Small missile boat project 22800 karakurt. Russian Navy: "Karakurt" bites for sure. Equipping ships with electronic warfare stations

chief designer of Almaz Central Marine Design Bureau Dmitry Tsymlyakov on the program for the design and construction of project 22800 small missile ships (code "Karakurt") for the Russian Navy.

The small missile ship (RTO) of project 22800 "Karakurt" has become one of the most popular shipbuilding objects at the Army-2018 forum. Models of the ship, including the export version, showed off at the stands of three different shipyards, and as part of the business program, contracts were signed for the construction of six new RTOs in the Far East. About the history of creation, features and reasons for the popularity of the 22800 project in an interview Sudostroenie.info said Dmitry Tsymlyakov, chief designer of the Almaz Central Marine Design Bureau.

The lead small missile ship "Uragan" (serial number 251) of project 22800 (code "Karakurt") at full speed on the run during factory sea trials on Lake Ladoga. 2018 (c) sudostroenie.info

- Dmitry Evgenievich, why was it decided to create the RTO 22800 project?

The main reason was the halt in the construction of the "Admiral's Series" frigates of project 11356 due to the refusal of the Ukrainian side to supply the GGTA after the well-known events of the spring of 2014.

The second reason is the aging of our shipboard. Project 22800 replaced the RCA project 1241 "Lightning" and RCA project 1234 "Gadfly". The last RTO "Gadfly" was built in the late 80s of the last century.

Therefore, in terms of such parameters as main dimensions, displacement, speed, these ships are comparable. They are similar in their main purpose.

- In terms of driving characteristics and power plant, what are the differences between "Karakurt" and "Gadfly"?

In order to speed up the design on project 22800, similarly to project 1234, a domestic power plant was used based on three M507 diesel engines optimized to increase the resource.

In order to make the ship as fast as possible, the layout of the installation was largely borrowed from the Gadfly.

However, due to the use of a different hull shape (the gliding hull was used on the Gadfly, and the contours of the transition mode were used on the Karakurt), it was possible to improve seaworthiness, habitability, and solve problems associated with a large angle of inclination of the shafts characteristic of gliding hulls. On the "Gadfly" a sufficiently large angle of inclination, which caused a lot of vibration and additional resistance to movement.

On the Karakurt, the angle of inclination of the shafts is within acceptable limits: 5 degrees in the forward engine room and 10 degrees in the stern. Accordingly, all characteristics, both propulsion and vibration, are better for the new ship.

- What can you tell us about the armament of the new ship?

Now the Caliber complex has become practically the standard for the domestic fleet, which, among other things, provides the solution of strategic tasks. The project also uses an improved AK-176MA gun. It has increased accuracy due to the use of electric drives.

From the 253rd order, which is being built at the Pella plant, the second serial RTO of project 22800, the Pantsir-M anti-aircraft missile and artillery system is being installed on such ships.

- ZRAK "Shell" will be installed on subsequent ships of this project?

Yes, for all subsequent ones. That's how it's supposed to be, at least.

Everything else is in accordance with the views of our military on the weapons used. Thus, the project uses modern complexes of radio-technical weapons, navigation, and communications.

- How is "Karakurt" different from other domestic projects?

One of the highlights of the project is the almost complete import substitution. To exclude the possibility of blocking supplies, imported equipment was pledged to a minimum.

Currently, we use a number of items of imported equipment. Basically, this is household equipment that ensures the comfort of the crew: washing machines, refrigerators, stoves, sinks, coffee makers, coffee grinders, etc. Of course, this list has gone through a certain procedure, and there is a decision on its application.

All serious equipment is domestic.

The lead ship is also notable for the fact that when it was created, no accompanying R&D was carried out on it. The customers set the task - to use only serial equipment mastered by the industry. They used what has letters, or was developed according to the completed R&D projects of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, that is, samples already exist, they only need to be accepted by the military in an appropriate way. So it worked out in such a short amount of time.

- When did the creation of the 22800 project begin?

In 2015. In early April, I was appointed chief designer of the project, and from that moment the main work began: instructional drawing, graphics, STU.

- Pretty tight deadlines...

Very compressed. The reduced technical project was ready in a month and a half. This was done in order to obtain the general characteristics of the ship, determine the main equipment, develop order sheets and, most importantly, following the results of the defense, get approval from customers to continue work. And by the end of 2015, the technical project was already fully completed. And, accordingly, the first hull drawings and specifications for the Pella shipbuilding plant were issued.

In December 2015, the factory workers already had a certain reserve in terms of the hull, and on the 25th of the head MRK "Hurricane" was laid down. Further work proceeded at a very fast pace. We developed the documentation, the Pella shipbuilders from the wheels embodied what was conceived in metal. And at the same time they learned to build warships, since at that time their experience, unfortunately, was limited only to tugboats and speedboats. To the credit of the factory workers, despite the fact that much was the first time for them, they managed.

As a result, only three years passed from the decision to start construction to the release of the ship for testing. In our latest history, a warship has never been built so quickly. Even on a similar project "Buyan-M" Zelenodolsk Design Bureau and Zelenodolsk plant worked longer. And then, they had a certain base - there was already a project 21630.

- At what stage is the head RTO "Uragan" now?

Now the ship is completing factory sea trials. And, I hope that in September-October it will be released to the state.

