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Russian Defense Ministry to order batch of ocean-going corvettes soon

Construction of the ninth project 21631 (Buyan-M) vessel was started at the Zelenodolsk shipyards in Tatarstan earlier on Friday
 Zelenodolsk shipyards ITAR-TASS/Lev Fedoseyev
Zelenodolsk shipyards
© ITAR-TASS/Lev Fedoseyev

MOSCOW, April 10. /TASS/. The Russian Defense Ministry plans to order a batch of smaller ocean-going corvettes soon, Deputy Defense Minister Yuri Borisov has told the media on Friday.

"We will now be working on and placing contracts for smaller corvettes," Borisov said.

The Russian Navy’s commander, Admiral Viktor Chirkov, has said that the yet-to-be ordered ships will carry the same weapons as smaller missile ships.

"They will be slightly different in terms of their sea worthiness parameters," Chirkov said.

Speaking of the prospects for building missile ships he said that "as many as necessary for maintaining the nation’s defense will be available."

"The development proceeds towards universal long-range missiles, capable of being used against coastal and surface targets," Chirkov said.

The frame of the ninth project 21631 (Buyan-M) vessel was laid at the Zelenodolsk shipyards in Tatarstan earlier on Friday. This is the last ship in the series ordered by the Defense Ministry.

Taking part in the ceremony were Deputy Defense Minister Yuri Borisov, navy’s commander, Admiral Viktor Chirkov, and Tatarstan’s Prime Minister Ildar Khalikov.

Chirkov said such ships were meant for operation in warm seas.

"We are yet to see where it will be based. The ship’s configuration is good for coping with tasks in any theater of combat operations," Chirkov said.

The ships of project 21631 (Buyan-M) are multi-purpose river-sea vessels. The universal missile complex Kalibr-NK is the main weapon on board. At the moment there are three ships of this class in service - The Grad Sviyazhsk, The Uglich and The Veliki Ustyug. All are part of the Caspian Flotilla. Two more ships - The Zelyony Dol and The Serpukhov - will be delivered to the military this year.