Russian Navy to receive two new stealth warships in 2010-11

MOSCOW, January 22 (RIA Novosti) - The Russian Navy is to receive two corvettes equipped with stealth technology in 2010 and 2011, a spokesman for the United Shipbuilding Corporation said on Thursday.

St. Petersburg's Severnaya Verf shipyard started construction of the Soobrazitelny in 2003 and the Stoiky in 2006.

Designed by the Almaz Central Marine Design Bureau, they will be the second and third in the Project 20380 series, after the Steregushchy, which was put into service in 2007.

Russia plans to have up to 20 vessels of this class to ensure the protection of its coastal waters, as well as its oil and gas transportation routes, especially in the Black and the Baltic seas.

Each corvette has a displacement of 2,000 metric tons, maximum speed of 27 knots, crew of 100 and is equipped with stealth technology.