On 12 March 2020, Severnaya Verf shipyard (part of the United Shipbuilding Corporation) held the launching of the Retivy multipurpose corvette of Project 20380 (Steregushchiy-class corvette). The Retivy is the Project 20380 fifth ship under construction at the Severnaya Shipyard, the previous four corvettes built by the Shipyard — the Steregushchiy, the Soobrazitelny, the Stoiky and the Boiky — were delivered to the Navy in 2007-2014 and are in service with the Baltic Fleet. The dockside trials of the corvette Retivy are scheduled for the end of this year. The ship full displacement and dimensions are large for a corvette, thus it is designated as a frigate by NATO.
The Steregushchiy class, Russian designation Project 20380, is the newest class of corvettes being built for the Russian Navy. Designed by the Almaz Central Marine Design Bureau, subsequent vessels were built to an improved design (Project 20381), incorporating the Poliment-Redut SAM system. The construction of corvettes involves new materials and advanced technologies reducing their radar visibility. Composite materials and alloys have been developed for the project by Saint-Petersburg based CRISM “Prometey”, the leading material research center in the country. The superstructures for 20380-series corvettes are manufactured by Sredne-Nevsky Shipyard.
The multipurpose corvette’s length is 104 metres, beam is 13 metres, total displacement is 2,200 tons, maximal rate of sailing is up to 27 knots, cruising range – 3,500 miles, endurance – 15 days, crew – 99. Ships of this project intended for green-water escort and strike missions and operations in the near offshore zone against enemy surface ships and submarines as well as artillery support for amphibious assault forces. The ship armament includes a 100-mm ship artillery gun A-190 and two 30-mm artillery guns AK-630, Uran anti-ship missile complex, Redut air defence missile complex, etc. The air group of the ship consists of a Ka-27PL helicopter. The main power plant consists of two 1ДДÐ-12000 diesel units.
