Saint-Petersburg, Russia based Sredne-Nevsky Shipyard (SNSZ, a subsidiary of the United Shipbuilding Corporation) on August 4 2016 launched a multideck fiberglass superstructure for the 20380-series corvette, being constructed at Severnaya Verf Shipyard. The shipbuilding firm says, the superstructure will soon be towed to the customer for its further installation on the ship.
SNSZ has already delivered five similar topside structures for Project 20380 corvettes and one for the 20385-series corvette to Severnaya Verf and the Amur Shipyard.
The composite materials were chosen for the superstructure primarily due to the high demands of weight, strength and non-flammability. Previously, the shipbuilder used aluminum for weight saving but the main drawback of this material is its easy flammability and emission of harmful emissions during combustion, the shipbuilder said.
The composite material does not burn and is even lighter, making it an ideal solution for the ship, as it allows to install more shipboard equipment and armament.
The shipbuilding firm has launched two new facilities for the manufacture of panels for the corvettes superstructure (projects 20380/20385.)
The history of Sredne-Nevsky Shipyard based in Saint-Petersburg dates back to 1912. Today the shipyard is a subsidiary of the Russian shipbuilding conglomerate the United Shipbuilding Corporation. The company is a leader in composite shipbuilding in Russia. The vessels are manufactured from conventional steel, composite materials, low-magnetic steel, aluminum-magnesium alloys. The shipyard has built over 500 warships and vessels of 43 designs for the Russian Navy and foreign customers.
The United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC OJSC) was set up in 2007 with 100% federal ownership. The Corporation comprises 60 companies and organizations (major shipbuilding and ship repair companies as well as leading naval architecture and marine engineering firms). Currently, USC consolidates about 80% of the domestic shipbuilding complex. The Russian market is the main focus of the shipbuilding group but it also exports its products to 20 countries worldwide.