- What is the planned delivery date of the ship?

End of 2018.

- "Pella" has already launched three RTOs of project 22800 - "Hurricane", "Typhoon" and "Shkval". Will such ships be built at this plant?

There is also a fourth RTO - "Storm" in the shop. Its launch is expected in autumn.

- On August 22, contracts were signed for the construction of six RTOs in the Far East. Will they be any different?

Perhaps there will be some changes in terms of energy. We have now made the relevant studies. There is an option with gas turbine engines. In order to ensure a high rate of construction, there are various proposals. We are waiting for the customer's decision. So far, the Zvezda plant in its current state cannot provide the required rate of diesel production.

- The owner of Zvezda has changed not so long ago. Maybe things will change...

We hope. But for now, we have what we have.

Judging by the exposition of the Army-2018 forum, Karakurt is one of our key export products. Does the export modification - project 22800E have any differences?

It all depends on the requirements of the customer. If the customer wants to supply his own radio equipment or intercom systems, then, accordingly, the ship will be modified.

And energy. Surely, they will want to put something of their own. We considered the possibility of installing diesel engines MTU 20V4000 with a power of 4300 kW. According to calculations, a three-shaft installation can provide a slightly lower speed than with Zvezda engines, but for ships of such a displacement and such striking power, this will certainly be enough.

- Is the export version different in armament?

Only missiles. Their range is limited by the non-proliferation treaty. Otherwise, there is an export complex "Shell", an artillery mount is also in the export version.

- What foreign countries are showing interest in the 22800E project?

The interest is very big. From traditional partners in military-technical cooperation: Vietnam, India. We are counting on interest from Indonesia, Algeria and the countries of the Persian Gulf.

- Is it too early to talk about the modernization of "Karakurt"?

Why modernize something that turned out well, although, I will not hide, options are being worked out with a different composition of weapons, which will expand the combat capabilities of the ship.

- Perhaps some decisions will be made based on the results of tests of the head RTO ...

Maybe. So far, I can honestly say that, as a platform, the ship lives up to all our expectations. Everything we expected to get, we got. In terms of speed, in terms of handling, seaworthiness. Acceleration performance is excellent. In fact, this is a boat, but with a large displacement.

And what about the economic component of the project? Recently, this is an important criterion for the Ministry of Defense in the formation of the state defense order.

On this occasion, it is better to ask the Pella factory workers, but I can say that the ship turned out to be inexpensive compared to what the fleet is building. The cost was much less than 10 billion rubles.

- This explains the popularity of the ship?

Certainly. The Almaz Central Design Bureau and the Pella plant proved that it is possible to create a warship quickly and inexpensively.

Interviewed by Alexander Polunin

Chief Designer of Almaz Central Marine Design Bureau Dmitry Tsymlyakov (с) sudostroenie.info

Launching of the third project 22800 Shkval small missile ship under construction for the Russian Navy with serial number 253 at the Leningrad Shipbuilding Plant Pella. ), 05/05/2018 (c) sudostroenie.info

The firepower of the cruiser, the stealth of the submarine, the speed of the destroyer and the dimensions of the corvette - this is how the Western media characterize the Russian corvettes of the Karakurt series.

Guard! The Russians are creating attack ships that will soon completely displace the NATO fleet from the Baltic and Black Seas, and in the future may challenge the power of the United States and NATO in all seas.

It is clear that now it is fashionable in the Western media to throw tantrums for any reason. The “Russian threat” is especially popular. However, in the case of corvettes of the Karakurt series, NATO has reason to worry. We are not talking about the Russian threat - it is rather a competent asymmetric response to the actions and plans of NATO off the Russian coast.

Small missile ships of project 22800 (code "Karakurt")

Corvettes "Karakurt" are small multi-purpose missile and artillery ships (or small corvettes) for combat operations in the near sea zone and on large rivers (conditionally - the class "river - sea").

"Karakurt" is a creative continuation of a series of well-proven small missile ships of project 21631 "Buyan-M".

The Russian fleet has already received two such ships, and by 2020, the Russian fleets will receive eighteen more of these small corvettes - each of the fleets will receive its own Black Widows squadron (as these ships are classified in NATO).

What is so excited about NATO experts? The whole world saw how small missile ships of the Buyan-M series "work" - designed to protect the near sea zone, the Buyans suddenly attacked terrorists in Syria from the Caspian Sea. What cheered up not only the Syrian terrorists, but also their curators. NATO was forced to admit that the Russian Buyans pose a real threat not only to the bandits in Syria, but also to the well-protected large ships of the Western coalition.

It must be said that the combat operation of the ships of the Buyan series also revealed some, one might say, shortcomings:

• the ships have a weak short-range air defense system, which assumes safe operation exclusively in the zone of operation of the coastal “anti-air umbrella” system;
• in the open ocean, "Buyans" feel "not in their own sea", since they are intended for sailing along the calmer Caspian and large rivers;
• small autonomy of navigation (up to 10 days), which is clearly not enough for long trips.

For this reason, the Karakurts appeared as the next stage in the development of a series of small attack ships. With a smaller displacement (up to 800 tons), these corvettes can sail for 15 days. And they can walk not only on relatively calm inland seas, since they have decent seaworthiness.

