On March 31, 2010, another Russian warship set sail in St. Petersburg: the corvette Soobrazitelny, the second ship to be produced under Project 20380. The vessel's name follows the old Soviet or Russian tradition of using adjectives to name small warships. "Soobrazitelny" means "smart" in Russian. A Soviet Project 61 destroyer previously held this name and, before it, a legendary World War II destroyer.
Unfortunately, new additions to the Russian Navy are a rare occurrence these days, and the launch of the new corvette has become quite an event. In any case the ship is a noteworthy example of one of the most advanced projects in the world.
Work on the ship's design began in the 1990s, and this difficult period in Russia's modern history left its mark on it. In a bid to reduce construction costs and avoid building several series of specialized warships, the designers made the Project 20380 vessel a universal warship capable of destroying virtually all types of targets: surface ships, submarines, aircraft and even ground-based targets.
The warship’s all-purpose mandate determined its classification: instead of being given the kind of classification common among small Russian warships (e.g. small anti-submarine ship or small missile ship),the new vessel was classed a corvette, which, according to Western standards, is an all-purpose warship.
Although with a gross tonnage of 2,000 tons this ship meets the classification criteria for that class of vessel, it far exceeds it in terms of firepower. Eight anti-ship missiles, a deck-based helicopter, a wide array of sonar and anti-submarine equipment, a 100mm gun, and an impressive complement of close-range air-defense systems all led experts to consider it more of a frigate, the next stage up in naval classification.
There are good grounds for elevating the Soobrazitelny and its successors to that status. Instead of the Kortik air defense gun and missile system these ships will carry an integrated weapons complex with eight loading bays, each of which can hold 1-4 missiles depending on their type.
The new warships are also equipped with the Sigma combat information and control system, which simultaneously tracks and engages targets on land, on water, under water, and in the air. Much like the U.S. Aegis system, this allows a coordinated defense including clear communications, shared target information and real time control over the combat force's firepower.
Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Russian Navy has lagged behind its opponents in terms of next generation warships, and is now making up for lost time. This race to catch up is producing some real breakthroughs. Russia has developed a unified family of combat ships, ranging from corvette to destroyer, all fitted with compatible essential systems and differing only in their firepower.
Currently, Russia is building small numbers of these new ships. The Soobrazitelny is only the second in its project run, with three more still at various stages of construction. Their construction will be stepped up as soon as the benefits and drawbacks of the new projects is better understood. That will make it possible to introduce modifications as needed.
Over the next 10 years, Russia plans to build at least 20 Project 20380 corvette warships. They will perform a wide range of missions: from patrolling Russia's territorial waters to supporting larger ships, including all-purpose landing craft, destroyers and cruisers. They will even support aircraft carriers not due to be built for another decade.
These 20 corvette warships might not be sufficient to deliver on such a disparate list of demands, and it is likely that increased spending on new ships will be needed. These warships are essential for Russia, with its extensive sea borders and the remoteness of key theaters of military operation. Russia needs a strong navy to be able to deal with any opponent.
The opinions expressed in this article are the author's and do not necessarily represent those of RIA Novosti.
MOSCOW. (RIA Novosti military commentator Ilya Kramnik)
