Project 22160 is a series of large

patrol ship A patrol boat (also referred to as a patrol craft, patrol ship, or patrol vessel) is a relatively small naval vessel generally designed for coastal defence, border security, or law enforcement. There are many designs for patrol boats, and the ...

s being constructed for the Russian Navy. The vessels are primarily intended for duties such as patrol, monitoring and protection in open and closed seas. The first ship was laid down in February 2014 and joined the Russian Navy in December 2018. By January 2018, six ships were under construction.

Design

The class's armament includes the Kalibr-NK cruise missile, aerosol camouflage, two grenade launchers and two machine guns and a 76.2 mm dual-purpose gun (

AK-176 The AK-176 is a Soviet naval gun mounted in an enclosed turret, that may be used against sea, coastal, and aerial targets, including low flying anti-ship missiles. The system is designed to arm small displacement ships and comprises the Gun Mou ...

). The ship also has a helicopter deck and hangar for one

Ka-27 The Kamov Ka-27 (NATO reporting name 'Helix') is a military helicopter developed for the Soviet Navy, and currently in service in various countries including Russia, Ukraine, Vietnam, China, South Korea, and India. Variants include the Ka-29 a ...

Ka-226 The Kamov Ka-226 (NATO reporting name: Hoodlum) is a small, twin-engine Russian utility helicopter. The Ka-226 features an interchangeable mission pod, rather than a conventional cabin, allowing the use of various accommodation or equipment ...

helicopter. The ship also carries a landing speedboat, and has provisions for drones, underwater unmanned craft and unmanned boats. There is accommodation for an additional 60 men. In 2020 it was announced that the Russian Navy would begin trials to test the installation of module containers on patrol vessels permitting such ships to carry significantly upgraded armaments tailored to different missions. The containers were envisaged to carry various weapons including sonars and torpedoes or anti-ship and cruise missiles. The trials took place in the Arctic Sea from June 2020 and lasted two months. The Russian Navy planned to order 6 additional ships since 2014, however these plans were abandoned in June 2022 after dissatisfaction with the ships' performance during the

Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. An ...

. Flaws include insufficient seaworthiness, light armour, and a lack of adequate air defences. Notably, after the sinking of the ''Moskva'', the Russian Navy began attaching Tor-M2 km missile systems onto the helicopter decks of the patrol ships. On 17 August 2022, Ak Bars CEO Renat Mistakhov stated that further vessels can be constructed, which will be armed with new anti-aircraft missiles.

Operational history

On 15 January 2021, ''Dmitry Rogachev'' entered the Mediterranean Sea, to strengthen the Russian Navy squadron. The ship '' Vasily Bykov'' participated in the

attack on Snake Island On 24 February 2022, the first day of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Russian Navy attacked Snake Island (Ukraine), Snake Island, a Ukrainian island in the Black Sea, and captured it along with its entire g ...

on 24 February 2022 during the first day of the

2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. An ...

together with the Russian

cruiser A cruiser is a type of warship. Modern cruisers are generally the largest ships in a fleet after aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships, and can usually perform several roles. The term "cruiser", which has been in use for several hu ...

'' Moskva''. This confrontation ended in the Russian takeover of Snake Island. On 7 March 2022, Ukrainian sources claimed that the

Armed Forces of Ukraine , imports = , exports = , history = , ranks = Military ranks of Ukraine , country=Ukraine The Armed Forces of Ukraine ( uk, Збро́йні си́ли Украї́ни), most commonly known ...

had hit the ''Vasily Bykov'' with rocket artillery off the coast of

Odessa Odesa (also spelled Odessa) is the third most populous city and municipality in Ukraine and a major seaport and transport hub located in the south-west of the country, on the northwestern shore of the Black Sea. The city is also the administrativ ...

, reportedly heavily damaging or sinking it. However, on 16 March 2022, ''Vasily Bykov'' was seen entering Sevastopol with no damage visible. On 5 August 2022, one of the ships of the class was seen entering Sevastopol with fire damage to the stern, thought by an

open-source intelligence Open-source intelligence (OSINT) is the collection and analysis of data gathered from open sources (covert and publicly available sources) to produce actionable intelligence. OSINT is primarily used in national security, law enforcement, and busi ...

analyst to be the result of an attack on the day before.

Export

In April 2018, it was reported that negotiations are underway after

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showed interest in acquiring four project 22160 patrol ships, equipped with the Club-N missile system and the Palma anti-aircraft system which includes the

Sosna Sosna is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Jiří Sosna (born 1960), Czech judoka * Kataržina Sosna (born 1990), Lithuanian racing cyclist * Krzysztof Sosna (born 1969), Polish triathlete See also * {{surname Polish-langua ...

guided missiles. The demand for ships armed with the

Kalibr The 3M-54 Kalibr, (Калибр, caliber), also referred to it as 3M54-1 Kalibr, 3M14 Biryuza (Бирюза, turquoise), (NATO reporting name SS-N-27 Sizzler and SS-N-30A) is a family of Russian cruise missiles developed by the Novator Design Bur ...

cruise missiles grew after Russia's use of these missiles in combat in Syria.

Ships

Italics indicate estimates.

References

{{Soviet and Russian ships after 1945 Patrol vessels of the Russian Navy 2018 introductions Patrol ship classes