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Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Second corvette enters sevice with Caspian Flotilla
2012-02-13
By Chris Covert

A second Buyan class corvette has entered service with the Russian Caspian Flotilla, according to web reports.

The RFS Volgadonsk entered service with the Caspian flotilla to join her sister ship, the Astrakhan, which entered service September, 2006.

The Buyan class has the tonnage of a corvette at 550 tons, but is classified by the Russian Navy as a small artillery ship. It is the second largest combat ship inn the Caspian Flotilla with one Gepard class frigate, the Tartarstan at 1450 tons, being the largest.

The Buyan class is armed with one 100mm autocannon, two 30mm AK-630 autocannons, one 40 A-215 "Grad-M" artillery rocket system. One more ship, the Mahachkala is slated to join the other two in the flotilla in December, before two modified and heavier Buyan-M Tornado class ships are expected to be complete.

The modified Buyan-M class will be heavier at 950 tons and will replace the artillery rocket launchers with eight SS-N-27 (Kalibr) anti-ship missiles with a vertical launch tube. Two of the newer design, the Uglich and the Grad Sviyzhsk are due to join the Caspian Flotilla, the Uglich this year.

This ambitious launch plan for the Buyan follows the Russian navy program to begun building as many as 30 surface combatants by 2014.

The Buyan carries a heavier armament with the 10mm naval gun, but the addition of the antiship missile system will change its role.

The Buyan class as an artillery ship could be used in counterterrorism and coastal operations, but it would need either air cover or a missile boat for cover against light Iranian missile boats. Both the Russian navy and the Russian air force have an airfield in Dagestan to serve the needs of its ships at sea.

The heavier Buyan-M class should be an effective counter to the newest addition to the Iranian navy in the Caspian fleet, the Moudge class, which entered service in 2010 in the Caspian Sea. The Iranians classify that ship as a light frigate at 1420 tons, although it could be classified as a heavy corvette.

The Moudge ship, named the Jamaran, carries lighter armaments than its Russian counterparts with four C-802 anti-ship missiles, one 76mm Fajr-27 naval gun, one 40mm Fath-40 AAA gun, two 20mm cannons, four SM-1 SAMs and two triple 324mm torpedo launchers.
Posted by:badanov

#4  I'm thinking it's for the oil that has to be under the seabed.

Exactly. Iran claims 1/5th of the Caspian Sea (5 nations) while it's shoreline is a small percentage. There are huge oil and gas reserves and Iran has already threatened the other (not Russian) Caspian nations.

Oil and gas resources in the Caspian Sea
Posted by: Shimble Guelph5793   2012-02-13 19:05  

#3  There does seem to be a quiet arms race in the Caspian. I'm thinking it's for the oil that has to be under the seabed. When I look at various maps, it seems that every square meter of the Caspian is divided up -- Russia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Azerbaijan each have a piece. But perhaps someone is thinking of moving the lines around.
Posted by: Steve White   2012-02-13 08:25  

#2  "Pirates of the Caspian"tm
Might cut the arms traffic to Georgia.
Posted by: Skidmark   2012-02-13 05:44  

#1  But I thought the Russians and Iranians were "buds"!

"The heavier Buyan-M class should be an effective counter to the newest addition to the Iranian navy in the Caspian"
Posted by: tipover   2012-02-13 02:29  

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