In 2001, in Rybinsk, on the stocks of the open joint-stock shipbuilding company Vympel, the ceremony of laying down a new generation missile and artillery boat "Scorpion" took place.
Purpose and features
This ship of the fourth generation (according to Western classification, belonging to the class of a small corvette) was created using technology to reduce radar and thermal signature. According to the chief designer of the Almaz Central Marine Design Bureau, Yuri Arsenyev, the development of missile boats was carried out in two main directions - strengthening of weapons and improving seaworthiness. Today "Scorpion" is the pinnacle of evolution in this type of ships. It is armed with a vertical launch Yakhont anti-ship missile. Its main advantage is its supersonic flight speed, which makes the missile less vulnerable to enemy air defense systems. "Yakhont" has a firing range of 300 km, warhead weight - 200 kg.
As for the body, the "Scorpion", according to Yuri Arsenyev, is very economical. Whereas the cruising range of the previous generation Molniya missile boat with 104 tons of fuel on board is 2,200 miles, the Scorpion with 64 tons of fuel has a cruising range of 2,500 miles when traveling at an economic speed of 12 knots. In addition, the hull of the boat is given the ability to self-stabilize on the wave, it is equipped with stern spoilers, which are roll dampeners. As a result, the level of roll of the boat is reduced by 5 times.
The boat has a combined power plant, consisting of two diesel engines for cruising sailing modes and a gas turbine GTU-12, designed to reach the interception speed. The GTU-12 sets in motion a ventilated water cannon, developed at the Almaz Central Design Bureau. It consists of a shell, in which a semi-submerged propeller operates at high speeds.
Artillery armament of the "Scorpion" consists of a 100 mm A-190-5P-10 caliber installation. For air defense at the close range, that is, at a distance of 5-6 kilometers, the Kashtan-1 anti-aircraft missile and artillery complex is used. The ship is equipped with an active three-coordinate radar for general detection of surface and air targets "Positive-ME1". It can detect at a distance of up to 150 km and track simultaneously up to 50 targets, provides their classification and the issuance of target designation to the associated fire control systems.
Missile firing is controlled by the Garpun-B 3Ts-25E radar. The active channel of this station uses a complex modulated signal, which has the ability, working in the drive layer, to bend around the earth's surface. Thus, the detection range, depending on the conditions of radio observation, is up to 250 km, and during tests in the Indian Ocean, as Yuri Arsenyev said, a range of 400 km was obtained. Thus, the "Scorpion" has the ability to over-the-horizon target designation directly on board, without the involvement of any external systems.
Basic performance characteristics
Displacement, t:
standard - no data, full: 465
Dimensions, m:
length - 56, 7, width - 10, 3, sediment - 2, 7, Full speed, knots - 38, Cruising range, economy. course - 12 knots - 2000 miles, Autonomy, days - ten
Power plant: 2x5000 hp, 2 M-530 diesel engines, 1x15000 hp, gas turbine, 2 200 kW diesel generators, 1 100 kW diesel generator, Armament: 2x2 launchers of anti-ship missiles "Yakhont", 1 SAM "Kashtan-1" (4 missiles with 2000 shells), 1x1 100 mm A-190E (80 rounds) - 5P-10A (Puma), RTV: radar stations "Positive-M1.1", "Monument-12301", "Ladoga-ME-12300", SN-3101, "Buran", product 6730-7 of the state recognition system, "Horizon-25" 10 (4 PU), GAS PDSS "Anapa";
Crew, people - 37.
ZRAK Kashtan-M.
Possible modifications: project 12300P - border patrol ship with a take-off and landing pad, project 12301 - version with anti-ship missiles "Onyx", A-190, BIUS "Sigma", project 12301P - border patrol ship, project 12302 - version with anti-ship missiles "Uran" …
It was planned to build a lead boat in 2005, and then build a series for the Russian Navy - 10, for the Federal Border Guard Service of the Russian Federation - 10 and up to 30 boats for sale, the APR countries and a number of others became interested in the boat. Unfortunately, the project "stalled", not even the lead missile and artillery boat was completed.
A promising project of the Almaz Central Design Bureau - Project 12300 "Scorpion". The main feature is the presence of a runway, which makes it possible to use light helicopters from a ship, and in the future - also UAVs.
