In the naval ranges of the Baltic Fleet, the Gremyashchi corvettes practiced tasks of searching, detecting and destroying a mock enemy as part of a planned tactical exercise. The crew of corvette Gremyashchiy has tested the Poliment-Redut (S-350E Vityaz 50R6 with 9M96E guided missile) anti-aircraft missile system against naval targets in the Baltic Sea. The missile can destroy aerodynamic targets at a distance of 400 km and an altitude of 35 km. The missile shooting was carried out in the conditions of active use of electronic countermeasures.
The Gremyashchiy corvette has tested for the first time the AK-190 naval gun and AK-630 close-in-weapon-system (CIWS). The Burevestnik A190 is a lightweight shipboard 100mm single-barrel, multi-purpose, automatic naval gun designed to engage surface ships, airborne and coastal targets. It can fire High Explosive (HE) projectiles with impact fuze and Anti-Aircraft (AA) projectiles with time fuze. This naval guns system provides a maximum rate of fire of 80 rounds per minute and can engage targets at ranges of up to 20 kilometers.
The AK-630 is a Russian fully automatic naval close-in weapon system based on a six-barreled 30 mm rotary cannon. In “630”, “6” means 6 barrels and “30” means 30 mm. However it can also be employed against fixed or rotary wing aircraft, ships and other small craft, coastal targets, and floating mines. The AK-630 was one of the first ever CIWS systems: when it was developed, there were no Phalanx, DARDO or Goalkeeper systems; however, the long development time of the AK-630 partially negated this advantage.
Gremyashchiy-class corvettes are very large multipurpose vessels, designed to complement the Steregushchiy class already being commissioned with the Russian Navy. They have been designed to have an improved habitability for higher endurance missions, and are able to launch cruise missiles. Compared with the Soobrazitelny, Boikiy, Sovershennyy and Stoikiy ships, which are fitted with Redut air defense VLS system of 12 launchers on the bow, these new ships are equipped with a UKSK VLS system comprising eight launchers for either Kalibr, Oniks or Zircon anti-ship/cruise missiles.
