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Project 2038.0 Steregushchy Corvette

In April 2001, Russia Navy Commander-in-Chief, Adm Vladimir Kuroyedov, stated that the Navy was starting construction of the new Project 2038.0 corvette. These ships are designed for coastal patrol, escort and antisubmarine warfare operations. The first of class was scheduled to be laid down at the Severnaya Verf shipyard in St Petersburg in late 2001. The design of this 1,900 ton stealthy corvette was developed by the Almaz Central Marine Design bureau. Almaz was chosen over six other competitors to develop the Project 2038.0 class.

This is apparently the first concrete indication of the fact of the existence of this previously un-attested project. The Almaz Central Marine Design Bureau is a leading builder of patrol craft that served with the border guard forces and customs service. In 1997 the Almaz Central Marine Design Bureau mentioned work on a project for a new multi-role frigate, enabling any country to build a Navy capable of protecting its economic interests. According to the Almaz CMDB, a ship of this type must:

have a cruising range of up to 10,000 miles;
have an endurance of up to 60 days;
have facilities to carry out electronic monitoring of warships, vessels and aircraft;
have small boats to carry inspection teams;
carry a helicopter;
have facilities to monitor the environment;
be armed to fire warning shots and conduct fire for effect against trespassers;
chase intruder ships at a speed of 20 to 25 knots;
have equipment to reel in and store illegal fishing equipment on board;
The displacement of this ship was projected to be 1,500 to 1,800 tons and it can carry a variety of armaments. The ship can be armed with gun mounts outfitted with 30 to 100mm guns and with gun fire control systems varying from the simplest optic to complex radar systems. Depending on the missions to be accomplished, the ship's weaponry may include attack missiles or ASW weapons systems, and it would be so designed as to allow quick installation of additional armament and machinery to extend capabilities in case of armed conflicts.

The new ship will get the name "Steregushchy" [Steregushchiy] or "Guarding". The name "Steregushchy" commemorates the heroic exploit of two sailors from the torpedo boat "Steregushchy" during the Russian-Japanese War. Surrounded by the enemy navy, the sailors preffered death to captivity: they went down to the hold and scuttled the ship.

This class should not be confused with the Project 3151.1 Steregushchy Borderguard Corvette design concept unveiled in 1999.

The new corvette of 2000 tons displacement and 100 meters long boasts high speed and autonomous navigation. Its firing power makes it possible to strike at surface and underwater targets, coastal facilities and targets in the air. Along with standard equipment the corvette will carry cruise missiles and KA-27 multi-purpose shipborne helicopter.

The project 2038.0 has a low upper hull super structure without a protrusion to the rear. It has a large enclosed radome on top of the bridge and a low main mast with a large rectangular radar dish on top of it.

The corvette reveals new concepts of the hull's design. A distinctive feature is the use of the stealth technology, which makes the corvette less detectable by radars, acoustics, infra-red equipment and control of infra-red radiation. The basic set of invisibility paraphernalia, such as, the smooth, corner-free hull, a special type of paint and carbonaceous coating, is an original Russian design, which is classified at the moment. Corvettes of this type will also be built for coastal guard units.

The multi-purpose patrol ship is called the ship of the 21st century. Experts believe that with the appearance of state-of-the-art weapons, compact and more effective, there is a growing demand for this kind of small "stealth" ships. According to the military, the new corvette will become a significant event in ship-building across the world.

The construction of a multi-purpose patrol ship got underway on the stocks of the "Severnaya Verf" shipyard in St. Petersburg in December 2001. The first ship of the series will join the Russian Navy in 2005.

Russian Navy orders for the Project 2038.0 1800-ton Steregushchy class corvette signaled a recovery for domestic naval business. Construction is underway on the first hulls for these classes. Russia would like to build 10 Project 2038.0 corvettes if funding continues is available. The second hull, Soobrazitelny, was laid down on 20 May 2003. Russian Navy Commander-in-Chief Adm. Vladimir Kuroyedov said at the keel-laying ceremony said that at least 20 of the corvettes would be built.

On 24 July 2004 RIA Novosti reported that Navy Commander-in-Chief Vladimir Kuroyedov said that smaller surface vessels and boats will have to be discarded first, as their service life is shorter than that of larger vessels. "The firstborn of our surface shipbuilding is the corvette - a new multifunctional littoral combat ship, which combines qualities of anti-submarine ships and missile carriers," the Russian Navy chief said, citing the Steregushchy and the Soobrazitelny by way of example.

Five such vessels will join the Russian Navy by 2010 at one year intervals.