Project 22350 frigate
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| Project 22350 frigate | |
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| Name | Project 22350 frigate |
| Caption | A Project 22350-class frigate underway |
| Builder | Severnaya Verf |
| Country | Russia |
| Type | Frigate |
| Displacement | ~5,400 tonnes (full load) |
| Length | 135 m |
| Beam | 16.5 m |
| Draught | 4.5 m |
| Propulsion | CODAG (gas turbines and diesel) |
| Speed | ~29 kn |
| Range | ~4,500 nmi |
| Complement | 170 |
Project 22350 frigate is a modern Russian Soviet-era successor surface combatant class developed in the post-Soviet era for the Russian Navy blue-water ambitions. Designed at Severnoye Design Bureau and constructed primarily at Severnaya Verf, the class integrates contemporary United Shipbuilding Corporation industrial technology with missile, air-defence and anti-submarine systems aimed at replacing older Krivak, Neustrashimy and leftover Sovremenny roles. The program has involved strategic interaction with entities such as United Aircraft Corporation for propulsion collaboration and procurement arrangements involving Rosoboronexport and the Ministry of Defence.
Design and development
The design emerged from post–Cold War analyses at Severnoye Design Bureau and Almaz Central Marine Design Bureau reflecting lessons from operations involving Black Sea Fleet, Baltic Fleet, Northern Fleet, and Pacific Fleet task groups during incidents like the Russo-Georgian War and collisions in Mediterranean Sea operations. Initial hull form combines influences from Krivak-class frigate, Admiral Gorshkov prototypes, and export concepts evaluated by Rosoboronexport for potential buyers such as India, Vietnam, and China. Procurement decisions were shaped by political actors including Vladimir Putin, budget cycles in the State Duma, and industrial consolidation under United Shipbuilding Corporation. Design priorities included integration of the Poliment-Redut air-defence system, modular mission bays, and quieting measures informed by studies at Krylov State Research Center and acoustic research at Akvamarine Research Institute.
Armament and sensors
Armament centers on the vertical launch system derived from Kalibr family cruise missiles and adaptations for the Oniks and projected Zircon hypersonic missiles, coordinated with combat management from systems by Almaz-Antey and sensor suites from Phazotron-NIIR. The main gun is a 100 mm A-190 in a turret developed by MPO "MPO" OJSC with fire control by Radar-MMS variants. Air-defence relies on the Poliment-Redut VLS integrating missiles related to 9M96 and 9M100 derivatives, while close-in defence includes Palma/AK-630 systems and possible integration of Shtil-1 launchers. Anti-submarine warfare employs launchers for RBU-6000 and torpedo systems compatible with UGST and Type 53-65 family torpedoes, aided by hull-mounted sonars and towed array systems developed by Tikhwave Scientific Center and NPO "SPE "Echosignal". Electronic warfare and decoy systems come from KRET and Tornado-class countermeasures. Airborne operations use the Ka-27 and potential Ka-52K embarked helicopters for ASW and over-the-horizon targeting.
Propulsion and performance
The class uses a CODAG arrangement combining gas turbines by Zorya-Mashproekt (for export variants) and Russian gas turbines from NPO Saturn, paired with diesel engines from Kolomna Plant in gearboxes by Rybinsk Turbine Works. Speed and endurance figures were tested at facilities including Sevmash and validated during sea trials in the Barents Sea and Baltic Sea. Maneuvering and acoustic signatures were refined with inputs from Admiralty Shipyards and trials overseen by officers with experience from Northern Fleet destroyer squadrons. Performance upgrades have been proposed to improve range to match Udaloy-class destroyer endurance and to accommodate heavier payloads similar to export Admiral Gorshkov configurations showcased at MAKS Air Show and NAVDEX displays.
Variants and modifications
Planned derivatives include export-configured hulls offered by Rosoboronexport to partners like India (conceptual interest), Vietnam (signal-level contacts), and Egypt during naval modernization talks. Domestic modifications involve integration of alternative gas turbines from NPO Saturn after sanctions affected procurement from Zorya-Mashproekt, as evidenced by procurement shifts tied to Crimea crisis sanctions regimes. Weapons and sensor blocks have seen iterative updates, including upgraded Poliment-Redut missiles, proposed installation of Zaslon radar arrays, and mission bay adaptations for unmanned surface vessel deployment inspired by Project 22160 trials and Project 22800 littoral ship experiments.
Operational history
Frigates entered service with commissioning ceremonies attended by officials from Ministry of Defence and naval commanders from Northern Fleet and Baltic Fleet, deploying to theaters including the Mediterranean Sea, North Atlantic, and Barents Sea for escort and task group operations alongside Admiral Kuznetsov and Admiral Gorshkov-class units. Deployments supported operations linked to the Syrian Civil War maritime logistics, port calls at Tartus and Novorossiysk, and exercises with navies such as India (Indo-Russian naval exercises), China (Joint Sea exercises), and South Africa in multinational maneuvers. Exercises included live-fire missile launches evaluated by observers from Russian Ministry of Defence analysis units and reported in defense summaries by Interfax and TASS.
Operators and production
Primary operator is the Russian Navy with shipyards including Severnaya Verf and supply-chain partners like Admiralty Shipyards under the umbrella of United Shipbuilding Corporation. International sales were pursued through Rosoboronexport with noted interest from India and diplomatic discussions involving officials from Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation and defence ministries of potential buyers. Production numbers have been affected by budgetary allocations debated in the State Duma and sanctions-related equipment sourcing issues linked to the European Union and United States export controls.
Incidents and losses
Operational incidents have included machinery casualties during trials, damage from collisions reported in press outlets such as TASS and Interfax, and reported electronic warfare disruptions in contested zones like the Black Sea during heightened tensions following events linked to the Crimea crisis and subsequent maritime security incidents near Kerch Strait. No class-wide catastrophic combat losses have been publicly confirmed; individual non-combat mishaps prompted inquiries involving investigative bodies such as Russian Investigative Committee and maintenance overhauls at Severnaya Verf and Krylov Shipbuilding Research Institute yards.
Category:Frigates of Russia