Two corvettes of projects 20380 and 20386 under construction have been renamed, TASS reports, citing sources in the shipbuilding industry.
The interlocutors said that the corvette "Zealous" of project 20380 became known as "Mercury", and the corvette "Mercury" of project 20386 was returned to the former name "Daring".
The initiative to rename the ships, according to sources, belongs to the Main Command of the Russian Navy (Navy). "The purpose of such renaming is unknown," the agency notes.
In June, The National Interest wrote that Russian Project 20386 Mercury-type corvettes may face the same problems as American coastal warships of the Freedom and Independence types. Among the problems that may accompany the construction of a promising Russian ship are cost overruns and technical problems. In particular, it is said about the unsuccessful choice of the propulsion system, the suboptimal design of the radar system and the insufficient combat capability of the corvette.
The launch of the lead corvette Mercury of project 20386 took place in March. When laid in October 2016, this corvette was named "Daring". In April 2019, when the hull blocks were docked, the ship was called Mercury.
The corvette "Zealous" of project 20380 was laid down in February 2015. Launched in March 2020.
Ivan Potapov
