VESSEL REVIEW | Burevestnik – Russian border patrol and emergency response boat

Vympel Shipyard, a division under Russia's state-owned United Shipbuilding Corporation, has completed construction of a new patrol vessel ordered by the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) for operation by its Border Service.

Designed by Vympel Design Bureau, Burevestnik ("Storm Petrel") is the sixth in the Project 03050 series of seven patrol vessels built for the FSB Border Service. Its secondary duties will include towing of vessels up to 500 tonnes in displacement, firefighting, and transport of assorted cargo totalling approximately eight tonnes.

The newbuild has a length of 30.8 metres, a beam of 6.7 metres, a draught of two metres, and a displacement of 131 tonnes at full load. Three YaMZ 8401 diesel engines that each produce 596 kW drive fixed-pitch propellers to deliver a top speed of 18 knots and a range of over 1,000 nautical miles, which can also translate into a maximum operating endurance of 20 days.

A weapons mount is also available for the installation of a crew-served machine gun. The accommodation spaces can house a crew of five.

Burevestnik will join its six earlier Project 03050 sister boats in performing coast guard functions in the Black Sea. The vessel will also be capable of operating in inland waters.

Some of our readers have expressed disquiet at our publication of reviews and articles describing new vessels from Russia. We at Baird Maritime can understand and sympathise with those views. However, despite the behaviour of the country's leaders, we believe that the maritime world needs to learn of the latest developments in vessel design and construction there.