According to information published by the Russian MoD on March 28, 2023, in the Peter the Great Bay, the Tarantul class corvette R-261 of the Pacific Fleet carried out a missile firing of "Moskit" cruise missiles at a naval target as part of planned combat training activities.
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Russian Tarantul class corvette R-261. (Picture source: Russian MoD)
The Tarantul class has a displacement of 480 long tons (488 t) standard, and 540 long tons (549 t) full load. The ship measures 56.0 m (183 ft 9 in) in length and 10.5 m (34 ft 5 in) in beam, with a draught of 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in).
The class is powered by 2 shaft COGAG turbines at 11,000 hp (8,200 kW) each, and 2 cruising engines at 4,000 hp (3,000 kW) each. There are diesel and turbine versions of the cruising engines. The ship can reach a maximum speed of 42 knots (78 km/h; 48 mph).
In terms of range, the ships can travel 2,400 nautical miles (4,400 km; 2,800 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph), with an operational autonomy of 10 days. They has a complement of 50 sailors who operate and maintain the vessel's various systems.
The Tarantul class is equipped with a range of sensors and processing systems, including Spin trough, Bass Tilt, Peel pair, and Pop group radar. The ship is armed with an impressive array of weaponry, including 4 anti-ship missiles (P-15 Termit/SS-N-2 Styx or P-270 Moskit/SS-N-22 Sunburn or Kh-35 Uran/SS-N-25 Switchblade), 1 SAM (SA-N-5 SAM (1x4) MANPAD air defence missiles), a 76 mm AK-176 dual purpose main gun, and 2 AK-630 30 mm guns or 1 CADS-N-1 Kashtan CIWS (Close-in weapon system) for air defense.
About the Moskit missile
The P-270 Moskit, also known as the Mosquito, is a supersonic ramjet powered anti-ship cruise missile developed by the Raduga Design Bureau in the Soviet Union during the 1970s.
Its GRAU designation is 3M80, and its NATO reporting name is SS-N-22 Sunburn. The missile was designed as a successor to the P-120 Malakhit (NATO reporting name "SS-N-9 Siren").
Originally intended for ship-based launch, variants of the Moskit have been adapted for launch from land, underwater (from submarines), and air (reportedly from the Sukhoi Su-33 naval fighter).
The missile can carry both conventional and nuclear warheads. However, due to the secrecy surrounding the weapon, its exact classification is unknown, and there are varying types reported.
