Latest Project 20380 corvette embarks on sea trials
The newest The Project 20380 (Steregushchiy-class) corvette Merkuriy pictured during sea trials in the Baltic. (Photo: WRK)
The new Steregushchiy-class corvette Merkuriy was destined for the Black Sea Fleet but the Russian Navy will have to change its plans.
The newest Project 20380 (Steregushchiy-class) corvette for the Russian Navy has begun sea trials in the Baltic.
Images of the vessel, formerly Retiviy but since renamed Merkuriy, emerged on 21 May on social media.
The vessel was laid down in February 2015 and was launched in March 2020, with the original intention of assigning it to the Black Sea Fleet.
However, this plan is likely to change as Turkey invoked a clause in the Montreux Convention that bans new vessels from entering the Black Sea during a time of war.
A total of 18 Steregushchiy-class corvettes have been ordered. Merkuriy will be the eighth Project 20380 vessel to enter Russian Navy service if it completes its trial period successfully.
The corvettes each displace 2,200t, are 104.5m long , have a beam of 11m and a draught of 3.7m.
Their maximum speed is 27kt and the vessels have a range of 3,800nmi at 14kt.
Project 20380 corvettes are armed with Kh-35, 3M-54 and Grisson missiles. The main gun is an Arsenal A190 100mm weapon supported by two 30mm six-barrelled AK-630M automatic gun mounts that can fire up to 5,000 rounds a minute with a range of 5,000m.
Related Programmes in Defence Insight
Steregushchy Class (Project 20380) (1-10)
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Naval Warfare
-
![Competitive P17B tender marks a shift in Indian Navy frigate procurement]()
Competitive P17B tender marks a shift in Indian Navy frigate procurement
The Indian Navy's P17B programme is expected to combine greater weapons capacity with a competitive domestic construction model, although key systems could remain dependent on international supply chains.
-
![How France’s SNLE 3G programme is reshaping the naval nuclear industrial base]()
How France’s SNLE 3G programme is reshaping the naval nuclear industrial base
Extending far beyond a four-submarine replacement programme, France’s ballistic missile submarine effort is a decades-long industrial initiative designed to preserve the country’s ability to build and sustain nuclear-powered strategic platforms.
-
![Quantum Systems enters maritime domain with Baltic-focused USV and UUV]()
Quantum Systems enters maritime domain with Baltic-focused USV and UUV
Quantum Systems has launched into the maritime domain with Seavex and Subvex, aiming to close a Baltic Sea ISR gap opened by infrastructure sabotage.
-
![Suppliers await next step in Australia’s mine warfare transition]()
Suppliers await next step in Australia’s mine warfare transition
Australia’s mine countermeasure capability remains in flux as the Huon-class nears retirement, but accelerated investment in autonomous systems is opening a path for industry.
-
![Can the US Navy ask Indo-Pacific allies to do more while training with them less?]()
Can the US Navy ask Indo-Pacific allies to do more while training with them less?
As the Iran War draws US ships and marine corps units away from the Indo-Pacific, curtailed exercises and a temporary carrier gap are exposing tensions between Washington’s demand for more self-reliant allies and the joint training needed to realise that ambition.
