By decision of the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy, Admiral Nikolai Evmenov, “Lev Chernavin” will become part of the Baltic Fleet.
The minesweeper ” Lev Chernavin ” was laid down on July 24, 2020, and launched on April 14, 2023. Sea trials started in early October.
The ship is named after Lev Davydovich Chernavin, a Soviet submarine officer, rear admiral, who commanded submarine formations of the Northern Fleet.
Project 12700 “Alexandrite” was developed by the Almaz Central Marine Design Bureau. Ships of this type are designed primarily to search for and destroy mines in the waters of naval bases. They are equipped with hydroacoustic stations located both on board and on remote-controlled and autonomous underwater vehicles. At the same time, “Alexandrites” can also use traditional minesweepers.
The advantage of Project 12700 composite minesweepers is considered to be higher strength compared to steel hulls, which ensures greater survivability when searching for mines. The service life of a ship made of monolithic fiberglass is longer than that of a hull made of low-magnetic steel, and the mass of the hull is significantly less.
The ship’s displacement is 890 tons, length – 61 meters, width – 10 meters, speed – 16.5 knots, crew – over 40 people. The ship has high maneuverability due to the use of an effective complex of various thrusters.