By TASS Russian news agency
Project 22350 frigates are blue-water warships that fight hostile warships and submarines and repel air attacks solo and in groups.
“Eighteen R&D were implemented in project 22350. It is now a completely new and successful warship that differs from the initial design.”
Expert Viktor Murakhovsky
Russian new-generation frigates were reported in late 1990s when Soviet-built warships became outdated. Soviet warships had various types, which complicated maintenance. It was decided to build a series of new-generation frigates.
The Admiral Gorshkov lead frigate was laid by Severnaya Verf Shipyard on February 1, 2006. The Admiral Kasatonov followed in late November 2009. They were both powered by Ukrainian-made gas-turbine engines. The Russian-Ukrainian cooperation in engine construction existed since Soviet times. However, in 2014 Ukraine fully disrupted military-technical cooperation with Russia, thus triggering problems with the construction of project 22350.
“Project 22350 was under threat six years ago, as Russia did not produce gas-turbine engines. Saturn enterprise in Rybinsk was in charge of rectifying the situation. It had to develop high-tech engines from scratch.”
Expert Vasily Dadykin.
In 2018, Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov said Russia had replaced Ukrainian power plants in its air and naval hardware. The issue of Ukrainian import replacement was closed.
The Admiral Golovko offers an example. It was floated in St. Petersburg in 2020 with M55R fully Russian power plant. It comprises M90FR gas-turbine engine of maximum 27500 HP capacity, 10D49 diesel engine of 5200 HP, RO55R reducer and transmission. Saturn Managing Director Viktor Polyakov said the Russian gas-turbine engines are more reliable than Ukrainian ones produced by 1960-1980 technologies. Specific fuel consumption is lower and the time between overhaul is bigger. The power plant has a modern control system and unique vibration and parameter diagnostics, which have not been used before on Russian warships. New Russian gas-turbine engines are universal and can power warships of various classes.
“The launch of batch production of power plants for Russian frigates in Rybinsk is a major breakthrough. All the conditions have been created for the Russian Navy to receive a new frigate in 2022.”
Expert Vasily Dadykin
Eight frigates of project 22350 are built. Six of them will have Russian-made engines.
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