Project 21631: Buyan-M missile ship

Earlier I wrote about the fact that there was a plan to increase the combat kit of the UKSK for small missile ships of project 21631 "Buyan-M".
In this picture, the mock-up of project 21635 "Sarsar" was presented at "Army-2022"; 76 mm caliber gun AK-176MA, 3M-47-01 Gibka-R close-range air defense system, two UKSK (16 launch cells in total), Pantsyr-M.

I'm not sure that this ship from the picture would have anti-submarine weapons, but I think it is necessary to install the Paket-NK system. Anyway, the Russians have developed the anti-submarine system "Otvet" which is launched from UKSK. Therefore, I am of the opinion that these ships would have anti-submarine weapons.

With 16 UKSK, these ships would have far more powerful anti-ship capabilities, as well as the ability to strike with cruise missiles - which the project 20380 corvettes do not have (they don't have UKSK). Moreover, these ships with 16 UKSK missiles have twice the arsenal of the project 20385 corvette (as well as project 11356 frigates) and on a level with the first 4 frigates of project 22350.

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On the other hand, these ships would certainly have a smaller navigation radius than the mentioned corvettes, as well as weaker anti-aircraft weapons. Anti-submarine weapons also remain questionable, although I'm sure that the installation of the "Otvet" system would solve that problem + sonar in the front of the ship.



I have written about this before and the Russians have obviously worked on this plan again and it is obvious that there is also a desire to realize the project. Here is the text about it..


Small missile ships of the "Buyan-M" project decided to strengthen to the level of corvettes and frigates

June 29, 2022, 13:49

Text: Dmitry Zubarev

Russia is developing an enhanced version of small missile ships of Project 21631 (code "Buyan-M"), after which they will come as close as possible in terms of displacement to corvettes, and in terms of strike capabilities - to frigates, a source in the military-industrial complex said. “At the upcoming Army-2022 forum, the state customer plans to consider a modernized project of the very successful Buyan-M project. It is planned to increase the number of universal launch cells for the main range of ship-based missiles at least twice and to strengthen the air defense of the Pantsyr-M ship. Accordingly, the displacement of the ship will also grow, ”a source told RIA Novosti.

According to him, the ship will remain in the "river-sea" class, which will allow maintaining the ability of operational maneuver between theaters of military operations along inland waterways, and due to the increased displacement, seaworthiness in open waters will increase.

Thank you for the information.

However, this project should be built with TorM2 in the naval version. A AK630 at the front and back and 2x16 cells TOR rockets. Yes, it should cost $ 20 million more, but protection is much higher.

Otherwise we get my demand for something like fleet protection much closer to it. But please also 12 units for the Baltic Sea and the Black Sea!

MRK "Grad" goes on sea trials
It is the tenth ship of project 21631 "Buyan-M". It remains to finish the construction of the ships "Naro-Fominsk" and "Stavropol".

On October 12, 2022, the small missile ship "Grad" (575) sailed into the Gulf of Finland for sea trials.

ALAMO wrote:The way they have managed to put a 8 cell VLS for theatre-range cruise missiles is mindblowing.
It is a bloody river boat

And another "river boat" is ready for sea trials - see section 22800 Karakurt.

09:36 27.10.2022

The new small missile ships "Buyan-M" will carry twice as many "Kalibr", said in "Ak Bars"
The head of "Ak Bars": the new missile ship "Buyan-M" will carry twice as many "Caliber"


MOSCOW, October 27 - RIA Novosti. The designers of the Ak Bars shipbuilding corporation have created a draft design of a small missile ship (MRK) of project 21635 Sarsar based on project 21631 with a doubled number of Кalibr cruise missiles - up to 16 units, CEO of the corporation Renat Mistakhov told RIA Novosti.
"We made a version based on the Buyan-M project 21631. We only doubled the number of Kalibr missiles: from eight to 16 missiles," Mistakhov said.
He explained that such a solution was implemented due to a slight increase in displacement.

