be an optimal number of them.

As a result, at the very end of the nineties, a competition was announced to develop lighter and cheaper patrol ships. It was won by the Almaz Central Marine Design Bureau, which designed the Novik.

Project 20380 ships of the “Steregushchy” type, and later “Boikiy” and “Stoikiy”, promised to be the backbone of the Russian Navy in coastal waters. Moreover, despite the great cheapness in relation to the Novik, it, without a doubt, has become the most innovative and technically advanced project in the domestic fleet.

Among the innovations, one can note the appearance of redesigned hull contours, and with them a decrease in hydrodynamic resistance, a helicopter hangar, for the first time placed on such a small ship. The most important breakthrough was achieved in the use of a unified information complex for the control of weapons and electrical equipment. At the same time, the ships received new class designations corresponding to the time and international terminology. These were no longer patrol boats, but corvettes.

Inconspicuous, streamlined - “invisible”

Compared to previous ones, Project 20380 is now called successful. Some journalists were even lucky to climb aboard the Boykiy, which stood at the factory berth of the Severnaya Verf shipyard when the final stage of factory testing was underway. Others, Steregushchiy and Soobrazitelny, are already in service with the Russian Navy. Several more corvettes, including the Stoiky, were laid down by the Severnaya Verf and the Amur Shipyard.

The main components of the success of Project 20380 were the carefully designed structures in the housing, as well as a unified electronic automation complex. This was mainly expressed in combat qualities, the composition of weapons, and comfort for the crew, as well as reliability, maintainability and the ability to modernize the vehicles.

They worked on the contours in the steel hull of the ship without having any experience in their development. However, everything went so well that they managed to reduce the hydrodynamic resistance by 25%. Thanks to this, a light main power plant was used, not such a powerful one. This entailed the release of more than 15% of the displacement and increased the combat load, as well as a substantial list of various weapons for a 1,500-ton ship, including a helipad. Moreover, there was a place for the Ka-27 anti-submarine helicopter, space for a hangar and twenty tons of fuel for the helicopter.

Improved seaworthiness of the corvette made it possible to use its weapons in seas of five points, which is two points more than its predecessors. In addition, a weaker power plant could operate more quietly, which reduced the visibility of the ship in hydroacoustic ranges. To reduce engine noise, techniques tested on submarines were used.

The main power plant consists of two diesel-diesel units, which were specially developed at the Kolomensky Plant, using the proven microprocessor-controlled D49 diesel engine as a basis. The power of the main power plant can reach up to 24,000 horsepower. With four diesel generators of 630 kW each, the on-board network is provided from each of them.

“Guardian” is not called “invisible” for nothing. During construction, the principles of stealth technologies were applied, which are an indispensable attribute in modern ships of such classes. The wide ship superstructure was made of low-flammability radio-absorbing glass-carbon fiber. The antenna posts with missile weapons were removed inside the hull. They did the right thing with the Package-NK, four-tube 330-mm torpedo tubes: they hid them in the ports. In total, the average circular effective scattering surface in the ship was reduced threefold when compared with its predecessors. Thanks to this, the probability of targeting and hitting it with anti-ship cruise missiles decreased from 0.5 to 0.1.

Hand in hand

The introduction of a unified combat information and control system can be called the main innovation in Project 20380, which influenced the tactical characteristics of ships, the crew’s accommodation, the reliability of all technical equipment, as well as the rapid modernization of weapons. Previously, the systems were located in different places on the ship, and all coordination was entrusted to the crew. This is now entrusted to the integrated bridge system, which controls all ship systems, from mechanical to weapons.

There are also a couple of components in the integrated bridge system:

• Missile and anti-submarine warfare control section;
• Section for control of radar warfare and illumination of air, surface and underwater conditions.

The first section has three posts located hand in hand right next to the captain's bridge. These are the places of work of warhead commanders. One is engaged in anti-submarine warfare, and the second is in charge of the anti-ship complex. The appearance of their posts is almost the same. It consists of large screens that display information about targets and combat systems. The corvette commander and the watch officer have the same screens.

