Russia upgrades missile corvette Sovetsk with Tor-M2KM Air Defense System.

According to information published by Militarnyi on August 27, 2024, the Russian Baltic Fleet has equipped the small missile corvette Sovetsk with a "Tor-M2KM" modular air defense system. The modification was photographed in the port of Kronstadt.
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Russian Karakurt-class corvette Sovetsk. (Picture source: Vitaly Burkalov)

The Sovetsk and the first ship of its series, Mytishchi, were developed under the original Project 22800 but were not initially equipped with specialized anti-aircraft systems. Instead, these vessels relied on AK-630M artillery systems for air defense tasks. It was only from the third ship in the Karakurt class series that a dedicated anti-aircraft system, the Pantsir-ME, began to be integrated.

In light of recent experiences in the Black Sea, the Russian Navy appears to have decided to enhance the capabilities of these ships. To this end, an autonomous combat module of the Tor-M2KM complex has been installed on the aft superstructure of Sovetsk. Notably, both AK-630M artillery installations were retained and remain operational, providing additional fire support against both aerial and surface targets.

The Tor-M2KM is a modular version of the Tor-M2 system, designed for deployment on various chassis, ship decks, or stationary platforms. This version of the combat module is equipped with four 9M331 guided anti-aircraft missiles capable of intercepting aerial targets at a range of up to 15 kilometers.

Previously, the Russian military employed similar upgrades on patrol ships Pavel Derzhavin and Vasily Bykov of Project 22160, which have also seen action in the Black Sea. Like the Sovetsk, these vessels did not originally feature adequate anti-aircraft weaponry and relied primarily on the AK-176MA artillery system. Additional air defense systems were installed on the helicopter decks at the stern of these ships.

A similar approach was used to retrofit the frigate Admiral Grigorovich. In an effort to safeguard the Black Sea Fleet from Ukrainian kamikaze drone attacks, the Russian Navy decided in July to redeploy some of its vessels, including two Karakurt class missile corvettes, to the Caspian Sea.

About the corvette

The Sovetsk is a compact naval vessel with a displacement of 800 tons under standard conditions, increasing to 870 tons when fully loaded. The ship measures 67 meters in length and 11 meters in width, with a draught of 4 meters.

Propulsion is provided by three M507D-1 diesel engines, each capable of producing 5,884 kW (8,000 hp), along with three DGAS-315 diesel generators.

This configuration enables the corvette to achieve a top speed of 30 knots. It has an operational range of 2,500 nautical miles and can remain at sea for up to 15 days without resupply.