Guided-missile corvette “Graivoron”, built for the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation, began its first launch to sea for the purpose of factory sea trials according to the statement released on Saturday by the press service of the fleet.

It is specified that the tests are carried out by the regular crew together with the factory commissioning team in order to check the operation of power plants, steering gear, auxiliary mechanisms, communications, navigation and other systems of ship equipment, as well as seaworthy characteristics the main parameters of the ship. Upon completion of the event, the shipbuilders, together with the crew, will revise the systems, devices and mechanisms and continue to prepare the ship for the next stage of the state test plan.

Corvettes of project 21631 operate in the Caspian flotilla, the Baltic and the Black Sea fleets. The Graivoron is the ninth warship of the project and the fourth corvette on the Black Sea. As part of the Black Sea Fleet, the crews of three ships of this project are already performing tasks: Vyshny Volochek, Orekhovo-Zuevo and Ingushetia. The corvettes are primarily designed for operations within littoral zones to protect Russia's vast coastal areas, the economic zone. Due to the small tonnage, they can operate even within shallow parts of oceans and seas and Russia's river system. Project 21631 corvettes can lay minefields and block adversary navigation in major sea areas, mostly in straits and at approaches to naval bases. The export variant is known as Project 21632 Tornado.

Prior to sea trials Graivoron underwent primary electromagnetic treatment. The electromagnetic treatment improves the operation of navigational complexes and protection against precision weapons, non-contact mines and torpedoes.

The Graivoron is developed by Zelenodolsk Design Bureau for the Russian Navy. The ship is designed to conduct anti-surface warfare (ASuW) combat missions with secondary air defence capability thanks to four Igla-1M surface-to-air missiles (SAM). The armament consists of a single A-190 100mm cannon, two AK-630M anti-aircraft guns, eight Club-S Kalibr anti-ship missiles, and four Igla-1M SAMs mounted on a 3M47 Gibka launcher. She is also armed with 14.5mm and 7.62mm machine guns. It has a 950-ton displacement ship that is 74 meters (243 feet) long with a top speed of 45 kph (28 mph).