Russian corvette Samum

Samum in 2010
History
Russia
Name	MRK-17
Builder	A.M. Gorky Shipyard, Zelenodolsk
Yard number	502
Laid down	September 1991
Launched	12 October 1992
Commissioned	26 February 2000
Renamed	Samum (Самум)
Namesake	Samum
Identification	See Pennant numbers
Status	Active
General characteristics
Class and type	Bora-class corvette
Displacement	1,050 tonnes (1,033 long tons)
Length	66 m (216 ft 6 in)^[citation needed]
Beam	17 m (55 ft 9 in)
Draught	3 m (9 ft 10 in)
Installed power	4 × 200 kW diesel-driven generators
Propulsion	Twin M10-D1 type gas turbine engines rated at 60,000 hp (45,000 kW) bound to two primary three-blade propellers 2 x GTU (36000 hp , roughly 25.8 MW or few more) Twin M511A reduction gear diesel engines rated at 20,000 hp (15,000 kW) bound to two primary three-blade propellers Twin M52OM3 auxiliary diesel engines driving superchargers rated at 6,800 horsepower (5,100 kW) used to inflate the skirts
Speed	12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) cruise 55 knots (102 km/h; 63 mph) maximum
Range	2,500 nmi (4,600 km) at 12 knots^[citation needed] 800 nmi (1,500 km) at 55 knots (102 km/h)
Endurance	10 days^[citation needed]
Complement	35 minimum 68 combat
Sensors and processing systems	Monolit-E / Monument-E target detection and designation radar Pozitiv-ME1 air/surface search radar^[citation needed] 5P-10E Fire Control Radar Anapa-ME1 sonar Moskit-E 3Ts-81E missile fire control system Various cannon and missile guidance and countermeasure systems
Electronic warfare & decoys	Vympel-R2 suite with Foot Ball-A interceptors Half Hat-B interceptors 2 × PK-10 decoy rocket launchers^[citation needed] 2 × PK-16 decoy rocket launchers
Armament	2 × Quadruple MT-206ME launchers for 3M-80E "Moskit" marine cruise missiles 1 × 9K33M "Osa-MA" type surface-to-air missile system for anti-aircraft defense with 20 missiles 1 × AK–176M automatic 76.2 mm cannon 2 × AK-630 30 mm anti-aircraft Gatling cannons 16 × 9K38 Igla man-portable shoulder mounted surface-to-air missile launcher sets 2 × 14.5 mm naval machine gun mounts 1 × DP-64 anti-saboteur grenade launcher
Notes	Combat ready in rough weather up to Sea State 5

Samum (former MRK-17) is a Bora-class corvette in the Soviet Navy and later the Russian Navy. In Soviet and later Russian classification, it is considered a "small missile ship" (Russian: малый ракетный корабль, МРК). Like the rest of the class, it is a surface effect ship armed with anti-ship missiles.

Construction and career

MRK-17 was laid down in September 1991 and launched on 12 October 1992 at the A.M. Gorky Shipyard, Zelenodolsk and commissioned into the Baltic Fleet on 26 February 2000.[1]

On 19 March 1992, the vessel was renamed Samum, after the Russian word for the simoom desert wind.

On 25 July 2002, Samum was assigned to the Black Sea Fleet.

On 14 September 2023, while stationed in Sevastopol during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the ship was the target of a Sea Baby sea drone attack by Ukraine.[2] According to Ukrainian intelligence sources, afterwards the ship was towed away for "extensive damage" on one side. The Russian defense ministry claimed however that the attack was repelled.[3][4][5]

Pennant numbers

Date	Pennant number[6]
1989	609
1990	616

Citations

1. "Air Cushion Missile Ship - Project 1239". russianships.info. Retrieved 21 September 2021.
2. "Ukrainian SeaBaby drone hits Russian Samum missile warship in Black Sea". Ukrainska Pravda. 15 September 2023.
3. "Ukraine sea drone damages small Russian missile ship, Kyiv source says". Reuters. 15 September 2023. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
4. "Ukrainian marine drone allegedly hit Russian missile carrier "Samum" near Sevastopol". Euromaidan Press. 15 September 2023. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
5. "Морський дрон СБУ підбив російський ракетний корабель Самум — джерела NV". nv.ua (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 16 September 2023.
6. "Small Missile Ships - Project 1234". russianships.info. Retrieved 20 September 2021.