Small dimensions (65 meters long and 10 meters wide), the use of stealth technology makes the Karakurt extremely difficult targets even for modern high-precision anti-ship missiles of NATO ships.

The ships of this series are protected from air attacks by the Pantsir-M complexes (this is a naval version of the complex with more powerful artillery weapons), which can hit both aircraft and anti-ship missiles at a distance of up to 20 km.

The “strike capabilities” of the Karakurts are impressive - these are eight universal launchers ZS14, which allow strikes with both P-800 Onyx anti-ship missiles and universal Kalibr-NK missiles. With such equipment, the Karakurt is dangerous both to the largest ships (including aircraft carriers) and to ground targets at a distance of up to 2,500 km.

Any missile ship that fires a missile instantly becomes "visible" to enemy tracking and surveillance equipment, and the most effective defense against a retaliatory strike is to leave the attack area. "Karakurt" can reach speeds of up to 30 knots (55.56 km / h), which allows you to quickly leave the missile launch area.

For "close" combat, the ship's arsenal has a 76.2 mm artillery system (it is planned to install guns with a caliber of 100 mm).

In accordance with open (unclassified) information, combat information and control systems (CICS) Sigma-E and automated multifunctional information exchange complexes (AMKOI) Trassa-E were installed on Karakurt.

There will be several stations (including Mineral-M) to monitor the world around the ship, find surface and air targets.

The performance characteristics of the ships of this series predetermine the methods of conducting combat operations by Karakurt. In the West, this tactic is called "hit and run." Ships (single ship or group of ships) can stealthily approach (small dimensions and stealth technology) to the target, launch missiles at the target and quickly hide from the point of attack.

And the small corvettes "Karakurt" can be very painful to hit - the trio of "Karakurt" in their strike capabilities is not inferior to a number of large American ships. So the American Ticonderoga-class cruiser with a displacement of 9,800 tons carries 26 Tomahawks on board, which can hit targets at ranges up to 2,500 km (depending on the modification of the missile).

Three "Karakurt" can produce a high-precision volley of 24 Caliber-NK missiles (warhead weight 400 kg) at a quite comparable range.

One American cruiser is worth a billion dollars. For that kind of money, you can build about 30 RTOs of project 22800 Karakurt. And such a "company" can smash to smithereens not only one American cruiser, but also a large aircraft carrier group.

No wonder the new Russian ships were dubbed the "Black Widow" by NATO. American experts are quite serious about the current trend of the Russian Navy towards the miniaturization of the fleet (big effect with small means). In 2015, The National Interest wrote:

Carrying eight Kalibr-NK missiles, the corvette carries out a more massive strike than the now retired Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate, and certainly has more firepower than any of the American coastal warships.

And now Forbes:

The capabilities of the Russian navy make it possible to seriously limit the freedom of action of the United States and NATO and to demand impressive increases in spending from the American defense industry. Even small Russian patrol ships can hit harder than ships from other navies, thanks to the use of new Kalibr cruise missiles and precision-guided munitions.

What can I add to the words of American experts?

Seven feet under the keel to you, corvettes of the Karakurt series! So that foreign warships could not even think of approaching our shores.

For obvious reasons, there is no photo of this ship in the public domain. But I found photographs of the layout, which was presented at one of the exhibitions of our military-industrial complex, which, in general, give an idea of ​​\u200b\u200bthe corvettes of the Karakurt series.

Photo of the corvette of the Karakurt series

The administration of the Zelenodolsk plant named after Gorky announced that for the period from 2019 to 2021, the enterprise planned the construction of five small missile ships of the project 22800 Karakurt corvette type. Three more ships are supposed to be produced at the Pella Leningrad shipbuilding plant, and another one will be built at the facilities of the Feodosia More shipbuilding plant. Three more small missile ships will be built by the Pella and More enterprises.

The construction sites for another six ships have not yet been decided. Thus, the Black Sea, Baltic and Pacific fleets will receive a worthy replenishment of eighteen small missile ships of the Karakurt type. The first of them, a patrol ship with the name "Hurricane", it is possible that it will appear in service with the Black Sea Fleet within the next year. Subsequent ships have also already been called no less formidable names - "Typhoon", "Squall" and "Storm"

Project 22800 small rocket ship "Karakurt"

Small missile ships of the Karakurt type were developed by the St. Petersburg Almaz Design Bureau - the Central Marine Design Bureau as an alternative version of the ships in the Buyan-M project 21631. This project was created only five years earlier by the Zelenodolsk design bureau. Accordingly, the construction of these Buyans is also carried out by the Zelenodolsk enterprise. The Caspian Flotilla and the Black Sea Fleet already have five such ships. In addition, four more are under construction. It was planned that the Buyans would be built in quantities of up to ten units. Due to the fact that Karakurt was preferred, the last ninth small missile ship of project 21631 began to be assembled in April 2019. Eight months later, Karakurt was also put into production.

Unique RTOs of the new generation of project 22800

As for the strike weapons of these two boats, they are approximately the same. The patrol ship of the same class "Hurricane" has almost the same characteristics. The displacement of both boats is not too large, however, "Buyan-M" is considered a ship of the "river-sea" class. He feels confident both in the Volga mouths and in the waters of the Caspian Sea. However, with its low seaworthiness, even the expanses of the relatively small Black Sea will turn out to be too big. "Karakurt" was designed as a ship for operations in open maritime theaters.