"In addition to increasing the number of missiles, we made a V-shaped hull of the ship, put propellers instead of water cannons, thus improving seaworthiness," Mistakhov said.
He stressed that while the preliminary design has been worked out, a demonstration model has been made.
"We offer a new project both to the Russian fleet and for export," said the general director of Ak Bars.

https://ria.ru/20221027/kalibry-1827095243.html

and this would be 21635 Sarsar

ALAMO wrote:This thing looks quite big
I can't find a niche for it to be honest, other than some conceptual job.

The model of the ship exhibited at "Army-2022", which does not mean that the final shape will be like that.
That's all the information we have on that project right now, my friend.
What the Russians are talking about is a ship that will have increased displacement and propellers instead of water jet thrusters. The ship would supposedly have one 76 or 100 mm cannon (I wouldn't be surprised if it was a new 57 mm cannon), two UKSK for a total of 16 missiles, the naval variant of the "Pantsir" system, but it would also have a close air defense system of the type " Gibka (Flexible)". It is not known whether they will have anti-submarine weapons, although the "Otvet" (response) system could be installed in the UKSK, but this implies the installation of sonar on ships.

A Russian posted on the forum that there were 4 variants of the Sarsar project, while the mockup in the picture is the variant number five..
21635.1 missile, approximately the same as Buyan-M, has AU 100mm, AK630-M, two machine guns, 8 missiles, Caliber, MANPADS, flat-bottomed, water cannons.
21635.2 patrol, without missiles, Caliber, but has a light helicopter. The rest is the same.
21635.3 anti-submarine, without a helicopter, AU 57mm, two machine guns, a winged sonar in the middle part of the hull, ,,Packet-NK,, MANPADS, flat-bottomed, water cannons.
21635.4 patrol, has a light helicopter, AU 57 mm, two machine guns, MANPADS.

more calibers but no ASW and poor AAD. Not better to build a corvette? even on 22160 hull ?

GunshipDemocracy wrote:more calibers but no ASW and poor AAD. Not better to build a corvette?  even on 22160 hull ?

I agree with you and I think only the 20386 project makes sense. But the construction of that ship and all surface warships with a displacement of over 2,000 tons is going badly, since the Derzky ship has been under construction since 2016 and is nowhere near finished. I think what you are referring to was factored into the construction of the project 20386 corvette; two UKSK with 16 missiles for cruise missiles and anti ship, as well as an air defense system that will most likely be Redut (2 launchers with 8 missiles in one launcher), and probably Paket-NK. There is no confirmation that what I mentioned will be on the project 20386 corvettes, but everything points to the fact that it will.

I really don't know why the Russians haven't been able to solve the issue of building their navy for so many years. Maybe it is money after all, because it is not clear to me that almost all shipyards are constantly late and move the delivery dates forward. At the moment, what annoys me the most is the repeated delay of the 885M project, because the submarine "Krasnoyarsk" was launched after exactly 7 years of construction, while "Arkhangelsk" has been under construction since March 2015. That's over 7.5 years and the submarine has not yet been launched. Deadlines are moving again.

No ship is going to hunt submarines on it own, but the best Russian weapon to hunt subs is the Ovtet, which can be carried by any Russian ship with UKSK launch tubes.

A towed sonar or a helicopter carried dipping sonar or any type of underwater drone, as well as the seabed sonar systems the Russians operate near Russian territory should be plenty along with other ships and subs to find enemy submarines and this small ship could carry up to 16 anti sub Ovtet missiles to destroy enemy subs if they want that... if they don't if it has UKSK-M launch tubes each tube could carry four 9M96 60km or 150km range ARH surface to air missiles with excellent performance for shooting down air targets, and a few other options regarding other SAM types like Shtil and S-400.

