KALININGRAD, July 15. /TASS/. Two Project 02510 BK-16-class amphibious assault boats built at the Rybinsk Shipyard entered the Russian Baltic Fleet’s service, its press office reported on Thursday.

"An official ceremony was held in the town of Primorsk in the Baltiysk Urban District of the Kaliningrad Region, where the boats will be based, to raise the Russian naval flag aboard these vessels," the press office said in a statement.

The amphibious assault boats were built at the Rybinsk Shipyard specially for the Baltic Fleet and delivered under the program of the Fleet’s planned rearmament, it added.

During the official ceremony that was attended by representatives of the Baltic Fleet’s command and personnel, Deputy Chief of the Russian Navy Main Staff Rear Admiral Oleg Alishev handed the St. Andrew’s [Russian naval] flags to the boats’ commanders. The flags were hoisted aboard the new combat vessels to the accompaniment of the national anthem. By order of the Russian Navy chief, the new amphibious assault boats were included in the Baltic Fleet’s combat inventory.

This event was preceded by the successful shipbuilders’ sea and state trials of the new combat boats, in which all their systems and armaments were checked at sea, the press office said.

About the boats

The Project 02510 high-speed amphibious assault boats are designated to sealift and land an assault force, provide fire support for the landing party, participate in anti-saboteur measures, fight piracy and terrorism, carry light cargoes and take part in rescue operations. The boat can accommodate three crewmembers and up to 18 personnel.

The Project 02510 BK16 amphibious assault boat is 16 meters long and four meters wide, with a displacement of 22 tonnes and a speed of 40 knots (almost 75 km/h). Additionally, it has an operating range of up to 400 nautical miles.

The boat is outfitted with a remote-controlled weapon station built by the Kalashnikov Group firearms manufacturer and is capable of detecting and striking targets during the day and at night under any weather conditions. The combat module features armor protection against B-32 armor-piercing 7.62 mm bullets and a gyro-stabilized platform that boosts the accuracy of fire in a ship’s roll.