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Shipbuilders to lay down cutting-edge minesweeper for Russian Navy on September 10

According to the Defense Ministry, the Project 12700 ship has been engineered by the Almaz Central Marine Design Bureau and represents a new generation of mine countermeasure ships

MOSCOW, September 3. /TASS/. The Sredne-Nevsky Shipyard in St. Petersburg in northwestern Russia will hold a ceremony for laying the keel of the Project 12700 latest mine countermeasures ship Afanasy Ivannikov on September 10, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported on Friday.

"The Project 12700 ship has been engineered by the Almaz Central Marine Design Bureau and represents a new generation of mine countermeasure ships. This warship features the world’s largest unique hull made of monolithic fiberglass," the ministry said in a statement.

The unique hull enhances the warship’s strength and ensures a far better anti-mine resistance. A warship made of monolithic fiberglass has a greater service life than a hull made of low-magnetic steel and its weight is considerably less, the Defense Ministry explained.

The minesweeper displaces 890 tonnes, is 61 meters long and 10 meters wide. It can accelerate to a speed of 16.5 knots upon full displacement and has a crew of over 40.

Russia’s Project 12700 Alexandrit-class coastal-type minesweepers developed by the Almaz Central Marine Design Bureau are referred to the new generation of minesweeping forces and are designated to fight sea mines, which the new ships can encounter in the sea and on the seabed without entering the danger zone. The minesweepers can employ various sweeps, as well as remotely controlled and autonomous underwater drones.