Keel-laying ceremony was held today, February 1st, at Severnaya Verf Shipyard for the third frigate of project 22350 Admiral Golovko, the shipbuilding firm said.
The official ceremony was attended by Russian Navy Commander-in-Chief Adm. Vladimir Vysotsky, commanders of the Baltic, Pacific, Northern, Black Sea fleets and the Caspian Flotilla.
Lead ship of the project – Admiral Gorshkov – is being outfitted at the yard's wall and will start trials in 2012. The second hull – Admiral Kasatonov – will be launched this year, Rusnavy reported.
Project 22350 multipurpose frigates developed by Severnoye Design Bureau are large seagoing warships capable to accomplish wide range of tasks. Design displacement is 4,500 tons; length is 130 meters; beam is 16 meters; draft is 4.5 meters; max speed 30 knots. Ships of the project are armed with Caliber-NK missile system with 32 Onyx and Caliber missiles capable to hit sea and coastal targets, Poliment-Redut SAM system, Paket ASW system, one 130-mm gun mount A-192, two Palash gun/missile close-in systems, and Ka-27PL ASW helicopter.
St. Petersburg-based Severnaya Verf (Northern Shipyard) is a leading shipbuilding company of the Russian defense industry. The firm has been part of Moscow-based United Industrial Corporation since 2004. The shipyard specializes in building cruisers, destroyers, minesweepers, patrol vessels and antisubmarine, research and passenger vessels, timber cargo carriers, trawlers, container ships and Ro-Ro vessels for the Russian Defense Ministry and foreign customers.