Russian shipbuilders have held keel-laying ceremonies for two Project 885M Yasen-class submarines and two Project 22350 Gorshkov-class frigates in a single day.
What is more, two upgraded amphibious assault ships started construction on Monday at the Zaliv shipyard on the Kerch Strait.
Both the frigate and submarine ceremonies were attended via video link by Russian president Vladimir Putin, who visited the Zaliv shipyard for the official launch of construction works.
The keel-laying ceremony for the eighth and ninth Yasen-class submarines ‘Voronezh’ and Vladivostok’ was marked at the Sevmash shipyard in the port city of Severodvinsk. The Yasen and subsequent Yasen-M submarines (also referred to as Project 885 and Project 885-M) were designed by St. Petersburg-based Malakhit Central Design Bureau and started construction in 2009. They displace 13,800 tons while submerged and are equipped with Oniks (SS-N-26) anti-ship missiles and Kalibr (SS-N-27) land-attack cruise missiles in addition to torpedoes.
The keel-laying ceremony took place just four days after shipbuilder Sevmash launched the second Borei-A ballistic missile submarine Knyaz Oleg on July 16.
The two Project 22350 frigates, Admiral Yumashev and Admiral Spiridonov, were laid down in St. Petersburg. The 135-meter Project 22350 ships displace 5,000 tons and have a cruising range of over 4,000 nautical miles. They are equipped with the Poliment-Redut naval air defense system and launchers for Onyx and Kalibr anti-ship missiles. Admiral Yumashev and Admiral Spiridonov will reportedly benefit from a design improvement that will allow them to carry additional vertical launch system (VLS) cells.
