Buyan-class

Summary

Description

The Buyan class corvettes, known in Russian as Проект 21630 Buyan and Проект 21631 Buyan-M, are a series developed primarily for the Russian Navy by the Zelenodolsk Design Bureau. These vessels are classified as small artillery and missile ships and are optimized for operations in littoral zones to safeguard Russia's extensive coastal realms. Since their inception, the design has evolved with an improved subclass, Project 21631 Buyan-M, which boasts greater tonnage, incorporation of stealth technology, and the capability to launch either Kalibr or Oniks anti-ship cruise missiles utilizing the 3S14 vertical launching system. The Buyan-M upgrade notably increases the ships' combat effectiveness. There is also an export version known as Project 21632 Tornado and a newly unveiled Project 21635 Sarsar with enhanced features.

The design of these corvettes allows them to navigate not only in open shallow waters but also within the complex inland waterway system of Russia, including the Moscow Canal; this multi-theater operability offers strategic flexibility. The lead vessel of the modified Project 21631 Buyan-M, Grad Sviyazhsk, was laid down in August 2010 and subsequently commissioned in July 2014.

In terms of armament, Project 21631 ships are equipped with nuclear-capable Kalibr cruise missiles, with a reported range of over 1,500 kilometers. The inclusion of these missile systems, along with electronic countermeasure equipment, enhances the ships' defensive capabilities for protecting Russia’s economic zones and allows for tactical mobility that is not hindered by certain treaties like the INF, which restricts terrestrial deployment of similar long-range missiles.

Throughout their operational history, Buyan class corvettes have seen action in various military operations. Most notably, on October 7, 2015, several of these vessels launched Kalibr cruise missiles at terrorist targets in Syria, an operation that aimed to strike forces in regions such as Raqqa, Aleppo, and Idlib, although there were reports of some missiles crashing in Iran. Similar engagements occurred in November 2015 and August 2016, targeting terrorist groups. Additionally, these corvettes have been deployed in the Baltic Sea and Arctic waters, showcasing the Russian Navy's capacity for strategic redeployment of its fleets, as observed with Zelenyy Dol and Odintsovo in 2020 and Serpukhov in 2023. However, one of the corvettes sustained significant damage due to a Ukrainian attack in June 2022.

These ships are operated by the Russian Navy, and new variants continue to be introduced, such as the Project 21635 Sarsar unveiled in 2022.

Technical specifications