Attacks launched from the Caspian Sea from corvettes show they don't need to be able to see the target to launch ground attack cruise missiles at them from thousands of kms away. With active radar homing anti aircraft missiles the corvette does not need to see the air target 150km away skimming the wave tops to hit it... it just needs target data from another platform and the missile will find the target for itself when it arrives.

14:06 25.11.2022
RIA Novosti

Small missile ship "Grad" began state tests in the Baltic
Small missile ship "Grad" will enter the Navy before the end of the year


RIA Novosti / Maxim Bogodvid
Project 21631 "Grad" small rocket ship. Archive photo

MOSCOW, November 25 - RIA Novosti. The new small missile ship "Grad" of project 21631 "Buyan-M", armed with cruise missiles "Caliber", has begun state tests in the sea ranges of the Baltic Fleet (BF), it will enter the Russian Navy before the end of the year, the press reported on Friday service of the Baltic Fleet.
Earlier, it was reported about the factory sea trials of the Grad, as well as tests of the ship's weapons systems.

"The newest small rocket ship Grad 21631 Buyan-M is the carrier of Kalibr and Onyx cruise missiles, built at the Zelenodolsk plant named after A.M. Gorky" for the Baltic Fleet, has begun a program of state tests in the sea ranges of the Baltic Fleet," the Navy said. Representatives of the factory commissioning team, together with the crew of the ship and members of the state selection committee, conduct maneuvering and high-speed tests of the ship, check the operation of units, systems and assemblies, the ship's armament, navigation aids and communication systems.

"It is planned that the Grad MRK (small missile ship) will become part of the Baltic Fleet by the end of this year and will serve in the formation of missile ships and boats of the Baltic Naval Base," the press service of the Baltic Fleet said.

MRKs of project 21631 are being built at the Zelenodolsk shipbuilding plant. At the moment, there are nine such ships in the Russian Navy. "Buyan-M" is a multi-purpose ship of the "river-sea" class - the water-jet propulsion system installed on the ships makes it possible to conduct combat operations in shallow water. The ships are armed with Kalibr and Onyx cruise missiles.

https://ria.ru/20221125/grad-1834208667.html

December 3, 01:22

Source: "Grad" small missile ship will be handed over to the fleet in the second decade of December
The press service of the Baltic Fleet reported that he went to the test

MOSCOW, 3 December. /TASS/. The carrier of the Kalibr-NK cruise missiles, the "Grad" small missile ship of project 21631 (Buyan-M), is scheduled for transfer to the Russian Navy in the second decade of December. This was reported to TASS by a source in the military-industrial complex.
"The Grad ship is planned to be transferred to the Navy in the second decade of December," he said.

The press service of the Baltic Fleet previously reported that the "Grad", armed with cruise missiles "Kalibr-NK" and "Onyx", was tested in the Baltic Sea.
Ships of project 21631, built at the Zelenodolsk shipbuilding plant, have repeatedly participated in launching missile attacks on terrorist targets in Syria and on targets of the Armed Forces of Ukraine during a special military operation. The Russian Navy has nine ships of this project as part of the Baltic and Black Sea Fleets, as well as the Caspian Flotilla. Each ship is capable of carrying eight Kalibr-NK and/or Oniks missiles.

https://tass.ru/armiya-i-opk/16491733

December 4, 06:52

Small missile ship (SMS) "Naro-Fominsk" is planned to be launched on December 9
The predecessor of the vessel in the SMSs "Grad" series is also undergoing state tests, the transfer of which is scheduled for the second decade of December

MOSCOW, 4 December. /TASS/. The small missile ship Naro-Fominsk of project 21631 (Buyan-M) will be launched on December 9, the carrier of the Kalibr-NK cruise missiles. This was reported to TASS by a source in the military-industrial complex.
"The Naro-Fominsk ship is scheduled to be launched on December 9," he said.

TASS does not have official confirmation of this information.