The third warhead commander coordinates all weapons systems, and also issues recommendations to the ship commander in cases of weapon use. An important aspect is the fact that the ship’s commander, the helmsman, the watch officer, as well as the warhead commanders are within the walls of the same room, and this contributes to the lightning-fast adoption of coordinated decisions and their immediate execution.

Corvettes are equipped with weapons coordination systems and multiple target detection systems. The technical aspects are almost unknown, but it is noted that each new system on the new ship it becomes even stronger.

Its essence is that information about air, surface and underwater conditions, about detected targets and communications, is concentrated as one-stop center, are also processed. The system determines the dangerous level of the target and makes a decision on the type of weapon that needs to be used. Then this information is sent at lightning speed to nearby ships, helicopters and airplanes for the general coordination of further activities.

It would be logical to use such a system in cooperation with helicopters, which are invulnerable to submarines, and the use of active hydroacoustic detection means has undeniable advantages over ships when illuminating underwater conditions. The maximum automation of all ship systems led to a manifold reduction in the time required to make any decision, as well as facilitating the work of the crew and reducing its number to one hundred military personnel.

Corvettes are ready for upgrades

Integrated information networks on ships entail additional benefits associated with reliable, maintainable and high-speed equipment modernization. Industrial and research organizations from all over Russia, and there were thousands of them, were involved in the construction processes of corvettes, but with modern electronic technologies, many components were reduced and made lighter.

Modular ship concepts provide for the possible installation of the latest weapons as they become operational. In particular, if the title ship of Project 20380 “Steregushchy” was equipped with the Kortik-M anti-aircraft missile system, “Boikiy” acquired a more modern and more powerful “Redut”, and “Stoikiy” received even more advanced weapons.

Corvette "Staudy"

Corvette "Stoikiy" is the third production corvette in Project 20380, built for the Baltic Fleet. This is already a fundamentally new ship for the Russian Navy, performance characteristics and whose combat properties are an order of magnitude superior to similar ships in their class.

The most important feature of the Corvette is that it is sharper, more multifunctional, flexible, compact, unobtrusive, with a high level of automated and integrated systems. The project provides significant potential for its further modernization. The project 20380 corvette with a displacement of more than two thousand tons, a length of one hundred meters and a width of thirteen meters reaches a speed of up to twenty-seven knots. The range of sea crossings that the ship can make has been increased to four thousand nautical miles. The ship is no longer as loud as its predecessors were.

The corvette is armed with a hundred-millimeter universal artillery system and an anti-aircraft missile and artillery system. In addition, it is armed with supersonic missiles and automatic artillery mounts. The air group of this ship, however, as in previous corvettes, included one Ka-27PL helicopter. The ship received strict appearance, which meets all modern requirements of Stealth technologies.

Serial, but different in their uniqueness, corvettes

As often happens with all new projects, the ships encountered a lot of criticism along their paths. Basically, the insufficient cruising range was criticized. However, this is still due to the fact that previously the class of corvettes itself was not in service with the Russian Navy. Skeptics should understand that the very list of tasks facing the Navy has changed significantly. Today, having dozens of corvettes at your disposal is much more important than having a small number of ocean-going destroyers.

Discussions often arose over the ship's weapons; security and survivability were raised in doubt. However, it is also difficult to pay attention to these qualities if you do not have at least a general idea of ​​the tactical schemes that characterize the corvette classes themselves. Although the project itself is promising, it is not yet perfect.

In the first few years of service and combat activity on the Steregushchy, problems with the main power plant appeared twice. These emergency situations became the pretext for comparing the “diesel-diesel” with the gas turbine engine, which is more reliable and lighter, but incomparably more expensive.

Also, the corvette “Boiky” was unable to immediately enter service when problems were discovered in the 100-millimeter gun mount. "Universal" refused to function in conditions normal mode, and not only on Project 20380 itself. The same fate befell an Indian frigate from a Russian manufacturer.