Russia’s first Project 20385 corvette Gremyashchy ready for June 30 launch

The lead ship of Russian Navy’s new Project 20385 corvettes, Gremyashchy, was rolled out of the factory hall and placed on the open slipway ahead of her launch on June 30.

The Severnaya Verf shipyard rolled out the corvette on June 19 and is yet to assemble her topmast and underwater parts.

Designed by the Almaz Central Marine Design bureau, Gremyashchy-class corvettes are an advanced variant of Steregushchy-class (Project 20380) multi-purpose corvettes in service with the Russian Navy since 2007.

Severnaya Verf started construction of Gremyashchy in May 2011 and the keel-laying ceremony was held in February 2012.

The ship received Russian-built turbine engines in 2016 which were delivered after sanctions on Russia prevented German company MTU from delivering the original engines.

Project 20385 corvettes displace 2,200 tonnes and measure 104 meters in length.

They are equipped with Kalibr-NK cruise missiles, the Redut air defense system and the small-size anti-submarine torpedo system Paket. The corvettes also feature a hangar and flight deck for the Ka-27 naval helicopter.