Earlier, the press service of the Baltic Fleet reported that the predecessor of Naro-Fominsk in the Grad SMS series is undergoing state tests. A TASS source reported that its transfer to the fleet is scheduled for the second decade of December.
Ships of project 21631, built at the Zelenodolsk Shipbuilding Plant (part of the Ak Bars Corporation), have repeatedly participated in launching missile attacks on terrorist targets in Syria and on targets of the Armed Forces of Ukraine during a special military operation. The Russian Navy has nine ships of this project in the Baltic and Black Sea fleets, as well as the Caspian flotilla. Each ship is capable of carrying eight Kalibr-NK and/or Oniks missiles.

https://tass.ru/armiya-i-opk/16495833

If Iran can build that, why can't Russia also give the little rocket boats with you?




The design also has two types of VLS (vertical launch system) behind the bridge. The six larger cells likely carry medium range air defense missiles. The 4x4 smaller ones short range air-defense missiles derived from the Russian SA-15 Tor (GAUNTLET) system. Once the radar is fitted to allow these to be used, it will be the best defended warship in Iranian service, including the regular navy.

more calibers but no ASW and poor AAD. Not better to build a corvette? even on 22160 hull ?

If they say there are twice as many Calibrs then what they are saying is that there are two UKSK launchers instead of one, so it has 16 tubes instead of 8.

Calibrs fit in those tubes but so do anti sub Otvets, and anti ship Calibrs as well... and guess what... if they are UKSK-Ms then they could put 150km and 60km range 9M96 SAMs or 75km range Shtils (BUK-M3s) or 9M100 missiles in them instead of just filling them all up with Calibrs.

If Iran can build that, why can't Russia also give the little rocket boats with you?

That boat is probably OK for Iran but have a close look at it... look at where the vertical launch tubes are located... the length of Russian vertical launch tubes would mean there would be no empty space beneath them and with no helicopter hangar it might be OK for the Persian Gulf but for the Northern Fleet in winter I don't think I would be volunteering to work on the helicopters or aircraft.

The internal volume would not be very good despite the size of the superstructure, it is a short range patrol and attack boat for relatively ice free waters, which will probably suit Iran, but not be so good for the Russians.

Remember the Russians have all sorts of crazy designs they tested, the project 1239 Bora class hovercraft might not have a helicopter but one of the armament options is for 8 Uran missiles plus 12 Yakhonts... and while its normal cruise speed is 12 knots being a hovercraft its top speed is over 45 knots...

The Old OSA armament can be replaced with Pantsir.

GarryB wrote:
That boat is probably OK for Iran but have a close look at it... look at where the vertical launch tubes are located... the length of Russian vertical launch tubes would mean there would be no empty space beneath them and with no helicopter hangar it might be OK for the Persian Gulf but for the Northern Fleet in winter I don't think I would be volunteering to work on the helicopters or aircraft.

The internal volume would not be very good despite the size of the superstructure, it is a short range patrol and attack boat for relatively ice free waters, which will probably suit Iran, but not be so good for the Russians.

Remember the Russians have all sorts of crazy designs they tested, the project 1239 Bora class hovercraft might not have a helicopter but one of the armament options is for 8 Uran missiles plus 12 Yakhonts... and while its normal cruise speed is 12 knots being a hovercraft its top speed is over 45 knots...

The Old OSA armament can be replaced with Pantsir.

I don't mean the ship, I integrate my TORM2U into on project 21631 Buyan-M rocket ship.

If Iran manages to put a gate at such small ships, Russia would have to do it in BuyanM2. You want it to extend it, see above as a model.

Naro-Fominsk...

Chinese marine diesels and kolomna to the rescue   Buyans being successfully pumped out shows that russia has no problems mass producing marine diesels, its just that  there are filthy traitors that the USC and russian government coddles at Zvezda

Well, well, well.....

This photo of the launched NARO-FOMINSK reveals (in the Background) that the pr.22800 Karakurt class ship TUCHA has also been launched unceremoniously.