Kaliningrad shipyard displaying state-of-the-art models at St. Petersburg naval exhibition

An international naval exhibition has opened today in St. Petersburg. According to Nikolai Volov, the general director of the Yantar shipyard, the exhibition includes state-of-the-art ship designs produced in Kaliningrad.

Visitors to the exhibition can see plans for the Sprut environmental patrol boat, which is being built at the Yantar yard on the basis of new German designs. Three of these boats have already been built at the shipyard for the German Interior Ministry following an order from Abeking & Rasmussen. Nikolai Volov told Rosbalt that the model is highly economical, fast and has a long range. It can also sail for 30 days on autopilot.

'The design is so good that in July 2002 Yantar signed a contract with the Russian Federal Border Guards to build a ship for Russia's coast guards as well,' said Volov.

The Yantar shipyard is also displaying a Corsair frigate at the exhibition. The frigate is designed to find and destroy submarines and surface ships, and fend off attacks from the air either alone or as part of a tactical group.