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Russia's defense industry

Shipbuilders to deliver cutting-edge missile corvette to Russian Navy by late March

The Merkury is set to join Russia’s Black Sea Fleet

MOSCOW, March 1. /TASS/. The Project 20380 latest missile corvette Merkury can be delivered to the Russian Navy by the end of March, the Severnaya Verf Shipyard (part of the United Shipbuilding Corporation) told TASS on Wednesday.

"The delivery of the Merkury to the Navy is planned until the end of March 2023," the Shipyard said.

The press office of Russia’s Baltic Fleet reported on February 28 that the corvette’s crew conducted missile firings against an air target simulating an enemy anti-ship cruise missile at the Fleet’s naval practice range at the final round of the warship’s state trials. The air target was engaged by the shipborne Redut surface-to-air missile system, it specified.

The Merkury is the Project 20380 fifth corvette built at the Severnaya Verf Shipyard in St. Petersburg in Russia’s northwest. As its main anti-ship weapon, it carries the Uran system of two four container-type launchers with an ammunition load of eight Kh-35U missiles with a strike range of 260 km.

The Merkury was laid down on February 20, 2015 under the name of Retivy. A decision was made on October 15, 2021 to rename the corvette into Merkury in honor of the Black Sea Fleet’s sailing ship that gained its glory in the 1828-1829 Russo-Turkish War.

The Merkury is set to join Russia’s Black Sea Fleet.

Project 20380 corvettes

Project 20380 corvettes are designed to accomplish green-water missions, fight enemy surface ships and submarines and provide artillery support for amphibious assault operations. The corvettes of this type incorporate the latest solutions for reducing their physical fields. In particular, the shipbuilders significantly reduced their radar signature during their construction, using radio absorption materials and specially designing their hull and superstructure.

Project 20380 corvettes are armed with Uran anti-ship missiles, Redut surface-to-air missile systems, A-190 artillery guns and Paket-NK anti-submarine warfare weapons. They can carry Ka-27 helicopters of any modification.

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Russian defense industry

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