Article Posted on : - Feb 03, 2012

An artistic presentation of Gremyashchy class corvette.

MOSCOW (BNS): Russian Severnaya Verf shipyard has laid down the first Gremyashchy class corvette in St. Petersburg on Wednesday, according to a media report.

The company will build at least ten corvettes of the Gremyaschy class for the navy.

According to RIA Novosti, the Gremyaschy class (Project 20385) is an upgraded version of the Steregushchy class (Project 20380) corvette, featuring better electronics, air defences and extended operation range.

In 2008, the first Project 20380 corvette, the Steregushchy, was put into service with Russia's Baltic Fleet and in October 2011 the second corvette Soobrazitelny had also joined the fleet.

Currently the third warship of the same class, the Boyky, is undergoing sea trials, while two more Project 20380 corvettes are under construction, the report said.

A Gremyaschy class corvette has a displacement of 2,200 metric tons, maximum speed of 27 knots, operating range of 4,000 nautical miles and a crew of 100. Advanced stealth technology is used to reduce the ship's secondary radar field, as well as its acoustic, infrared, magnetic and visual signatures, it said.