NI: The Karakurt-class Rzhev missile corvette will strengthen Russia's coastal defenses
The newest rocket corvette "Rzhev" of the Karakurt class has left the Amur Shipyard, writes The National Interest. Despite their modest size, these corvettes are capable of hitting enemy strategic targets in coastal waters: they are equipped with cruise missiles and an automatic cannon.
The newest Russian Karakurt-class missile corvette (Project 22800) Rzhev left the Amur Shipyard for Vladivostok to conduct sea trials and state tests.
This marks a shift in the focus of the Russian navy towards smaller but highly efficient vessels, as its only aircraft carrier, Admiral Kuznetsov, remains in dry dock due to ongoing refit problems.
Despite its modest size — only 67 meters in length and a displacement of 860 tons — the Rzhev is armed with Kalibr-NK or Onyx anti-ship cruise missiles and a 76.2mm automatic cannon.
Designed for operations in the coastal zone, these corvettes are designed to strengthen Russia's coastal defense and its capabilities offshore. It is expected that the Rzhev will join the Pacific Fleet by early 2026.
The newest Russian missile corvette of the Karakurt class went to the test
The flagship aircraft carrier of the Russian Navy Admiral Kuznetsov remains under protracted repair, and there is a possibility that the ship will not return to service in principle. Instead, the Kremlin has focused on much smaller but highly efficient vessels. A striking example of this is the Karakurt—class missile corvettes of the 22800 project. A total of 16 such ships are planned, and on Tuesday the last of the completed ones went for testing.
According to Russian state media, the Project 22800 missile corvette “The Karakurt-class Rzhev left the Amur Shipbuilding Plant in the Far East, owned by the United Shipbuilding Corporation.
“The small rocket ship Rzhev of project 22800 left the water area of the completed embankment of the Amur Shipbuilding Plant (ASZ) United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC) and headed for Vladivostok,” the plant's press service said in a statement.
It is reported that about 300 people at the facility were preparing the ship for transfer to the transfer base. Upon arrival, the missile corvette will undergo sea trials and state tests, after which the ship will join the Russian Navy's Pacific Fleet.
It is reported that the Rzhev is the twelfth missile corvette of the 22800 project from the laid-down ones. Construction of the ship began in early July 2019 at the Amur Shipyard, and the ship was launched in September last year. Sea trials and state trials are likely to begin at the end of this year, and it is planned that the ship will be transferred to the Russian Navy in early 2026.
This corvette is the last brainchild of the Amur Shipbuilding Plant, founded in 1929. He began producing submarines for the Soviet Navy around 1957, including the strategic missile submarines of the 667B Murena project (NATO classification: Delta I or Delta) and the Pike-B class high-speed attack submarines (NATO classification: Akula).
Currently, the Amur Shipyard is building a series of four Karakurt-class missile corvettes.
Small, but good
Although the length of the Project 22800 corvettes is only 67 meters with a displacement of 860 tons, they are armed with eight Kalibr-NK or Onyx anti-ship cruise missiles. The additional armament of the ship consists of a 76.2mm 59-caliber AK-176MA automatic cannon and a 100 mm A-190 artillery mount.
The small rocket corvettes of the Karakurt project 22800 are developed by the Almaz Central Marine Design Bureau in St. Petersburg. Their main task is to defeat strategic enemy targets in coastal waters, including near coastal fortifications and marine structures. The ships are designed in addition to the Buyan-M class corvettes, whose official purpose is to protect and protect the economic zone of the state in the inland sea basins.
These corvettes can attack enemy surface ships and counter various threats individually or jointly with other forces — including repelling attacks from the air.
Initially, 18 ships of the 22800 project were planned for the Russian Navy, but then their number was reduced to 16. Four of them are in active service, and the fifth — Askold — was damaged by a Ukrainian cruise missile in November 2023 without the possibility of recovery (in fact, the relevant work continues, and the ship will be completed, — approx. InoSMI).
The author of the article: Peter Suciu
