Steregushchy-class corvette

The Steregushchy class (стерегущий – "vigilant") is the newest class of corvette in the Russian Navy. It was designed by the Almaz Central Marine Design bureau. The first two were designated Project 2038.0 (or 20380) by the Russian Government; subsequent vessels were built to an improved design, Project 20385. At 2,200 tons it is large for a corvette and is designated as a frigate by NATO. Project 20382 "Tigr" is an export variant that has been ordered by Algeria.

This type has been further developed into the Gremyashchy class corvette.

Programme
The ships of the Steregushchy class are very large multipurpose corvettes, designed to replace the Grisha class. Such ships are used for littoral zone operations, engagement of enemy submarines and surface ships, and gun support of landing operations. The first batch being built at the Severnaya Verf shipyard in St. Petersburg consists of four ships. A second building line has been started at Komsomolsk where orders for at least a further two ships are expected. The lead ship of this second batch will be named Sovershenny. The Russian Navy has publicly announced that they expect to buy at least 30 of these ships, for all four major fleets.

According to Jane's Naval Forces News, the first vessel was commissioned on 14 November 2007.

Export
In 2007 the Indonesian Navy made an agreement in principle (pending a full contract) for four vessels of this type to replace their ageing Dutch-built Fatahillah-class corvettes. The first was to be built in Spain and fitted out in St Petersburg, leaving open the option of Indonesian involvement in building the subsequent ships. This agreement appears to have lapsed; in 2011 Indonesia signed a deal for two Milgem class corvettes from Turkey. Rosoboronexport have briefed Singapore and the UAE on the vessel.

The first actual contract for the export version, Project 20382 Tigr, was signed at the 5th International Maritime Defense Show in St. Petersburg in July 2011 when Algeria ordered two ships. The cost was estimated at US$120–150m/ship. However, since Algeria Navy finally choose 3 C28A from China, which is about the same level of displacement as Steregushchy-class corvette, this contract is doubtful now.

Design
The Steregushchy-class corvettes have a steel hull and composite superstructure, with a bulbous bow and nine watertight subdivisions. They have a combined bridge and command centre, and space and weight provision for eight SS-N-25 missiles. Stealth technology was widely used during construction of the ships, as well as 21 patents and 14 new computer programs. Newest physical field reduction solutions were applied too. As a result, designers considerably reduced the ship's radar signature thanks to hull architecture and fire-resistant radar-absorbent fiberglasses applied in tophamper's design.

The Kashtan CIWS on the first ship was replaced in subsequent vessels by 12 Redut VLS cells containing 9M96E medium-range SAMs of the S-400 system. SS-N-27 (3M-54 Klub) cruise missiles will be fitted to a larger domestic version, Project 20385 starting with the sixth vessel, Provornyy, although 20385 is the name sometimes applied to all ships with the Redut.

The export version known as Project 20382 Tigr carries either eight supersonic SS-N-26 (P-800 Yakhont) anti-shipping missiles or sixteen subsonic SS-N-25 'Switchblade' (Kh-35E Uran). It also carries two twin-tube launchers for 533mm heavy torpedoes. The A-190E 100mm gun first used in the Talwar class frigates is controlled by a 5P-10E system that can track four targets simultaneously. Protection from air attacks is provided by the Kashtan CIWS and eight mounts for the SA-N-10 'Grouse' (9K38 Igla) SAM.

Operational history

 * Steregushchiy started sea trials in November 2006 and was commissioned in the Baltic fleet on 14 November 2007.
 * Soobrazitelnyy, the second ship in the class, was launched on 31 March 2010, was expected to start sea trials in November/December 2010. Soobrazitelnyy was commissioned in October 2012.

Units
Italics indicate estimates