MOSCOW, February 26. /TASS/. The Zelenodolsk Shipyard in Tatarstan in the Volga area has laid down the Karakurt-class missile corvette Tucha for the Russian Navy, Navy spokesman Igor Dygalo said on Tuesday.

"The latest Project 22800 missile corvette has been laid down at the Zelenodolsk Shipyard for the Russian Navy. By order of Navy Commander-in-Chief Admiral Vladimir Korolyov, the warship has been named Tucha," the spokesman said.

The small missile corvette has been laid down as part of the serial production of Project 22800 small missile ships launched for the Russian Navy, Dygalo said.

"Along with building missile corvettes for the Russian Navy, the construction of surface ships with larger displacement will be launched in the immediate future," the spokesman cited Navy Shipbuilding Chief Rear Admiral Vladimir Tryapichnikov as saying at the keel-laying ceremony.

According to him "the Russian Navy will continue the repairs and upgrade of large displacement ships operational in the Navy. This work will help maintain the potential of the Navy’s surface component at the required level."

Project 22800 Karakurt-class missile corvettes are a Russian series of green-water multipurpose missile/artillery warships. The corvettes of this class developed by specialists of the St. Petersburg-based Almaz Central Design Bureau for Marine Engineering displace about 800 tonnes and develop a speed of over 30 knots. Karakurt-class corvettes are armed with Kalibr or Oniks missiles. Overall, the shipbuilders are planning to build 18 warships of this Project for the Russian Navy.