Ten Buyan-M class missile corvettes (photo) armed with Kalibr cruise missiles will join the Russian Navy by the end of 2019, Navy Deputy Commander Rear Admiral Viktor Bursuk said Friday.
The Navy previously said that it planned to receive six such warships.
“By the end of 2019, the entire series of these ships will be built, which is about 10,” Bursuk said, speaking on the Rossiya-24 television channel.
Buyan-M is a 950-ton displacement ship that is 74 meters (243 feet) long with a top speed of 45 kph (28 mph). Among other armament elements, the vessel has eight vertical launch tubes holding 3K14 Kalibr or older missiles models. The ship can carry the Kalibr missiles that were used by Russia against Islamic State militants earlier this month.
Furthermore, the nuclear guided-missile cruiser Admiral Nakhimov is expected to replace the flagship cruiser of the Russian Navy's Northern Fleet, Pyotr Velikiy, by 2020 as the latter is scheduled for maintenance, Navy Deputy Commander Rear Adm. Viktor Bursuk said Friday.
“As of today, the Russian Navy's combat strength is only two nuclear guided-missile cruisers, the Admiral Nakhimov and Pyotr Velikiy, which is the flagship of the Northern Fleet. Apparently, the ship requires modernization. Sevmash shipyard is currently completing the deep modernization [of the Admiral Nakhimov]. It will finish [its overhaul] by the turn of the 20s when it will replace the Pyotr Velikiy,” Bursuk said.
The Admiral Nakhimov is the third of four Kirov-class guided-missile cruisers operated by the Soviet and then Russian Navy from 1980 to 1998.
Russia is currently conducting a $325-billion rearmament program to modernize 70% of its military by 2020.
