Russia launches 14th Project 03160 ‘Raptor’ patrol boat

Russian shipbuilder Pella Shipyards has launched the navy’s 14th Project 03160 high speed patrol boat.

Boat number 12 was commissioned into Russian Navy service with the Baltic Fleet in 2017, while the 13th vessel was launched in August 2017.

The boats are also referred to as “Raptors” and are the fastest vessels in the Russian Navy, capable of reaching of up to 50 knots, according to the shipbuilder.

All boats in the class are built by Pella Shipyards at its facility in Otradnoye, Leningrad region.

The 2200 hp, 17-meter ships are designed to navigate the coastal zone of seas, straits and mouths of rivers during ice-free periods. They can transport up to 20 persons and operate within 100 miles of the shore.

The boats are armed with a 14.5 millimeter gun with a remotely controlled with a gyro-stabilized electro-optical module (GOEM). They also have two 7.62 mm 6P41 “Pecheneg” machine guns.

Raptors are strikingly similar in design to the Swedish Combat Boat 90 (CB 90) which the Swedish shipbuilder Dockstavarvet has been delivering to the Swedish Navy since 1989. It has, however, never been confirmed that Project 03160 boats are licensed copies of the Swedish design.