MOSCOW. Nov 13 (Interfax-AVN) - The Vympel shipbuilding association located in the town of Rybinsk in the Yarosvavl region is exhibiting a series of low-tonnage vessels and patrol launches for protection of naval borders at the Granitsa 2002 exhibition in Moscow.
In particular, Vympel's section at Granitsa 2002 features the Mirazh and Mangust patrol launches, Skorpion missile and artillery launch and Molnia missile launch, Vympel Marketing Director Dmitry Belyakov said on Wednesday.
"The naval guard department of the Federal Border Guard Service is the customer of the first patrol launch of Project 12150 Mangust," Belyakov said.
The first launch is already in service on the Caspian Sea. In particular, it is used for protecting naval borders, preserving sea biological resources and combating smugglers and illegal drug traffickers.
According to Belyakov, the Mangust's hull is made of an aluminium-magnesium alloy. So-called Arnisson drives are used in the power plant, which allows the launch to hit the speed of 53 knots. The Mangust is fitted with a set of on-board interceptors than ensure its advanced navigability if the sea swell is up to four points.
The launch has a displacement of 26.4t, length of 19.45m and draught of 1.13m. Small arms of the vessel's border guard modification consist of a 14.5-mm machine-gun with pedestal mounting. The army modification may be fitted with the Vikhr missile system analogous to the one installed in the KA-50 Black Shark helicopter (NATO designation Hokum) that has been used in Chechnya.
Vympel is building the second Mangust launch, Belyakov said. The vessel is to be commissioned by the Federal Border Guard Service in early 2003.
The 4th international specialized exhibition Granitsa 2002 takes place in the framework of the 6th international forum of means of state security providing Interpolitex 2002. The forum opened at Moscow's All-Russian Exhibition Center on Monday.