Russia May Export Project 22800 Corvettes To Vietnam, India, China

These ships are very successful: they have a big tonnage, good armament, and Kaliber is the most important thing, Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov said

MOSCOW, July 30. Russia may supply Project 22800 corvettes codenamed Karakurt, armed with the Kaliber missiles, to Vietnam, China, India and other countries of the Asia-Pacific Region, Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov told reporters on Monday.

"These ships are very successful: they have a big tonnage, good armament, and Kaliber is the most important thing. The corvette has an acceptable price, it is small, compact and fast. I believe that it has a good export potential for a number of countries, especially from the Asia-Pacific Region - Vietnam, China, India and others," Borisov said.

Currently, the units of Russia’s Navy, namely the Baltic, the Northern, the Black Sea Fleet and the Caspian flotilla are equipped with the Karakurt-class corvettes, he said. "Now the construction of the first three vessels of this class has been launched at the Eastern shipyard. I think the new models’ production will heighten interest in them."

The Project 22800 corvettes (Karakurt) are a series of Russian multirole artillery missile vessels of the near maritime zone developed by the Almaz Central Maritime Design Bureau. The Russian Navy is due to receive a total of 18 small-sized Project 22800 ships, including the first two in 2018. The vessels are armed with high-precision missiles, modern artillery systems and Russian-made power plants.