How a disadvantage became an advantage of Russian industry

Not so long ago, another flaw was added to this project. Due to the imposition of sanctions against the Russian state by Western countries, the German manufacturer of engines for Buyans decided to stop further cooperation and refused to provide us with engines. But they quickly found a replacement. Zelenodolsk shipbuilders began to purchase similar 16-cylinder engines from the Kolomna enterprise and the St. Petersburg plant Zvezda.

The glory of Russian weapons swept around the world

In the fall of 2017, Buranam-M managed to make a splash all over the world. Four ships from the Caspian flotilla - small missile ships "Uglich", "Grad Sviyazhsky" and "Veliky Ustyug", as well as the missile cruiser "Dagestan" fired at targets with the help of cruise missiles "Caliber". A massive missile attack was carried out on the positions of the ISIS terrorist organization (banned in the Russian Federation), which were located at a distance of approximately one and a half thousand kilometers from the starting point.

The range and accuracy of live firing fired by Russian ships was discussed in the world media for almost a week. However, this is not all that missiles of this class are capable of, because the maximum range of their flight can reach more than two and a half thousand kilometers.

The small missile ship, Karakurt, is armed with the same missiles, namely Caliber-NK. In addition, supersonic Onyx anti-ship missiles are also used, the firing range of which is equal to five hundred kilometers. The ship is also armed with an automatic artillery installation of 100 mm or 76 mm caliber. The air defense facilities are equipped with the 3M89 "Broadsword" anti-aircraft missile and artillery system.

An all-aspect multifunctional radar station with four fixed phased array antennas, as well as a highly efficient optical-location station, provides the Broadsword with the possibility of all-weather and round-the-clock detection of any targets that could somehow threaten the ship. These can be, for example, airplanes, helicopters, cruise missiles, even drones. Opening fire to defeat these targets can be carried out at a distance of up to ten kilometers and at an altitude of up to five kilometers. The mode of operation of the entire complex is automatic.

Equipping ships with electronic warfare stations

RTOs "Karakurt", ships of project 22800, are ships for operations in the near sea zone with a cruising range of up to 2500 miles and an autonomy of up to fifteen days. A boat with a displacement of eight hundred tons has a length of sixty meters, a width of ten meters, a draft of four meters. The speed reaches thirty knots.

"Karakurts", as well as "Buyans-M", were created in order to replace the small missile ships "Gadfly" of project 1234. Their most diverse modifications were released in 1967-92. A total of forty-seven ships were built, but now only twelve remain.

"Gadflies", developed by "Almaz", looked much more solid than "Karakurt" in terms of their driving performance. So, the speed of the "Gadfly" reached up to 35 knots, and the range - up to 4000 miles. However, morally and physically obsolete weapons reduce all these advantages to zero. The Gadfly is armed with Malachite, six P-120 anti-ship missiles with a maximum range of up to one hundred and twenty kilometers, and this is significantly inferior to eight Caliber-NK or Onyxes.

The uniqueness of the new small rocket ship

Deputy Minister of Defense Yuri Borisov, when laying the fourth small missile ship under project 22800 on the slipway of the Pella shipbuilding plant at the end of July last year, said: “ships with a similar classification simply do not exist in the world.” The designers of the Almaz design bureau managed to place a lot of formidable weapons in the small space of the Karakurt. By the way, this weapon can be called strategic, because any Kalibr missile can be equipped with a nuclear warhead.

The range of Karakurt missile weapons in the Black Sea and Baltic fleets, as well as those representing the Caspian flotilla, covers the Middle East region and almost the entire European continent. If a decision is made to place these ships at the disposal of the Pacific Fleet, then almost the entire eastern hemisphere will be blocked in its northern half.

Who in the class can be compared with "Karakurt": Western models of ships

According to many military experts, the Karakurts are ahead of all modern counterparts with their strike power.

Only one corvette on the planet can be compared with the Karakurts - moreover, it has been released so far in a single copy. This is the last ship in a series of multi-purpose Swedish corvettes of the Visby type. It was adopted by the Swedish Navy in the spring of 2013.

Its displacement is six hundred and forty tons, its length is seventy-one meters, and its width is almost ten and a half meters. At thirty-five knots, her range is two thousand three hundred miles. The ship was built taking into account the requirements of stealth technologies. The first four serial corvettes were designed primarily as anti-submarine ships. The fifth has eight subsonic anti-ship missiles with a range of up to two hundred kilometers.

Israeli counterpart - "Eilat"

There is also an Israeli analogy, but also released in a single copy. We are talking about "Eilat", a missile corvette. The Israeli Navy took it into service back in the nineties. It has a displacement of one thousand two hundred and seventy-five tons, a length of eighty-five meters, and a width of almost twelve meters. With a range in economy mode, it can travel three and a half thousand miles, and its maximum speed is thirty-three knots.

The armament of "Eilat" also does not reach the level of "Karakurt". Israeli designers managed to place American Harpoon anti-ship missiles on board the corvette with a range of up to one hundred and thirty kilometers and a warhead mass of two hundred and twenty-seven kilograms, while the ship also has additional anti-ship weapons.

