The Karakurt class, Russian designation Project 22800 Karakurt, is Russia's latest class of corvettes under construction for the Russian Navy. The class is intended to be a more seaworthy, blue water complement to the Buyan-M class corvettes, which had been designed for the littoral zone and are currently serving in Russia's Caspian Flotilla, Baltic Fleet and Black Sea Fleet. The ships are designed to be armed with the Kalibr or Oniks anti-ship cruise missiles and have an endurance of 15 days. They are also to be a cheap alternative for larger frigates, which construction was delayed due to the suspended military cooperation with Ukraine, and because of Russia's intentions to continue in modernization of its Navy until all necessary tasks for construction of larger vessels domesticaly are solved.
History
Project 22800 was first publicly presented by Almaz during the International Military-Technical Forum «ARMY-2015», held in Kubinka. At the time, the class was presented yet as "Project 12300". During the exhibition, it was also announced 18 ships are planned for construction. The first two ships, Uragan and Taifun, were laid down at the Pella Shipyard in Saint Petersburg on 24 December 2015. In August 2016, it was reported that a total of seven ships have been ordered from the Pella Shipyard, and that five more ships have been ordered from the Zelenodolsk Shipyard. Three of the five ordered ships, Cyclone, Askold and Amur, previously planned to be built by the Zelenodolsk Shipyard, were later laid down at the Zaliv Shipyard in Kerch. On 29 July 2017, the lead ship of the class was launched. The Russian Defence Ministry signed a contract for several more vessels during the International Military-Technical Forum «ARMY-2017». In May 2018, it was reported Mytishchi is undergoing sea trials in Lake Ladoga and the Baltic Sea. During the International Military-Technical Forum «ARMY-2018», the Russian Defence Ministry signed two contracts for construction of another six vessels. Two ships of the order would be built by the Vostochnaya Verf, Vladivostok and four ships by the Amur Shipyard, Komsomolsk-on-Amur. On 16 October 2018, Mytishchi began state tests in the White Sea, and was officially accepted into service on 17 December 2018.
Design
Project 22800 derives from Project 12300 Skorpion, a proposed 1990s Almaz design for a 500-ton displacement missile boat, and was also heavily influenced by Project 21631, the Buyan-M corvettes. Ships of the class have a stealth shaped superstructure with an integrated mast carrying four phased array radar panels. The primary armament consists of Kalibr cruise missiles or P-800 Oniks supersonic anti-ship missiles carried in eight UKSK VLS cells in the rear part of the superstructure, behind the bridge. The corvettes built for the Russian Navy will be equipped with a 76.2 mm AK-176MA automatic dual-purpose gun, a modernized version of the AK-176. However, at least on the first ship, the 100 mm A-190 was installed. A proposed export version may carry the Italian OTO Melara 76 mm gun. For anti-missile defense, the first two ships will only carry a pair of AK-630M gun-based CIWS. Starting from the third ship, they will be equipped with Pantsir-M, a navalized version of the Pantsirsurface-to-air missile system. The project 22800 is not designed for anti-submarine warfare.
