"The warship has been put on service with the Russian Pacific Fleet," Matveyev said, citing a relevant order by the Russian Navy's Commander-in-Chief.
Laid down at the Amur Shipyard in 2006 and launched in 2015, the Sovershenny (Consummate) is the fifth Steregushchy (Vigilant) class, Project 20380 corvette to be commissioned into the Russian Navy, and the first to join the Pacific Fleet.
The Steregushchy-class is Russia's newest corvette design, and with a displacement of 2,200 metric tons, is designated by NATO as a frigate.
The Sovershenny, a 104.5-meter long, diesel-powered vessel with a crew of 90-100 officers and able sailors, is classified by the Navy as a multi-purpose vessel armed with the latest guided missile systems and designed for coastal defense.
Pics of sea trials for #Russian corvette Sovershenny, ongoing since 1 Feb. First Pac-built Steregushchiy-class, originally laid down in 2006 pic.twitter.com/eLpRbohSEb
— Ian Keddie (@IanJKeddie) 22 марта 2017 г.
Speaking to Sputnik, Russian military expert Viktor Baranets said that the Sovershenny corvette will contribute considerably to the Pacific Fleet's combat capability.
"The Sovershenny's tactical and technical characteristics indicate that this is a very serious weapon in which our military and industrial complex has invested everything he could give to a ship of such class in terms of engines, navigation and armament," he said.
Russian «Sovershenny» corvette begins sea trialshttps://t.co/EwcTjzWtcS pic.twitter.com/zPkBM6JYQ4
— Defence blog (@Defence_blog) 30 января 2017 г.
According to him, "it is difficult to name a type of similar weapons on foreign ships which the Sovershenny does not have on board."
"This corvette will strengthen the Pacific Fleet and help it perform its tasks more intensively. This newest weapon will add serious 'muscles' to our fleet," Baranets concluded.
Earlier, he told Sputnik that the corvette's armament is "very decent for a ship of this class."
First Ka-27 take off from #Russia Navy Steregushchy-class corvette "Sovershennyy" during the currently ongoing sea trials. pic.twitter.com/VghYrAGlYh
— Aldin 🇧🇦 (@aldin_ww) 3 июля 2017 г.
He said that "while in service with the Pacific Fleet, the Sovershenny will deal with many tasks related to patrolling, fighting enemy surface ships and submarines, as well as the destruction of enemy cruise missiles."
New Russian Steregushchy-class multipurpose corvettes Project 20380.PART-1 — YouTube https://t.co/5HvSACFa1I
— pete john (@petejohn10) 3 июня 2017 г.
The corvette's main armament consists of eight Uran-U launchers with Kh-35 anti-ship missiles, each armed with a 145 kg fragmentation warhead powerful enough to blow a destroyer or any other smaller ship out of the water up to 260 kilometers (161 miles) away.
The Sovershnny boasts a state-of-the art system of electronic warfare, satellite communications gear and can carry a Ka-27 multirole helicopter.
The corvette uses stealth technology and its radar signature is reduced thanks to hull architecture and the use of radar-absorbent fiberglass
