KHABAROVSK, August 22 (AVN) - The leadership of the Federal Border Guard Service (FBGS) has not yet endorsed the act on commissioning of the Ogonyok river-class artillery boat, a spokesman for the Far Eastern regional border guard department said on Wednesday.
The act was signed by the permanent state commissioning commission on August 8, the spokesman told the Military News Agency. The delay happens because the boat producer, Khabarovsk shipyard, increased the cost of armament installation. The FBGS cannot pay additional bills because it is short of funds.
The FBGS arms purchase department and the shipyard have reached a compromise. The boat will be considered property of the shipyard, but will stay at a border guard base and be mastered by the crew. After the debt is repaid the vessel will join the Far Eastern department's Amur group. According to the spokesman, it is unlikely to happen before December.
The Ogonyok is the first vessel of Project 12130 developed by the Zelenodolsk design and projecting bureau. It is intended for patrolling rivers and lakes. The boat's displacement is 91t, length 33m, width 4.2m, maximum speed 20 knots and endurance six days. The vessel is armed with two AK-306 artillery systems and two PKMB machine-guns. The crew comprises 18 people.
The FBGS classified the Ogonyok as a fourth-rank guard ship. Artillery boats are expected to form the core of the Amur border guard group in the near future, but the Khabarovsk shipyard has not received more orders on their production.