MOSCOW. Jan 28 (Interfax-AVN) - A keel laying ceremony for the fifth Project 21631 Buyan-M small-class attack missile ship was held at the Gorky Plant in Zelenodolsk in Tatarstan on Friday.
The ship will be named Serpukhov and it will be assigned to the Caspian Flotilla, the company management told reporters.
Project 21631 small river-sea class missile carrying ships are equipped with advanced artillery, missile, counter-sabotage, anti-aircraft and radar systems .
Their mission is to provide cover to and defend Russia's economic zones. Unlike their prototype, the Project 21630 small-class artillery ship, Project 21631 missile carrying ships have an almost two times larger water displacement and are equipped with missile systems.
The lead ship of Project 21631 was laid on August 27 2010 and it was named Grad Sviyazh. The second ship of the same project was laid on July 22 2011 and was named Uglich. August 27 2011 saw the laying of a third ship, named Veliky Ustyug, and August 29 2012 of a forth, named Zelyony Dol, in a ceremony that occurred ahead of Republic of Tatarstan Day and the 80th birthday of the city of Zelenodolsk. Among the guests of honor at the keel laying ceremony for the second and fourth ships was Tatarstan Prime Minister Ildar Khalikov.
Project 21631 missile carrying ships have the following tactical and technical characteristics: full water displacement - 949 tonnes; length - 75 meters, width 11 meters, maximum draft 2.5 meters, speed 25 knots, range at a speed of 12 knots - 2,500 miles, endurance 10 days, crew 52 members.