With the launch of the Provornyy, the Russian Navy records important progress in the incorporation of the new class of Gremyashchy-class corvettes (also called Project 20385). However, launching the second unit has not been without challenges and vicissitudes for these new vessels. Western sanctions imposed since the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and, in the particular case of this unit, a fire during its construction, have generated significant delays in the incorporation of this class that would serve as a complement to the Steregushchiy class corvettes in which base their design.
Following what was reported by Russian media, on June 18 the Severnaya shipyard, located in the city of Saint Petersburg, held the launching ceremony of the Provornyy for the Russian Navy. The construction of this Gremyashchiy-class corvette began in 2013. However, it has not been plagued by delays due to Western sanctions caused by the annexation of Crimea in 2014, as well as a major fire that occurred in December 2019 that It affected the superstructure of the corvette, causing it to be rebuilt.
Emerging as an improved version of the Steregushchiy corvettes, the Gremyashchy feature expanded capabilities and superior autonomy at sea. This was originally due to the incorporation of new components of German origin provided by companies such as MTU and Renk. More in detail, with the new Rolls-Royce MTU 16V1163 TB93 engines and a Renk gearbox. In addition, controllable pitch propellers were introduced for the first time, a novelty on Russian ships, but also being supplied by Western companies.
Western sanctions caused German companies to withdraw from the project, causing the engine compartments to be redesigned to house similar or equivalent components of Russian origin. Added to all these problems with Western suppliers, in the month of December 2021 a major fire destroyed important sectors of the Proworny superstructure and subwork, which had to be rebuilt and replaced, generating greater delays.
The launching of this corvette, which will be destined for the Pacific Fleet of the Russian Navy, allows us to begin a new stage of tests in port, such as navigation, in order to evaluate the changes generated in the design by the inclusion of new components that replaced those of Western origin. A point of comparison will be to contrast the capabilities between the Gremyashchy, which has these parts, and the Proworny, in order to reveal improvements to the rest of the class, which is made up of four additional units; called: Buiniy, Razumnyy, Bystriy and Retiviy, built by the AMUR shipyard.
Finally, among the characteristics of these 2,500-ton displacement ships, we can highlight the presence of new Zaslon radars equipped with eight AESA antennas and operating in the S and X bands. In terms of weapons, the Redut defense system has been replaced by a UKSK 3S14UK2 vertical missile launch system, which allows it to launch 3M54 anti-ship, 3M14 cruise and 91R2 anti-submarine missiles.
You may be interested Through agreements with Russia, the Indian Army received its first batch of new T-90 MKIII tanks manufactured under license
