Buyan-class corvette. The Buyan class (), Russian designations Project 21630 Buyan and Project 21631 Buyan-M, are series of corvettes (small artillery and missile ships in Russian classification) developed by Zelenodolsk Design Bureau for the Russian Navy. Since 2010, all subsequent vessels are being constructed as improved Project 21631 subclass, incorporating greater tonnage, stealth technology and the 3S14 vertical launching system for either Kalibr or Oniks anti-ship cruise missiles, significantly enhancing combat capabilities. The ships are primarily designed for operations within littoral zones to protect Russia's vast coastal areas. Due to the small tonnage, they can operate even within shallow parts of oceans and seas and Russia's extensive inland waterway system. The export variant is known as Project 21632 Tornado.

Design
Initial information about a modified Project 21631, dubbed Buyan-M, was published in August 2010. The Project 21631 ships were to be an updated variant of the Project 21630 Buyan small artillery ships. They were to be up-armed with a USKS VLS system supporting the nuclear-capable Kalibr cruise missiles (SS-N-27 Sizzler) and with additional electronic countermeasure equipment. Ships of Project 21631 were designated for national economic zones protection, same as the original variants.

The ships' small size and displacement enables them to operate within inland river systems, including traversing the Moscow Canal. This allow them to redeploy to various seas around European Russia. A particular advantage for the Buyan-M series were the limitations imposed by the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) which prohibited land-based medium-range missiles while sea-based ones were not restricted. A river-based corvette could deploy such missiles without being subject to the restrictions. The lead ship of this project, Grad Sviyazhsk, was laid down on 27 August 2010 and commissioned on 27 July 2014.

Operational history

On 7 October 2015, corvettes Grad Sviyazhsk, Uglich, Velikiy Ustyug and  Dagestan, deployed in the Caspian Sea, launched 26 Kalibr cruise missiles at 11 terrorist targets in Syria. The missiles flew nearly  over Iran and Iraq and struck targets in Raqqa and Aleppo provinces (controlled by the Islamic State) as well as in Idlib province (controlled by the al-Qaeda-linked Nusra Front). According to United States Department of Defense officials, several of these cruise missiles fired from Russian ships crashed in Iran and did not make it to their intended targets in Syria.

On 20 November 2015, the same warships launched 18 Kalibr cruise missiles from the Caspian Sea at seven terrorist targets in Rakka, Idlib and Aleppo provinces.

In 2016, the corvette Zelenyy Dol was deployed to the Mediterranean Sea, later followed by sister ship Serpukhov. On 19 August Zelenyy Dol and Serpukhov, deployed in the Mediterranean Sea, launched Kalibr cruise missiles at positions of Al-Nusra terrorist group in Syria. As a result of the strikes, number of terrorist facilities were destroyed, including command post and base near the village of Dar Ta Izzah and weapon production plants and warehouses in Aleppo province.

On 25 October 2016, Zelenyy Dol and Serpukhov were deployed to the Baltic Sea to join a newly formed division at Kaliningrad. In 2020, Zelenyy Dol and the  Odintsovo deployed to Arctic waters utilizing Russian internal waterways and illustrating the Russian capacity to transfer light units among the Russian Navy's three western fleets and the Caspian Flotilla as might be required. A similar deployment was conducted in 2023 by Serpukhov.

On 28 March 2022, a Buyan-class corvette fired eight Kalibr missiles from the Black Sea and claimed to have destroyed a Ukrainian arsenal at Orzhev.

On 17 June 2022, a photo emerged of Velikiy Ustyug being towed on the Volga River in a damaged state after a Ukrainian attack.

On 8 April 2024, Ukrainian military intelligence released a video in which they claimed to have started a fire onboard Serpukhov. The fire reportedly occurred on 7 April. Serpukhov was in harbour at Baltiysk, Kaliningrad Oblast. Ukrainian military intelligence claimed that the fire destroyed "its communication and automation systems." On 3 July 2024, HUR revealed details of Operation "Rybalka" ("Fisherman"), which involved a former Russian sailor setting fire to the Buyan-class corvette Serpukhov on 8 April 2024. He also stole data "about the Baltic Fleet and the Russian military industry." The former sailor joined the Freedom of Russia Legion after defecting. HUR estimated Serpukhov will be out of action for six months. The ship was targeted for its ability to fire Kalibr and Onyx missiles.

On 6 November 2024, an A-22 drone from the Armed Forces of Ukraine struck the Kaspiysk naval base reportedly damaging a Buyan-class corvette of the Caspian Flotilla along with two s.

Variants
 Project 21630 Buyan
 Project 21631 Buyan-M – Upgraded design with modernised systems and new weapons
 Project 21632 Tornado – Export design
 Project 21635 Sarsar – Unveiled at Army-2022 expo, with an increased number of VLS cells, as well as a larger displacement overall

Ships

See also
 List of ships of the Soviet Navy
 List of ships of Russia by project number
 Rubin-class patrol boat

References

External links
Project 21630 - Complete Ship List
Project 21631 - Complete Ship List

Corvette classes
Corvettes of Russia
Stealth ships