The Caspian Flotilla will be reinforced with a new combat unit – the "Stupinets" missile boat, Project 12418 – after all types of tests and acceptance of the ship. The crew is already preparing to receive the vessel.
According to preliminary information, the necessary documents and an extract from the order of the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy on assigning a proper name to the new missile boat have already been received.
The Project 12418 boat is an improved version of the legendary Soviet Project 1241 "Lightning". Initially, they were intended for a foreign customer, but the contract was canceled, and the Navy became interested in the already completed hulls.
Captain I rank Vasily Dandykin noted that the Project 12418 boat is a fairly large ship. In NATO, they are classified as "small missile corvettes."
We are getting a serious reinforcement. It has a good artillery component. During modernization, it most likely received a new electronic warfare system, radio equipment. But the most important thing is more long-range modern missiles. This will be a good ship for the Caspian Sea, but, most importantly, it will not spoil the weather in the Azov and Black Seas.
The boat is designed to destroy enemy surface warships, boats and transports independently and in cooperation with the fleet's strike forces.
The updated "Lightning" boats are equipped with the "Uran" complex with eight universal Kh-35 missiles, each of which can hit ground and surface targets at a distance of up to 260 km. With a relatively small mass and size, these missiles have an autonomous guidance system. The missiles are well protected from interference, attack the target in groups, and can break through enemy air defenses at low altitude.
In addition, the boat has two universal AK-630 installations on board. They can engage light surface forces of the enemy at distances up to 5 km and air targets at a range of up to 4 km. The crew also has 12 Igla man-portable air defense systems at their disposal.
Tactical and technical characteristics of the Project 12418 boat:
- Displacement — about 580 tons
- Length — about 56.9 m
- Width — about 10.2 m
- Speed — about 29 knots
- Cruising range — 2900 miles
- Autonomy — 10 days
Earlier, www1.ru reported that the submarine "Velikiye Luki", with the support of ships and aircraft of the Baltic Fleet, continues factory sea trials.
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