Komsomolsk-on-Amur building frigates further strengthens Pacific Fleet

    The shipyard Komsomolsk-on-Amur, located in Russia's far east, has received a license to develop, produce, test, install, maintain and repair weapon systems and military vessels. Among the licenses was also the promise that the shipyard will start building Project 22350 frigates, better known as the Admiral Gorshkov class [1]. Up until now, production of the Admiral Gorshkov class took place at the Severnaya Verf at Saint Petersburg though production has been slow.

By allowing the construction of Admiral Gorshkov class frigates at the Komsomolsk-on-Amur shipyard, the Russian Navy will not only modernize it fleets faster but also give more autonomy and independence to the support of the Pacific Fleet. 


The decision to build Admiral Gorshkov class frigates at Komsomolsk-on-Amur is not new as the shipyard has already started to invest in modern construction sides, certification of the work force and is in the process of finishing the construction of launching docks and pontoons to transport the frigates  down the Amur river and towards Vladivostok. The construction of the transport dock to bring frigates towards Vladivostok will take place in the spring of 2024. Additionally, dredging operations have taken place on the Amur river to allow the transport of these larger pontoons and docks.

Construction of the Admiral Gorshkov class frigates is a major improvement for the Komsomolsk-on-Amur shipyard which in previous years was used to build Steregushchy class corvettes and Karakurt missile boats for the Pacific Fleet. However, the gradual expansion and growth of the shipyard is part of the strategic shift within the Russian Navy and the allocation of the Pacific Ocean as the second most important naval region for the navy to focus on. The primary region still remains the Artic Ocean.

By all looks of it, it also seems that the Admiral Gorshkov class frigates will remain the most modern and largest surface vessels in use by the Russian Navy in the upcoming years. Admiral Gorshkov class frigates will replace the aging destroyers of the Udaloy class in the near future though updated and modernized Udaloy class destroyers, designated as frigates once modernized, will remain in service for around a decade. 

Being able to build Admiral Gorshkov class frigates in the far east will make the Pacific Fleet less depended on shipyards in western Russia, increasing the independence of the support this shipyard can offer to the Pacific Fleet and allows for a more streamlined planning of repair and maintenance in the near future.

Up to six Admiral Gorshkov class frigates are to be build by the Komsomolsk-on-Amur shipyard with construction starting somewhere in 2024. Currently the shipyard is in the process of building two Steregushchy class corvettes, four Gremyashchy class corvettes and four Karakurt missile boats [2]. Once completed, it is expected that the Komsomolsk-on-Amur shipyard will remain an important asset in the next decades for repair and modernization of all these vessels.

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