Russia’s Karakurt-class corvettes – slow, but forward

The new commander of the Russian Navy (as of April this year), Adm. Aleksandr Moiseyev, took part in a ceremony in the Caspian Sea in Dagestan, Russia. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the ceremony took place during Moiseyev’s working trip to the Caspian Flotilla. During the ceremony, Moiseyev noted that the program to equip the Russian Navy with “ships armed with precision-guided weaponry” will continue. The pace of production of these ships is slow, mainly because of problems with the supply of main engines, but it is progressing.

Escape from the Black Sea

The Amur (tactical number 646) is the first Karakurt-class corvette to join the Caspian Flotilla. A new version of the project 12418 corvette Tarantul IV was recently launched and also joined the fleet. Amur‘s keel was laid on July 30, 2017, and the launch took place on December 26, 2022.

Amur, like other Karakurt ships built at the “Zelenodol’skiy” Shipyard in Zelenodolsk, in Tatarstan, was to join the Black Sea Fleet. The plans were probably changed as a result of concerns about the actions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. To date, Ukrainian surface drones, SCALP/Storm Shadow cruise missiles and ATACMS ballistic missiles have destroyed or severely damaged several Russian ships in the area. Among them is the Askold, attacked with cruise missiles in Kerch. This Karakurt-class corvette was severely damaged and did not manage to enter service. Another Karakurt, the Tsyklon, was damaged in May this year.

In this situation, most of the valuable ships of the Black Sea Fleet have been withdrawn by the Russians from the Black Sea to the Caspian Sea. However, ships armed with 3M14 cruise missiles of the Kalibr-NK system have a range of about 2,000 km, which means they can still attack land targets on Ukrainian territory without any problems. Most likely, another Karakrut being prepared to raise its flag, the Tucha, will also go to the Caspian Flotilla. Currently, there are four ships armed with the Kalibr-NK system in the Caspian Flotilla: the Dagestan frigate of the project 11661 Gepard and three corvettes of the project 21631 Bujan-M.

Russian project 636.6 Varshavianka-class (Kilo class) conventional submarines, armed with the Kalibr-PL system, are currently operating in the Black Sea. Recently, the Ukrainians reported that all three Kilos went to sea at the same time. These vessels are now the main threats in the Black Sea.

Karakurt with Tor air defence system

Meanwhile, in Kronshtadt on the Baltic Sea, Russian shipspotters photographed Sovetsk (ex-Tayfun), the second ship-in-class. Sovetsk and the first of class, the Mytishchi (ex-Uragan), did not yet have the Pantsir’-M air defense system. It was not ready when the first two corvettes raised their flags. Pantsir’-M integrates two GSh-6-30 six-barrel 30mm caliber rotating guns and eight 57E6 short-range anti-aircraft missiles with a reserve of 32 in two sub-deck magazines. Instead, Mytishchi and Sovetsk are armed with old AK-630M 30mm caliber guns.

The photographed Sovetsk is fitted with an autonomous module of the Tor-M2KM missile air defence system. This is a modular version of the Tor-M2 system, which has been adapted for integration on any type of platform, including ships. The Tor-M2KM is armed with four 9M331 guided missiles, capable of intercepting air targets at distances of up to 15 km. Despite the installation of the Tor module, the AK-630M guns have not been removed.

Previously, the Russians tested the Tor-M2KM module on other Black Sea Fleet ships, including: the Admiral Grigorovich frigate project 11356R, the Pavel Derzhavin and Vasiliy Bykov patrol ships of the project 22160. They were also planned to be installed on Polish-made project 775 landing ships.