The air defense is equipped with the Barak anti-aircraft missile system with 32 missiles in the ammunition load, their range reaches ten kilometers. "Eilat" has at its disposal a 20-mm rapid-fire cannon for firing at distances up to one and a half kilometers.

Project 22800 - economic component

Rocket ships with a displacement of less than 1,000 tons are almost a unique Russian feature. As a result, it is possible to compare "Karakurt" only with more solid equipment. In terms of functionality and range, it surpasses our corvettes, but in terms of strike weapons and power it falls short of Russian ships. At the same time, anti-submarine weapons, as well as helicopters or drones, increase the survivability of ships with a more substantial displacement.

However, there is also the other side of the coin - the cost of their construction and operation, which is extremely relevant to the current Russian reality. Be that as it may, but according to the classical parameters of “price and quality”, the Karakurt turned out to be excellent missile ships, perhaps even world leaders.

German corvette "Braunschweig"

More solid in terms of mass is the German corvette of the K130 project. The launch of the Braunschweig in 2013, the fifth ship of this series of corvettes, marked the completion of its production. The ships of the series have a displacement of one thousand eight hundred and forty tons, a length of up to ninety meters, and are equipped with a helicopter on board. The corvette has anti-submarine torpedoes, an anti-aircraft missile system, a twin 27 mm anti-aircraft gun, and a 76 mm artillery mount.

The main strike weapon, like the Swedes, is the RBS 15M Mk3 anti-ship missiles. However, there are half as many missile units - only four. The Brunswick has the same range as the Karakurt, up to two and a half thousand miles, but it has a lower speed, twenty-five knots.

American destroyers

The American fleet does not waste time either. The smallest missile ships, built in the amount of sixty-two units, are destroyers armed with guided missile weapons of the Arleigh Burke project. These ships have a range of six thousand miles and a displacement of up to nine thousand tons. With a length of one hundred and fifty meters, a height of forty-five meters, they have a speed of up to thirty-two knots.

Anti-ship armament is equipped with 8 Harpoon missiles. The destroyers have both anti-aircraft missile systems with artillery (anti-aircraft and conventional), and anti-submarine weapons (missiles, torpedoes and mines), as well as a helicopter.

If necessary, they can be equipped with the well-known "Tomahawks", cruise missiles numbering from eight to sixty units. Of course, the weapon is solid - but subsonic, having a flight range of up to one thousand six hundred kilometers. However, it is only slightly inferior to the Caliber in terms of speed, accuracy and range, the control of these weapons is entrusted to the widely publicized Aegis system.

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The current shipbuilding program for the Russian Navy does not yet provide for the creation and transfer of large warships capable of carrying an outstanding amount of weapons and operating in the ocean zone. So far, the priority task is the construction of other combat units, such as small missile ships. However, despite their modest size and displacement, the new domestic ships are quite capable of solving very complex tasks. One of the foundations of such a ship grouping in the future will be the new small missile ships of Project 22800 Karakurt.

According to official data, ships of the Karakurt type belong to the third rank and are intended for combat operations in the near sea zone. With the help of existing missile and artillery weapons, such RTOs should attack surface, air or coastal targets. Previously, it was repeatedly noted that the 22800 project has a significant similarity with the older Buyan-M project 21631, but differs in improved seaworthiness. Unlike the Buyans, the new Karakurts will be able to operate not only on rivers and shallow seas.

Project 22800 was created by the Almaz Central Marine Design Bureau (St. Petersburg) by order of the Russian Ministry of Defense. Design work was carried out in the first half of the current decade. The first official demonstration of the appearance of the future "Karakurt" took place at the international military-technical forum "Army-2015". It is curious that only a few months passed from the first display of the project materials to the start of the construction of the ships.

The laying of the first two "Karakurts" took place at the end of December 2015. The order for their construction was received by the Leningrad shipbuilding plant "Pella". In total, it is planned to build 7 ships of a new type at this enterprise, and 3 units will come off the slipway of the More plant in Feodosia, transferred under the control of Pella. Another five ships are to be handed over by the Zelenodolsk Shipbuilding Plant named after. Gorky; he began work on his orders in 2016. The possibility of ordering six ships to the Amur Shipyard was also mentioned.

In the summer and autumn of last year, the Pella plant launched the first two ships of Project 22800 - Uragan and Typhoon. In early May, the descent of the third took place. According to known data, the first two ships are already undergoing the necessary tests. The transfer of two units to the navy is scheduled for this year. The next two "Karakurt" will begin service next year. In 2020, the flag will be raised on several ships at once. The last of the planned RTOs will be laid down in 2019-2020, and their construction will be completed within the next 3-4 years.

The ships of the Karakurt project do not differ in large dimensions and displacement. Their length is only 67 m with a width of 11 m and a draft of 4 m. The displacement is 800 tons. With the help of a diesel-electric power plant, they will be able to reach speeds of up to 30 knots and show a cruising range of 2,500 miles.

Despite their small size, project 22800 RTOs must carry a serious set of equipment and weapons. So, the main means of monitoring the situation and detecting targets is the Mineral-M radar complex, which includes active and passive surveillance equipment. With the help of such a complex, Karakurt will be able to find large surface targets at distances of about 250 km. The maximum range of passive location, depending on various factors, is up to 400-450 km. Stations can track dozens of targets and exchange data with other ships.

