Russia tests missile boat that could be sent to Vietnam.

Rear Admiral Vladimir Tryapichnikov, head of the Russian Navy's shipbuilding department, personally stated that the manufacturer will cooperate with the navy to test the Project 22800 vessel in Lake Hadoga as early as May 2018.

After testing at Lake Hadoga, the vessel will be taken to the Baltiysk region in western Russia in the near future and will undergo further testing there, Vladimir Tryapichnikov added.

Regarding plans to export this type of vessel, Russian military sources indicate that the potential for Vietnam to purchase it is significant because the Vietnamese Navy is currently acquiring several types of warships equipped with Russian Kalibr missiles, including the Project 22800 warship.

If the technology is transferred, Vietnam could quickly utilize the experience gained from building six Project 1241.8 Molniya-class missile boats to construct these warships, increasing the number of powerful fast attack missile boats.

Furthermore, because this type of vessel has a relatively small displacement, it can be built in smaller shipyards, thus saving significant costs and increasing the number of shipyards with access to modern technology.

So what makes Project 22800 so special? According to the press office of the Unified Shipbuilding Corporation OSK, Project 22800 missile boats have a maximum displacement of 800 tons, a length of 60m, a width of 10m, and a draft of 4m.

The ship has a maximum speed of 30 knots and a range of up to 2,500-3,000 nautical miles, with a continuous voyage time of approximately 15 days and nights at sea. In addition, its geometric structure and the use of radar-absorbing materials make the Karakurt virtually invisible to enemy radar.

Meanwhile, the Russian ship is equipped with modern radar and the most advanced navigation equipment. In terms of weaponry, the ship is equipped with a Kalibr-NK vertical launch system (8 missiles) with two types of missiles: 3M-14T (land-attack cruise version, with a range of 2500km) and 3M-54T (anti-ship cruise version, with a range of 660km). The ship is also equipped with a 100mm cannon.

However, a notable new feature of the Karakurt's weaponry is the Pantsir-M integrated air defense system (a shipborne variant of the Pantsir-S ground-based air defense missile-gun system), which has now undergone state trials.

It is designed to destroy airborne targets at distances ranging from a few tens of meters to 20 kilometers. The combat module is equipped with high-speed, radio-guided missiles and two 30mm six-barreled cannons.

In terms of appearance, it can be observed that, apart from being slightly larger and having a different vertical launch system, the ship's design is relatively similar to the "Lightning" Project 1241.8 Molniya-class missile boat that Vietnam is currently building under a technology transfer from Russia.