In St. Petersburg, two patrol boats of Project 03160 Raptor, designed for the Baltic Fleet, were launched. This was reported in the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.

“The 15th and 16th serial Raptor boats, built at the Pella plant and launched today, will be part of the Russian Navy in June 2020,” the department quotes the Navy Commander-in-Chief Nikolai Evmenov.

The Ministry of Defense noted that preparations are underway for crews who will serve on new boats. After successfully passing the tests, the new Raptors will become part of the Baltic Fleet.

Military expert Alexei Leonkov recalled that the boats of project 03160 are at the disposal of the military in accordance with the adopted state weapons programs (GPV).

“This process is going on in accordance with the approved procurement programs GPV-2020 and the future program GPV-2027,” he said.

In March 2019, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced that, in accordance with this program, the Russian Navy will receive more than 180 ships and vessels of new projects until 2027.

Front line defense

The design of a new generation of high-speed patrol boat for the needs of the Navy was carried out by the design bureau of the Leningrad shipyard Pella. The first Raptor was launched in 2013.

Project 03160 boats are coastal vessels and can operate at any time of the day.

  • Project 03160 Raptor patrol boat and Project 22350 patrol ship (frigate) Admiral of the Fleet Kasatonov during a rehearsal of the Russian Navy Day parade in St. Petersburg
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  • © Alexey Danichev

Their tasks include the delivery of marines (at least 20 people with weapons and equipment), patrol service, and the interception and detention of various targets. The crew of the boat is two people.

In addition, such boats are indispensable when conducting search and rescue operations.

In a conversation with RT, a military expert, retired colonel Viktor Litovkin noted that such boats are one of the most advanced means of naval defense, as they perform tasks to protect coastal zones and infrastructure.

“These are good vessels that will help our sailors fulfill the tasks assigned to them. Such a boat is needed to patrol rivers, the coastal zone, ensure the safety of navy ships and combat landing, ”the analyst added.

Specifications

The length of the boat is 16.9 m, the width is 4.1 m, and the displacement is 23 tons. The power plant capacity reaches 2 thousand horsepower, which allows the Raptor to reach speeds of up to 50 knots. Cruising range - 300 miles.

The boat is armed with a universal combat module "Urava-KORD" with a 14.5 mm gun and remote control. The optoelectronic system is equipped with a gyro stabilizer and allows you to detect targets at a distance of up to 3 km with an aiming range of 2 thousand m.

  • Project 03160 patrol boat “Baltic Unarmeets” at the celebration of the Navy Day in Novorossiysk
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  • © Vitaliy Timkiv

As an additional weapon, the Raptor project boats are equipped with two Pecheneg machine guns of 7.62 mm caliber.

The premises of the transported special personnel and the wheelhouse are equipped with armor corresponding to protection classes “5” and “5A”. This means that the skin can withstand the hit of a 7.62 mm bullet with a steel core or armor-piercing incendiary bullet fired from a range of 5-10 m from SVD or AKM. The portholes of the vessel are made of bulletproof glass with a thickness of 39 mm.

In case of flooding of one of the compartments, it is blocked by a water-gas-tight door, which gives the crew the opportunity to prevent flooding of the boat.

One of the main features of the ships of the project 03160 is its high maneuverability. "Raptor" can move at any directional angles with heavy sea waves - up to five-point storms. With a wave height of up to 4.5 m, the boat is able to maintain a speed of 20 knots, and with a wave height of 2.5 m - up to 28 knots.

Design features provide him with excellent seaworthiness and high speed, which are combined with increased safety and efficiency.

Alexei Leonkov noted that such military equipment would also be suitable for sabotage operations on enemy territory.

“These boats can act as independent units in the area where important settlements, coastal cities, military bases are located, or as part of universal landing ships, land troops, sabotage groups on bridgeheads or territories of a potential enemy,” the military expert explained.

Extended capabilities

One of the foreign analogues of the Raptor is the Swedish patrol boat CB90 from Dockstavarvet. Since 1991, more than 250 such devices have been built - they are operated by the Navy and the power structures of Sweden, Norway, Mexico, Brazil and several other countries.

At the same time, Russian vessels of Project 03160 Raptor are larger in size, equipped with more powerful engines, and also have better running characteristics and more powerful weapons.

Outwardly, both cars are similar, however, according to Leonkov, the visual similarity should not be misleading: “Raptor” is a Russian development.

“In appearance, the boats are a bit similar, but the Raptor was designed by Russian designers, who were guided by the technical task received from the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation,” the expert noted.

A distinctive advantage of the Russian boat is its high speed and design feature, which allows for a quick landing of marines, added Alexei Leonkov.

“The main advantage of this boat is speed. Its design is made so that during the delivery of fighters to their destination, unloading is not carried out through the stern, as it was before, but through the bow of the ship, which allows fighters to land in shallow water, ”the expert noted.

As Leonkov noted, such boats can be useful not only in the Navy.

“The Raptor boat has a lot of purposes due to its design and speed. He will come not only to the Marine Corps, but also to other power structures. As for the Navy, the possession of these boats allows our military to expand their tactical capabilities, ”concluded Alexei Leonkov.