Latest Project 12700 minesweeper takes to the water
Project 12700 mine countermeasures vessel Pyotr Ilyichev. (Photo: TASS)
The Alexandrit-class mine countermeasures vessel Pyotr Ilyichev was launched on 28 April.
United Shipbuilding Corporation company Sredne-Nevsky Shipyard launched the Project 12700 Alexandrit-class mine countermeasures (MCM) ship Pyotr Ilyichev on 28 April, according to state-run Russian news agency TASS.
Pyotr Ilyichev was laid down in July 2018 as the fifth serial production Project 12700 MCM vessel for the Russian Navy, and the sixth overall in the Alexandrit class.
Shephard Defence Insight notes that Alexandrit-class vessels carry a complement of 44. They are armed with a 30mm AK-306 naval gun, a 14.5mm machine gun on a pedestal mount and a 9K38 Igla SAM system for defence against low-flying aircraft and small boats.
The minesweepers displace 890t and measure 62m in length, with a 10m beam and a draught of 2.6m. Their maximum speed is 16.5kt and their range is 1,600nmi at a cruising speed of 10kt.
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