Posted on 05/28/2017 11:00:21 PM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
The Almaz Central Maritime Design Bureau offers an export version of the Project 22800E corvette equipped with Italian-made 76-mm gun mount OTO Melara, diesel engines MTU and radioelectronic weapons Thales, reports Mil.Today referring to the design bureau.
Potential buyers are also offered a fully import-substituted version with Russian engines, the gun mount and radars. The export version of the Project 22800E debuted at the Army-2016 defense show.
The corvette version fitted with imported components may be more interesting for foreign customers, the design bureau staff told Mil.Today. The question is primarily about the Indian Navy which is going for maximal diversification in weapons and military hardware.
The "Italian" variant of the exported Karakurt-class can be equipped with 76-mm gun mount OTO Melara. Its fire rate is 85-120 rounds per min, range varies from 16 to 20 km. Similar Russian gun mount AK-176MA is a bit heavier and has shorter firing range (15.7 km), but higher rate (up to 130 rounds per min). On March 2, 2017, the Arsenal machine factory (St. Petersburg) reported on successful completion of the gun mount's trials.
76-mm gun mount OTO Melara+
Leonardocompany
According to an insider in the Almaz design bureau, in contrast to Russian gun integrated in the ship's weapons and fire control system, the Italian alternative will need the new one. Konstantin Sivkov, Capt 1 Rank and Doctor of Military Science, says the slightly better characteristics of Italian gun do not ensure the critical advantage. "The point is the fire rate, as the key threat for a corvette is air attack, namely, cruise missiles and aircraft. Artillery duels are rare at sea today. This gun will deal with long-range air defense, at 10-12 km. What prevails here is integration into the ship’s common air defense system and high fire rate". The expert added that if such gun mount was not initially integrated, targeting and lock-on data transmission would slow down critically. According to him, for Karakurt-class corvettes the Russian gun is better, especially, in the air defense issues. Along with AK-630 and aiming systems, these guns make a closed-loop air defense system, operating effectively within their range.
For the Russian Navy, Karakurt corvettes will be armed with the Caliber-NK missile strike system, the 76-mm gun mount and the antiaircraft gun/missile system. The ship’s displacement is 800 tons, speed is 30 knots, endurance is 15 days.
Project 22800 corvette was designed by the Almaz bureau as an alternative for Project 11356 frigates which construction is delayed. Totally, the Navy plans to obtain up to 23 Karakurt-class corvettes.
Although the project’s lead corvette was supposed to be commissioned in May 2017, the deadline was postponed then. According to the shipyard, the corvette named Uragan will be handed over in December, so join the Russian Navy only in 2018.
I’ll take one for “$1,000, Alex!
Ed
Good thing, they cannot shoot their way out of a wet paper bag.
The Russians do not send a ship to sea without beau coup ordnance. Of course, how many of those weapon systems may work if the shooting starts..............
Why on earth just one gun mount? Thought by now someone would have figured out its the weak link.
That's the reason. Medium calibre guns are petty low on priority these days. Too short ranged for SuW or AAW, the only use is shore bombardment. Which is why every warship designed by anyone in the last 30 years has kept one for backup (and tradition), but they are no longer the primary weapon system.
The gun is a backup. This ship, like every other surface warship these days is primarily a missile combatant and indeed it has eight VLS missile cells that it can ripple fire. The gun’s use (as noted by the above poster) is for shore bombardment and engagement of surface or air targets not worth expending a missile on (think Somali pirates in speedboats or similar.)
Now, if GM would build Corvettes like that, sales would rocket.
See 10
That’s exactly what I thought when I saw the headline.
What good is a 3” gun on a boat? What are they going to shoot, houses on the beach? You are not going to engage another ship with a 3” gun, let alone most military equipment today.
The perfect car for driving to work if you live in Detroit, Toledo, Chicago, Portland, Atlanta or Los Angeles. 8^]
Think Somali pirates.
A lot smaller, but outguns the LCS. Probably better for a brown water fleet, but missing the copter.
3” is the biggest you can use on the Great Lakes as a result of the end of the War of 1812/Napoleonic Wars. So it’s always good to have 3” capability.
Also useful against smugglers and pirates that aren’t worth a multi-million dollar missile.
76 mm = 2.99212598 inches. Equivalent to a 3 inch naval gun, the kind the Jap whalers should mount to blow away the greenie pirates and cargo ships use to sink Somali raiders.
Anti-whaler pirates and Somali raiders come to mind, and Iranian speedboats.
Does the Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, KY, have any of these?
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