Yantar shipyard suspends work on second batch of Admiral Grigorovich-class frigates
KALININGRAD. April 15 (Interfax-AVN) - The construction of the second batch of three frigates of Project 11356 for the Russian Navy has been suspended, General Director of Kaliningrad-based Yantar shipyard Eduard Yefimov has told journalists.
"Some time ago, the Defense Ministry sent us a prescription to freeze the construction of the Admiral Butakov, Admiral Istomin and Admiral Kornilov frigates the hulls of which have been made and launched. This stems from the fact that their construction cannot continue, because their power installations had been ordered in Ukraine, that refused to stand by the contract terms," Yefimov said.
He said that the power installations for the ships can be produced by the Russian manufacturer Saturn in Rybinsk. The company has been given such orders, but the engines are not expected to be ready before 2018. The frigates are at such a stage of readiness that it is impossible to continue their construction without the power installations.
Yefimov also said that presently, Russia and India are holding talks so that the shipyard could complete the ships under a contract in the framework of military-technical cooperation. But, in this case, India would have to agree with Ukraine on the delivery of engines for the ships, if it decides to buy them.
The talks are at the initial stage. The Ukrainian side has manufactured the engines because Russia paid for the work before the aggravation of relations over Crimea and Donbas.
"Indians are familiar with the ships of this project. The frigates have performed well in the course of their use," Yefimov said.