A new Russian corvette has completed sea trials, paving the way for commissioning into service.
On December 17, 2018, the Eastern Military District’s press service announced that Gromkiy, a corvette of Project 20380, had finished sea trials. The reported noted, “During the state testing, the ship’s crew and representatives for the plant trial crew carried out the maneuver and speed testing of the corvette in cooperation with members of the state admission board, as well as checked the operation of all sets, systems and bends, navigation and radio technical means and the ship’s arms.”
TASS reported that the corvette’s sea trials were conducted with the use of “10 naval ships and support vessels” as well as Tu-22M3 bombers, MiG-31s, Su-35s, and the anti-submarine vessels Tu-142 and Il-38.
The completion of sea trials clears the way for Gromkiy to enter service with the Pacific Fleet, which is expected either late this year or early in 2019. Speaking to Krasnaya Zvezda earlier in December, Pacific Fleet commander Admiral Sergei Avakyants stated that Gromkiy would be commissioned by the end of the month.
The vessel will be the sixth in the line of corvettes to join the Russian Navy and the second for the Pacific Fleet. Further vessels of this class and related developments — like Project 20385 — are to enter service in the coming years. The lead vessel of Project 20385, Gremyashchiy, should enter service in the Pacific Fleet in 2019, which will be the first vessel in that fleet to carry the Kalibr cruise missile.
Military markets analyst, covering Eurasia, Middle East, and Africa.