The project provides for the availability of weapons for air defense. The first two ships of the series for such purposes carry a pair of AK-630M installations and portable anti-aircraft missile systems. All subsequent ships are proposed to be equipped with Pantsir-M modules with 30-mm guns and missiles. The Karakurts under construction receive the AK-176MA universal artillery mount with a 76 mm caliber gun.

The main strike means of Project 22800 ships are several types of missiles. In the aft part of the superstructure, across the diametrical plane, there is a 3S14 universal vertical launcher with eight cells for transport and launch containers with missiles. Declared the possibility of using cruise missiles complex "Caliber-NK" and anti-ship "Onyx". The composition of the ammunition load and the type of missiles used are determined in accordance with the assigned combat missions.

It is missile armament that gives new domestic ships high combat characteristics and remarkable potential. With its help, project 22800 RTOs will be able to fight surface, land or underwater targets, for which different types of missiles with different characteristics and combat equipment can be used. At the same time, as follows from the known data, it is possible to hit targets at distances of hundreds of kilometers.

When an enemy surface ship is detected, the Karakurt can use the Onyx missile or products of the 3M-54 family. Anti-ship missiles of the Onyx type are equipped with a combined guidance system based on inertial navigation and an active-passive radar homing head. According to navigation data, it enters a given area, after which it must independently search for a target. It is possible to select the flight path. With a high-altitude trajectory, the maximum launch range reaches 450-500 km. In other modes, the range is noticeably reduced. A warhead weighing 300 kg is delivered to the target, sufficient to cause the most serious damage even to large ships.

The Caliber family of missiles also has anti-ship missiles. A cruise missile of this line is capable of flying over 300 km, independently finding a surface target and hitting it with a warhead weighing at least 200 kg. According to various sources, anti-ship "Caliber" can have a range of up to 450-500 km. The main difference between Caliber and Onyx is different flight speeds. These anti-ship missiles maintain subsonic speed for most of the trajectory, while the Onyx immediately goes supersonic.

The most important advantage of the Caliber-NK complex is the presence of 3M-14 cruise missiles designed to attack ground targets with known coordinates. This weapon has already been used in real operations and clearly demonstrated the possibility of destroying objects at ranges of more than 1,500 km. Moreover, some sources mention a firing range of the order of 2-2.5 thousand km. Thus, in the presence of the necessary target designation, a ship of the Karakurt type or another carrier of the Caliber is capable of controlling a very large land area.

According to previously announced data, serial RTOs of project 22800 will be transferred to all major fleet associations. They will serve in the Northern, Pacific, Baltic and Black Sea fleets. It is not at all difficult to imagine what impact new ships with long-range missiles can have on the military-political situation in the regions. They will be able to cover significant sections of the coast from a possible attack, and in addition, they will "take aim" at large land territories with many military and administrative facilities.

Without leaving their bases on the Kola Peninsula, small missile ships of the Northern Fleet, in theory, are capable of protecting the entire nearest coast, as well as a significant part of the Barents Sea and the entire White Sea, from surface objects. In this case, Scandinavia, Eastern and Central Europe, as well as part of the British Isles are in the area of ​​​​responsibility of 3M-14 missiles.

With the help of Caliber and Onyx, the Baltic sailors will be able to protect the Gulf of Finland and block a significant part of the Baltic Sea. It is also possible to control territories up to Western Europe, the Balkans and Asia Minor. The area of ​​responsibility of the Baltic Fleet partially coincides with the area of ​​possible operation of the Northern Fleet.

While in Sevastopol, the Karakurts of the Black Sea Fleet can use anti-ship missiles against targets in all nearby water areas. At the same time, their Calibers are able to get objects in Western Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia. It should be noted that a similar region is blocked by the missiles of the Caspian flotilla, where ships of the Buyan-M type serve.

RTOs of the Pacific Fleet, based in Vladivostok, can use anti-ship weapons against targets in the Sea of ​​Japan and the East Korean Gulf. The range of water-to-ground missiles at the same time allows you to control the area from central Mongolia to Kamchatka, including all the Japanese islands and a significant part of China.

It should be noted that the resulting areas of responsibility apply only to ships located at or near the main fleet bases. The new Project 22800 ships are capable of operating in the near sea zone, and therefore the actual missile launch point can be located anywhere and at a considerable distance from the base. Thus, the actual areas of responsibility of the new ships can be located anywhere and cover almost any part of the World Ocean or land, even with certain restrictions.

It must be admitted that the new Russian "Karakurt" are not perfect. First of all, the small size of the ammunition load of the missile system can be considered a disadvantage. One RTO of this type carries only eight Caliber or Onyx missiles. Thus, to carry out a massive missile attack, several ships may need to work together, which can make it difficult to prepare for the operation and carry it out. However, a small ammunition load is directly related to the dimensions of the ships and the lower complexity of their construction.

According to current plans, no later than the mid-twenties, the Russian Navy will have 18 ships of Project 22800 Karakurt, which will be distributed among four main structures. Thus, the fleet will receive a fairly large group of attack ships with very powerful weapons. The country, in turn, receives a convenient and flexible tool for projecting power in different regions. It is important that such a tool can be created in the shortest possible time and at reasonable costs - the entire program for building 18 ships should take no more than 8-9 years.

