The unique, world’s largest composite mine countermeasures ship of the Project 12701 class (a mine hunter) in its export version is on display at the United Shipbuilding Corporation’s stand at the ‘FLEET-2026’ International Naval Show currently taking place in Kronstadt.
The Project 12701 mine hunter was developed by the USC’s ‘Almaz’ design bureau specifically for foreign customers based on the proven Project 12700. The ship meets all the latest requirements for mine defense vessels.
The ship is designed for searching, detecting and destroying mines and mine-like objects, and for providing mine defense in naval mine countermeasures groups or in conjunction with other mine defense forces and assets in coastal and near-sea zones.
The Project 12701 mine hunter features a mine countermeasures system with hydroacoustic stations located both on the ship itself and on remotely operated and autonomous underwater vehicles. The ship integrates a bridge system and the main command post of the automated mine defense management system.
A unique feature of the ship is its world’s largest monolithic fiberglass hull, created using the vacuum infusion method. Compared to steel, the use of fiberglass has reduced the weight of the structure while maintaining its strength characteristics: the ship is not susceptible to corrosion, and its service life, if operated according to standards, is practically unlimited. The use of composite materials has also reduced the level of physical fields, which is of fundamental importance in conducting mine countermeasures operations.
When designing the export version of the Project 12701, the USC’s design team carried out a series of measures to enable foreign customers to successfully operate the ship in southern seas, primarily in the Red and Mediterranean Seas, as well as in the Indian Ocean. At the same time, during periods of low mine threat probability, the ships can be used for both water area protection and training purposes.