Russia Can Afford Corvette and Frigate Construction At Present

Russia has to focus on the construction of corvettes and frigates armed with high-precision guided missiles in the near future, a source in the military-defense complex told TASS. 

"First and foremost, we have to build corvettes and frigates and refrain from the construction of universal landing ships which mostly fulfil transport rather than combat missions. Corvettes and frigates are the maximum what we can build today. The current economic potential of the country cannot afford higher class warships, including destroyers," he said. 

There are few countries in the world which can afford the construction of fleet destroyers. They are the main warships only in the US Navy (Arleigh Burke-type destroyers). Serial production of destroyers is very limited in other countries, the source said. 

Russia currently serially builds corvettes of projects 20380 and 20385 and frigates of projects 11356M and 22350. 

The Baltic fleet has four corvettes of project 20380 (Steregushchy, Soobrazitelny, Boiky and Stoiky). Another eight corvettes, including two of the upgraded project 20385, are at various stages of construction at the Northern Shipyard in St. Petersburg and the Amur Shipyard. 

The Northern Shipyard is building the Retivy and Strogy corvettes of project 20380 and Gremyashchy and Provorny of project 20385 for the Baltic fleet. The Amur Shipyard is building four corvettes of project 20380 for the Pacific fleet - Sovershenny, Gremyashchy, Russian Hero Aldar Tsydenjapov and Rezky. 

Corvettes of project 20380 were designed by the Almaz Central Maritime Bureau in St. Petersburg. Warships of project 20385 are an upgraded modification of project 20380. They differ by stronger armaments, in particular, increased number of vertical launchers for the anti-aircraft Redut missile complex and the Caliber attack missile complex, as well as upgraded radio-technical warfare means. Warships of project 20385 were modernized to install Russian-made engines instead of initially planned German power plants of the MTU Company. 

The Black Sea fleet has two frigates of project 11356M (the Admiral Grigorovich and Admiral Essen). The third frigate Admiral Makarov for the Black Sea is undergoing government acceptance tests. The second troika of frigates of project 11356M will be built for India which will also receive project technologies for the construction of the frigates. 

The lead frigate Admiral Gorshkov of project 22350 is undergoing test trials in the Northern fleet. The construction of the second frigate of the project Admiral Kasatonov is nearing completion at the Northern Shipyard. The third frigate Admiral Golovko will be floated in the third quarter of 2017. 

Frigates of projects 11356M and 22350 are armed with the Caliber attack missile complex and can strike both at surface ships and ground objects. 

Navy experts said serial production of corvettes and frigates by enterprises of the United Shipbuilding Corporation decreases costs. Cuts in Russian defense appropriations also prompted the refusal to build big-displacement warships. 

Vedomosti newspaper reported that the latest finance ministry data shows expenditure for national defense will comprise 3.009 trillion rubles in 2016 which is six percent less in nominal value against 2015 (even more because of inflation). The daily said the finance ministry wants the military to cut expenses by another 6 percent in 2017.