Russia put Project 133RA hydrofoil cruise missile gunboat on international market.

Russia is offering the world’s first hydrofoil gunboat armed with sea-launched cruise missiles to prospective buyers on the international naval hardware market, CEO and Chief Designer of Radar MMS Research and Production Company Georgy Antsev told TASS at the Army-2019 international military and technical forum on Friday, June 28.

A model of Project 133RA cruise missile gunboat, also called Antares RA (Picture Source: Dmitriy Fedyushko/TASS)

The new Project 133RA gunboat has been named the Antares RA while Club missiles (the export version of Kalibr cruise missiles) have been chosen as its main armament, the chief executive said.

"We have offered a solution with Kalibr missiles to a certain market segment. This is an interesting solution, considering that the gunboat is quite a speedy vessel and features good seaworthy characteristics," Antsev noted.

Radar MMS and Russia’s state arms seller Rosoboronexport (part of the state hi-tech corporation Rostec) are offering the Antares RA to various potential foreign customers, the chief executive said.

"This gunboat can be quite quickly packed with missile and artillery armament capable of striking both ground and naval targets," he said. The Antares-RA is an optimal solution for countries with limited defence spending and with an especially essential task to protect the water area, the chief executive pointed out.

"This is a ship for small states, which count their money," Antsev added, noting that the negotiations on the ship’s delivery were already underway. He did not specify, however, the countries, with which the company was holding negotiations.

As the Radar MMS head said, the Antares-RA gunboat has received modern communications and radar equipment. "An unmanned aerial vehicle can be attached to the gunboat for target acquisition."

The Project 133RA hydrofoil missile gunboat has been developed by the Alekseyev Central Hydrofoil Design Bureau (a strategic partner of Radar MMS). The gunboat displaces 226 tonnes and can develop a maximum speed of 60 knots. The ship is armed with four Club/Kalibr cruise missiles.

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