At present, a gradual modernization of the fleet and military shipbuilding is being carried out. The production facilities of various enterprises are being updated, which allows building new ships of various classes and types. So far, the military department is only drawing up plans for future projects of surface ships of the first rank, but smaller and more powerful combat units are already being built, transferred to the customer and included in the Navy. All this naturally leads to an increase in the combat potential of surface forces and the overall defense capability of the country.

It is obvious that new ships of the second and third ranks, such as Project 22800 RTOs, both in theory and in practice, are inferior in their capabilities to larger combat units, for example, the promising destroyer Leader. However, they are distinguished by their comparative cheapness, simplicity and speed of construction. The first "Karakurt" was laid down at the end of 2015, and will soon enter service. By the time the lead "Leader" can begin its service, almost all of the ordered Project 22800 ships will be present in the Navy.

With all the achievements and successes, the Russian Ministry of Defense, the Navy and the shipbuilding industry still face all sorts of difficulties. In the current conditions, it is not always possible to do everything you want, and therefore you have to look for alternative ways. One of the ways out of the current situation, which makes it possible to upgrade the fleet and increase its potential under certain limitations, is the construction of a large number of small missile ships with advanced weapons. These ideas are primarily implemented with the help of projects 21631 Buyan-M and 22800 Karakurt.

To date, the Russian shipbuilding industry has managed to launch three ships of the Karakurt type out of 18 planned for construction. The first two will pass all tests this year and go to serve in the Baltic Sea. Another 15 ships will be handed over to the customer starting next year. By the mid-twenties, four fleets of the Russian Navy will be able to form full-fledged groups of small missile ships with modern weapons.

The construction of large and powerful ships with rocket and artillery weapons is still in the distant future, but the navy cannot wait. For this reason, other combat units are being built, which also have very remarkable capabilities. Despite their modest size and small displacement, they can be a serious strike weapon and an effective instrument of international politics. And a large number of such ships will definitely go into quality.

According to the websites:
http://ria.ru/
http://tass.ru/
http://nvo.ng.ru/
http://pellaship.ru/
http://npomash.ru/

The Syrian campaign provided the Russian Ministry of Defense with an invaluable opportunity to test the latest weapons not just in conditions as close as possible to combat, but on a real battlefield. Perhaps the main weapon "premier" of Syria was the successful use of the Kalibr missile system against ground targets on October 7, 2015 by three small missile ships (RTOs) of project 21631 and a missile ship of project 11661K.

Later, new launches of these cruise missiles followed, and the Russian Defense Ministry continued its course towards a large-scale "calibration" of the fleet. As part of this program, not only was the equipping of surface ships and submarines under construction with Caliber, but also the conversion of pennants already in service into Caliber carriers.

"Calibron kayaks"

Almost simultaneously with the "calibration" of the fleet, the Russian military leadership had to solve another problem. The situation in the Black and Mediterranean Seas after the reunification of Crimea with Russia insistently demanded an urgent strengthening of the Black Sea Fleet. And first of all, shock units.

Since it was not possible to physically accelerate the commissioning of Project 11356 frigates and Project 636 diesel-electric submarines intended for replenishment of the KChF, the Ministry of Defense took an unexpected step. Initially created for the Caspian flotilla RTO project 21631 (code "Buyan-M") "Serpukhov" and "Green Dol" it was decided to send to the Black Sea.

Of course, this was a palliative solution. "Buyan-M" were designed for operations in the closed waters of the Caspian Sea. They had dimensional restrictions caused by the need to fit into the dimensions of the locks, as well as to pass under the spans of the bridges of the Volga-Baltic waterway.

In general, RTOs of project 21631, with their water jets, reduced seaworthiness and autonomy, were not particularly suitable for operations in the Black and, especially, the Mediterranean Sea. But the fact that each of the "Buyan-M" could carry 8 subsonic "Caliber" or supersonic "Onyx", for a long time in the eyes of the military redeemed the above shortcomings. Moreover, the impact potential of these RTOs was equal to that of the Project 11356 frigates, four times (!) Exceeding the Buyany-M in terms of their displacement.

By the fall of 2016, it became clear to the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation that the continued presence of project 21631 RTOs in the Black Sea Fleet ceased to justify itself. The Black Sea region was already quite tightly controlled by the ground grouping and aviation of the RF Armed Forces based in the Crimea. At the same time, the KChF began to receive frigates and submarines, i.e. new "caliber carriers" with much better seaworthiness and autonomy than the "Buyanov-M".

For this reason, "Serpukhov" and "Zeleny Dol" were sent to the Baltic, which was more suitable for "Buyanam-M" in terms of basing and operation. This saved the "calibre-carrying kayaks", as project 21631 RTOs were called behind the back on the Black Sea, from service "on the verge of a feat."

The urgent problem for the entire Russian Navy of the speedy replenishment of the ship’s composition with new “caliber carriers” with more acceptable indicators of autonomy and seaworthiness than that of the Buyanov-M, now had to be solved by the project 22800 RTOs that were already under construction.

To understand where these ships came from, we will have to mentally go back 16 years.

