MOSCOW, August 29. /TASS/. Project 22160 patrol ships, four of which have joined the Black Sea Fleet and two others are under construction will be upgraded, Ak Bars Shipbuilding Corporation Head Renat Mistakhov told TASS on Thursday.

"The plans envisage modernizing these ships through the upgrade of air defense systems and the installation of missile armament. Their structural design allows for that," he said.

Replying to a TASS question about whether a series of Project 22160 patrol ships would be continued, the Ak Bars CEO said that it would be slightly modified.

"Their current layout may not remain at all. The baseline ship is modular. It is more of a peacetime vessel. But it can be used as the basis to mount new equipment and new armament," the chief executive said.

"Historically, ships of this Project were primarily built to fight piracy when we ensured safe shipping under international law and escorted vessels past Africa in order not to send large ships there. This series was built precisely for that," Mistakhov said.

"This is why, we explain to all that as of today these ships are designated to demonstrate the Russian flag. They have all the necessary for that. These ships are noticeable, small in size, feature good seagoing properties and a long range of operation. They were intended to be built before 2010 when we experienced problems and ensured safe shipping. However, they entered service after 2014, closer to the time of the special military operation," he explained.

Project 22160 blue-water patrol ships are the first Russian ships based on the modular armament concept.