ST. PETERSBURG, December 5. /TASS/. At least two to three dozen more Project 12700 Alexandrit seagoing minesweepers are planned to be built at the Sredne-Nevsky Shipyard (part of Russia’s United Shipbuilding Corporation) in St. Petersburg for the Navy, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy on armament Vice Admiral Igor Mukhametshin said after the launching ceremony of the eleventh minesweeper of the Dmitry Lysov project.

"Serial production will continue. These ships will serve in all four of our fleets and in the Caspian Flotilla. And several dozen more will be built. <…> At least two or three dozen. <…> As for the timeframe, we have a building program until 2036, and in general, until 2050," he said.

It has been emphasized that the vessels' equipment will be improved. For example, during the production of the series, more modern weapons have already been installed, import substitution is in progress, and the ships’ quality has been improved.

About the project

Project 12700 Alexandrit was developed by the Almaz Central Marine Design Bureau of the United Shipbuilding Corporation for the Russian Navy. A monolithic fiberglass hull makes this ship more survivable than conventional ships. The ship's displacement is 890 tons, speed is 16.5 knots, and crew is 44 navy men. For minesweeping, the ship can use various remotely operated and autonomous underwater vehicles. According to Advisor to the General Director of the United Shipbuilding Corporation Vladimir Korolev, more than 30 experimental design projects have been completed to create a modern ship that meets all military science requirements.

The Project 12700 mine countermeasures vessels (minesweepers) have the world’s biggest hull made of monolithic fiberglass formed by vacuum infusion. As its advantage, this solution provides for the ship’s higher strength compared to the steel hull. The hull made of the monolithic fiberglass has a longer service life (up to 30 years) than the hull made of low-magnetic steel while its weight is considerably smaller.

Sredne-Nevsky Shipyard

JSC Sredne-Nevsky Shipyard is a leader in composite shipbuilding in Russia. It is the only enterprise in the country that has mastered building of ships and vessels from four types of materials: composite materials, shipbuilding steel, low-magnetic steel, and aluminum-magnesium alloys. During 113 years of its operation, the shipyard has built 700 ships and vessels, including more than 200 seagoing and harbor minesweepers of various designs. Since 1937, the shipyard has held a monopoly in the building of domestic mine countermeasure ships.