From "Scorpio" to "Buyans"

The desire to get modern seaworthy RTOs, designed according to the "cheap and cheerful" method, which made it possible to create attack ship groups operating under the "umbrella" of coastal air defense in a fairly short time, began to visit the naval command back in the "dashing nineties". This was the starting point for the appearance at the Almaz Central Marine Design Bureau at the beginning of the 2000s of the idea of ​​​​building a series of project 12300 missile and artillery boats (code "Scorpion").

With a total displacement of only 465 tons, the Scorpions were supposed to carry a 100-mm A-190E universal gun mount with a rate of fire of 80 rounds per minute, the Kashtan-1 anti-aircraft missile and artillery system, and most importantly, 4 Yakhont vertical anti-ship missiles. launch with a firing range of 300 km and a warhead weight of 200 kg.

The pre-production Scorpion was laid down on June 5, 2001 in Rybinsk on the stocks of the Vympel open joint-stock shipbuilding company. It was originally planned to hand over the boat to the customer in 2005, but ... At first, the completion of the Scorpion was slowed down by a lack of funding, and later the military completely lost interest in the brainchild of Almaz. This was explained by the fact that the "Scorpion" was "narrowly imprisoned" for action only against surface targets.

At the same time, the Novator Experimental Design Bureau named after L. Lyulyev was already successfully completing work on the creation of the Caliber missile system. The wide range of Caliber missiles made it possible to hit not only surface, but also ground targets.

At the same time, supersonic anti-ship missiles, which were the main lethal "trump card" of the baby "Scorpion", could also be launched from the same universal ship firing complex. It is worth noting that the Kalibr launch range exceeded 500 km, which de facto violated the terms of the Treaty on the Elimination of Intermediate-Range Missiles (INF). But since the "Caliber" were declared as sea-based, not land-based missiles, de jure they did not violate the INF Treaty.

In general, the military leadership wanted to get something more versatile and long-range than the Scorpion, albeit at a higher price. As a result, the first-born of the 12300 project remained unfinished, because the Caliber did not fit into it! On the other hand, the Zelenodolsk design bureau had both the experience of creating the first Russian missile ship with "Caliber", "Tatarstan" of project 11661K, and the 500-ton small artillery ships of project 21630 under construction (code "Buyan"), designed for the Caspian water area.

Unlike the Scorpion, it turned out to be noticeably easier to convert the Buyanas to the Caliber with a concomitant increase in the tonnage of ships by almost half. What the “Zelenodolsk” people did with the blessing of the state, having received at the exit the “Buyan-M” already familiar to us.

The accelerated construction of such compact warships, but with a high strike potential, caused analysts a lot of questions. The latter disappeared only on October 7, 2015, when, as already mentioned, 3 "Buyan-M" and "Tatarstan" fired from the Caspian Sea at targets in Syria with "Caliber".

But, with all the pluses of the project 21631, during the operation of Buyanov-M on the Black Sea, the Zelenodolsk RTOs also showed the minuses listed by us at the beginning of the article.

His Majesty "Karakurt"

The absence in the composition of the domestic fleets, especially the KChF, of a "commodity" number of "caliber carriers", albeit in the form of seaworthy RTOs, began to be felt even more acutely after the construction of the second trio of project 11356 frigates stalled due to the cessation of engine supplies from Ukraine. were needed "already yesterday", while the Zelenodolsk design bureau was loaded with work on other projects. Due to the combination of all these factors, 14 years after the laying of the Scorpion, the circle closed - the design of seaworthy RTOs was again entrusted to the Almaz Central Design Bureau.

Almazovtsy did not reinvent the wheel. Combining the successful design solutions of its Scorpion with the Buyan-M universal ship-based firing system for 8 Caliber or Onyxes, the Central Design Bureau designed a small missile ship of project 22800 (code "Karakurt").

For the first time, the appearance of the new RTO was presented to the public at the international military-technical forum "Army-2015". The lead two ships of Project 22800, named Hurricane and Typhoon, were laid down on December 24, 2015 at the Pella Leningrad Shipyard.

The need for import substitution, as well as the development of individual components and assemblies, in particular, the AK-176MA shipborne 76.2-mm gun mount, created by the St. Petersburg machine-building plant Arsenal, somewhat delayed the completion of the Karakurt. And yet, on June 2, 2017, the media published information that the first RTO of project 22800 - Uragan - would be launched before the end of this summer.

In total, military sailors plan to receive at least 18 Karakurt ships from industry, intended to replenish the Black Sea, Baltic and Pacific fleets. The need to build project 22800 RTOs for the needs of the Northern Fleet has not yet been voiced.

It is curious that with the best indicators of seaworthiness and autonomy, the Karakurts will have 149 tons less displacement than the Buyanov-M. A more modest size, compared to project 21631, will increase the stealth of the new RTOs. The capabilities of detecting targets at Karakurts will increase - project 22800 is equipped with an integrated mast with fixed phased antenna arrays of a multifunctional radar complex placed on it.

Yielding to Buyans-M in terms of the power of artillery weapons - a 76.2-mm gun mount instead of a 100-mm one - the Karakurts will carry the same strike missile system as that of Project 21631, which allows hitting surface targets within a radius of about 500 kilometers, and ground - within a radius of about 1500 kilometers. Thus, like the Buyans-M, modest in size, but armed with the eight Caliber RTOs of project 22800, they may well be called small strategic missile ships.