The newest corvette of the project 20386 “Mercury” may be the first of the Russian ships, completely built according to the concept of “stealth”. Previously, some elements of stealth technologies, including radio-absorbing coating, were used on Russian ships, but the concept of a low-visibility ship has not yet been fully implemented. АиФ.ги I understood the prospects of the first Russian stealth ship.
How to make a corvette “invisible”?
As part of the concept, the stealth superstructure of the corvette will have a special shape: they will minimize the number of protruding elements and cracks, as well as apply various radio-absorbing coatings, composite materials and special paints over the entire area of the hull. According to the designers, the 100-meter ship will reflect the radio signal like a small fishing boat.
Project 20386 “Mercury” corvette is a new generation ship based on Project 20385, a 2nd-rank multi-purpose corvette with guided missile weapons of the near and far sea zone, which was planned to be armed with Russian cruise missiles “Caliber” and hypersonic anti-ship missiles.cruise missiles «Zircon & raquo;. The stealth ship will be implemented on the modular principle of weapons, it will be based on drones. The first ship of this project, called “Daring”, was laid down on October 28, 2016. The transfer to the fleet is scheduled for 2022.
Why do we need an invisible ship?
The purpose of invisible corvettes is to conduct combat operations against the sea enemy in the near and far sea zones, as well as artillery support for amphibious landings. The ship is charged with the protection of maritime communications and objects of maritime economic activity from the attacks of enemy air attack means by an anti-aircraft missile system. The ships of this project will be able to hit enemy vessels with cruise missiles, search for and destroy submarines, provide anti-aircraft defense with the help of an anti-aircraft missile system and provide artillery support during landing.
Currently, the hull of the first corvette of this series is completely completed, and the ship’s superstructures are being formed. Special tests of the effectiveness of Mercury’s stealth technology are planned to confirm its stealth characteristics.
Former commander of the small rocket ship Captain 3rd rank Bulat Azimzhanov he believes that the Project 20386 corvette can remain a unique testing ground until the technologies are honed here until they reach perfection.
“While this project raises quite a lot of questions, it has not yet selected the necessary propulsion system, the design of the radar system is also in doubt, it is not clear how the weapons systems will be placed there. When creating the first ship, corvettes of the “Mercury” type may face problems with the lack of necessary technologies, access to which is limited for Russian shipbuilders. To create it, you will need additional funds and time, ” the expert summed up.