On May 21, 2024, in Astrakhan, at the shipyard of the Astrakhan Ship Repair Plant branch of JSC Zvezdochka Ship Repair Center (part of JSC United Shipbuilding Corporation - USC), a solemn ceremony was held for the launching of the rescue tugboat project 22870 Mikhail Chekov (factory number 021), built by order of the Ministry defense of the Russian Federation.
Rescue and towing vessel of project 22870 Mikhail Chekov (factory number 021) before launching at the shipyard of the Astrakhan Shipyard branch of JSC Zvezdochka Ship Repair Center. Astrakhan, 05/21/2024 (c) JSC United Shipbuilding Corporation
This vessel was laid down in Astrakhan on March 25, 2021 and is named in honor of Mikhail Chekov, an officer of the Black Sea Fleet, commander of emergency rescue teams who ensured the recovery of ships sunk by the enemy in the waters of the Black Sea ports during the Great Patriotic War.
Project 22870 was developed by JSC KB Vimpel (Nizhny Novgorod). The Mikhail Chekov rescue and towing vessel (SBS) became the seventh vessel in the line of project 22870 for Astrakhan shipbuilders. The lead tug of this SB-45 project was transferred to the Navy in 2014.
On the part of bmpd, we recall that earlier the Astrakhan Ship Repair Plant of JSC Zvezdochka Ship Repair Center built six vessels of project 22870 for the Russian Navy. The lead rescue tug of project 22870 SB-45 (serial number 005) was started construction in Astrakhan in the summer of 2011 and commissioned on June 27, 2014, becoming part of the Caspian Flotilla. The second vessel, Professor Nikolai Muru (factory number 006, was laid down under the designation SB-565), was transferred to the Black Sea Fleet on December 28, 2014. On July 4, 2016, the third tugboat SB-738 (serial number 007), built under a contract dated February 4, 2014, was transferred to the Russian Navy and joined the Caspian Flotilla.
In 2015, the Astrakhan enterprise received a contract from the Russian Ministry of Defense for the construction of three more vessels of project 22870 with factory numbers 008, 009 and 010, all of them joined the Black Sea Fleet upon completion. The lead of these three rescue tugs SB-739 (serial number 008) was launched in Astrakhan on August 2, 2016 and handed over to the Russian Navy on January 16, 2017. On April 19, 2021, the ship was named "Rescuer Vasily Bekh". On June 17, 2022, the ship was sunk near Zmeiny Island by Harpoon anti-ship missiles of the Ukrainian Navy.
The second tugboat "Captain Guryev" (factory number 009) under the 2015 contract was launched in Astrakhan on May 18, 2018 and handed over to the Russian Navy on December 20, 2018. The third vessel under this contract (and the sixth in the series as a whole), SB-742 with the serial number 010, joined the Black Sea Fleet on December 20, 2019.
The rescue and towing vessels of the 22870 project are designed to assist emergency ships (vessels) and rescue personnel; tow ships; extinguish fires on emergency vessels and coastal structures. The vessels have the capabilities to keep emergency ships afloat and perform complex diving operations at depths up to 60 meters. In addition, the vessel can perform tasks to collect petroleum products from the sea surface, as well as conduct search and survey work. Characteristics of the vessel: length - 57 m, width - 14 m, maximum displacement - 1605 tons, full speed - 14 knots.
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The rescue and towing vessel of project 22870 Mikhail Chekov (factory number 021) before launching at the shipyard of the Astrakhan Ship Repair Plant branch of JSC Zvezdochka Ship Repair Center. Astrakhan, 05/21/2024 (c) JSC "United Shipbuilding Corporation" and the portal of the authorities of the Astrakhan region
