Russian corvette Samum
Bora-class corvette of the Soviet Navy
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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.
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 |
|
| Namesake | Samum |
| Identification | See Pennant numbers |
| Status | Active |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & 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 |
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| Speed |
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| Range |
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| Endurance | 10 days[citation needed] |
| Complement |
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| Sensors & processing systems |
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| Electronic warfare & decoys |
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| Armament |
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| Notes | Combat ready in rough weather up to Sea State 5 |
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] As of mid-2024, the corvette was reported active, relocating to the eastern Black Sea from Crimea where evidently it had been considered too open to attack.[6]
Pennant numbers
| Date | Pennant number[7] |
|---|---|
| 1989 | 609 |
| 1990 | 616 |